"Who did it shall account to Christ—
Having no pity on the harmless life
And gentle face and girlish form he found,
And thus flings back. Go practise if you please
With men and women. Leave a child alone
For Christ's particular love's sake!"
Then, burning with pity and indignation, he proceeds to tell the story of Pompilia as he sees it, feels it—and as Browning, in the issue, makes us see and feel it too.
In The Ring and the Book, Browning tells us this story—this "pure crude fact" (for fact it actually is)—ten times over, through nine different persons, Guido Franceschini, the husband, speaking twice. Stated thus baldly, the plan may sound almost absurd, and the prospect of reading the work appear a tedious one; but once begin it, and neither impression survives for a moment. Each telling is at once the same and new—for in each the speaker's point of view is altered. We get, first of all, Browning's own summary of the "pure crude fact"; then the appearance of that fact to:
1. Half-Rome, antagonistic to Pompilia.
2. The Other Half, sympathetic to her.
3. "Tertium Quid," neutral.
4. Count Guido Franceschini, at his trial.
5. Giuseppe Caponsacchi (the priest with whom Pompilia fled), at the trial.
6. Pompilia, on her death-bed.
7. Count Guido's counsel, preparing his speech for the defence.