Mr. Browning having told the incidents of the story in all their principal details, might, in the ordinary way, have considered this sufficient. He has reserved nothing till the last, and in the usual way would have destroyed the interest of his remaining volumes had he been a mere story-teller. His purpose, however, was different. He will now take the principal actors in the tragedy, and separately and at length let them give their account of it in their own language and according to their own view of the case. He will, moreover, give his readers the opposing views of the two halves into which the Roman populace have been divided on the murders. He will introduce us to the Pope considering the course of action he is called upon to pursue as supreme judge of the matter; and the very lawyers, who are preparing their briefs and getting up their speeches, will also have their say. We shall thus have this many-sided subject put before us in every possible way; and we shall be enabled to follow the windings of the human mind on such a subject as though we were centred in the breast, in turn, of each of the actors in the dreadful drama. We have, therefore, in
Book I., The dry facts of the case in brief;
Book II., Half Rome (the view of those antagonistic to the wife);
Book III., The Other Half Rome (representing the opinion of those who take her part);
Book IV., Tertium Quid (a third party, neither wholly on one side nor the other);
Book V., Count Guido Franceschini (his own defence);
Book VI., Giuseppe Caponsacchi (the Canon’s explanation);
Book VII., Pompilia (her story, as she told it on her deathbed to the nuns);
Book VIII., Dominus Hyacinthus de Archangelis (Count Guido’s counsel and his speech for the defence);
Book IX., Juris Doctor Johannes-Baptista Bottinius (the Public Prosecutor’s speech);