The San Francisco call., 1896-09-13

kat" was a term used in the last century to
designate half-length portrait-one which
emphasizes the head, yet does not exclude
the hand" Mr. Gosse has used the name very
aptly in this connection. The essays in the
volume concern both the head and hand-the
life and works-ot the writer's he discusses
Many of the sketches contain new material
personal "reminiscences which no one writes
more delightfully."-. Notably is this true OF the
article on Stevenson, which first appeared in
the Century Magazine. The other essays were
printed originally in English reviews and are
new to many American readers.
The opening essay on The Sonnets from the
Portuguese" tells the story of how those finest
of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poems came
to be written. 1t was during the happy time
OF their courtship that she put her love into
words with an intensity few women poets have
been sincere enough to express. The poems
were not however shown to her lover until
after their marriage; when, one morning, she
slipped them into his pocket as he stood look
ing out OF the window, and then fed from the
roomI
The sonnets were such an intimate revela-
tion of her own inner life at the time that she
hesitated about having them published. But
Robert Browning, considering them the great
est sonnets since Shakespeare's, insisted upon
their being given to the world. There was
much uncertainty about a fitting title. "The
name which was ultimately chosen, 'Sonnets
rom the Portuguese, was invented by Mr..
Browning as an ingenious device to veil the
true authorship, and yet to suggest kinship
with that beautiful lyric called 'Catarina to
Camoens, in which so similar passion had
been expressed. Long before he ever heard of
these poems Mr.. Browning called his wife his
own little Portuguese, and so, when she pro-
posed sonnets translated from the Bosnian, he,
catching al the happy thought of TRANSLATED
replied, No, not Bosnian, that means nothing,
n -.
sonnets.' And so in half JOKE half conceit,
the famous title was invented"
All the tender pathos and beauty of that
courtship is revived IN the readers mind by
this sketch of Gosse's. Robert Browning came
into Elizabeth Bsrretts life when she was
long past her youth; saddened by the loss of
her brother, and so broken in health that
death instead of love was her expected guest.
All who have read the sonnets will recall their
revealing sequence, her gradual yielding and
turning from death to life and the final
abandonment to a noble passion. That was,
in truth, a union-as Mr.. Gosse has so well
pressed it-''of two of the most distinguished
spirits which our century has produced"
Keats in 1894" follows next In Mr.. Gosse's
volume. 1t is the address delivered by the
author on the unveiling of the monument
sent by the poets American admirers Mr..
Gosse pays high tribute to Keats. The lovers
of that poet who died SO young, yet left work
so perfect, win be glad TO read these words
coming from one who is privileged to speak
with authority: "Shall say what will startle
you if l confess that 1 sometimes fancy that
we lost in the author of the five great odes the
most mas terful capacity for poetic expression
which the world has ever seen?"
Thomas Lowell Beddoes, the subject of the
following essay. is probably little known to
Americans, or only to some stray reader of
DEATHS Jest-Book; or, the Brides Tragedy"
He was an eccentric Englishman who lived
in the early part of the century, the friend of
Barry Cornwall and poet of some ability at
time when there was dearth of great poetry
in England. He found life profoundly un-
satisfactory, and ended by taking himself out
of it. first attempt at suicide resulted in
the amputstion of one leg. His second at
tempt was successful. He left most extraor-
binary letter, containing, together with some
practical directions, the following words: al
ought to have been, among variety of things,
good poet-life was too great bore on one
peg, and that a bad one" The account closes
with some fierce stanzas from Deaths Jest
Book" which Robert Browning almost ex-
travagantly admired and was never weary of
recitiRR." Mr.. Gosse recently edited most
attractive edition of Beddoes' poems, which
was limited 70 500 copies in England and
500 for America.
All admirers of Omar Khayyam, and doubt
not they are legion, will be glad of the ac-
count given here of his translator, Edward
Fitzgerald, zone of the most recluse and Sc
Questered of modern men of letters" There
was extremely little known until the publica-
tion of his 'Life and Literary Remains" (which
Gosse reviews) of the personality of the man
who made the old Persian poets verses vivid
and living to nineteenth century conscious
ness. Perhaps no more wonderful translation
was ever made. Indeed, it is often suspected
that Fitzgerald's version is more creation
than q translation. The philosophy of the
form seems strikingly modern. Still we re-
member that agnosticism and mysticism have
existed in all ages, though are prone to
think that our doubts are recent inventions of
the ''Time-Spirit." Fitzgerald was q country
gentleman in easy circumstances. He wrote
in leisurely, dilettante sort of way, never
urged by pecuniary want or the desire for
fame. He was an intimate friend of Tenny-
son, of Thackeray and of Carlyle, and his let
ters contain many pleasant "reminiscences of
these great writers, who visited him in his
country home. After a little desultory literary
work, which he could hardly escape consider
ing his intimates, he took up the study
of Persian. He tried his hand first at
translating Jami and later omar's .'Rubai-
vat" The latter, written in more orthodox
age than our own, he had some difficulty in
getting printed, and there was not the slight
est sale for the poem. Ruskin wrote the au-
thor letter of praise, which tor some mys-
terious reason reached him only after ten
years Outside of his personal friends the
poem received not the slightest recognition
until Dante Gabriel Rossetti discovered it
and swinburne came forward in "the gen.
erous race to make the poem appreciated at its
nroDer value" 1t is amazing to read of the
early lack of appreciation which met this
work, when one remembers the countless
and beautiful editions of Omar Khayyam
which abound the world over to-day.
Edward Fitzgerald died in June, 1888,
week after Tennyson had written TO him the
dedication of his "Tiresias." The sketch of
walt Whitman is one of the most charming in
Gosse's volume He treats the subject with
delightful touch OF humor. He confesses to not
being Whitmanite. But he was much in
terested on the occasion of visit he made the
poet in his dreary lodging at Camden during
his own recent trip to America. 81 knocked
at this dreary little two-story tenementhouse
and wondered what was going to happen.
melancholy woman opened the door. 1t was