tanza 35, the
versification of an anecdote recorded by Baldinucci, the artist and art
critic (1624-1696), in his History of Painters. The incident with which
it concludes is imaginary.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 51: The jocose vindictiveness with which Browning returns
again and again to the assault of the bad grammar and worse rhetoric of
Byron's once so much belauded address to the ocean is very amusing. The
above is only one out of four or five instances.]

[Footnote 52: It is worth comparing _A Forgiveness_ with a poem of very
similar motive by Leconte de Lisle: _Le Jugement de Komor_ (_Poemes
Barbares_). Each is a fine example of its author, in just those
qualities for which both poets are eminent: originality and subtlety of
subject, pregnant picturesqueness of phrase and situation, and grimly
tragic power. The contrast no less than the likeness which exists
between them will be evident on a comparison of the two poems.]

[Footnote 53: In reference to the title _Cenciaja_, and the Italian
proverb which follows it, _Ogni cencio vuol entrare in bucato_, Browning
stated, in a letter to Mr. H.B. Forman (printed in his _Shelley_, 1880,
ii. 419), that "'aia' is generally an accumulative yet depreciative
termination: 'Cenciaja'--a bundle of rags--a trifle. The proverb means,
'Every poor creature will be pressing into the company of his betters,'
and I used it to deprecate the notion that I intended anything of the
kind."]

25. THE AGAMEMNON OF AESCHYLUS.

[Published in October, 1877 (_Poetical Works_, 1889, Vol.
XIII. pp. 259-357).]

Browning prefaces his transcript of the _Agamemnon_ with a brief
introduction, in which he thus sets forth his theory of translation:--

"If, because of the immense fame of the following Tragedy, I
wished to acquaint myself with it, and could only do so by
the help of a translator, I should require him to be literal
at every cost save that of absolute violence to our language.
The use of certain allowable constructions which, happening
to be out of daily favour, are all the more appropriate to
archaic workmanship, is no violence: but I would be tolerant
for once,--in the case of so immensely famous an
original,--of even a clumsy attempt to furnish me with the
very turn of each phrase in as Greek a fashion as English
will bear: while, with respect to amplifications and
embellishments, anything rather than, with the good farmer,