Note.—Verse ii., Gibson, John (1790-1866), the sculptor, best known to fame by his “Tinted Venus.” He died at Rome. Verse iii., Grisi, Giulietta (born in Milan, 1812), one of the most distinguished singers of our time She came to London in 1834, and at once took a leading position in the operatic world. Verse xv., bals-parés == dress-balls.
APPENDIX.
Epistle Of Karshish. Dr. R. Garnett published the following note on this poem in the Academy of 10th October, 1896:—
“British Museum,
“16th Sept., 1896.
“Browning, in his ‘Epistle of Karshish,’ commits an oversight, as it seems to me, in making Lazarus fifty years of age at the eve of the siege of Jerusalem, circa 68 A.D. The miracle of which he was the subject is supposed to have been wrought about 33 A.D. He would consequently have been only about fifteen at the time, which is quite inconsistent with the general tenor of the narrative. According to tradition, Lazarus was thirty at the time, and lived thirty years longer, not surviving, therefore, to the date intimated in Browning’s poem.
‘A black lynx snarled and pricked a tufted ear.’
If I do not mistake, there is no such thing as a black lynx, except as a lusus naturae. It is easy to see how the generally accurate Browning fell into this error. The Syrian lynx, which he is describing, has black tufted ears—the whole outer surface of the ear is black—and the Turkish name by which it is commonly known, cara-cal, means ‘black ear.’ Browning, intent on the creature’s special characteristic, has extended the blackness from the ear to the entire body.”
Pietro of Abano. Verse 10.