New-York tribune., 1902-02-01
GABRIELLE ROSSETTT.
THB FATHER OF TWO POETS

From The London Daily News.
To an Italian refugee who found a safe
asylum within these shores during the reVolu-
tionary troubles Of the last century England
owes two bright particular stars in her literary
armament, no other than the painter-poet Dante
Gabriel Rossetti and his scarcely less gifted Sis
ter Christina Seldom, indeed, have the graces
of hospitality met with such ample requital.
AS an author and political agitator Gabrielle
Rossetti belongs TO Italy; as the father OF two
conspicuous additions to the roll Of Enghsh
poets he must ever remain object of interest
to the country that gave him shelter Born
of humble parentage on February 2S, 1888, at
Vasto. q seacoast town in the kingdom of Ma
pies, Gabrielle Rossetti like his more illustrious
son. Dante Gabriel developed at a very early
age a dual aptitude for art and literature. His
talent secured for him the favor of powerful
patrons and the advantages of a liberal educa-
ton
For time he filed the part of official poet to
the Theatre of San Carlo. but his experience
of managers, prime donne and stage etiquette
appears TO have been little TO his liking. and
after producing a few dramas of more or less
merit he turned his back on histronics. VOW
ing. I'm leave the theatre, for here I'm nothing
but slave of slaves" Through the influence
of the Minister for Home Affairs he
appointed to a congenial post in the Kings
Museum which he held for fifteen years. Dur
ing this period the Neapolitan Kingdom was the
victim in turn of Bourbon and Bonapartist
tyrannies. and Gabrielle Rossetti records that
he witnessed as many as ten changes of govern
ment. His patriotic enthusiasm finally carried
him into the ranks Of the Carbonari, and the
revolutionary verses which made him popular
the police. Thanks to the good offices of the
British Admiral Sir Graham Moore Rossetti
smuggled out of the country and, after
temporary stay a Malta, he proceeded TO Eng
land. which he reached in April, 1924.
The remainder of his life spent in London.
His energies henceforth devoted to the
teaching of Italian and literary pursuits
professorship at Kings College enabled him to
bring up his family in comfort. In his own
country he had acquired a considerable reputa-
ton poet and improvisatore In London he
was better known the author of some curious
speculations Dante's "Commedia. He
garded Dante member, both in politics and
in religion of occult society having a close
relation to what we now call Free Masonry"
was not a real woman, but embodiment of
philosophy. Gabrielle Rossetti had a strong bent
toward the mystical. and il seems to have been
his aim to involve the great poets of the Middle
Ages in the nleshes of a secret brotherhood sup
posed to have expressed themselves in a Ian
guage bf which the inner meaning only
understood by themselves His views these
matters are fairly summarized in the following
passage extracted from letter written in lS32:
1T is impossible to continue without exhibit
ing the most intimate mysteries of the sect,
seeing that the entire poem of Dante, all the
lyrics of Petrarca, almost all the works of Boo
caccio, and, in fine, all the old writings of that
class, are nothing else than downright doctrine
and practice of the Free Masons, in the strictest
acceptation of the word Such was the gay
science, such the Platonic love, such the sect
OF the Templars, and that of the Paulicians.
HOW true this is you will find in the published
volume, with numberless manuscript additions
Wnlch have made TO il. There you will see de-
veloped the God OF the sect viz Man In free
ters.' ~ ~ $500