Taylor (1825-78) was an American poet, literary critic, translator, travel author, and diplomat. At 17 he was apprenticed to a printer and was encouraged to write poetry by critic and editor Rufus Wilmot Griswald, resulting in the publication of Ximena, or The Battle of the Sierra Morena, in 1844. With the money earned from his poetry and an advance for travel articles, he visited England, France, Germany and Italy, making largely pedestrian tours...