New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-02

to the public primarily as poet And
if he versifies his thought, his appeal is
necessarily and essentially the appeal
of the poet. But his biographer in the
Dictionary of National Biography re-
marks CURLY: Browning was at his
best in psychological monologue."
Everybody knows that the original
Pauline" is one of the scarcest Of mod
ern books. Ten years ago copy fetched
1920 by auction In New York. Even the
reprint may be scarce by this time. My
copy, it is a pleasure to think, is unique.
since it contains the letter Of which a
copy is given above; in the very individ-
ual handwriting and slightly archaic
diction which were characteristic Of
Browning. The scarcity OF the oriCi-
nal was due in part to the fact that
Browning thought III Of this poem, writ
ten in his twenty-first year, and de-
stroyed what copies he could lay hands
on. In the Crampon copy that was sold
in 1896 for f145, he described Pauline"
as written in pursuance of foolish
plan l forget or have no wish to remem-
Der" He had before that when re-
luctantly including this fragment In the
collected edition of 1868, dismissed II
contemptuously al a crude preliminary
sketch" From Browning, who had an
almost religious respect for the offspring
of his own mind, that is d remarkable
verdict In the poem itself he says:
II am made up of an intensest life, Of
most clear idea of consciousness or
self
And not only that:
But linked in me 10 self supremacy
Existing as a centre to all things
Most potent to create. and rule, and call
Upon all things TO minister to it
And ] should thus have been
Though gifted lower than the meanest
soul"
There are, scattered through Brown
ings poems, many such revealing
touches Of self. He had need Of all his
self confidence TO live through long
years of neglect He told me. at times,
how often he despaired Of winning rec
ognition, al least in his lifetime; yet
never doubted his own poetic worth.
Down 10 the date Of this letter, or not
far from II. If no poem had more than
fifteen hundred copies been sold in any
first edition.
OF the original Pauline not more
than thirteen copies are supposed to be
extant. The whole edition numbered
rny1HuheYa state
ment that the book was published at the
cost of Browning's aunt I'm the letter
to me above given he says II WAS at his
own cost. But he told me. think. that
his father paid for IL SO difficult is 1t
to make sure of any fact which de- ends
on oral testimony. Mr.. Thomas j, Wise
who writes the PREDATORY Note 10 the
reprint says;
Pauline Is a large old fashioned
duodecmo volume Of three sheets, its
pages measuring, when uncut 7&x4s
inches. IL all respects save the paper,
which it has been found absolutely i'm
possible to match exactly. the present
reprint may be considered a very good
and precise representation of II
Mr.. Wise says also:
when inserting the poem In his coli
lected works. Mr.. Browning recast en-
tirely the whole of the punctuation n
change which rendered clear and simple
several passages which had before
seemed somewhat involved"
This is the more curious when Brown
ings dislike TO revision is considered.
His motto was HterG scriptd mdnef.
What he had cnce said, he had said.
The quality he valued was spontaneity.
The phrase was to go into print exactly
as it first came from his mind
He seems 10 have believed that thus
and not otherwise could the author put
himself in the closest actual contact with
his reader. But in the present case Mr..
Wise declares that, on comparing the
two versions, the variations In the point
ing number at least two or three In
every line. An error may be suspected
for the average number of points 10 each
line is less than two or three. Are we
meant TO understand that wrong
method of punctuation is the cause OF
Browning's obscurity2 1t would be one
more sin for which printers and proof
readers must answer.
Much OF the volcanic element In him
burst forth in his love letters to his
wife. It was his son who gave to the
world those letters; which ought never
to have seen the light Of day. One hears
vaguely of other letters to other women;
not I'm print nor likely to be Between
a man who knew him we'll and woman
who knew him better occurred this dia-
logue:
"Hc was all things to all women.
mo, he was one thing 10 all women
and they 10 him"
Which may be best left to interpret
Itself G. w. 3.