"And fountains dash unheard, by lone alcoves, / Neglected temples, and forsaken groves."

Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes continues to amuse. Most recent discovery is a diptych: "Padre Bandelli Proses to the Duke Ludovico Sforza about Leonardo da Vinci" and "Leonardo da Vinci Poetizes to the Duke in His Own Defence" by William Wetmore Story. The full texts can be found here, but Longfellow's excerpts are enough to show that Story writes neither sub-Byron nor sub-Shelley but that interesting and rare variety of Victorian poetry, sub-Browning. Only, without Browning's distinctive energy within the lines.

Lest anyone think this anthology always runs to the bad-or-at-best-mediocre selection, I should also point out that nearby is this nicely vivid description of an apothecary's shop from Romeo and Juliet and some choice Shelley.

---L.