The times., 1899-03-05
.Iiternry Court.hip.

during the ccurtship Of Elizabeth Barrett
and Robert Browning has been eagerly
awaited by Browning enthusiasts through
cut the country. and the book will doubt
less be deyoured with great satisfaction by
members of literary clubs and others who
delight in the biography OF eminent per
sens. Candor compels one to admit. how
ever. that to the average reader great
part Of these letters will prove decidedly
dull reading.
II the editors could have made care
ful selection, wedding out all the epistles
Of no particular importance, and reducing
the whole mass Of correspondence about
ore-half. the book would have been more
interesting; but. in the nature of things
this could not be done. so the reader must
cen browse for himself. II he is wise he
Will begin reading in the middle of the
first volume, when the correspondence re-
ally begins TO grow interesting; and he
will inevitably skim through the numbers
of pages which relate only TO common
place, everyday matters, and some others
which are unintelligible to anyone who is
not thoroughly familiar with every line
of Brownings S works and with all the
Greek classics. Then. by close attention
and assiduous reading between the lines.
he Will actually obtain some interesting
glimpses into the respective workshops of
these two famous people, and some even
more fascinating views of their growing
friendship, which eventually ripened into
love. The perfect accord with which these
two lived and worked together is one of
the wonders of literary history, and in
their letters to each other one comes to
see how such a marriage could be- and
how, before a word of love was spoken,
the woman with her intense, high-strung
nature. and the man with -..s many-sided
character, constantly came nearer and
nearer TO each other on the plane of in
tellect. The letters seem almost to be
positive proof that neither Robert
Browning nor Elizabeth Barrett could
possibly have married anyone else.
The story goes, although no hint of 1t
is given in this book that the acquain-
tance Of the two arose from couplet in
Miss Barrett's poem, Lady Geraldine's
Courtship,'' which she says that poet
chose to read TO his beloved
from Browning some "Pomegranate," which,
If cut deep down the middle
Elbows q heart within, bloOd-tinctured, Of a
veined humanity.
Browning came to thank the author for
this graceful compliment TO his Bells and
Pomegranates," and out OF the meeting
came their friendship.
1t appears from the letters that great
part of the acquaintance was carried on by
writing rather than by conversation since
the state of Miss Barrett's health forbade
her entering general society and often pre-
vented her receiving the visits even OF in
innate friends. There is constant mention
of books lent and given, of mutual friends
Of questions current in the literary world.
There is considerable Greek and Latin,
more than one would find even in the cor
respondence of the most literary people of
today, for those were the days when the
robe OF the classics was the only wear"
in England. There is much talk of the
poems which each was engaged in writing
more Of Browning's than OF Miss Barrett's,
eince she evinces the most constant inter-
rst in every detail OF his work. while he
rpeaks oftener of herself and of her influ-
rnce over him than OF her writings. Here
ind there one gets a hint of the way in
iShieh one poem or another was written,
Tut there is comparatively little of this.
he spirit OF the whole book is so delicate
30 evanescent. so characteristic of those
Tho wrote and read these letters, that it is
hard to define or detect.
One thing, however, is shown in nearly
every letter Of Browning except those at
the beginning Of the acquaintance-the
wholesouled, intense, worshipful devotion
which he had for the woman whom he
loved. Some of his protestations read more
like the pleadings of the ideal lover of a
woman's novel than like real life. Over
and over he declares that he will wait all
his life. asking nothing but the mere de-
light OF devotion to her. He says more
Than once that until he met her he never
dreamed OF marriage. The love of this
poet was one which is rarely found among
men of the world, and is. perhaps still
rarer among men of genius. Sidney La
nier understood it; so have a few other
poets in the history Of literature; but only
q few Perhaps all women would not un-
derstand this high chivalry of love. but
one thing is certain, Elizabeth Barrett
could have been wooed in no other way
Again and again may be found passages
like these:
] Will. you know. conform my life TO any
imaginable rule which shall render it possible
Tor your life 10 move with il and posses il,
all the little Il is worth. =
The selhshness deprecate is one which good
many men, and women, too, call real pas
sion''-under the influence Of which l ought TO
FAY; BE mine whatever happens to you'-but
know better, and you know best-and you know
me.
When come back from seeing you, and think
il all, there never is least word OF yours
] could not occupy myself with, and wish 10
return to you with some-not 10 say sll-the
thoughts and iaDcies it is sure 10 call out OF
me There IS nothing in you that does not draw
ou; al Of me. You posses me, dearest-and
there i no help for the expressing il all;
voice nor hand. but those Of mine which shrink
and turn away from the attempt 50 you must
go on, patiently knowing me more and more,
and your entire power on me- and / will con
sole myself, TO the full extent, with your
knuwledge-penetTation, iutUiton-somehow, /
must believe SOU get TO what is here, in
me, without the preience Of my telling writ
ing it. DO not, dear, dearest, care for
aFF1sK
know little, after al your ende4,or, who are
ignorant Of what you are 10 me. ! am
more than niistrustful Of many other feelings in
me; they not earnest enough; 50 far, not
true enough-but this is all the flower OF my
life which you call forth, and which lies At
your feet
That these protestations were not emp
ty words, but the outgrowth of real ami
deep feeling. the whole married l:fe of
the Brownings proved. Curiously enough
the rich and varied humor which one finds
in many Of Brcwning's poems appears but
seldom in these letters. even in the ear
lier epistles, before his passion grew so
great as TO oyerpower all feeling less Sc
rious. Nobody familiar with the writings
OF Mrs. Browning would ever suspect her
OF any sense OF humor at all; the nearest
approach she makes TO such a quality is
in the trenchant sarcasm of some passages
of Aurora Leigh" but in many Of her
letters there is a delicate playfulress, the
sparkle on the surface OF a nature refined,
sensitive and intelligent. and capable
rather of deep sorrow and deep gladness
than OF gayety. II must have been that
her association with the vigorous. health
full nature of Robert Browning gave her
a sense of peace and rest which she could
not have had in the loneliness of spirit
which preceded her acquaintance with
4.