Robert Browning along with his wife Elizabeth are living in Florence at the time. Robert is walking among the various vendors in the piazza and stumbles on The Old Yellow Book.  The book records a sensational murder trial in Rome between January-February of 1698. Characteristically of Robert, he is drawn and intrigued by this story of criminal properties. The mind of a criminal enthralls Robert. Interestingly, one hundred and sixty-two years pass between the Franceschini trial and Browning finding of The Old Yellow Book. He becomes captivated by the challenge of recreating the events involving Count Guido Franceschini and his wife Pompillia Camparinii, which once shook the city of Rome. He frequently indulged his imagination and would express to Elizabeth and their friends his want to recreate the infamous murder of Pompillia in the poetic form. Shockingly, EBB did not believe Robert should concentrate on The Old Yellow Book, but after her death in June of 1861, Robert would go on to complete his greatest achievement, the twelve volume, 21,000-line masterpiece, The Ring and The Book.