New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-16
A PECULIAR FAMILY.
one.

Not one member of the family Is recogniza-
BILE now as a clearly formed and complete genius
Yet not one was without noticeable gifts Dante
Rossetti's maternal grandfather had pcssesseu
wit enough to be the secretary OF AlneT. Inc
man whom his daughter married, Gabrieie KOS
sett from Vasto, in the AbruzZi, was a con-
spicuous writer of political prose and verse. lie
was sent into exile for his patriotic writings
and went to London. where he continued uh"l
his death to occupy himself with poetry ana
Dantesque investigation. His wife never wrote
either poetry or prose with view 10 puphshns
but that she had the family taste for the pen
may be inferred from the versices given IN 'he
nrescnt memoir and the author of the latter
William Michael Rossetti, quotes his mother rs
saving: Il always had passion for intellect
ard my wish was that my husband snouid De
distinguished for intellect and my children, too
I have had my wish she used to add, after
Dante and Christina had become known, and
rou, 7 wish that there was little less intellect
In the family so as to allow for little more
common sense" She herself, apparently. was
aware of the imperfect pose of her family. Her
divination Is borne out by the volumes In which
William Michael Rossetti narrates the life OF MS
famous brother draws picture or the nome III
which they were both brought up. and cohec's
a number of letters written by Dante Iaorie'
Rossetti to the various members OF their raHily'
Between Rossettis letters and his brothers
ample memoir the latter filling the first OF the
two volumes that have just appeared IL Is easy
TO reconstruct the environment in which 'he
chief Of the pre-Raphaelites grew up ana HVed'
Indeed Mr. William Rossetti leaves no point Ii
obscuritv no matter how trivial that point may
Re- He is too minute. He Boswellizes MS nero
with a devotion more than fraternal. He OBJ
of brnf
Peter Parley's Natural History, which he en-
loved both text and cuts and little later on
IN some solemn recollections of what the two
hovs liked and did when they were nine or ten
,,ca~s old there Is offered the following curious
massage: MY first land for years 1t must nave
remained my SOLE pantomime is also lively
Renaissance. There was race run by jockeys
on pigs and each touch Of the whip raised
shower Of sparks out OF the porcine steeds 10 ny
uncomfortable laughter and delight. My brother
must have been with me. but / forget ms oe-
mearour. Why Mr. William Rossetn snou!n
set down this record of his past in memoir OF
his brother and why the world should are 10
know ANYTHING about the demeanor of the lat
ter when witnessing a pantomime in his child
hood. even If the biographer had not forgotten
what the child's "demeanour' was. are Things
mast finding out And this memoir is burdened
ously sitting it, the presence Of an abundance OF
similarly trivial notes In the volume OF cor
rcsnondence reduces the readers patience TO a
minimum There is another point of view. how
ever from which the editorial zeal Of Mr.. William
Rossetti is more sympathetically regarded.
Plainly he loved his brother from their first years
together and with the ardor of affection he has
sought to present 10 the world exactly the image
that is preserved In his own tender recollection.
No detail was too small for him to feel an Inter
est in X when the Rossetti circle was intact
and now that he alone is left, he justly feels
that he must take pains with his memoir The
odore Watts was to have written life OF Ros-
sett He knew the man well. but William Ros-
setti knew him better and. though he may grow
tedious with his microscopic method; though he
NAV prove, as he actually does prove at times,
a little of bore; though he may be utterly lack
biography he is nevertheless useful and inter-
esting When his defects have been dismissed
his merits are valued the more. 1t may be
known now, after all that Mr.. Joseph Knight.
Mr. William Sharp Mr. Hall Game and others
have done partially TO describe the life and
character Of Dante Rossettl, exactly what man.
ner of man he was and now his career was de-
veloped. 1t is true that Mr.. William Rossetti
Is prepared to defend his brother against any
and all critics, but that does not diminish the
truth which Is obviously an essential part Of his
work.