The sun., 1891-07-12

Mrs. Orr has done we'll to devote two chapters
to discussion OF Browntngs immediate pro-
gsnitors, their social circumstances and per-
sonsl experiences. for the reason that mali
cious rumor was ut one time current ascribing
to the poet an infusion Of negro blood. A sum-
mary OF the facts will show how little ground
there was for the calumny. Thore was also
another notion. which. though far from derOS-
atory. proves to have been equally unfounded.
that Browning had jewish blood in his veins.
The latter belief received some countenancs
from certain accidents OF tho poot's life. as.
for instance. from his known interest In the
Hebrew LANGUAGE and literature. and from
his friendship for various members Of the
Jewish community In London, Owing to these
very sympathies he would have been the last
person to disavow kinshIp with tho race Of
Israel had 1t actually existed. As matter OF
fact tho poet sprapR. on the fathers side. from
An obscure or decaysd branch Of an Anglo.
Saxon stock. rooted at an early period in the
south and. apparently also. the southwest OF
England. The cradle Of Browning's immedi-
ate family was Woodyates. iu the parish OF
TentridRe. ON the Wiltshire confines OF Dorset.
shire. There his ancestors OF the third AMI
fourth generations held. 1t seems. modest.
but Independent. social position. Brown.
ing himself neither claimed nor dis
past which had presented itself as certainty
to some older members Of his family. He pre-
served. indeed the old framed coat OF arms
handed down to him from his grand tather. and
used. without misGivinR. siGnet ring engraved
from 1t. But so long as he was young, Brown
Ing had no reason to think about his ances-
tors and whom he was old he had no renson to
care about them. Under any view OF tho case.
he knew himself to be the most important fact
In his family history. aud once. when writing
to friend who had questioned him about his
descent he quoted the familiar limos: o.
Roi ne suis, nj Prince ANAL
suis 10 ssignsup Dc ContL
The Arst member OF Drowning's family with
regard to whom the biogrspher has been able
to obtain much Information WAS his paternal
grandfather. also named Robert. who Obtain
Cd. through Lord shaftesburys influence. a
clsrkship In the Bank OF England. and entsred
On It. when barely 90. In 1859. He served nifty
years and rose to tho position OF principal cf
tho Bank Stock Once. then an important ono.
which brought him into contact with the Lead
ing nnanciers OF tho daN He scems TO have
heen an able energetic. and wholesome
man. an Enelshman Of the provincial
tyre. whose literary tastes were limited
to the Bible and tom Jones'" both Of
which he Is said to have road through
once year. lie possessed a handsome
rsrsop. and probably o vigorous constitution.
sinos, although frequently tormen,ed by gout.
he lived to the age Of "a. In 177S he married
Nargarst the daughter OF . Mr. Title by his
marriage with Miss Seymour. Tho young
lady had been born In the West Indias. and
had inherited property thers. They had three
children. the eldest OF whom. Robert. was the
poets father. The creole mother died whom
her boy Robert Was only years old. aud
passed ont OF his memory IN all but an tnd!s-
sinot impression OF his having ssnn her lying
In her colfin. Five years later tho widowsr
married Miss Smith. who gave him large
family. This second marriage OF Mr.. Brown
inG's was an untownrd event In the life OF the
poets father. It gave the latter two step.
parents instead OF one. There could have been
in any easo but little sympathy between his
father and himself. but there was more 20
tent cause for the systematic unkindnoss un-
der which the lad grew up. Mr.. Browning fell
greatly under the influence Of his second vile.
and this influence was made BY her TO sub
serve the interests OF q more than natural
Jealousy OF her predecessor. A significant per.
formance was her banishing the first wife's
portrait to garrett. on the plea that her hus-
band did not need two wives. The fact that
her stepson had little income OF his own. de-
rived from his mothers brother. seems to
have only heightened her III will. and when
hs WAS old enough to 60 10 the university.
and offered TO do so at his own COST
she induced his father to forbid II. because. as
she urged, they could not afford to send their
othcr sons to college. An earlier ambition Of
bis was 10 become an artist: but whom he
showed his fret completed picture to his
father the latter turned away and refused to
look at it Robert gave himself the finishing
stroke. In the parental eyes. by throwing up a
lucrative employment. which he had held for q
short time on his mothers West Indian prop
srty. In disRust at the system OF slave labor.