New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-09-06
- RJNG AND THE BOOK.
=. Original Source of Robert
BrOscring's Masterpiece.

YELLOW BOOK. Source Of Browning's
The t s.ss with translation. essay and
Tep-ooss1r CHARLES ". Hedell. 4to. pp cclxii:
noes pSs3hlished by the Carnegie Institution OF
Washington
man Of letters performed labor of
4 uosen has performed one in the pro-
," = this volume Years ago. we gather
-l,'s =. r-eface. he began TO study THE Ring
IN '. .3oak and he now rears 10 it the kind
=. -,nunent which is only inspired, as rule,
q tbe colossal achievements in litera-
paradise Lost" or Divine Comedy"
ia'S .--.o,1 has. to be sure. no misgivings as TO
NJ u,o-+aIitv OF Browning's masterpiece. He
' !. .4his s;upendous work Of imagination
'~l = she most potent and masterful creative
O.. -..,i,rs in English poetry since Shake
: - only a Brownfngite could have written
8 -.,,ence and only a Browningite could &C
-, ,ftaout reserve. But one does not need
,.l,,g 70 the sect in order 10 have a keen
a the interest and value or this ardent
IS work. Full light, such as he supplies,
4 =. source Of the famous poem in an 1tal-
.,,r5er trial of the seventeenth century
- m, hut appeal TO every reader Of Brown
= tbe task of developing this light was
q - doing at all II was worth doing well, and
! .s,srs Of the Carnegie Institution were
- ,psti6ed in making this one Of their pub
sstions
--o-v one knows the poets candid admission
4 ,ss indebtedness 10 the contemporary records
c,i5o Franceschini's trial for the murder OF
: wife Francesca Pompilia Comparini. He
s.s--i,es the volume from which he drew his
,erial in some Of his best lines:
non sc This square old yellow Book. toss
4 the air and catch again. and twlrl about
! he c-urnpled vellum covers.-pure crude fact
{ ,reiea from mans life when hearts beat hard
u trains hiCh-blOOded. licked two centuries
! s.nss:
The old yellow hook contained eighteen PAM
lets some official and others anonymous,
-4wning picked il UP from a market harrow in
rl5-entine square in the summer OF 1860, and
!, ad il with absorbed attention. but he did not
axe any use Of It's theme for several years
7en he threw himself upon II with passion
wrote the poem that we know. He prom
/ "a 10 leave the volume TO Balliol College, and
|. .e- his death his son deposited it there
r;ers on his life and works have paid dut
a-teaton 70 the episode but it was left to Mr.
/ del 10 make public all the documents. H
* this with scrupulous eXactitude. In tn
b. place he prints a Photographic reproduc
b. Of the contents Of the old yellow book. T
ts he adds q careful translation and a loni
SAY on the making Of Browning's poem. !
pus Of topical notes and an exhaustive sub
n index with portraits of Browning and O.
'-znceschini, and a sketch of the latter's coa'
arms round out one Of the most jealous
se,es Of research We have encountered in &
plg time.
The purpose Of this volume is, OF course, &c
rable the reader 70 place the poem and its
lrce side by side, and thereby to observe
sruRnings extraordinary fidelity TO fact in the
s-i;ing Of The Ring and the Book Neverthe-
tss one is bound 20 read the old story for its
,En sake so full IS il Of poignant human drama.
eudo Franceschini Of AreZzo was an elderly
! IN when he sought Pomp:iia in marriage a
Il Cow Of stature, thin and pallid, with
,r0mnent nose, black hair and a heavy beard -
81 was girl OF thirteen whose parents Pietro
sri TiOlante Comparini, had interests of their
oE1 10 serve in marrying her 70 the Aretine
nOtemsn, himself keen upon deriving practical
aIgs1tage from the union. The tragedy brought
frth two versions Of the short life together Of