b at Saint Praxed's, his sense of the vanity of the world
simply because the world is passing out of his reach,
the regretful memory of the pleasures of his youth, the envious spite
towards Gandolf, who robbed him of the best position for a tomb,
and the dread lest his reputed sons should play him false and fail
to carry out his designs, are united with a perfect appreciation of
Renaissance art, and a luxurious satisfaction, which even a death-bed
cannot destroy, in the splendor of voluptuous form and color."
--Edward Dowden.

46. Frascati: a town of central Italy, near the site of
the ancient Tusculum, ten or twelve miles S. E. of Rome;
it has many fine old villas.

53. Did I say, basalt for my slab, sons?: Note how all things else,
even such reflections as are expressed in the two preceding verses,
are incidental with the Bishop; his poor, art-besotted mind turns
abruptly to the black basalt which he craves for the slab of his tomb;
and see vv. 101, 102.

66. travertine: see note to v. 67 of `Pictor Ignotus'.

71. pistachio-nut: or, green almond.

79. Ulpian: Domitius Ulpianus, one of the greatest of Roman jurists,
and chief adviser of the emperor, Alexander Severus; born about 170,
died 228; belongs to the Brazen age of Roman literature.

95. Saint Praxed at his sermon on the mount: the poor dying Bishop,
in the disorder of his mind, makes a `lapsus linguae' here; see v. 59.

99. elucescebat: "he was beginning to shine forth"; a late Latin word
not found in the Ciceronian vocabulary, and therefore condemned
by the Bishop; this word is, perhaps, what is meant by the "gaudy ware"
in the second line of Gandolf's epitaph, referred to in v. 78.

A Toccata of Galuppi's.

1.

Oh Galuppi, Baldassaro, this is very sad to find!
I can hardly misconceive you; it would prove me deaf and blind;
But, although I take your meaning, 'tis with such a heavy mind!

--
St. 1. Galuppi, Baldassaro (rather Baldassare): b. 1703, in Burano,
an island near Venice, and thence called Buranello; d. 1785;
a distinguished composer, whose operas, about fifty in number,
and mostly comic, were at one time the most popular in Italy;
Galuppi is regarded as the father of the Italian comic opera.

2.

Here you come with your old music, and here's all the good it brings.
What, they lived once thus at Venice where the merchants were the kings,
Where Saint Mark's is, where the Doges use