New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-16
ROSSETTI AS A MAN.

To take leave Of the earlier letters in this col
lection is only to exchange the scere or the DOCK
or the picture in hand for other books and pic
lures and scenes none the less intertwined with
the writer's inmost thoughts. He graVitatcd
toward the brush and the pen simultaneously
and before he was Of age used both with remark
able ease The transations from the early Italian
poets We're begun when he was about seventeen,
at which period he also studying to be an
artist, and by the time he was twenty he mad
firmly fixed his powers as translator, had writ
ten The Blessed Damozel.' and was prepared
70 found the Pre-Raphaeli Brotherhood with
Millais and Hunt. Here in his participation IN
this interesting venture. there is more step
reached in the morbid line Of development pc
culiar to Rossetti The P. r. Rs. detached them
selves from English art. They proceeded TO re-
vive a medieval state of things. and in that re-
vival to find all that they needed for intellectual
nourishment
From this time on say lS4S when the Brother
hood was founded, Rossetti leaves a deepening
impression Of absorption In a settled round or
thoughts actions. poems and paintings lie
went to Paris and Belgium with Hunt in lS4s.
but he wrote many sonnets while on his trip'
and often threw the records OF his travels into
vershed form Books books, books and when
not books then pictures-these are his themes
throughout He was. too. a most Industrious
worker II he kept to himself and TO one sphere
of mental activity II was after all only that he
might work the harder. He went early In life to
occupy lodgings OF his own. and the accounts Of
his dwellings take up much space in his cor
respondence. He sold his work and, though he
was often in an impecunious condition, he lived
on with a placidity Of material existence that Is
in striking contrast 10 the characteristic fer
mentation Of his mind. In 1851 he be-
came engaged to Miss Siddal, and about nine
years later they were married. Upon her death.
as all the world has known for long time, he
caused his poems to be buried with her. But
after few years he had the manuscript recov-
cred from the grave and Immediately sought
publisher. The spirit in which he went about
the task is shown by the following extract from
his brothers diary:
Gabriel called and talked about his intended
publication Of poems in the spring. He thinks
1t desirable to make sure Of the reviewers as far
as possible, and thinks he can count upon hand
some notices in various reviews. His plan,
therefore, would be to send the book first to two
or three papers that he can count on and that
are Of leading Importance walt for the appear
ance of the crtiques In these, and only then
send the book t. other papers. which 1t would
reach having already considerable prestige
about 1t. This Is skilfu schcmlng. but for my
own part las l told GabrieD would not diplo-
Matte all. but just leave the book to take It's
chance and feel pretty confident of the result
into the bargain"
1t Is not necessary to traverse at length the
episode with which this extract is concerned.
But 1t Is eloquent OF the real Rosseti. OF the
whom 1t Is rarely possible to without some
matter In hand which carries the mind away
from wholesome human things to questions Of
bookishness and the workman's rather earthly
adventures. There is practically nothing in these
volumes TO show that Rossetti careds deeply or
cared at all for the fresh charm Of nature. The
reader feels inclined to regard a red-etter
day, rare occasion, the day when Rossetti
writes to his mother follows: THE sea to-day
looks like enamel in the sun. and there is q cool
breeze. / write this waiting for breakfast at
a. m. @ Yesterday l saw the sun rise -, over
the seattle most wonderful of earthly sights
This morning / awake in time too but
there was less beauty in the dawn though the
day promises to be even more lovely than yester-
day. This Is trife. yet ii stands out because
or its unusual drift and inspires a feeling Of
gratitude to the writer for having once in a while
turned aside from the contemplation Of things
solely germane to his aesthetic and literary en-
pigments. Deep students of Rossettrs work
would perhaps not find much to profit them in
the incident of his dog Dizzy. alluded to In let
ter written as late 1874. but there is nothing
In the entire correspondence more welcome than
this very fragment OF human whimsicaty 1t
shows Rossetti In a strange light. not altogether
lacking in cruelty, but 1t shows him, too, as a
creature Of flesh and blood with human weakness,
and not as Pre- aphaelitic high priest. anaemic
and without humor. He tells the story thus:
AT present am going about with black patch
over my nose. Last night Jenny file and agreed
to shrek at the same moment Zone Creepy and
the other Gravity In Dizzy's two ears while
May beat q tattoo on the top Of his head The