第13章

Browningpromisedtoconsiderthesuggestion。Sixweekslater，incompanywithForster，withwhomhehadbecomeintimate，hecalleduponMacready，todiscusstheplotofatragedywhichhehadpondered。Hetoldthetragedianhowdeeplyhehadbeenimpressedbyhisperformanceof“Othello“，andhowthishaddeflectedhisintentionfromamodernandEuropeantoanOrientalandancienttheme。

“BrowningsaidthatIhadBIThimbymyperformanceof`Othello’，andItoldhimIhopedIshouldmakethebloodcome。“The“blood“hadcomeintheguiseofadrama-motivebasedonthecrucialperiodinthecareerofNarses，theeunuch-generalofJustinian。Macreadylikedthesuggestion，thoughhedemurredtooneortwopointsintheoutline：

andbeforeBrowningleftheeagerlypressedhimto“goonwith`Narses’。“

ButwhetherBrowningmistrustedhisowninterestinthetheme，orwasdubiousastothesuccesswithwhichMacreadywouldrealisehisconception，orastothereceptionaplayofsuchnaturewouldwinfromanauditorynolongerreverentofhighdramaticideals，hegaveuptheidea。Somethreemonthslater(May26th)heenjoyedanothereventfulevening。ItwasthenightofthefirstperformanceofTalfourd’s“Ion“，andhewasamongthepersonalfriendsofMacreadywhowereinvitedtothesupperatTalfourd’srooms。

Afterthefallofthecurtain，Browning，Forster，andotherfriendssoughtthetragedianandcongratulatedhimuponthesuccessbothoftheplayandofhisimpersonationofthechiefcharacter。

Theythenadjournedtothehouseoftheauthorof“Ion“。

TohissurpriseandgratificationBrowningfoundhimselfplacednextbutonetohishost，andimmediatelyoppositeMacready，whosatbetweentwogentlemen，onecalmasasummerevening，andtheotherwithatempestuousyouthdominatinghissixtyyears，whomtheyoungpoetatoncerecognisedasWordsworthandWalterSavageLandor。

Everyonewasingoodspirits：thehostperhapsmostofall，whowascelebratinghisbirthdayaswellasthesuccessof“Ion“。

PossiblyMacreadywastheonlypersonwhofeltatallbored

unlessitwasLandorforWordsworthwasnot，atsuchafunction，anentertainingconversationalist。ThereismuchsignificanceinthesuccinctentryinMacready’sjournalconcerningtheLake-poet

“Wordsworth，whopinnedme。“……WhenTalfourdrosetoproposethetoastof“ThePoetsofEngland“everyoneprobablyexpectedthatWordsworthwouldbenamedtorespond。Butwithakindlygracethehost，afterflatteringremarksuponthetwogreatmenthenhonouringhimbysittingathistable，coupledhistoastwiththenameoftheyoungestofthepoetsofEngland“Mr。RobertBrowning，theauthorof`Paracelsus’。“ItwasaveryproudmomentforBrowning，singledoutamongthatbrilliantcompany：anditispleasanttoknow，ontheauthorityofMissMitford，whowaspresent，that“heperformedhistaskwithgraceandmodesty，“looking，theamiableladyadds，evenyoungerthanhewas。Perhaps，however，hewasprouderstillwhenWordsworthleanedacrossthetable，andwithstatelyaffabilitysaid，“Iamproudtodrinkyourhealth，Mr。Browning：“whenLandor，also，withasuperblyindifferentandyetkindlysmile，alsoraisedhisglasstohislipsincourteousgreeting。

OfWordsworthBrowningsawnotalittleintheensuingfewyears，forontherarevisitstheelderlypoetpaidtoLondon，Talfourdneverfailedtoasktheauthorof“Paracelsus“，forwhomhehadasincereadmiration，tomeetthegreatman。

Itwasnotinthenatureofthingsthatthetwopoetscouldbecomefriends，butthoughtheyoungerwassometimesannoyedbytheelder’spooh-poohinghisrepublicansympathies，andcontemptuouslywaivingasideasamerenobodynolessanindividualthanShelley，heneverfailedofrespectandevenreverence。Withwhattendernessanddignityhehascommemoratedthegreatpoet’sfallingawayfromhisearlyideals，maybeseenin“TheLostLeader“，oneofthemostpopularofBrowning’sshortpoems，andlikelytoremainso。Forseveralreasons，however，itisbestaswellasrightthatWordsworthshouldnotbemorethanmerelynominallyidentifiedwiththeLostLeader。

Browningwasalwaysimperativeuponthispoint。

TowardsLandor，ontheotherhand，heentertainedasentimentofgenuineaffection，coupledwithaprofoundsympathyandadmiration：

asentimentdulyreciprocated。Thecareoftheyoungerfortheelder，intheoldageofthelatter，isoneofthemostbeautifulincidentsinabeautifullife。

Buttheeveningwasnottopasswithoutanothermemorableincident，onetowhichweowe“Strafford“，andprobably“ABlotinthe’Scutcheon“。

Justastheyoungpoet，flushedwiththetriumphantpleasureoftheevening，wasabouttoleave，Macreadyarrestedhimbyafriendlygripofthearm。

InunmistakableearnestnessheaskedBrowningtowritehimaplay。

Withasimplicityequaltotheoccasion，thepoetcontentedhimselfwithreplying，“ShallitbehistoricalandEnglish？WhatdoyousaytoadramaonStrafford？“

Macreadywaspleasedwiththeidea，andhopefulthathisfriendwouldbemoresuccessfulwiththeEnglishstatesmanthanwiththeeunuchNarses。

Afewmonthselapsedbeforethepoet，whohadsetasidethelongworkuponwhichhewasengaged(“Sordello“)，calleduponMacreadywiththemanuscriptof“Strafford“。Thelatterhopedmuchfromit。

InMarchtheMS。wasready。AbouttheendofthemonthMacreadytookittoCoventGardenTheatre，andreadittoMr。Osbaldiston，“whocaughtatitwithavidity，andagreedtoproduceitwithoutdelay。“

ItwasaneventfulfirstofMayaneventfultwelvemonth，indeed，foritwastheinitialyearoftheVictorianera，notable，too，asthatwhereintheElectricTelegraphwasestablished，and，inletters，whereinanewdramaticliteraturehaditsorigin。For“Strafford“，alreadysignificantofanovelmovement，anddestined，itseemstome，tobestillmoresignificantinthatgreatdramaticperiodtowardswhichwearefastconverging，wasnotlessimportanttotheDramainEngland，asanewdepartureinmethodandradicallyindicativeofafreshstandpoint，than“Hernani“wasinFrance。Butinliteraryhistorythedayitselfisdoublymemorable，forintheforenoonCarlylegavethefirstofhislecturesinLondon。Theplaywasasuccess，despitetheshamefullyinadequateactingofsomeofthoseentrustedwithimportantparts。Therewasonce，perhapsthereweremoreoccasionsthanone，wheresuccesspoisedlikethesoulofaMohammedanontheinvisiblethreadleadingtoParadise，butoneithersideofwhichliesperdition。

Therewasnonetocry`Timbul’saveMacready，exceptMissHelenFaucit，whogainedabrillianttriumphasLadyCarlisle。ThepartofCharlesI。

wasenactedsoexecrablythatdamnationforallwasagainandagainwithinmeasurabledistance。“TheYoungerVane“rantedsothatahiss，likeanembodiedscorn，vibratedonvagrantwingsthroughoutthehouse。

Therewasnotevenanyextraneousaidtoafortunateimpression。

Thehousewasinillrepair：theseatsdusty，the“scenery“commonplaceandsometimesnoticeablyinappropriate，thecostumesandaccessoriesalmostsordid。Butinthefaceofallthis，atriumphwassecured。

ForabriefwhileMacreadybelievedthatthestarofregenerationhadarisen。

Unfortunately’twas，inthewordsofacontemporarydramaticpoet，“arisingsorrowsplendidlyforlorn。“ThefinancialconditionofCoventGardenTheatrewassoruinousthatnoteventhemostsuccessfulplaycouldhaverestoreditsdoomedfortunes。

Afterthefifthnightoneoftheleadingactors，havingreceivedabetterofferelsewhere，suddenlywithdrew。

Thiswasthelaststraw。Acollapseforthwithoccurred。

Inthescrambleforsharesinthefewremainingfundseveryonegainedsomething，excepttheauthor，whowastohavereceived12Poundsforeachperformanceforthefirsttwenty-fivenights，and10Poundseachfortennightsfurther。ThisdisasterwasadeepdisappointmenttoBrowning，andabynomeanstransitoryone，forthreeorfouryearslaterhewrote(Advt。of“BellsandPomegranates“)：

“TwoorthreeyearsagoIwroteaplay，aboutwhichthechiefmatterImuchcaretorecollectatpresentis，thatapitfulofgood-naturedpeopleapplaudedit。Eversince，Ihavebeendesirousofdoingsomethinginthesamewaythatshouldbetterrewardtheirattention。“

But，exceptinsofarasitsabruptdeclensionfromthestagehurtitsauthorintheeyesofthecritics，andpossiblyinthoseoftheatricalmanagers，“Strafford“wascertainlynofailure。Ithastheelementsofagreatactingplay。Everything，eventhelanguage(andherewasastumbling-blockwithmostofthecriticsandcriticasters)，wassubordinatedtodramaticexigencies：thoughthesubordinationwasinconformitywithanovelshapingmethod。“Strafford“wasnot，however，allowedtoremainunknowntothosewhohadbeenunabletovisitCoventGardenTheatre。*Browning’snamehadquitesufficientliteraryreputetojustifyapublisherinriskingtheissueofadramabyhim，one，atanyrate，thathadtheadvantageofassociationwithMacready’sname。

TheLongmansissuedit，andtheauthorhadthepleasureofknowingthathisthirdpoeticworkwasnotproducedattheexpenseofarelative，butatthatofthepublishers。Ithadbutanindifferentreception，however。

*“ItistimetodenyastatementthathasbeenrepeatedadnauseamineverynoticethatprofessestogiveanaccountofMr。Browning’scareer。

Whateverissaidornotsaid，itisalwaysthathisplayshave`failed’

onthestage。Inpointoffact，thethreeplayswhichhehasbroughtouthaveallsucceeded，andhaveowedittofortuitouscircumstancesthattheirtenureontheboardshasbeencomparativelyshort。“

E。W。Gosse，inarticlein`TheCenturyMagazine’。