Explore "Red Cotton Night-Cap Country; or, Turf and Towers" by Robert Browning on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
Monsieur Léonce Miranda, then,... but stay! / Permit me a preliminary word, / And, after, all shall go so straight to end!
Have you, the travelled lady, found yourself / Inside a ruin, fane or bath or cirque, / Renowned in story, dear through youthful dream? / If not, -- imagination serves as well. / Try fancy-land, go back a thousand years, / Or forward, half the number, and confront / Some work of art gnawn hollow by Time's tooth, -- / Hellenic temple, Roman theatre, / Gothic cathedral, Gallic Tuileries, / But ruined, one and whichsoe'er you like. / Obstructions choke what still remains intact, / Yet proffer change that 's picturesque in turn; / Since little life begins where great life ends, / And vegetation soon amalgamates, / Smooths novel shape from out the shapeless old, / Till broken column, battered cornice-block, / The centre with a bulk half weeds and flowers, / Half relics you devoutly recognize. / Devoutly recognizing, -- hark, a voice / Not to be disregarded! "Man worked here / Once on a time; here needs again to work; / Ruins obstruct, which man must remedy. " / Would you demur "Let Time fulfil his task, / And, till the scythe-sweep find no obstacle, / Let man be patient"?