Life and Letters of Robert Browning [16]
of his falling in love, as he was emerging from his teens,
with a handsome girl who was on a visit at his father's house.
But the fancy died out `for want of root.' The admiration, even tenderness,
for Miss Flower had so deep a `root' that he never in latest life
mentioned her name with indifference. In a letter to Mr. Dykes Campbell,
in 1881, he spoke of her as `a very remarkable person.'
If, in spite of his denials, any woman inspired `Pauline',
it can have been no other than she. He began writing to her
at twelve or thirteen, probably on the occasion of her expressed sympathy
with his first distinct effort at authorship; and what he afterwards called
`the few utterly insignificant scraps of letters and verse'
which formed his part of the correspondence were preserved by her
as long as she lived. But he recovered and destroyed them
after his return to England, with all the other reminiscences
of those early years. Some notes, however, are extant, dated respectively,
1841, 1842, and 1845, and will be given in their due place.
--
* She also wrote a dramatic poem in five acts, entitled `Vivia Perpetua',
referred to by Mrs. Jameson in her `Sacred and Legendary Art',
and by Leigh Hunt, when he spoke of her in `Blue-Stocking Revels',
as `Mrs. Adams, rare mistress of thought and of tears.'
--
Mr. Fox was a friend of Miss Flower's father (Benjamin Flower,
known as editor of the `Cambridge Intelligencer'), and, at his death, in 1829,
became co-executor to his will, and a kind of guardian to his daughters,
then both unmarried, and motherless from their infancy.
Eliza's principal work was a collection of hymns and anthems,
originally composed for Mr. Fox's chapel, where she had assumed
the entire management of the choral part of the service.
Her abilities were not confined to music; she possessed, I am told,
an instinctive taste and judgment in literary matters
which caused her opinion to be much valued by literary men.
But Mr. Browning's genuine appreciation of her musical genius
was probably the strongest permanent bond between them.
We shall hear of this in his own words.
Chapter 4
1826-1833
First Impressions of Keats and Shelley -- Prolonged Influence of Shelley --
Details of Home Education -- Its Effects -- Youthful Restlessness --
Counteracting Love of Home -- Early Friendships: Alfred Domett,
Joseph Arnould, the Silverthornes -- Choice of Poetry as a Profession --
Alternative Suggestions; mistaken Rumours concerning them --
Interest in Art -- Love of good Theatrical Performances --
Talent for Acting -- Final Preparation for Literary Life.
At the period at which we have arrived, which is that of his leaving school
and completing his fourteenth year, another and a significant influence
was dawning on Robert Browning's life -- the influence of the poet Shelley.
Mr. Sharp writes,* and I could only state the facts in similar words,
`Passing a bookstall one day, he saw, in a box of second-hand volumes,
a little book advertised as "Mr. Shelley's Atheistical Poem: very scarce."'
. . . `From vague remarks in reply to his inquiries, and from one or two
casual allusions, he learned that there really was a poet called Shelley;
that he had written several volumes; that he was dead.'
. . . `He begged his mother to procure him Shelley's works,
a request not easily complied with, for the excellent reason
that not one of the local booksellers had even heard of the poet's name.
Ultimately, however, Mrs. Browning learned that what she sought
was procurable at the Olliers', in Vere Street, London.'
--
* `Life of Browning', pp. 30, 31. [(Chapter 2) Now available online.]
--
Mrs. Browning went to Messrs. Ollier, and brought back
`most of Shelley's writings, all in their first edition,
with the exception of "The Cenci".' She brought also
three volumes of the still less known John Keats, on being assured
that one who liked Shelley's works would like these also.
Keats and Shelley must always remain connected in this epoch