A solan do: Fancies and Facts

Published in London, December 12th, 1889, on the day on which Mr. Browning died in Venice. Contents : Prologue; Rosny; Dubiety; Now; Humility; Poetics; Summum Bonum; A Pearl, A Girl; Speculative; White Witchcraft; Bad Dreams, I., II., III., IV.; In apprehensivene ; Which? The Cardinal and the Dog; The Pope and the Net; The Bean-Feast; Muckle-mouth Meg; Arcades Ambo; The Lady and the Painter; Ponte dell’ Angelo, Venice; Be at rice Signorini; Flute Music, with an Accompaniment; “Imperante Aug us to, Natus est ——”; Development; Rephan; Reverie; Epilogue. The volume is dedicated to the poet’s friend, Mrs. Arthur Bronson. In the dedication the poet explains the title A solan do: it was a “ title-name popularly ascribed to the inventivene of the ancient secretary of Queen Cornaro, whose palace-tower still overlooks us .” Asolare—“to disport in the open air, amuse oneself at random.” “The objection that such a word nowhere occurs in the works of the Cardinal is hardly important. Bembo was too thorough a purist to conserve in print a term which in talk he might po ibly toy with; but the word is more likely derived from a Spanish source. I use it for love of the place, and in requital of your pleasant a urance that an early poem of mine first attracted you thither; where and elsewhere, at La Mura as Cà Alvisi, may all happine attend you!—Gratefully and affectionately yours, R. B.”—Asolo, Oct. 5th, 1889 .