200
_The knowledge of that with my life begun._
_But I had so near made out the sun,_
_And counted your stars, the seven and one;_
_Like the fingers of my hand:_
_Nay, I could all but understand_ 205
_Wherefore through heaven the white moon ranges;_
_And just when out of her soft fifty changes_
_No unfamiliar face might overlook me--_
_Suddenly God took me._

[PIPPA _passes._

_Monsignor_ [_springing up_]. My people--one and 210
all--all-within there! Gag this villain--tie him hand and
foot! He dares--I know not half he dares--but
remove him--quick! _Miserere mei, Domine!_ Quick, I say!

SCENE.--PIPPA'S _chamber again. She enters it._

The bee with his comb,
The mouse at her dray,
The grub in his tomb,
While winter away;
But the firefly and hedge-shrew and lobworm, I pray, 5
How fare they?
Ha, ha, thanks for your counsel, my Zanze!
"Feast upon lampreys, quaff Breganze"--
The summer of life so easy to spend,
And care for tomorrow so soon put away! 10
But winter hastens at summer's end,
And firefly, hedge-shrew, lobworm, pray,
How fare they?
No bidding me then to--what did Zanze say?
"Pare your nails pearlwise, get your small feet shoes 15
More like"--what said she?--"and less like canoes!"
How pert that girl was!--would I be those pert,
Impudent, staring women! It had done me,
However, surely no such mighty hurt
To learn his name who passed that jest upon me: 20
No foreigner, that I can recollect,
Came, as she says, a month since, to inspect
Our silk-mills--none with blue eyes and thick rings
Of raw-silk-colored hair, at all events.
Well, if old Luca keep his good intents, 25
We shall do better, see what next year brings!
I may buy shoes, my Zanze, not appear
More destitute than you perhaps next year!
Bluph--something! I had caught the uncouth name
But for Monsignor's people's sudden clatter 30
Above us--bound to spoil such idle chatter
As ours; it were indeed a serious matter
If silly talk like ours should put to shame
The pious man, the man devoid of blame,
The--a