“... just
As Adelaide of Susa could entrust
Her donative ...
... to the superb
Matilda’s perfecting.”

“The Biographie Universelle says: ‘Adelaide, Marchioness of Susa, was contemporary with Matilda the great Countess of Tuscany, and governed Piedmont with wisdom and firmness. She endeavoured more than once to make peace between the Emperor and Popes. She was married three times—to a Duke of Swabia, a Marquis of Montferrat, and a Count of Maurienna; and partly through her inheritance from the husbands, all of whom she survived, partly on account of her wise management, her fief Susa became the most important in Italy. Matilda, the great Countess of Tuscany, was one of the most famous characters of her age. Absolute ruler of the most powerful country in Italy, she defended Hildebrand, and adhered to the Pope against all enemies, proffers or threats. During her lifetime she transferred the greater part of her possessions by deed of gift to the papacy; and that deed was the foundation of Papal claims to many lands in Italy throughout the following centuries. She owned the Castle of Canozza, where the Pope took refuge from Henry IV., who had married Adelaide’s daughter; and it was to Canozza that that Emperor was obliged to resort, when later he sought the Pope’s forgiveness, and when he was left standing barefoot in the snow awaiting the Pope’s pleasure. Matilda conveyed her estates to the Pope in 1102, was made sovereign of all Italy in 1110, and died 1115.’ There appears to be no mention of any donative entrusted to the superb Matilda, either in the Biographie Universelle, or in Sismondi.” [S.] Line 501, “lion’s crine” == lion’s hair. l. 583, “like the alighted Planet Pollux wore.” Castor and Pollux were generally represented mounted on two white horses, armed with spears, and riding side by side with their heads covered with a bonnet, on the top of which glittered a star. The twins took part in the Argonautic expedition, and when a violent storm arose two flames of fire appeared, and were seen to play around their heads. Pollux was the son of Jupiter, whilst Castor was only his half-brother; but he obtained from Jupiter, for Castor, the gift of immortality, and a place with him amongst the constellations. St. Elmo’s fire, which frequently appears and plays about masts and yards of ships during storms, was called Castor and Pollux by Roman sailors” (Lemprière, Class. Dict.). l. 590,

“For thus
I bring Sordello.”

See Book I., l. 353. l. 616, “Verona’s Lady” is a statue on the top of a fountain at one end of the Piazza d’Erbe. The fountain was put up in 916, at the completion of the aqueduct by Berenger. It was restored in 1368. The statue was first erected by Theodosius in 1380. It is called by the people Donna Verona, and wears a steel crown as a symbol that the town was an imperial residence. l. 617, Gaulish Brennus, who besieged Rome B.C. 385. l. 621, Manlïus: Manlius Marcus, a celebrated Roman who defended the Capitol against the Gauls. l. 625, platan: the plane tree. l. 626, Archimage: the high priest of the Magi or fire-worshippers. l. 687, colibri: humming birds. l. 712, Bassanese, of Bassano, a noble town on the Brenta. l. 797, Basilic: the Basilica, St. Mark’s great Cathedral. l. 798, “God’s great day of the Corpus Domini” (or Body of the Lord): the Feast of Corpus Christi, the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist. It is held on the Thursday following Trinity Sunday. l. 811, losel == a wasteful, worthless fellow. l. 813,

“God spoke,
Of right hand, foot, and eye.”
(See St. Matthew v. 29, 30) [S.]

l. 837, mugwort == a herb of the genus Artemisia. l. 839, “Zin the Horrid”: the Syrian wilderness where the Israelites found no water (Num. xx. 1). l. 847, “potsherd and Gibeonites”: see Joshua ix. l. 852, Meribah: see Exod. xvii. 7 and Num. xxvii. 14. l. 898, “Prisoned in the Piombi”: horrible torture cells on the leads of the Ducal Palace at Venice, where the prisoners were roasted in the sun. l. 924, “Tempe’s dewy vale”: a beautiful valley in Thessaly. l. 964, Hercules—in Egypt: in his quest for the golden apples of the Hesperides, Hercules journeyed through Egypt—Busiris, the king, was about to sacrifice Hercules to Zeus, but he broke his bonds and slew Busiris, his sons and servants. l. 975, patron-friend: Walter Savage Landor, who warmly praised Browning’s poetry when others abused it; the reference is to Empedocles, a Greek poet. l. 977, Marathon, Platæa, and Salamis: celebrated Greek battle-places. l. 987, “The king who lost the ruby”: Polycrates of Samos. He was advised to throw into the sea the most precious of his jewels, a beautiful seal; he grieved much at the loss, but in a few days he had a present of a large fish, in the belly of which his ring was found. l. 992, English Eyebright: the botanical name of the plant is Euphrasia officinalis. Euphrasia was the name of a lady who was an old friend of Mr. Browning’s (Dr. Furnivall). l. 1021, Xanthus: a disciple of St. John the Evangelist. l. 1024, Polycarp, an early Christian martyr, A.D. 166; and a disciple of St. John. l. 1025, Charicle: also a disciple. l. 1045, “twy prong” was one of the instruments used by necromancers in “raising the devil.” “To procure the magic fork.—This is a branch of a single beam of hazel or almond, which must be cut at a single stroke with the new knife used in the sacrifice. The rod must terminate in a fork.” (Waite’s Mysteries of Magic, p. 260.) Pastoral Cross: the cross on a priest’s vestment is sometimes Y-shaped. Hargrave Jennings, in his Rosicrucians, says it is now used as an anagram exemplifying the Athanasian Creed; exactly, in fact, like the magic twy prong in shape. An Archbishop’s crozier or pastoral staff terminates in a cross at the top.

Book IV.—Line 24, quitch-grass == couch-grass or dog-grass; it roots deeply, and is not easily killed. l. 24, “loathy mallows”: loathsome mallows, probably because they grow in ditches and in churchyards. l. 34, Legate Montelungo: Gregorio di Montelongo, Pontifical legate for Gregory IX. l. 50, arbalist, a crossbow; manganel, an engine of war for battering down walls and hurling stones; and catapult, a war engine. l. 72, Jubilate: rejoice ye! Jubilate Deo, 66th Psalm. l. 83:

“... What cautelous
Old Redbeard sought from Azzo’s sire to wrench vainly.”

The Lombard League had built Alexandria to defy Barbarossa, who was twice unsuccessful in taking it. l. 89, Brenta: a river of North Italy, passing near Padua. Bacchiglione: the river on which stand Vicenza and Padua. l. 98, San Vitale: a small town near Vicenza. l. 147, “Messina marbles Constance took delight in”: the marbles of Sicily. For variety and beauty they rival those of any country of Europe. l. 229, Mainard, or Meinhard: Count of Görz, in the Tyrol. l. 280, Concorezzi: a knightly family of Padua. l. 395, “Crowned grim twy-necked eagle”: the two-headed eagle, symbol of the empire. l. 479, The Adelardi: were a noble Guelf family of Ferrara and Mantua. Marchesella was heiress of the Adelardi family; Obizzo I. carried her off, and married her to his son Azzo V. l. 483, Blacks and Whites: the Neri, the black party, and the Bianchi the white. The Bianchi are called the Parte selvaggia, because its leaders, the Cerchi, came from the forest lands of Val di Sieve. The other party, the Neri, were led by the Donati. (See Longfellow’s Dante—Notes to Inferno, vi. 65.) l. 511, “goshawk”: a short-winged slender hawk (Falco palumbarius). l. 533, Pistore: Pistoia. l. 577, Matilda: Countess of Tuscany (1046-1114), known as the Great Countess; she was the champion of the Church and the ally of Hildebrand. l. 585, Heinrich: “Henry VI., married Constance, daughter of the King of Naples and Sicily. He reigned from 1190 to 1197.” [S.] “Philip and Otho”: “the latter conspired against Frederick II., who was brought up by Innocent III., and after Philip’s death made Emperor, in 1212. He lived till 1250. His son Henry, King of the Romans, rebelled against him.” [S.] l. 614, Bassano: a city of Italy, in the province of Vicenza, on the Brenta. There is a church of St. Francis at Bassano. Lanze says, “It is the peculiar boast of Bologna that she can claim three of the few artists of the earliest times: one Guido, one Ventura, and one Ursone, of whom there exist memorials as far back as 1248.” [S.] l. 615, Guido the Bolognian: Guido Reni, the great painter of Bologna (1575-1642). l. 645, Guglielm == William; Aldobrand or Aldovrandino: Governor of Ferrara, in conjunction with Salinguerra (1231). l. 735, San Biagio: St. Biase, a place near the Lake of Garda. l. 797, Constance: wife of Henry VI. of Germany; by this marriage Frederick hoped that his empire would soon include Naples and Sicily. l. 837, Moorish lentisk: the mastich tree. l. 884, poison-wattles: the baggy flesh on the animal’s neck, an excrescence or lobe. l. 977, Crescentius Nomentanus: a Roman tribune, who, in the absence of Pope John and King Otho, tried to restore consular Rome. But the Pope and King returned, and crucified him, A.D. 998. (See Gibbon’s Decline and Fall, chap. xlix.) Professor Sonnenschein sends me the following further note: “Crescentius was a Roman who, towards the end of the tenth century, endeavoured to restore his country’s liberty and ancient glory. The power of the Eastern emperors had long ceased in Rome, that of the Western emperors had been suspended by long interregnas. Rome was a republic in which the citizens, the neighbouring nobles, and the Pope, disputed the authority. Crescentius, who was of the family of the Counts of the Tusculum, placed himself at the head of the anarchic government about 980, with the title of Consul. He had, to dispute his rank, Boniface VII., who, murderer of two popes, had become Pope himself. This pontiff was stained by the most shameful crimes, and as his authority was not well founded, the nobles and the people aided Crescentius in breaking the yoke. Boniface died 985. John XV., who succeeded him, was detained by Crescentius far from Rome, in exile, until he recognised the sovereignty of the people. Upon his return he did not seek to trouble the government; and, as well as one can judge through the obscurity of ages, the Roman republic enjoyed until 996, under the Consul Crescentius, such peace, order, and security, as it had not known for a long time. John XV. died the year Otho III. went from Germany to Italy, to receive the imperial crown. The young monarch chose his relative, Gregory V., to succeed John. None of the rights or privileges of Rome were known to the new pontiff, who, long accustomed to regard the popes as gods on earth, having now himself become pope, could not conceive of any resistance to his will. Crescentius refused to recognise a pope whose election and conduct were alike irregular. He opposed to him another pope, a Greek by birth, who took the name of John XVI., and he asked the Emperor of the East to send troops to his assistance. Otho III. entered Rome with an army in 998. He condemned John XVI. to horrible torture, and besieged Crescentius in the castle of St. Angelo; and as he could not conquer the latter, he offered him an honourable capitulation. However, he no sooner had him in his hands than he put him to death and ill-treated his wife. Three years later, on his return from a penitential pilgrimage, she succeeded in causing his death by poison.” l. 1006, wranal: a lantern. l. 1032, “Rome of the Pandects”: “The digest or abridgment in fifty books of the decisions and opinions of the old Roman jurists, made in the sixth century, by order of the Emperor Justinian, and forming the first part of the body of the civil law.” (Webster.)

Book V.—Line 6, Palatine, one invested with royal privileges and rights. l. 16, atria, halls or principal rooms in Roman houses. l. 17, stibadium, a half-round reclining couch used by Romans near their baths. l. 18, lustral vase: used in purification at meals, etc. l. 34, pelt, a skin of a beast with the hair on. l. 43, obsidion, a kind of black glass produced by volcanoes. l. 58, Mauritania, an ancient country of North Africa == land of the Moors, celebrated for the wood called Citrus, for tables of which the Romans gave fabulous prices. l. 61, Demiurge: a worker for the people; so God, as Creator of the world. Mareotic: of the locality of Lake Mareotis, in Egypt. Mareotic wine was very famous; Cæcuban: Cæcubum, a town of Latium. Cæcubus Ager was noted for the excellence and plenty of its wines. l. 82, Pythoness: the priestess who gave oracular answers at Delphi, in Greece. l. 83, Lydian king: Lydia was a kingdom of Asia Minor. The king referred to was Crœsus, who interpreted in his own favour the ambiguous answer of the oracle, and was destroyed by following the advice he thought was given to him. l. 115, Nina and Alcamo: Sicilian poets of the period. In the life of Joanna, Queen of Naples, we read of “the Poetess Nina, whose love of her art caused her to become enamoured of a poet whom she had never seen. This fortunate bard (who returned her poetical passion) was called Dante; but we cannot plead in her excuse that he had anything else in common with the great poet of that name. Nina was the most beautiful woman of the day, and the first female who wrote verse in Italian. She was so engrossed by her passion for her lover that she caused herself always to be called ‘The Nina of Dante.’” [S.] “Sismondi only mentions C. d’Alcamo as a Sicilian poet, apparently nearly contemporary with Frederick II. See Ginguené for a full account of Sicilian poetry.” [S.] l. 145, Castellans, governors of castles. l. 146, Suzerains, feudal lords. l. 163, “Hildebrand of the huge brain mask”: Pope Gregory VII. He was one of the most famous of the popes, and he lived in the latter part of the eleventh century. l. 174, Mandrake: Mandragora—a plant with a bifurcated root, concerning which many singular superstitions have accumulated. l. 186, “Three Imperial Crowns”: the Imperial Crown proper, the German crown, and the Italian or Lombard crown. There seems a little confusion here in the order of the different metals. The Imperial Crown was of gold. The German is always spoken of as the silver crown. The Italian or Lombard crown was known as the iron crown, because one of the nails of Christ’s cross was inserted into its gold frame. (Encyc. Brit.) l. 188, Alexander IV., Pope of Rome (1254-61); Innocent IV., Pope (1243-54). l. 189, Papal key: the keys of Peter in the papal arms. l. 194, “The hermit Peter”: Peter, the Hermit of Amiens, who preached up the first Crusade. l. 195, Claremont == Clermont, a city of France, in which, at a council held in 1095, Pope Urban II. first formally organised the great Crusade. l. 200, Vimmercato, a town on the Molgova, fourteen miles north-east of Milan. l. 203, “Mantuan Albert”: Blessed Albert founder of the Order of Canons Regular. But it was Albert, patriarch of Jerusalem, who was umpire between Pope and Emperor. l. 204, Saint Francis, of Assisi, born 1182; one of the most beautiful characters who ever lived. All living creatures to him were his “brothers and sisters.” l. 205, “God’s truce”: “The Pax Ecclesiæ,” or “Treuga Dei”—a suspension of arms, putting a stop to private hostilities within certain periods. The treaty called the “Truce of God” was set on foot in A.D. 999. It was agreed, among other articles, that “churches should be sanctuaries to all sorts of persons, except those who violated this truce; and that from Wednesday till Monday morning no one should offer violence to any one, not even by way of satisfaction for any injustice he had received” (Butler’s Lives of the Saints, sub “St. Odilo,” Jan. 1st.) l. 281, hacqueton: a quilted jacket, worn under a coat of mail. l. 298, trabea: a regal robe. l. 384, thyrsus: a spear wrapped about with ivy, carried at feasts of Bacchus. l. 405, baldric: a richly ornamented belt, passing only over one shoulder. l. 453, “Caliph’s wheel work man”: an automaton. l. 509, Typhon, a giant. l. 660, Lombard Agilulph: a king of Lombardy, A.D. 601. l. 712, “changed the spoils of every clime at Venice”: the great Cathedral of St. Mark’s, Venice, contains columns and ornaments of various kinds, brought from heathen temples in all parts of the Roman world. Pillars from the Temple of Jerusalem, and precious marbles from ancient Roman palaces, combine to make the interior of St. Mark’s one of the strangest and richest Christian churches in the world. So these spoils from many lands, taken from temples devoted to alien worship, have been “changed” to Christian uses in this church. l. 718, “earth’s reputed consummations”: that is to say, the noblest works which the world at the time could produce. “The temple at Thebes was the consummate achievement of one age; of another, that of the Temple of Jupiter Tonans; of another, the Parthenon at Athens. All these were ‘earth’s reputed consummations.’” l. 719, “razed a seal”: Thebes being despoiled like Rome, Athens rifled like Byzant, until St. Mark’s at Venice having razed a seal (i.e. broken the seal, or, as it were, extracted the nails that fixed the most famous works in the world to their original site) lo! the glittering symbols of the all-purifying Trinity blazed above them: so the “horned and snouted god,” the “cinerary pitcher,” became part of the Christian edifice. l. 719, “The All-transmuting Triad blazed above”: that is, they were consecrated by reason of the new faith in the Trinity. The three persons of the Holy Trinity are represented in the mosaics of St. Mark’s Church.”[7] l. 750, Treville or Treviglio: a town in Lombardy, fourteen miles south of Bergamo. l. 751, Cartiglione: is this a misprint for Castiglione? l. 788, writhled == wrinkled. l. 794, pauldron: a defence of armour-plate over the shoulders. l. 909, Gesi or Jesi: a city in the Italian province of Ancona. It was the birthplace of Frederick II. in 1194. l. 943, Valsugan: a town on the Brenta, on the road from Trent to Venice. l. 970 Torriani: a faction of Valsassina of Lombardy, contending with the Visconti (l. 971): Otho Visconti, Archbishop of Milan (1262), founded the house of Visconti. The Torriani were democrats, the Visconti aristocrats. l. 1065, “Trent upon Apulia”: i.e., Northern upon Southern Italy. l. 1071, Cunizza: called Palma throughout the poem (see [p. 123]). l. 1090, Squarcialupo: not historical.