Evening journal., 1913-05-28
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
When Ex-senator Depew
Met the Poet Browning
By Holland

Il see that recently there has been
a revived interest In the poetioal
works of Robert Browning, possibly
due 10 the fact that love letters be-
tween Browning and his wife we're
offered for SALE" said Chauncey M.
Depew 10 me recently.
Il gave a little address to some
friends in Brooklyn a short time ago,
IN the course of which ! spoke Incl
dentally OF a meeting which I once
had with Browning Possibly I should
have made the incident a little more
interesting II | had described the i'm
preston which Mr. Browning's per-
sonality made upon me was a
guest at dinner which was given
by prominent citizen OF Great
Britain on one of my visits TO Eng
land. observed among the com
pany who had assembled In the
drawing-room awaiting the summons
70 dinner a short thick-set man. I
remember that he wore a heavy
beard. His manner was very ami
mated He seemed TO know every
body. My first impression OF this
man was that he was a very pros
porous merchant of Great Britain.
His whole manner and personality
we're typical, I thought, of the man
who had come up from nothing and
who had achieved a great career as
merchant ] thought 10 myself
that very likely he was the chair
man of the board Of directors Of a
company engaged in trade with some
foreign country.
ITO my intense astonishment and.
! may say also. TO my delight.
learned that this man was no trades
man, no observation-disclosures that
would not have been at all to his
discredit-but that heawas none other
than Robert Browning whom had
always admired as one of the very
great poets Of the reign of Queen
Victoria.
1T was my good fortune speedily
to meet Browning and to have quite
chat with him. ! could not imagine
that this man, who was so much like
an everyday human being. but who
was, nevertheless. most charming In
his manner, although he talked like
a man Of affairs and not like a poet
was. nevertheless, the great 2cbert
Browning.
81 think | hinted TO him something
Of my feeling Il was probably this
hint which led him to tell me OF an
experience of his own when he was
a guest at a dinner given by the Duke
OF Sutherland in honor Of the Shah
Of Persia
Browning told me that he was the
only guest at that dinner who did
not have some insignia of rank.
There were many members OF the
nobility present. and the Prince Of
Wales was there All wore their Of
fetal regalia in honor of the Shah.
Browning told me that he felt very
humble because he had no other
badge Of distinction to wear than the
crimson hood with which he had
been hooded by Cambridge Univer-
sity.
But it was this gown which at
tracted the attention OF the Shah.
Persias ruler was accustomed to all
the regalia Of high rank but he was
not familiar with the crimson gown
Of honor man Of Cambridge. There
fore he asked someone who Browning
was, and he was told that Mr..
Browning was not a member of the
aristocracy, but was we'll known in
Lhrloiu &c titdl pOtls utItuDuu
the Shah Of Persia commanded that
Mr. Browning be seated by his side,
but, In order TO give him this seat.
one OF the most distinguished mem
bers Of the British aristocracy had 10
be displaced. When he was seated,
the Shah said to him. 4 understand
that you are a great poet.
There came a funny little smile
over Mr.. Browning's face when he
reached this part Of the story.
Nevertheless, he could not avoid say
ing what the Shah had told him. He
felt compelled TO give his assent 10
the statement OF the Shah that he
was a great poet.
"Thereupon the Shah said to him. L
want you to sit here by my side.
while the dinner lasts. ! want to talk
TO you because you and I are alike in
one respect I, too. am a great poet
and am esteemed by, my subjects in
Persia
MIR Browning told me that. net
withstanding the somewhat embar-
RAISING introduction. he had a very
pleasant conversation with the some
what unconventional Shah of Persia. IF
Copyright. 1913. by +. j. Edwards
All rights reserved.)
Tomorrow Mr., Edwards will tell
How the Cavalrymen Kept Their
Horses"