'A favour, if you have time for it. Go into the church St. Lorenzo in Lucina in the Corso--and look attentively at it--so as to describe it to me on your return. The general arrangement of the building, if with a nave--pillars or not--the number of altars, and any particularity there may be--over the High Altar is a famous Crucifixion by Guido. It will be of great use to me. I don't care about the _outsid_.' Chapter 16 1869-1873 Lord Dufferin; Helen's Tower--Scotland; Visit to Lady Ashburton--Letters to Miss Blagden--St.-Aubin; The Franco-Prussian War--'Herve Riel'--Letter to Mr. G. M. Smith--'Balaustion's Adventure'; 'Prince Hohenstiel-Schwangau'--'Fifine at the Fair'--Mistaken Theories of Mr. Browning's Work--St.-Aubin; 'Red Cotton Nightcap Country'. From 1869 to 1871 Mr. Browning published nothing; but in April 1870 he wrote the sonnet called 'Helen's Tower', a beautiful tribute to the memory of Helen, mother of Lord Dufferin, suggested by the memorial tower which her son was erecting to her on his estate at Clandeboye. The sonnet appeared in 1883, in the 'Pall Mall Gazette', and was reprinted in 1886, in 'Sonnets of the Century', edited by Mr. Sharp; and again in the fifth part of the Browning Society's 'Papers'; but it is still I think sufficiently little known to justify its reproduction. Who hears of Helen's Tower may dream perchance How the Greek Beauty from the Scaean Gate Gazed on old friends unanimous in hate, Death-doom'd because of her fair countenance. Hearts would leap otherwise at thy advance, Lady, to whom this Tower is consecrate! Like hers, thy face once made all eyes elate, Yet, unlike hers, was bless'd by every glance. The Tower of Hate is outworn, far and strange; A transitory shame of long ago; It dies into the sand from which it sprang; But thine, Love's rock-built Tower, shall fear no change. God's self laid stable earth's foundations so, When all the morning-stars together sang. April 26, 1870. Lord Dufferin is a warm admirer of Mr. Browning's genius. He also held him in strong personal regard. In the summer of 1869 the poet, with his sister and son, changed the manner of his holiday, by joining Mr. Story and his family in a tour in Scotland, and a visit to Louisa, Lady Ashburton, at Loch Luichart Lodge; but in the August of 1870 he was again in the primitive atmosphere of a French fishing village, though one which had little to recommend it but the society of a friend; it was M. Milsand's St.-Aubin. He had written, February 24, to Miss Blagden, under the one inspiration which naturally recurred in his correspondence with her.