While Jove’s planet rises yonder, silent over Africa.
The former of these companion poems may have been written from Italy or the south of Spain, as would appear from the last line of it. Mr. E. C. Stedman, one of the severest of Browning’s appreciative critics, commenting (in his “Victorian Poets”) on the lines beginning “That’s the wise thrush,” says:—“Having in mind Shakespeare and Shelley, I nevertheless think these three lines the finest ever written touching the song of a bird.”
In the latter poem, the course is from the southern point of Portugal through the Straits. “Here and here”—the reference is to the battles of Cape St. Vincent (1796) and Trafalgar (1805), and perhaps to the defence of Gibraltar (1782).
“HOW THEY BROUGHT THE GOOD
NEWS FROM GHENT TO AIX.”
[16—.]
I.
I sprang to the stirrup, and Joris, and he;
I galloped, Dirck galloped, we galloped all three;