This poem was written during Browning's second visit to Le Croisic in
Brittany, in September, 1867. It was published in _The Cornhill
Magazine_, March, 1871, the proceeds of one hundred guineas being sent
by Browning to the Paris Relief Fund, to provide food for the people
after the siege of Paris. The story is historic. Mrs. Lemoyne, in 1884,
read "Hervé Riel" to Browning and he then told her that it was his
custom to learn all about the heroes and legends of any town that he
stopped in and that he had thus, in going over the records of the town
of St. Malo, come upon the story of Hervé Riel, which he narrated just
as it happened in 1692, except that in reality the hero had a life
holiday. "The facts of the story had been forgotten, and were denied at
St. Malo; but the reports of the French Admiralty were looked up, and
the facts established." (Dr. Furnivall quoted in Berdoe, _Browning
Cyclopædia_.)
"GOOD TO FORGIVE"
This little poem was written and printed as the Prologue to _La Saisiaz_
in 1878, but in the _Selections_ it appeared as No. 3 of
"Pisgah-Sights."
"SUCH A STARVED BANK OF MOSS"
Prefatory stanzas to _The Two Poets of Croisic_.