Each life unfulfilled, you see; It hangs still, patchy and scrappy: We have not sighed deep, laughed free, Starved, feasted, despaired,—been happy.

In these years Browning was fascinated by and learned from the art and atmosphere of Italy. The subject of the 16th century savant and alchemist was probably suggested to him by the Comte Amédée de Ripart-Monclar to whom it was dedicated. Browning then wrote two other plays one of which was not performed while the other failed Browning having fallen out with Macready.