An Exposition OF Brownings Sordello With Historical and Other DAVID DUFF, BJD. WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS EDINBURGH AND LONDON MCMVI PREFACE. IF WM i l in H mii at all, a fresh and J attempt at it elut i atim nwl make no OXCUKO for its aijHarinj Many ui K from earnest ami thoughtful ayj In annotate Iitiom that hat hist Ir tvptnkd nw prurtiral jokos, liavt IH U ctltVivil to ihi i tulent uf tl5s stran o iiitelkHtml rM hu t t InU, ii is j norally H kiif lti pHl tltat it rt k iiiJiiiis a 4 dark po m. 1 4 lut-that ItHk went tlamnaliU, hanl mys the Im xaurtal TittluT, wlitni lifsnililn his pil rinitt ttttoiupt to tHi-a fniiii Uouhtinu Ciisili The vonN havo often iHffiif iii li la 1 as 1 havi iiii il to forei my way into tho tronh iM of tin Jiaiit lHj, ar nf our literature t riflu its tWMtU s if lay mtilers ran uwjsc-mntiou ly finish ilie itt ai nwtt whiifli the wonl quottul fonn H pint, 1 ki mon than satinfUni. ilm jmrpamtiun of my work 1 have received tH at tin hu l of many MtmcTk My thanks are linn to th c who havo tjhvti mo fri e acfcens to their anl tn i wt vlio, out of the stores of their own i have uliletl me la following up reftTCneea I r Julm Stuhcrlaiitl tck, l sliles revising the proofs, vi PREFACE has kindly contributed an account of the historical Sordello, which will be found in the Appendix. The Eev. Eobert Law, B. D., has subjected my work to a persistent, vigorous, and far-reaching criticism and this invaluable service, which I cannot acknowledge in its details, I would acknowledge here as heartily as it was generously rendered. Mr Law has also kindly revised the proofs. DAVID DUFF. EDINBURGH, April 1906. EEBATUM. Omit note on Book I, line 275, page 10. CONTENTS. The textreferred to is that of the seventeen - volume edition published by Smith, Elder, Co. The reader will tod it easy to number the lines by fives. BOOK THE PIKST. Lines 1-73. PAGE Browning raises Sordello out of the darkness of the Middle Ages, tells how he will treat his subject, and collects an audience ....... 1 LI. 73-308. Bringing up Verona, the poet sets us in the midst of Guelf and Ghibellin strife ...... 3 LL 309-345, We get a glimpse of Sordello on the famous Verona night 11 LL 345-373. An apostrophe to Dante. This Sordello, of whom we have had a glimpse, has been absorbed by the greater Italian poet, who refers to him in the Dwina Gommedia, and elsewhere but Browning will extricate him and treat of him independ ently ........ 12 LL 374-444. We have a description of Bordellos home, the castle of Goito, with its surroundings . . . 13 LL 444-482. Sordello is in the forefront of natures specially framed for the perception of beauty, . .15 CONTENTS LL 483-522. Of men belonging to this regal class some are passionate in their devotion to objects not themselves . .16 LL 523-553. On the other hand, there are members of the regal class who, far from devoting themselves to anything not them selves, regard each revelation of beauty as a mere reflection of a type already existing in their own souls . . .17 LL 553-567. Two dangers await the self-centred members of the regal class. In actual life they do nothing, and so fail or they fail through attempting the impossible, by striving to attain the realisation of all their conceptions . - .19 LL 567-603. About to say that into these fatal errors Sordello fell, Browning arrests himself why anticipate unpleasant facts 20 LL 604-671. Sordello simagination performs extraordinary feats on external nature ...... 22 LL 672-697. JPrhe world is powerless to break Sordellos day-dreams for he is closely sheltered from its care and pain . . 24 LL 698-716. But the passing of time does for Sordello what the world has failed to do, and he learns that his fancies are not realities ....... .25 LL 717-806. The actual beauties of Nature will not satisfy Sordello now no longer king over tree and flower, he would be the centre of an admiring crowd of men .... 26 LL 806-855...