第9章

apieceofpurebewilderment“a“criticism“whichanticipatedandthuspreventedtheinsertionofahighlyfavourablereviewwhichJohnStuartMillvoluntarilywrote。

Browningmusthaveregardedhisfirstbookwithmingledfeelings。

Itwasabidforliteraryfortune，inonesense，butabidsohandicappedbythecircumstancesofitspublicationastobealmostcertainlyofnoavail。

Probably，however，hewaswellcontentthatitshouldhavemereexistence。

Alreadythefeverofanabnormalintellectualcuriositywasuponhim：

alreadyhehadschemedmorepotentandmorevitalpoems：

already，even，hehaddevelopedtowardsamoreindividualisticmethod。

Soindifferentwashetoaneasilygainedreputationthatheseemstohavebeenreallyurgentuponhisrelativesandintimateacquaintancesnottobetrayhisauthorship。TheMissFlower，however，towhomallusionhasalreadybeenmade，couldnotrepressheradmirationtotheextentofdeprivingherfriend，Mr。Fox，ofapleasuresimilartothatshehadherselfenjoyed。Theresultwasthegenerousnoticeinthe`MonthlyRepository’。ThepoetneverforgothisindebtednesstoMr。Fox，towhosesympathyandkindnessmuchdirectandindirectgoodistraceable。Thefriendshipthenbegunwaslifelong，andwascontinuedwiththedistinguishedUnitarian’sfamilywhenMr。Foxhimselfendedhisactiveandbeneficentcareer。

Butafteratimethefewadmirersof“Pauline“forgottospeakaboutit：

thepoethimselfneveralludedtoit：andinayearortwoitwasalmostasthoughithadneverbeenwritten。Manyyearsafter，whenarticlesuponRobertBrowningwereasnumerousastheyoncehadbeenscarce，neverawordbetrayedthattheirauthorsknewoftheexistenceof“Pauline“。

Therewas，however，yetanotherfriendshiptocomeoutofthisbook，thoughnotuntillongafteritwaspracticallyforgottenbyitsauthor。

Onedayayoungpoet-paintercameuponacopyofthebookintheBritishMuseumLibrary，andwasatoncecaptivatedbyitsbeauty。

OneoftheearliestadmirersofBrowning’spoetry，DanteGabrielRossetti

foritwashefeltcertainthat“Pauline“couldbebynoneotherthantheauthorof“Paracelsus“。Hehimselfinformedmethathehadneverheardthisauthorshipsuggested，thoughsomeonehadspokentohimofapoemofremarkablepromise，called“Pauline“，whichheoughttoread。

IfIrememberaright，Rossettitoldmethatitwasontheforenoonofthedaywhenthe“BurdenofNineveh“wasbegun，conceivedrather，thathereadthisstoryofasoulbythesoul’sablesthistorian。

Sodelightedwashewithit，andsostronghisopinionitwasbyBrowning，thathewrotetothepoet，theninFlorence，forconfirmation，statingatthesametimethathisadmirationfor“Pauline“hadledhimtotranscribethewholeofit。

Concerningthisepisode，RobertBrowningwrotetome，somesevenyearsago，asfollows：

St。PierredeChartreuse，Isere，France。

“Rossetti’s`Pauline’letterwasaddressedtomeatFlorencemorethanthirtyyearsago。Ihavepreservedit，but，evenwereIathome，shouldbeunabletofinditwithouttroublesomesearching。

Itwastotheeffectthatthewriter，personallyandaltogetherunknowntome，hadcomeuponapoemintheBritishMuseum，whichhecopiedthewholeof，fromitsbeingnototherwiseprocurablethathejudgedittobemine，butcouldnotbesure，andwishedmetopronounceinthematter

whichIdid。Ayearortwoafter，IhadavisitinLondonfromMr。(William)AllinghamandafriendwhoprovedtobeRossetti。

WhenIheardhewasapainterIinsistedoncallingonhim，thoughhedeclaredhehadnothingtoshowmewhichwasfarenoughfromthecase。Subsequently，onanotherofmyreturnstoLondon，hepaintedmyportrait，not，Ifancy，inoils，butwater-colours，andfinisheditinParisshortlyafter。ThismusthavebeenintheyearwhenTennysonpublished`Maud’，forIrememberTennysonreadingthepoemoneeveningwhileRossettimadearapidpen-and-inksketchofhim，verygood，fromoneobscurecornerofvantage，whichIstillpossess，anddulyvalue。

ThiswasbeforeRossetti’smarriage。“*

*ThehighlyinterestingandexcellentportraitofBrowningherealludedtohasneverbeenexhibited。

Asamatteroffact，asrecordedonthebackoftheoriginaldrawing，theeventfulreadingtookplaceat13DorsetStreet，PortmanSquare，onthe27thofSeptember1855，andthosepresent，besidesthePoet-Laureate，Browning，andRossetti，wereMrs。E。BarrettBrowningandMissArabellaBarrett。

When，ayearortwoago，thepoetlearnedthatacopyofhisfirstwork，whichin1833couldnotfindadozenpurchasersatafewshillings，wentatapublicsalefortwenty-fiveguineas，heremarkedthathadhisdearoldauntbeenlivinghecouldhavereturnedtoher，muchtoherincredulousastonishment，nodoubt，hesmilinglyaverred，thecostofthebook’spublication，less3Pounds15s。

Itwasaboutthetimeofthepublicationof“Pauline“

thatBrowningbegantoseesomethingoftheliteraryandartisticlifeforwhichhehadsuchaninborntaste。ForabriefperiodhewentoftentotheBritishMuseum，particularlytheLibrary，andtotheNationalGallery。AttheBritishMuseumReadingRoomheperusedwithgreatindustryandresearchthoseworksinphilosophyandmedicalhistorywhicharethebasesof“Paracelsus“，andthoseItalianRecordsbearinguponthestoryofSordello。ResidenceinCamberwell，in1833，renderednightengagementsoftenimpracticable：butneverthelesshemanagedtomixagooddealincongenialsociety。Itisnotcommonlyknownthathewasfamiliartotheseearlyassociatesasamusicianandartistratherthanasapoet。Amongthem，andtheycomprisedmanywell-knownworkersintheseveralarts，wereCharlesDickensand“Ion“Talfourd。

Mr。Fox，whomBrowninghadmetonceortwiceinhisearlyyouth，aftertheformerhadbeenshowntheByronicverseswhichhadinonewaygratifiedandinanotherwayperturbedthepoet’sfather，sawsomethingmoreofhisyoungfriendafterthepublicationof“Pauline“。

Heverykindlyofferedtoprintinhismagazineanyshortpoemstheauthorofthatbookshouldseefittosendanoffer，however，whichwasnotputtothetestforsometime。

Practicallysimultaneouslywiththepublicationof“Pauline“

appearedanothersmallvolume，containingthe“PalaceofArt“，“Oenone“，“Mariana“，etc。ThoseearlybooksofTennysonandBrowninghavefrequently，andsomewhatuncritically，beencontrasted。Unquestionably，however，theelderpoetshowedaconsummateandcontinuousmasteryofhisartaltogetherbeyondtheintermittentexpressionalpowerofBrowninginhismostrhythmicemotionatanytimeofhislife。Toaffirmthatthereismoreintellectualfibre，whatRossetticalledfundamentalbrain-work，intheproductoftheyoungerpoet，wouldbebesidethemark。

TheinsistenceonthesupremacyofBrowningoverallpoetssinceShakespearebecausehehasthehighest“message“todeliver，becausehisintellectisthemostsubtleandcomprehensive，becausehispoemshavethisorthatdynamiceffectupondormantorsluggishorotheractiveminds，istobeseriouslyandenergeticallydeprecated。Itiswithpresentmentthattheartisthas，fundamentally，toconcernhimself。

IfhecannotPRESENTpoeticallythenheisnot，ineffect，apoet，thoughhemaybeapoeticthinker，oragreatwriter。Browning’seminenceisnotbecauseofhisdetachmentfromwhatsomeonehasfoolishlycalled“themerehandiwork，thefurnisher’sbusiness，ofthepoet。“

Itisthedelightofthetrueartistthattheproductofhistalentshouldbewroughttoahightechniqueequallybytheshapingbrainandthedexteroushand。Browningisgreatbecauseofhisformativeenergy：

because，despitetheexcessofburningandcompulsivethought

“Thoughtsswarmingthro’themyriad-chamberedbrainLikemultitudesofbeesi’theinnumerouscells，Eachstaggering’neaththeundeliveredfreight“

hestrikesfromtheFURORofwordsanelectricflashsotranscendentlyilluminativethatwhatiscommonplacebecomesradiantwiththatlightwhichdwellsnotinnature，butonlyinthevisionaryeyeofman。Formforthemerebeautyofform，isaplayingwiththewind，theacceptanceofashadowforthesubstance。

Ifnothinganimateit，itmaypossiblybefairofaspect，butonlyasthefrozensmileuponadeadface。

WeknowlittleofBrowning’sinnerorouterlifein1833and1834。

Itwasasecretive，notaproductiveperiod。Onebyonecertainpinnaclesofhisfairsnow-mountainofTitanicaimmeltedaway。

Hebegantorealisethefirstdisenchantmentoftheartist：

thesenseofdreamsnevertobeaccomplished。Thatlandofthegreatunwrittenpoems，thegreatunpaintedpictures：

whataheritancetherefortheenfranchisedspiritsofgreatdreamers!

Intheautumnof1833hewentforthtohisUniversity，thatoftheworldofmenandwomen。Itwaseverafavouriteanswerofhis，whenaskedifhehadbeenateitherOxfordorCambridge，

“ItalywasmyUniversity。“

ButfirsthewenttoRussia，andspentsometimeinSt。Petersburg，attractedthitherbytheinvitationofafriend。Thecountryinterestedhim，butdoesnotseemtohavedeeplyorpermanentlyengagedhisattention。

That，however，hisRussianexperienceswerenotfruitlessismanifestfromtheremarkablypicturesqueandtechnicallyveryinterestingpoem，“IvanIvanovitch“(thefourthofthe`DramaticIdyls’，1879)。

Ofatruth，afterhisownraceandcountryreaderswillatoncethinkof“HomeThoughtsfromtheSea“，orthethrillinglinesin“HomeThoughtsfromAbroad“，beginning

“Oh，tobeinEngland，NowthatApril’sthere!“

orperhaps，thoselinesinhisearliestwork

“IcherishmostMyloveofEnglandhow，hername，awordOfhersinastrangetonguemakesmyheartbeat!“

itwasofthemysticOrientoroftheglowingSouththatheoftenestthoughtanddreamed。WithHeinehemighthavecried：

“OFirdusi!OIschami!OSaadi!HowdoIlongaftertherosesofSchiraz!“

AsforItaly，whoofallourtruestpoetshasnotlovedher：

butwhohasworshippedherwithsomanlyapassion，soloyalalove，asBrowning？Onealoneindeedmaybematedwithhimhere，shewhohadhisheartofhearts，andwholiesatrestintheoldFlorentinecemeterywithinsoundofthelovedwatersofArno。

Whocanforgethislinesin“DeGustibus“，“Openmyheartandyouwillsee，gravedinsideofit，Italy。“