Public domain audiobook

Ring and the Book

English· 26:07:48· 166 chapters

"Better translate--"A Roman murder-case:

"Position of the entire criminal cause

"Of Guido Franceschini, nobleman,

"With certain Four the cutthroats in his pay,

"Tried, all five, and found guilty and put to death

"By heading or hanging as befitted ranks,

"At Rome on February Twenty-Two,

"Since our salvation Sixteen Ninety Eight:

"Wherein it is disputed if, and when,

"Husbands may kill adulterous wives, yet 'scape

'The customary forfeit.'"

(Excerpt from first chapter of The Ring and the Book.)

Note from reader: The main text I have read from follows the first edition; but there are some words or lines that do not make sense, either through copying mistakes or because they are difficult if not impossible to make sense of in the first edition. In such cases, I have relied upon an alternate text, found at archive.org and also in the public domain, that contains the wording of the later editions. --Tony Oliva

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Ring and the Book

Chapters

Chapter 1 - The Ring and the Book: "Do you see this ring?"

Chapter 1. "Word for word, So ran the title-page"

Chapter 1. "So was the trial at end, do you suppose?"

Chapter 1. "Well, British Public, ye who like me not,"

Chapter 1. "This was it from, my fancy with those facts,"

Chapter 1. "Enough of me!"

Chapter 1. "Then, yet another day let come and go,"

Chapter 1. "Also hear Caponsacchi who comes next,"

Chapter 1. "Then, since a Trial ensued, a touch o' the same"

Chapter 1. "Then must speak Guido yet a second time,"

Chapter 1. "Such, British Public, ye who like me not,"

Chapter 2 - Half-Rome: "What, you, Sir, come too? (Just the man I'd meet.)"

Chapter 2. "From dawn till now that it is growing dusk,"

Chapter 2. "These wretched Comparini were once gay"

Chapter 2. "He waited and learned waiting, thirty years;"

Chapter 2. "They went to Arezzo,--Pietro and his spouse,"

Chapter 2. "I see the comment ready on your lip,"

Chapter 2. "This makes the first act of the farce"

Chapter 2. "Leave it thus, and now revert"

Chapter 2. "So it went on and on till--who was right?"

Chapter 2. "Sir, what's the sequel?"

Chapter 2. "Therefore to Rome with the clear case"

Chapter 2. "The Canon Caponsacchi, then, was sent"

Chapter 2. "Come, here's the last drop does its worst to wound,"

Chapter 2. "But with a certain issue: no dispute"

Chapter 3 - The Other Half-Rome: "Another day that finds her living yet"

Chapter 3. "Truth lies between: there's anyhow a child"

Chapter 3. "Adam-like, Pietro sighed and said no more"

Chapter 3. "So--giving now his great flap-hat a gloss"

Chapter 3. "Then with the great air did he kiss"

Chapter 3. "And faith here made the mountains move."

Chapter 3. "Who could gainsay this just and right award?"

Chapter 3. "In short, he also took the middle course"

Chapter 3. "This is why;"

Chapter 3. "When first, pursuant to his plan, there sprung"

Chapter 3. "All was determined and performed at once"

Chapter 3. "Guido's tale begins--"

Chapter 3. "So was the case concluded then and there"

Chapter 3. "The priest went to his relegation-place"

Chapter 3. "You, What would you answer?"

Chapter 3. ""Come in," bade poor Violante cheerfully"

Chapter 4 - Tertium Quid: "True, Excellency--as his Highness says"

Chapter 4. "What's his resource? He asks and straight obtains"

Chapter 4. "Accordingly, when time was come about"

Chapter 4. "Indeed the prize was simply full to a fault"

Chapter 4. "Said and done."

Chapter 4. "On the other hand "Not so!" Guido retorts"

Chapter 4. "On the other hand, so much is easily said"

Chapter 4. "But then this is the wife's--Pompilia's tale"

Chapter 4. "Then, look into his own account o' the case!"

Chapter 4. "Guido rejoins--"Did the other end o' the tale"

Chapter 4. "Is it settled so far?"

Chapter 4. "And, as they left by one door,"

Chapter 4. "At this discrepancy of judgments--mad"

Chapter 5 - Count Guido Franceschini: "Thanks, Sir, but, should it please the reverend Court"

Chapter 5. "I am representative of a great line"

Chapter 5. "So I was."

Chapter 5. "Now, Paul's advice was weighty: priests should know:"

Chapter 5. "So much for them so far: now for myself"

Chapter 5. "Such was the starting; now of the further step."

Chapter 5. ""Far from that! No, you took the opposite course,"

Chapter 5. "So much For the terrible effect of threatening, Sirs!"

Chapter 5. "Oh, but we did not write a single word!"

Chapter 5. "I played the man as I best might, bade friends"

Chapter 5. "Now,--I see my lords Shift in their seat"

Chapter 5. ""Nay," said the letter, "but you have just that!"

Chapter 5. "Festive bells--everywhere the Feast o' the Babe"

Chapter 5. "But now Health is returned, and sanity of soul"

Chapter 5. "Then I proceed a step, come with clean hands"

Chapter 6 - Giuseppe Caponsacchi: "Answer you, Sirs? Do I understand aright?"

Chapter 6. "Men, for the last time, what do you want with me?"

Chapter 6. "I begin."

Chapter 6. "So I became a priest: those terms changed all"

Chapter 6. "Sirs, ere the week was out,"

Chapter 6. "I questioned--lifting half the woman's mask"

Chapter 6. "So, I went: crossed street and street: "The next street's turn,"

Chapter 6. "I answered, "It shall be when it can be."

Chapter 6. "I' the grey of dawn it was I found myself"