Life and Letters of Robert Browning [20]
a member of the New Zealand Parliament, and ultimately,
for a short time, of its Cabinet; only returning to England
after an absence of thirty years. This Mr. Domett seems to have been
a very modest man, besides a devoted friend of Robert Browning's,
and on occasion a warm defender of his works. When he read
the apostrophe to `Alfred, dear friend,' in the `Guardian Angel',
he had reached the last line before it occurred to him
that the person invoked could be he. I do not think that this poem,
and that directly addressed to him under the pseudonym of `Waring',
were the only ones inspired by the affectionate remembrance
which he had left in their author's mind.
Among his boy companions were also the three Silverthornes,
his neighbours at Camberwell, and cousins on the maternal side.
They appear to have been wild youths, and had certainly no part
in his intellectual or literary life; but the group is interesting
to his biographer. The three brothers were all gifted musicians;
having also, probably, received this endowment from their mother's father.
Mr. Browning conceived a great affection for the eldest,
and on the whole most talented of the cousins; and when he had died
-- young, as they all did -- he wrote `May and Death' in remembrance of him.
The name of `Charles' stands there for the old, familiar `Jim',
so often uttered by him in half-pitying, and all-affectionate allusion,
in his later years. Mrs. Silverthorne was the aunt who paid
for the printing of `Pauline'.
It was at about the time of his short attendance at University College
that the choice of poetry as his future profession was formally made.
It was a foregone conclusion in the young Robert's mind; and little less
in that of his father, who took too sympathetic an interest in his son's life
not to have seen in what direction his desires were tending.
He must, it is true, at some time or other, have played with the thought
of becoming an artist; but the thought can never have represented a wish.
If he had entertained such a one, it would have met not only
with no opposition on his father's part, but with a very ready assent,
nor does the question ever seem to have been seriously mooted
in the family councils. It would be strange, perhaps, if it had.
Mr. Browning became very early familiar with the names of the great painters,
and also learned something about their work; for the Dulwich Gallery
was within a pleasant walk of his home, and his father constantly
took him there. He retained through life a deep interest in art and artists,
and became a very familiar figure in one or two London studios.
Some drawings made by him from the nude, in Italy, and for which
he had prepared himself by assiduous copying of casts
and study of human anatomy, had, I believe, great merit.
But painting was one of the subjects in which he never received instruction,
though he modelled, under the direction of his friend Mr. Story;
and a letter of his own will presently show that, in his youth at least,
he never credited himself with exceptional artistic power.
That he might have become an artist, and perhaps a great one,
is difficult to doubt, in the face of his brilliant general ability
and special gifts. The power to do a thing is, however,
distinct from the impulse to do it, and proved so in the present case.
More importance may be given to an idea of his father's that he should
qualify himself for the Bar. It would naturally coincide with the widening
of the social horizon which his University College classes supplied;
it was possibly suggested by the fact that the closest friends
he had already made, and others whom he was perhaps now making,
were barristers. But this also remained an idea. He might have been placed
in the Bank of England, where the virtual offer of an appointment
had been made to him through his father; but the elder Browning
spontaneously rejected this, as unworthy of his son's powers.
He had never, he said, liked bank work himself, and could not, therefore,
impose it on him.
We
for a short time, of its Cabinet; only returning to England
after an absence of thirty years. This Mr. Domett seems to have been
a very modest man, besides a devoted friend of Robert Browning's,
and on occasion a warm defender of his works. When he read
the apostrophe to `Alfred, dear friend,' in the `Guardian Angel',
he had reached the last line before it occurred to him
that the person invoked could be he. I do not think that this poem,
and that directly addressed to him under the pseudonym of `Waring',
were the only ones inspired by the affectionate remembrance
which he had left in their author's mind.
Among his boy companions were also the three Silverthornes,
his neighbours at Camberwell, and cousins on the maternal side.
They appear to have been wild youths, and had certainly no part
in his intellectual or literary life; but the group is interesting
to his biographer. The three brothers were all gifted musicians;
having also, probably, received this endowment from their mother's father.
Mr. Browning conceived a great affection for the eldest,
and on the whole most talented of the cousins; and when he had died
-- young, as they all did -- he wrote `May and Death' in remembrance of him.
The name of `Charles' stands there for the old, familiar `Jim',
so often uttered by him in half-pitying, and all-affectionate allusion,
in his later years. Mrs. Silverthorne was the aunt who paid
for the printing of `Pauline'.
It was at about the time of his short attendance at University College
that the choice of poetry as his future profession was formally made.
It was a foregone conclusion in the young Robert's mind; and little less
in that of his father, who took too sympathetic an interest in his son's life
not to have seen in what direction his desires were tending.
He must, it is true, at some time or other, have played with the thought
of becoming an artist; but the thought can never have represented a wish.
If he had entertained such a one, it would have met not only
with no opposition on his father's part, but with a very ready assent,
nor does the question ever seem to have been seriously mooted
in the family councils. It would be strange, perhaps, if it had.
Mr. Browning became very early familiar with the names of the great painters,
and also learned something about their work; for the Dulwich Gallery
was within a pleasant walk of his home, and his father constantly
took him there. He retained through life a deep interest in art and artists,
and became a very familiar figure in one or two London studios.
Some drawings made by him from the nude, in Italy, and for which
he had prepared himself by assiduous copying of casts
and study of human anatomy, had, I believe, great merit.
But painting was one of the subjects in which he never received instruction,
though he modelled, under the direction of his friend Mr. Story;
and a letter of his own will presently show that, in his youth at least,
he never credited himself with exceptional artistic power.
That he might have become an artist, and perhaps a great one,
is difficult to doubt, in the face of his brilliant general ability
and special gifts. The power to do a thing is, however,
distinct from the impulse to do it, and proved so in the present case.
More importance may be given to an idea of his father's that he should
qualify himself for the Bar. It would naturally coincide with the widening
of the social horizon which his University College classes supplied;
it was possibly suggested by the fact that the closest friends
he had already made, and others whom he was perhaps now making,
were barristers. But this also remained an idea. He might have been placed
in the Bank of England, where the virtual offer of an appointment
had been made to him through his father; but the elder Browning
spontaneously rejected this, as unworthy of his son's powers.
He had never, he said, liked bank work himself, and could not, therefore,
impose it on him.
We