ABSTRACT
First publ. in Cornelia Carr, ed. Harriet Hosmer: Letters and Memories (1913) 275–6 (hereafter Carr), as Carr’s transcript of a letter to her from Hosmer of Sept. 1869. The Rosenbach Library holds a typewritten transcript by Carr of the poem (hereafter Transcript), which differs slightly from the published version (see, e.g., l. 3n.), and also a prefatory torn-off sheet from a letter to Carr in Hosmer’s hand (transcribed by Carr,p. 275): ‘[Oh] I have just had a document, Browning’s last unpublished poem! It seems that the Storys, Mr. Browning and his sister, Lady Marion Alford and Sir Roderick Murchison all found themselves staying with Lady Ashburton at her place in Scotland, so they got up a Round Robin written by Browning which was despatched to me. Here it is.’ There follows what appears to be the beginning of her transcript, which, however, has been cut away below the address. Our text is Carr.
