, 1861-07-23

deaths. 10 its list We Sre new, with deep re-
efet, compelled to add the name Of Elizabeth
Barrett Browning.
1'hik greatest Of English womau-poets was
born in London in the year 1909, and At the
time Of her death va consequently ifty-tws
YEAR, Old. Her ear, est associations were
classical From the eg1nning she loved the
eec9ty or learned d th0nghtful people,
3ls; mnca older d than herstE Her earliest intel
Greek authors, and while Jet in her teens she
vas tar enough a2Yanced to have passed an
examination for degree at Oxford, had her
sex Is veil as her taste been masculine In
deed, the seems always to have regarded her
sex more or less as disability, which was
to be endured because inevitable, and to have
esrue: tness Of the poet, rather than the par
lisan indignation OF the Woman'a Rights ad-
Tcc6te. There is o1eremarka5le avowa1 OF
this feeling, which, as occurring in a minor
POEM cf lers, Is less kaeWn than those more
Isenincat but less overt. In her sonnet to
George saad sl::s fsys, wait patiently It'll
GCd unsfs Nte'-z5 If the first declaration
Of c7!ssl!al Independence were to be an cntirc
d;si1ah chlsoment from the womanly nature.
Not"lthstandirg her patient revolt against
her eez, it maie her such poet RI she never
could have been without it. The woman al
fsrts her rights a1d viuGic2tes her power in
al that she has done best aad most iasting!y.
- y PaS, - LIZ Aa81A5 VI AAUu3 TEmaTA4O1e
though 1t be, as the fr6t work of q girl but
seventeen years old; and even the grand
though unequal transla:isn of "Proa1e.heu5
Bourd," which she published seven years
Later, and at period when most young women
are too much occupied with the reflection
"he:her they themselves shall share the Pro.
mcthean fate, chained forever to the Caucasus
Of celibacy, to occupy their thoughts with the
Eeyeze stuay Of Eschylas. It is net upon her
seraphim, !" net upon her "Drama Of Exile"
that Elizabeth Barrett Browning has written
herself for posterity.
When the woman has done what womau
only could do, she has been eternal; We find
ler btst IN auch poena a. she least valued,
called "FusI:ive nna M!sc.llaneousn None
but woman cen1d feel her heart wrapping
!ttef around the memory OF the beclou1ed
CoWper, and fall upon his grave in storm If
passionate tea1e, half bitter With the memory
Of What he eufiered-half rapturous because
"he YES 70 longer here-he WAS risen." Only
the Wcnan could have known what woman
Ietls when, abandoned by pughted lover, she
:Ses hia Aiss ca 1he cheek Of sister loved on
y Less, ard written that feeling in Bertha in
the Lane" "rhe Cry OF the Human" is NO
Man's cry-it lies in mans breast only as
ttiatd Thunder, sometimes breaking out, to be
sure, in tie peal Of riot arl revolution, but
never going forth to God and bis felle VS. in
ri'eeus complaint. And the wonaR-the very
Qnlntesse2cs Of woman, with al her hopes,
1.a1s, w1cngs and agonics-stands under the
shadow CT Bunker Hill Monument, utterins
lhe wretchcd history Of the "Slave Mother"
Mary Russell Milford, who waa one Of Mira.
BrGwliIG's earliest friends and greatest ad-
mire1s, prefe rrcd her 'sea Gull to Ill her
elcr poems II is aa excellent exponent of
her Find u ret Regarding another beautiful
Courtship," Miss Milford gives the interest
irE statement that it was written IN twelve
Ecura. Yet so brief in its composition, like
1iary Of cur lle's more, hurried deeds, 1t led
to long result, Tacfe was o delicate COM
p'lmeEt in this poem to Robert Bro Hning.
mistake Of new waiting maid, was admitted
directly into her sick-room- She hsd been
feeble from childhood, aud long sickness,
IRON which her recovery Was many times
defpajred Of, followed upon the rupture Of
t'ood-yesEel about her twenty. eighth year
When Mr. Browning made hi: unexpected
entry it wes at once into her sick-room and
her life. Els presence revived her az no ply.
siclan'e had done-she grew daily better 2s he
renewed his cal1e-and in the fall of 1876 sha
received at once her discharge from the sick
List, ard the hand Of Robert Browning.
From that day the BroHnings have spent
most OF their time in Italy, rzssinE the sum.
their WiHterr in Rome. Since her marriage
the critics have not been slow to perceive tie
i.nrence Of the husbands style upon poems
by woman whoae whole theory Is that of the
wcmsn's independence. This is possible
two have been celebrated among al their &C.
qIalnta1ces for more than usual perfection in
their marriage unity, But, With certain super
tcial differences, the poets are originally very
Lie II mental construction. The tendency to
cissect passion to its ultimate atoms-to pro-
test against mere tradt;on-to invest the an
t:que with graces borrowed from Christian
age-to throw themselves fervently into the
human life Of any period which they wrote OF
-theee characteristics are il common to them
both. 1twould not be strange, then, If deli.
cate ears detected Don and then the same key
casa Guidi W,ndoTs.n HAurora Ieieh :"
ac3 "sonnets from the Portuguese" EIiz4-
beth Barrett Browning would have writ
ten at any rate
One poem, st least, published during her
married life, has come from native inspira
lon, which the subtlest critic cannot doubt.
Il ls the address to Napoleon ILL.,, written
about the close OF the Italian war. Tie woman
is in It as truly as in the tendercst lin. she
eyer wrote Oh love. There is wsEa1's pas
EionAte admiratioE-Toman'a hero-Worship,
i'll which she ie the eternal pricstess, destined
10 outilEe forever, IS she has long ante-aatel,
:he lnan Carlyle In this poem, Eizabrth
Eslrett Browning, hy the intuitiye perceptions
OF her sex, has instantly recognized all tia
imperial patience, courage aud provision Of
tic Napoleonic mind, which masculine En-.
repe required years Of batteries, coup ttat's
vast diplomatic combinations, and great in
te1nal rtformz to learn. She WAS not afraid to
own Napoleon grcat-Wonanlikc she waited
fer no fats dccomp|is, and she ha. lived long
enough to SEC the truth Of her wom2n's il.
eight proved Well msy Napoleon rccogniza
Italy: Italg,s bsst friend WIS the first to re.
ccgnize him.
r, bor aat3, T4,1;,. E.,.i... ..a H..
yeral liberty Of man have lost their noslest
poet advocate; one young son is notherless
England sees TcnnyEon sitting alone on the
throne of her hardship, and Robert Browning
is widowed Of woman who WAS nearly one
soul with him as ever happens to the married