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The Ring and the Book

by Robert BROWNING (1812 - 1889)

Chapter 11. "Just this immaculate official stares,"

"Better translate--"A Roman murder-case: "Position of the entire criminal cause "Of Guido Franceschini, nobleman, "With certain Four the cutthroats in his pay, "Tried, all five, and found guilty and put to death "By heading or hanging as befitted ranks, "At Rome on February Twenty-Two, "Since our salvation Sixteen Ninety Eight: "Wherein it is disputed if, and when, "Husbands may kill adulterous wives, yet 'scape 'The customary forfeit.'" (Excerpt from first chapter of The Ring and the Book.) Note from reader: The main text I have read from follows the first edition; but there are some words or lines that do not make sense, either through copying mistakes or because they are difficult if not impossible to make sense of in the first edition. In such cases, I have relied upon an alternate text, found at archive.org and also in the public domain, that contains the wording of the later editions. --Tony Oliva

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Listen next episodes of The Ring and the Book:
Chapter 11. "And then my Trial,--'tis my Trial that bites" , Chapter 11. "So, let death atone!" , Chapter 11. "Thus The time's arrived when, ancient Roman-like," , Chapter 11. "You too are petrifactions of a kind:" , Chapter 12. "Alack, Bottini, what is my next word" , Chapter 12. "And so forth,--follow name and place and date:" , Chapter 12. "For me, the weary and the worn, who prompt" , Chapter 12. "I looked that Rome should have the natural gird" , Chapter 12. "Now for the thing; no sooner the decree" , Chapter 12 - The Book and the Ring: "Here were the end, had anything an end:"