Life and Letters of Robert Browning [76]
wife. She was, when he wrote this letter, reading his works
for the first time, and had expressed admiration for them;
but, he continued, none of the kind things she said to him on that subject
could move him as did those words in the Campagna. Mrs. Kemble would have
modified her statement in later years, for the sake of one English
and one American husband now closely related to her. Even then, perhaps,
she did not make it without inward reserve. But she will forgive me,
I am sure, for having repeated it.
Mr. Browning also refers to her Memoirs, which he had just read, and says:
`I saw her in those [I conclude earlier] days much oftener than is set down,
but she scarcely noticed me; though I always liked her extremely.'
Another of Mrs. Browning's letters is written from Florence, June 6 ('54):
==
`. . . We mean to stay at Florence a week or two longer and then
go northward. I love Florence -- the place looks exquisitely beautiful
in its garden ground of vineyards and olive trees, sung round
by the nightingales day and night. . . . If you take one thing with another,
there is no place in the world like Florence, I am persuaded,
for a place to live in -- cheap, tranquil, cheerful, beautiful,
within the limits of civilization yet out of the crush of it. . . .
We have spent two delicious evenings at villas outside the gates,
one with young Lytton, Sir Edward's son, of whom I have told you, I think.
I like him . . . we both do . . . from the bottom of our hearts.
Then, our friend, Frederick Tennyson, the new poet, we are delighted
to see again.
. . . . .
`. . . Mrs. Sartoris has been here on her way to Rome, spending most
of her time with us . . . singing passionately and talking eloquently.
She is really charming. . . .'
==
I have no record of that northward journey or of the experiences of
the winter of 1854-5. In all probability Mr. and Mrs. Browning remained in,
or as near as possible to, Florence, since their income was still too limited
for continuous travelling. They possibly talked of going to England,
but postponed it till the following year; we know that they went there
in 1855, taking his sister with them as they passed through Paris.
They did not this time take lodgings for the summer months,
but hired a house at 13 Dorset Street, Portman Square;
and there, on September 27, Tennyson read his new poem, `Maud',
to Mrs. Browning, while Rossetti, the only other person present
besides the family, privately drew his likeness in pen and ink.
The likeness has become well known; the unconscious sitter must also,
by this time, be acquainted with it; but Miss Browning thinks
no one except herself, who was near Rossetti at the table, was at the moment
aware of its being made. All eyes must have been turned towards Tennyson,
seated by his hostess on the sofa. Miss Arabel Barrett was also of the party.
Some interesting words of Mrs. Browning's carry their date
in the allusion to Mr. Ruskin; but I cannot ascertain it more precisely:
==
`We went to Denmark Hill yesterday to have luncheon with them,
and see the Turners, which, by the way, are divine. I like Mr. Ruskin much,
and so does Robert. Very gentle, yet earnest, -- refined and truthful.
I like him very much. We count him one among the valuable acquaintances
made this year in England.'
==
Chapter 12
1855-1858
`Men and Women' -- `Karshook' -- `Two in the Campagna' -- Winter in Paris;
Lady Elgin -- `Aurora Leigh' -- Death of Mr. Kenyon and Mr. Barrett --
Penini -- Mrs. Browning's Letters to Miss Browning --
The Florentine Carnival -- Baths of Lucca -- Spiritualism --
Mr. Kirkup; Count Ginnasi -- Letter from Mr. Browning to Mr. Fox -- Havre.
The beautiful `One Word More' was dated from London in September;
and the fifty poems gathered together under the title of `Men and Women'
were published before the close of the year, in two volumes,
by Messrs. Chapman and Hall.* They are all familiar friends
to Mr. Browning's readers, in their first
for the first time, and had expressed admiration for them;
but, he continued, none of the kind things she said to him on that subject
could move him as did those words in the Campagna. Mrs. Kemble would have
modified her statement in later years, for the sake of one English
and one American husband now closely related to her. Even then, perhaps,
she did not make it without inward reserve. But she will forgive me,
I am sure, for having repeated it.
Mr. Browning also refers to her Memoirs, which he had just read, and says:
`I saw her in those [I conclude earlier] days much oftener than is set down,
but she scarcely noticed me; though I always liked her extremely.'
Another of Mrs. Browning's letters is written from Florence, June 6 ('54):
==
`. . . We mean to stay at Florence a week or two longer and then
go northward. I love Florence -- the place looks exquisitely beautiful
in its garden ground of vineyards and olive trees, sung round
by the nightingales day and night. . . . If you take one thing with another,
there is no place in the world like Florence, I am persuaded,
for a place to live in -- cheap, tranquil, cheerful, beautiful,
within the limits of civilization yet out of the crush of it. . . .
We have spent two delicious evenings at villas outside the gates,
one with young Lytton, Sir Edward's son, of whom I have told you, I think.
I like him . . . we both do . . . from the bottom of our hearts.
Then, our friend, Frederick Tennyson, the new poet, we are delighted
to see again.
. . . . .
`. . . Mrs. Sartoris has been here on her way to Rome, spending most
of her time with us . . . singing passionately and talking eloquently.
She is really charming. . . .'
==
I have no record of that northward journey or of the experiences of
the winter of 1854-5. In all probability Mr. and Mrs. Browning remained in,
or as near as possible to, Florence, since their income was still too limited
for continuous travelling. They possibly talked of going to England,
but postponed it till the following year; we know that they went there
in 1855, taking his sister with them as they passed through Paris.
They did not this time take lodgings for the summer months,
but hired a house at 13 Dorset Street, Portman Square;
and there, on September 27, Tennyson read his new poem, `Maud',
to Mrs. Browning, while Rossetti, the only other person present
besides the family, privately drew his likeness in pen and ink.
The likeness has become well known; the unconscious sitter must also,
by this time, be acquainted with it; but Miss Browning thinks
no one except herself, who was near Rossetti at the table, was at the moment
aware of its being made. All eyes must have been turned towards Tennyson,
seated by his hostess on the sofa. Miss Arabel Barrett was also of the party.
Some interesting words of Mrs. Browning's carry their date
in the allusion to Mr. Ruskin; but I cannot ascertain it more precisely:
==
`We went to Denmark Hill yesterday to have luncheon with them,
and see the Turners, which, by the way, are divine. I like Mr. Ruskin much,
and so does Robert. Very gentle, yet earnest, -- refined and truthful.
I like him very much. We count him one among the valuable acquaintances
made this year in England.'
==
Chapter 12
1855-1858
`Men and Women' -- `Karshook' -- `Two in the Campagna' -- Winter in Paris;
Lady Elgin -- `Aurora Leigh' -- Death of Mr. Kenyon and Mr. Barrett --
Penini -- Mrs. Browning's Letters to Miss Browning --
The Florentine Carnival -- Baths of Lucca -- Spiritualism --
Mr. Kirkup; Count Ginnasi -- Letter from Mr. Browning to Mr. Fox -- Havre.
The beautiful `One Word More' was dated from London in September;
and the fifty poems gathered together under the title of `Men and Women'
were published before the close of the year, in two volumes,
by Messrs. Chapman and Hall.* They are all familiar friends
to Mr. Browning's readers, in their first