第4章

Someyearsafterhiswife’sdeath，whichoccurredin1849，Mr。BrowningleftHatchamandcametoPaddington，butfinallywenttoresideinParis，andlivedthere，inasmallstreetofftheChampsElysees，tillhisdeathin1866。TheCreolestrainseemstohavebeendistinctlynoticeableinMr。Browning，somuchsothatitispossibleithadsomethingtodowithhisunwillingnesstoremainatSt。Kitts，wherehewascertainlyononeoccasiontreatedcavalierlyenough。

Thepoet’scomplexioninyouth，lightandivory-tonedasitwasinlaterlife，hasbeendescribedasolive，anditissaidthatoneofhisnephews，whomethiminParisinhisearlymanhood，tookhimforanItalian。

IthasbeenaffirmedthatitwastheemotionalCreolestraininBrowningwhichfoundexpressioninhispassionformusic。**

Thethreebrothersweremenofliberaleducationandliterarytastes。

Mr。W。S。Browning，whodiedin1874，wasanauthorofsomerepute。

His`HistoryoftheHuguenots’isastandardbookonthesubject。

**Mrs。SutherlandOrr，inher“LifeandLettersofRobertBrowning“(1891)，(nowavailableonline)refutesthesestatements。A。L。，1996。

ByoldfriendsofthefamilyIhavebeentoldthatMr。Browninghadastronglikingforchildren，withwhomhisreallyremarkablefacultyofimpromptufictionmadehimaparticularfavourite。

Sometimeshewouldsupplementhistalesbyillustrationswithpencilorbrush。

MissAliceCorkranhasshownmeanillustratedcolouredmap，depictiveofthemainincidentsandsceneryofthe`Pilgrim’sProgress’，whichhegeniallymadefor“thechildren“。*

*Mrs。FraserCorkran，whosawmuchofthepoet’sfatherduringhisresidenceinParis，hasspokentomeofhisextraordinaryanalyticalfacultyintheelucidationofcomplexcriminalcases。

Itwasoncesaidofhimthathisdetectivefacultyamountedtogenius。

Thisisasignificanttraitinthefatheroftheauthorof“TheRingandtheBook“。

HehadthreechildrenhimselfRobert，bornMay7th，1812，adaughternamedSarianna，afterhermother，andClara。

Hiswifewasawomanofsingularbeautyofnature，withadepthofreligiousfeelingsavedfromnarrownessofscopeonlybyarareserenityandafathomlesscharity。Herson’slovingadmirationofherwasalmostapassion：evenlateinlifeherarelyspokeofherwithouttearscomingtohiseyes。

Shewas，moreover，ofanintellectualbentofmind，andwithanartisticbiashavingitsreadiestfulfilmentinmusic，and，tosomeextent，inpoetry。

InthelattersheinclinedtotheRomanticists：herhusbandalwaysmaintainedthesupremacyofPope。Helookedwithmuchdubietyuponhisson’searlywritings，“Pauline“and“Paracelsus“；

“Sordello“，thoughhefounditbeyondeitherhisartisticorhismentalapprehension，heforgave，becauseitwaswritteninrhymedcouplets；thematurerworksheregardedwithsympathyandpride，withavagueadmirationwhichpassedintoaclearerunderstandingonlywhenhislonglifewasdrawingnearitsclose。

Ofhischildren’scompanyhenevertired，evenwhentheywerescarceoutofbabyhood。HewasfondoftakingthelittleRobertinhisarms，andwalkingtoandfrowithhimintheduskin“thelibrary“，soothingthechildtosleepbysingingtohimsnatchesofAnacreonintheoriginal，toafavouriteoldtuneofhis，“ACottageinaWood“。

Readersof“Asolando“willremembertheallusionsinthatvolumeto“myfatherwhowasascholarandknewGreek。“AweekortwobeforehisdeathBrowningtoldanAmericanfriend，Mrs。Corson，inreplytoastatementofhersthatnoonecouldaccusehimoflettinghistalentslieidle：

“Itwouldhavebeenquiteunpardonableinmycasenottohavedonemybest。

MydearfatherputmeinaconditionmostfavourableforthebestworkIwascapableof。WhenIthinkofthemanyauthorswhohavehadtofighttheirwaythroughallsortsofdifficulties，Ihavenoreasontobeproudofmyachievements。Mygoodfathersacrificedafortunetohisconvictions。Hecouldnotbearwithslavery，andleftIndiaandacceptedahumblebank-officeinLondon。

Hesecuredformealltheeaseandcomfortthataliterarymanneedstodogoodwork。ItwouldhavebeenshamefulifIhadnotdonemybesttorealisehisexpectationsofme。“*

*`India’isaslipontheparteitherofBrowningorofMrs。Corson。

Thepoet’sfatherwasneverinIndia。Hewasquiteayouthwhenhewenttohismother’ssugar-plantationatSt。Kitts，intheWestIndies。

ThehomeofMr。Browningwas，asalreadystated，inCamberwell，asuburbthenoflesseasyaccessthannow，andwherethereweregreentrees，andgroves，andenticingruralperspectivesinto“real“country，yetwithalnotwithoutsomesuggestionofthemetropolitanair。

“TheoldtreesWhichgrewbyouryouth’shomethewavingmassOfclimbingplants，heavywithbloomanddew

Themorningswallowswiththeirsongslikewords

Alltheseseemclear……mostdistinctamidThefeverandthestirofafteryears。“

(`Pauline’。)

Anothergreatwriterofourtimewasborninthesameparish：

andthosewhowouldknowHerneHillandtheneighbourhoodasitwasinBrowning’syouthwillfindanenthusiasticguideintheauthorof`Praeterita’。

Browning’schildhoodwasahappyone。Indeed，ifthepoethadbeenabletoteachinsongonlywhathehadlearntinsuffering，thelargerpartofhisversewouldbesingularlybarrenofinterest。

Fromfirsttolasteverythingwentwellwithhim，withtheexceptionofasingleprofoundgrief。ThismustbeborneinmindbythosewhowouldestimatearightthegeniusofRobertBrowning。

Itwouldbeaffectationorfollytodenythathissplendidphysique

apaternalinheritance，forhisfatherdiedattheageofeighty-four，withouthavingeverenduredaday’sillnessandtheexceptionallyfortunatecircumstanceswhichwerehisthroughoutlife，hadsomethingtodowiththatsuperbfaithofhiswhichfindsconcentratedexpressioninthelinesinPippa’ssong

“God’sinHisHeaven，All’srightwiththeworld!“

Itisdifficultforahappymanwithanimperturbabledigestiontobeapessimist。HeisalwaysinclinedtogiveNaturethebenefitofthedoubt。Hisfavouritetermforthismentalcomplaisanceis“catholicityoffaith“，or，itmaybe，“adivinehope“。

ThelessfortunatebrethrenbewailthelawsofNature，anddoubtafuturereadjustment，becauseofstomachschronicallyoutoforder。

AneminentauthorwithaweakdigestionwrotetomerecentlyanimadvertingonwhathecallsBrowning’sinsanityofoptimism：

itrequirednopersonalacquaintanceshiptodiscernthedyspepticwell-springofthisutterance。Allthismaybeadmittedlightlywithoutcarryingthephysiologicalargumenttoextremes。

Amanmayhavealiberalhopeforhimselfandforhumanity，althoughhisdinnerbehabituallyamartyrdom。Afterall，weareonlydictatedtobyourbodies：wehavenotperforcetoobeythem。

Abitterwitonceremarkedthatthesoul，ifitwereeverdiscovered，wouldbefoundembodiedinthegastricjuice。Hewasnotaltogetherafool，thismanwhohadlearntinsufferingwhathetaughtinepigram；

yetwashewideofthemark。

AsaveryyoungchildBrowningwaskeenlysusceptibletomusic。

Oneafternoonhismotherwasplayinginthetwilighttoherself。

Shewasstartledtohearasoundbehindher。Glancinground，shebeheldalittlewhitefiguredistinctagainstanoakbookcase，andcouldjustdiscerntwolargewistfuleyeslookingearnestlyather。

Thenextmomentthechildhadsprungintoherarms，sobbingpassionatelyatheknewnotwhat，but，ashisparoxysmofemotionsubsided，whisperingoverandover，withshyurgency，“Play!play!“

Itisstrangethatamongallhisfather’scollectionofdrawingsandengravingsnothinghadsuchfascinationforhimasanengravingofapictureofAndromedaandPerseusbyCaravaggio。

Thestoryoftheinnocentvictimandthedivinedelivererwasoneofwhichinhisboyhoodhenevertiredofhearing：

andashegrewolderthecharmofitspictorialpresentmenthadforhimadeeperandmorecomplexsignificance。

WehaveitontheauthorityofafriendthatBrowninghadthisengravingalwaysbeforehiseyesashewrotehisearlierpoems。

Hehasgivenbeautifulcommemorationtohisfeelingforitin“Pauline“：

“Andromeda!

Andsheiswithmeyearsroll，Ishallchange，ButchangecantouchhernotsobeautifulWithherdarkeyes，earnestandstill，andhairLiftedandspreadbythesalt-sweepingbreeze；

Andoneredbeam，allthestormleavesinheaven，Restinguponhereyesandfaceandhair，Assheawaitsthesnakeonthewetbeach，Bythedarkrock，andthewhitewavejustbreakingAtherfeet；quitenakedandalone，athingYoudoubtnot，norfearfor，securethatGodWillcomeinthunderfromthestarstosaveher。“

Oneofhisownearlyrecollectionswasthatofsittingonhisfather’skneesinthelibrary，andlisteningwithenthralledattentiontotheTaleofTroy，withmarvellousillustrationsamongtheglowingcoalsinthefireplace；

with，belowall，thevaguelyheardaccompaniment

fromtheneighbouringroomwhereMrs。Browningsat“inherchiefhappiness，herhourofdarknessandsolitudeandmusic“ofawildGaeliclament，withitsinsistentfallingcadences。Astoryconcerninghispoeticprecocityhasbeencirculated，butisnotworthrepeating。