272. _The Cornaro._ Catharine Cornaro was the wife of James, King of Cyprus. After his death she was induced to abdicate in favor of the Republic of Venice, which took possession of Cyprus in 1487. She was assigned a palace and court at Asolo. She was generous, kind, just, and deeply beloved. Her life seemed to hold all possible external conditions of happiness. The song is further explained in lines 275-279. 306. _Ancona._ A lovely city in eastern Italy. INTERLUDE II 1. _Bluphocks._ Browning's note on this character reads, "He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." (_Matthew_ v, 45.) 2. _Your Bishop's Intendant._ The Bishop's Superintendent (whose real name is Maffeo) has charge of the estate the Bishop has just inherited from his brother. The money Bluphocks has is the bribe given him by Maffeo to destroy Pippa, who is really the heir to the estate. Maffeo expects the Bishop to reward him well for this service. 11. _Prussia Improper._ "The arm of land bounded on the north by the Baltic and on the south by Poland was long called 'Prussia Proper' to distinguish it from the other provinces of the kingdom. Koenigsberg is just over the boundary of Brandenberg." (Rolfe, _Select Poems of Browning_.) 14. _Chaldee._ A Semitic dialect. 21. _Celarent_, _Darii_, _Ferio_. Coined words used in logic to designate certain valid forms of syllogism. 24. _Posy._ A brief inscription or motto originally in verse, and suitable for a ring or some trinket. 25. _How Moses_, etc. For the story of Moses and the plagues of Egypt see _Exodus_ viii and x. For the story of Jonah (who was commanded, however, not to go to Tarshish) see _Jonah_ i. For Balaam and his ass see _Numbers_ xxii, 22. 33. _Bishop Beveridge._ There was a Bishop of that name, but of course Bluphocks is making a pun. 35. _Charon's wherry._ Charon was a god of hell. It was his business to carry the dead across the river Styx. People thus carried over the Stygian ferry paid Charon by a small coin put between their lips. 36. _Lupine-seed._ "In plant-lore 'lupine' means wolfish, and is suggestive of the Evil One." (Berdoe, _Browning Cyclopaedia_.) 36. _Hecate's supper._ Hecate was a goddess of hell to whom offerings of food were made. An _obolus_ is a silver coin worth about fifteen cents. 39. _Zwanziger._ A twenty-kreuzer piece of money. 47. _Prince Metternich._ A celebrated Austrian statesman. (1773-1859.) 54. _Panurge._ A prominent character in _Gargantua and Pantagruel_ by Rabelais. Hertrippa is a magician who gives Panurge advice on the subject of marriage. Bluphocks is simply racking his brain for words to rhyme with "Pippa," so that he may write doggerel poetry to or about her. For "King Agrippa" see _Acts_ xxvi, 27.