the Hounds and other
Poems," and this ended his dramatic career until his return from
abroad, and until Lawrence Barrett came upon the scene with his
revival of "Francesca da Rimini" and his interest in Boker's other
work, to the extent of encouraging him to recast "Calaynos" and to
prepare "Nydia" (1885), later enlarged from two acts to a full sized
drama in "Glaucus" (1886), both drawing for inspiration on Bulwer's
"The Last Days of Pompeii."

President Grant sent Boker to Constantinople, as U.S. Minister (his
appointment dated November 3, 1871)--an honour undoubtedly bestowed in
recognition of his national service. Here he remained four years, "and
during that time secured the redress for wrongs done American subjects
by the Syrians, and successfully negotiated two treaties, one having
reference to the extradition of criminals, and the other to the
naturalization of subjects of little power in the dominions of the
other." A reception was tendered him on December 22, 1871, by members
of the Union League Club, and among those present were Bayard Taylor,
Col. George Boker, of the Governor's staff, and son of Boker, and Dr.
Charles S. Boker, his brother. Among those who spoke were Robeson,
Secretary of the Navy, and Cameron, U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania.
Congratulatory letters were received from Bryant, James T. Fields,
Stoddard, Lowell, Longfellow, Aldrich, Curtis, and Stedman. On this
occasion, Taylor said: "I know the ripeness and soundness of his mind,
the fine balance of his intellectual qualities."

On December 24, 1871, Boker wrote to Leland:

The scarcest thing with me just now is time. I might give you
a shilling at a pinch, but a half hour is an article which I
do not happen to have about me.... By the way, your rhapsody
over the East in "M.K." ["Meister Karl"] had something to do
with my acceptance of the Turkish Mission; and if you have
been lying, I shall find you out, old boy.

Boker's enthusiasm for Turkish scenery was unbounded, but his
difficulties as a diplomat were due to his ignorance of the tongue,
and his distrust of interpreters. But by the time his Government was
ready to transfer him to another post--that of Minister to Russia
(January 3, 1875)--he was heartily sick of his wrangling with the
Crescent, and glad, as he wrote Leland, "to shake the dust of this
dismal old city from my shoes, and prepare my toes for a freezing at
St. Petersburg." He echoed his distaste