New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-16
rr,sopu a.rv rRmrNF SUNDAY FEBRUARY isr1RTY PAGES

him: II he had known just what he wanted ana
met now TO get It; II he had possessed the
lucdty of genius. there would be no doubt III
,he criticism of his work nor any suspension
Of Judgment upon the ultimate extent OF MS
fame But he did nothing in his paintings or
his writing exquisite though he could DC at
times, to vanquish that doubt or mperiousiy 10
force that Judgment This Is the conclusion
following upon an analysis OF his productions
as an artist and a poet.
II is the conclusion confirmed by his letters
and the narrative of his life. The latter does not
present Rossett a man Of notable capacities
Mr.. William Rossetti writes his memoir In a
brotherly key. as HI; been said. and ne does
everything to portray at full length the figure
which he knew and loved for so many years But
when he has done this there is still lacking a Key
to the spell which hangs around the productions
OF his brother He has told much. He mas
thrown such light on Dante Rossct,rs methods as
the quotation given above, with reference to the
brick wall In Found" may be admitted to pro
vide. And again and again the letters show &e
manner in which the poet struggled for verbal
felicity writing to his brother about this word
or that in one of his verses somewhat as a worker
IN mosaic or a chiseller Of arabesques might con-
suit with fellow artisan about the suitability
of a touch here and touch there. Il am In
rather productive mood" be writes, land have
written two comets since writing to you yes
terlay. For one Of the 'Cassandra' ones l want
to know whether Achilles killed Hector with
sword or a spear" Passages OF this sort are
plentiful. Now and then the man speaks out OF
his heart az when he writes tenderly to his
mother about the cloak he has ordered sent to
her at a time when ne thought she needed It;
~ Oh 40 op1o IN
spring from 50 human a source He writes
oftener from the workshop, which was his world.
The gods gave Dante Gabriel Rossetti num-
Der of precious gifts, and with them number
of clogging defects. They gave him an eager
taste for beauty and hand untitled TO express
all that he in beauty. all that he felt. They
gave him ambition and with it ill-heath. SO
that he was logged through life by physical In
certitude and seeplessness. nervousness
which alone might have produced In him the
morbdty which little by little sank into the
fibre OF his being. AT the last they gave him
touch, A hint Of something unique and indie
scrlbable which must strike upon human con-
sciousness with a certain wonder so long as the
paintings and the poems Of Rossetti hold place
in mems minds. But with this last and most rare
Of all gifts there was laid upon him also the
blight OF a genius which has lost Its way, which
would paint glorious pictures II only the means
were made plain. which would burst into the
singing OF sublimest poetry II only the gift OF
spontaneous utterance would come. In brief, the
price paid for his incomplete power b. Rossetti
constant striving and results which leave
the critic enchanted without being convinced.
To refuse to feel the magic OF Rossett in a pict-
ure like "Dante's Dream OF "Ecx Amelia Dom
inc" to be nsensible to the GLAMOUR OF some OF
his sonnets or Of ballad like THE Kings
Tragedy" 10 deny the beauty OF his transla lions
from the Italian, Is 20 deprive ones self OF some
of the most interesting and most stimulating
sensations to be derived from modern art 1T
erature. But to attribute those sensations to the
impact Of ones sympathies with the authoritative
movements OF n major mind is to let discrimina-
tt, ard NOT hniA
among the majo figures Of his time. partly be-
caug. ne did not Identify himself with that time,
but still more because he was not harmoniOusly
DEVELOPED had not a symmetrical genius and
creative gift Of large untrammelled powers.