spite of all her advances and cajoleries would never look
at her again.'' Schiller running across this anecdote of
St. Croix, in 1797, as he writes Goethe, wrote a poem
on it which adds nothing to the story. Leigh Hunt's
'The Glove and the Lions' adds some traits. It characterizes
the lady as shallow and vain, with smiles and
eyes which always seem'd the same.'' She calculates
since "king, ladies, lovers, all look on," that "the occasion
is divine" to drop her glove and "prove his love,
then look at him and smile"; and after De Lorges has
returned and thrown the glove, "but not with love, right
in the lady's face,'' Hunt makes the king rise and swear
"rightly done! No love, quoth he, but vanity, sets love
a task like that!'' This is the material Browning worked
on; he makes use of this speech of the king's, but remodels
the lady's character wholly, and gives her an appreciative
lover, and also a keen-eyed young poet to tell her
story afresh and to reveal through his criticism the narrowness
of the Court and the Court poets.

12. Naso: Ovid. Love of the classics and curiosity as
to human nature were both characteristic of Peter Ronsard
(1524-1585), at one time page to Francis I, the
most erudite and original of French medieval poets.

45. Clement Marot: (1496-1544), Court poet to Francis I.
His nature and verse were simpler than Ronsard's,
and he belonged more peculiarly to his own day.

48. Versifies David: Marot was suspected of Protestant
leanings which occasioned his imprisonment twice, and put
him in need of the protection Francis and his sister gave
him. Among his works were sixty-five epistles addressed
to grandees, attesting his courtiership, and the paraphrase
of forty-nine of the Psalms to which Ronsard alludes.

50. Illum Juda, etc.: that lion of the tribe of Judah.

89. Venienti, etc.: Meet the coming disease; that is,
if evil be anticipated, don't wait till it seizes you, but
dare to assure yourself and then forestall it as the lady did.

190. Theorbo: an old Italian stringed instrument such as
pages used.

TIME'S REVENGES

I've a Friend, over the sea;
I like him, but he loves me.
It all grew out of the books I write;
They find such favour in his sight
That he slaughters you with savage looks
Because you don't admire my books.
He does hi