"In June of 1860, Browning purchased an "old yellow book" from a bookstall in Florence. The book contained legal briefs, pamphlets, and letters relating to a case that had been tried in 1698 involving a child bride, a disguised priest, a triple murder, four hangings and the behe…
"In June of 1860, Browning purchased an "old yellow book" from a bookstall in Florence. The book contained legal briefs, pamphlets, and letters relating to a case that had been tried in 1698 involving a child bride, a disguised priest, a triple murder, four hangings and the behe…
Browning's poetic masterpiece imagines, through multiple narrators, the story of an actual 17th century Roman scandal and trial, in which an enraged nobleman stabbed his young wife, whom he accused of adultery.
Intro -- Contents -- Preface to the Revised Edition -- Preface -- Maps -- Introduction -- 1. The Birth of a New Empire 500-641 -- The End of the Ancient World -- Civilization in Transition -- 2. The Struggle to Survive 641-867 -- Withdrawal and Defense -- The New Order -- 3. The…