The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-17
BY JEANETTE L. GLIDER.

~ and Elizabeth Barrett Browning
comes as big surprise to the
reading public. That the Brown
ings left anything that had not already
appeared in book form has caused as
constituent to their many admirers and
students Of their work and yet within
the course of few days the Macmillan
Company will publish "A volume contain
ing a sufficient number of new poems
20 make book OF 49, pages. These
poems have been edited and are pub
lished with an introduction 10y Sir Fred
eric G.. Kenyon.
In the publishers note we are told
that in lsSs-S9 Robert Browning gave
his personal supervision 20 the issue of
his works in an edition OF sixteen vui-
umes. to which a seventeenth wax added
in 1894. \ complete edition of Brown
ings poems was published IN 1896 ed
tied by Augustine Birrell, while in 1912
a centenary edition in ten volumes APP
peared under the editorship Of Sir Fred
eric Kenyon, who IS the editor Of this
new collection.
After the death ~ Robert Barrett
Browning, the son Of the poets his col
scripts Of his distinguished parents was
brought to light The more important
of these were published in CornhW Mag
d<inc, while others by Mrs. Browning
passed into the collection Of Thomas j.
Wise and were printed 10y him in
series of little volumes issued in a linn
Ted edition of thirty copies each for pri-
vate circulation.
g
preserve this new material in a per
manent form and to enable chose who
possess editions Of Robert Browning g
or OF Mrs Browning's works to COM
plete those editions. There are in this
volume twcnty-nine poems altogether.
Irye of the six new poems by Mrs.
Browning that are here printed are
representative OF much OF her earlier
work that remains unpublished. The
sixth. addressed 10 Robert Lytton, is
nf later date and Is a tribute OF some
importance Notes are prefiXed TO all
She poems collected here giving what IS
known OF their history, both literary
and photographed.
l thoroughly agree with Sir Frederic
Kenyon that the salesroom OF Messrs
Sotheby, Wilkinson Hodge IN the
arst week of May, 1913, was a melan-
choly sight for the lovers OF English
aIterature on the hundred and first
anniversary of Robert Browning
Birthday a large portion OF his library
psntaining many volumes presented 10
MIN and his wife by friends, relatives
and admirers and many with ther own
Autographed inscriptions was dispersed
under the auCtioneer's hammer. the
next day their personal relics, photo-
graphs, lbusts, chains, tables inkstands
plotting books. pen wipers, and even
Mrs. Browning's watch and lockel
with Millions hair, and the love token
which formed the subject of the SON
net, 81 never gave a lock OF hair away
also came under the auctioneer's ham
mer. Two days later the manuscripts
were sold and the love letters OF the
two poets.
never had much respect for pen
browning. as Robert Barrett Brown
ing was Familiarity called from the
time that he published the love letters
of his parents and | have no respect
for his memory owing to the fact thai
ne allowed the most sacred and familiar
relics to be sold to any one who hac
the price to buy lie should have ar
ranged for the disposition OF these per
sonal mementos before his death. The
two hundred and eiEhty-four love let
ters which Robert Browning wrote Il
Elizabeth Barrett between January 10
1915, and September 10. 1916, and The
two hundred and eghty-seven which
he received from her during the sam'
period were sold for 1850, and ] un
derstand that they were bought by {
dealer and now await a purchaser witt
is willing to make handsome advance
o. that sum.
The manuscript OF "Asolando' wa
sold for f990-and II IL understood tina
Il came to America. This, the las
poem that Browning wrote, was dedi
Gated to an American woman, Mrs. Ar
thur Bronson, who made her home il
Venice. Browning also gave Mrs. Brom
son tho quill pom with which he wrot
the poem and she in turn gave II l.
her brother-ln-iaw an American Poet