One day in 1925 a friend asked A. J. A. Symons if he had read Fr. Rolfe's "Hadrian the Seventh." He hadn't, but soon did, and found himself entranced by the novel -- "a masterpiece"-- and no less fascinated by the mysterious person of its all-but-forgotten creator. "The Quest for Corvo" is a hilarious and heartbreaking portrait of the strange Frederick Rolfe, self-appointed Baron Corvo, an artist, writer, and frustrated aspirant to the priesthood with a bottomless talent for self-destruction. But this singular work, subtitled "an experiment in biography," is also a remarkable self-portrait, a study of the obsession and sympathy that inspires the biographer's art.

One day in 1925 a friend asked A. J. A. Symons if he had read Fr. Rolfe's "Hadrian the Seventh." He hadn't, but soon did, and found himself entranced by the novel -- "a masterpiece"-- and no less fascinated by the mysterious person of its all-but-forgotten creator. "The Quest for Corvo" is a hilarious and heartbreaking portrait of the strange Frederick Rolfe, self-appointed Baron Corvo, an artist, writer, and frustrated aspirant to the priesthood with a bottomless talent for self-destruction. But this singular work, subtitled "an experiment in biography," is also a remarkable self-portrait, a study of the obsession and sympathy that inspires the biographer's art.

'What had happened to the lost manuscripts, what train of chances took Rolfe to his death in Venice? The Quest continued' One summer afternoon A.J.A. Symons is handed a peculiar, eccentric novel that he cannot forget and, captivated by this unknown masterpiece, determines to learn everything he can about its mysterious author. The object of his search is Frederick Rolfe, self-titled Baron Corvo - artist, rejected candidate for priesthood and author of serially autobiographical fictions - and its story is told in this 'experiment in biography': a beguiling portrait of an insoluble tangle of talents, frustrated ambitions and self-destruction.

H. M. STANLEY by A. J. A. SYMONS Great Lives NEW YORK THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 933 Made and printed in Great Britain By The Gamelot Press Ltd Lcpadon and Southampton TO MY MOTHER CONTENTS Chapter I. The Adventurer . . page 13 The quest for Livingstone, 1871. Chapter II. The Outcast . . - 33 Birth education escape to America service in Civil War early adventures as newspaper correspondent. Chapter III. The Explorer . . .42 Commission to Africa on behalf of Daily Telegraph and New Tork Herald, 1874-1878. Chapter IV. The State-builder . . 60 Commission to build up the Congo State on behalf of King Leopold and its fulfilment, 18791885. Chapter V. The White Pasha . . 78 Commission to relieve Emin Pasha on behalf of the Emin Relief Committee and its fulfilment, 1887 1890. Chapter VI. Sir Henry Morton Stanley . 109 Aftermath of the Emin episode marriage political career visit to South Africa illness and death, 18901904. CHRONOLOGY 1841 ... . John Rowlands born, Denbigh, Wales. 1847. . . . Taken to St. Asaph Union Workhouse. 1856 Runs away from workhouse. 1859 Lands in America penniless. Adopted by Henry Stanley and takes his name. 1 86 1 Enlists in the Dixie Grays on opening of American Civil War. 1862 Enlists in the U. S. Artillery service prostrated with dysentery, discharged from service. Returns to England. 1863. . . . Returns to America. 1864. . . . Enlists in U. S. Navy and attends attack on Fort Fisher. 1865 Leaves Navy. 1866 Travels down the Platte river. Makes abortive attempt to explore Asia. 1867 Accompanies General Hancocks expedi tion against the American Indians as a reporter. 1868 Accompanies the British Army to Abyssinia on behalf of New Tork Herald. 1869 Travels in Spain visitsSuez Canal up the Nile proceeds to Palestine, Turkey, the Crimea. IO CHRONOLOGY 1871 Arrives at Zanzibar January on quest for Livingstone. Achieves his purpose. 1872 Returns from Livingstone expedition to England. Lectures in America. 1873 Special Correspondent on Ashantee campaign. 1874. . . . Returns from Ashantee War hears of Livingstones death obtains com mission from Daily Telegraph and departs for Africa. 1877 Arrives at Boma, having crossed Africa from East to West, visited Uganda, circumnavigated the Victoria Nyanza and Lake Tanganyika, and traced the course of the Congo river. Returns to Europe to make plans for the development of the newly discovered river. 1879. . . . Returns to Africa to work as pioneer on behalf of King Leopold and the Inter national Africarr Association. 1882 Returns to Europe to report and then back to Africa to continue State building. 1885.. .. Returns to Europe, having established Congo Free State, and attends Berlin Conference. 1887. .. . Assumes command of the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition and leaves for Africa. 1888 Reaches Equatoria and relieves Emin. CHRONOLOGY II 1889. . . . Returns to Bagamoyo with Emin Pasha and remains of the expedition, having three times passed through the Ituri Forest. 1890. .. . Returns to Europe, having written In Darkest Africa. Marries Dorothy Tennant. Lectures in America. 1 89 1 .... Visits Australia. 1892 Contests North Lambeth as Liberal-Unionist candidate. 1895 Elected M. P. for North Lambeth and takes seat. 1897. . . . Visits South Africa to assist in opening the Buluwayo Railway. 1899. . . . Purchases Furze Hill as country seat and begins alterations. Created G. C. B. 1903. . . . Furze Hill alterations completed.Enters into possession and is shortly after struck by paralysis. 1904. . . . Death. Burial in Pirbright churchyard.

After having it recommended to him by friend, A.J.A. Symons read Frederick Rolfe's "Hadrian the Seventh" in 1925 and found himself entranced by the novel and by its mysterious and all-but-forgotten author. This book is a hilarious and heartbreaking portrait of the strange Frederick Rolfe, an artist, writer, and frustrated aspirant to the priesthood with a talent for self-destruction, but it is also a self-portrait, a study of the obsession and sympathy that inspires the biographer's art. "Siguiendo la recomendacion de un amigo, en 1925 A.J.A. Symons leyo "Hadrian the Seventh" y quedo anonadado por la obra y por su misterioso y practicamente olvidado autor. Este libro es un retrato graciosisimo y desgarrador del excentrico Frederick Rolfe, artista, escritor, y aspirante frustrado al seminario con un verdadero talento para la destruccion propia., pero es tambien un auto-retrato, un estudio de la obsesion y la simpatia que inspiran el arte del biografo."