V. Ballata. Of his Lady among other Ladies. With other women I beheld my love;— Not that the rest were women to mine eyes, Who only as her shadows seemed to move. I do not praise her more than with the truth, Nor blame I these if it be rightly read. But while I speak, a thought I may not soothe Says to my senses: “Soon shall ye be dead, If for my sake your tears ye will not shed.” And then the eyes yield passage, at that thought, To the heart's weeping, which forgets her not.
In January 1869 his wife Georgina found a letter from Maria in his clothing and Burne-Jones reluctantly ended the affair.
Rossetti letter to Madox Brown 23 January 1869: Poor Ned's affairs have come to a smash altogether, and he and Topsy, after the most dreadful to-do, started for Rome suddenly, leaving the Greek damsel beating up the quarters of all his friends for him and howling like Cassandra. Georgie stayed behind. I hear to-day however that Top and Ned got no further than Dover, Ned being so dreadfully ill that they will probably have to return to London.