life of robert browning(罗伯特·布朗宁传)-第1部分
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Life of Robert Browning
Life of Robert Browning
by William Sharp
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Life of Robert Browning
Note。
In all important respects I leave this volume to speak for itself。 For
obvious reasons it does not pretend to be more than a ‘Memoire pour
servir'： in the nature of things； the definitive biography cannot appear for
many years to come。 None the less gratefully may I take the present
opportunity to express my indebtedness to Mr。 R。 Barrett Browning； and to
other relatives and intimate friends of Robert Browning； who have given
me serviceable information； and otherwise rendered kindly aid。 For some
of the hitherto unpublished details my thanks are； in particular； due to Mrs。
Fraser Corkran and Miss Alice Corkran； and to other old friends of the
poet and his family； here； in Italy； and in America； though in one or two
instances； I may add； I had them from Robert Browning himself。 It is with
pleasure that I further acknowledge my indebtedness to Dr。 Furnivall； for
the loan of the advance…proofs of his privately…printed pamphlet on
〃Browning's Ancestors〃； and to the Browning Society's Publications
particularly to Mrs。 Sutherland Orr's and Dr。 Furnivall's biographical and
bibliographical contributions thereto； to Mr。 Gosse's biographical article in
the ‘Century Magazine' for 1881； to Mr。 Ingram's ‘Life of E。 B。 Browning'；
and to the ‘Memoirs of Anna Jameson'； the ‘Italian Note…Books' of
Nathaniel Hawthorne； Mr。 G。 S。 Hillard's ‘Six Months in Italy' （1853）； and
the Lives and Correspondence of Macready； Miss Mitford； Leigh Hunt；
and Walter Savage Landor。 I regret that the imperative need of concision
has prevented the insertion of many of the letters； anecdotes； and
reminiscences； so generously placed at my disposal； but possibly I may
have succeeded in educing from them some essential part of that light
which they undoubtedly cast upon the personality and genius of the poet。
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Life of Robert Browning
CHAPTER 1。
It must； to admirers of Browning's writings； appear singularly
appropriate that so cosmopolitan a poet was born in London。 It would
seem as though something of that mighty complex life； so confusedly
petty to the narrow vision； so grandiose and even majestic to the larger ken；
had blent with his being from the first。 What fitter birthplace for the poet
whom a comrade has called the 〃Subtlest Assertor of the Soul in Song〃；
the poet whose writings are indeed a mirror of the age？
A man may be in all things a Londoner and yet be a provincial。 The
accident of birthplace does not necessarily involve parochialism of the
soul。 It is not the village which produces the Hampden； but the Hampden
who immortalises the village。 It is a favourite jest of Rusticus that his
urban brother has the manner of Omniscience and the knowledge of a
parish beadle。 Nevertheless； though the strongest blood insurgent in the
metropolitan heart is not that which is native to it； one might well be proud
to have had one's atom…pulse atune from the first with the large rhythm of
the national life at its turbulent； congested； but ever ebullient centre。
Certainly Browning was not the man to be ashamed of his being a
Londoner； much less to deny his natal place。 He was proud of it： through
good sense； no doubt； but possibly also through some instinctive
apprehension of the fact that the great city was indeed the fit mother of
such a son。 〃Ashamed of having been born in the greatest city of the
world！〃 he exclaimed on one occasion； 〃what an extraordinary thing to say！
It suggests a wavelet in a muddy shallow grimily contorting itself because
it had its birth out in the great ocean。〃
On the day of the poet's funeral in Westminster Abbey； one of the most
eminent of his peers remarked to me that Browning came to us as one
coming into his own。 This is profoundly true。 There was in good sooth a
mansion prepared against his advent。 Long ago； we should have
surrendered as to a conqueror： now； however； we know that princes of the
mind； though they must be valorous and potent as of yore； can enter upon
no heritance save that which naturally awaits them； and has been made
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Life of Robert Browning
theirs by long and intricate processes。
The lustrum which saw the birth of Robert Browning； that is the third
in the nineteenth century； was a remarkable one indeed。 Thackeray came
into the world some months earlier than the great poet； Charles Dickens
within the same twelvemonth； and Tennyson three years sooner； when also
Elizabeth Barrett was born； and the foremost naturalist of modern times
first saw the light。 It is a matter of significance that the great wave of
scientific thought which ultimately bore forward on its crest so many
famous men； from Brewster and Faraday to Charles Darwin； had just
begun to rise with irresistible impulsion。 Lepsius's birth was in 1813； and
that of the great Flemish novelist； Henri Conscience； in 1812： about the
same period were the births of Freiligrath； Gutzkow； and Auerbach；
respectively one of the most lyrical poets； the most potent dramatist； the
most charming romancer of Germany： and； also； in France； of Theophile
Gautier and Alfred de Musset。 Among representatives of the other arts
with two of which Browning must ever be closely associated
Mendelssohn and Chopin were born in 1809； and Schumann； Liszt； and
Wagner within the four succeeding years： within which space also came
Diaz and Meissonier and the great Millet。 Other high names there are upon
the front of the century。 Macaulay； Cardinal Newman； John Stuart Mill
（one of the earliest； by the way； to recognise the genius of Browning）；
Alexandre Dumas； George Sand； Victor Hugo； Ampere； Quinet； Prosper
Merimee； Sainte…Beuve； Strauss； Montalambert； are among the laurel…
bearers who came into existence betwixt 1800 and 1812。
When Robert Browning was born in London in 1812； Sheridan had
still four years to live； Jeremy Bentham was at the height of his
contemporary reputation； and Godwin was writing glibly of the virtues of
humanity and practising the opposite qualities； while Crabbe was looked
upon as one of the foremost of living poets。 Wordsworth was then forty；
Sir Walter Scott forty…one； Coleridge forty…two； Walter Savage Landor and
Charles Lamb each in his forty…fifth year。 Byron was four…and…twenty；
Shelley not yet quite of age； two radically different men； Keats and
Carlyle； both youths of seventeen。 Abroad； Laplace was in his maturity；
with fifteen years more yet to live； Joubert with twelve； Goethe； with
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twenty； Lamarck； the Schlegels； Cuvier； Chateaubriand； Hegel； Niebuehr
（to specify some leading names only）； had many years of work before
them。 Schopenhauer was only four…and…twenty； while Beranger was thirty…
two。 The Polish poet Mickiewicz was a boy of fourteen； and Poushkin was
but a twelvemonth older； Heine； a lad of twelve； was already enamoured
of the great Napoleonic legend。 The foremost literary critic of the century
was running about the sands of Boulogne； or perhaps wandering often
along the ramparts of the old town； introspective even then； with
something of that rare and insatiable curiosity which we all now recognise
as so distinctive of Sainte…Beuve。 Again； the greatest creative literary artist
of the century； in prose at any rate； was leading an apparently somewhat
indolent schoolboy life at Tours； undreamful yet of enormous debts；
colossal undertakings； gigantic failures； and the ‘Comedie Humaine'。 In art；
Sir Henry Raeburn； William Blake； Flaxman； Canova； Thorwaldsen；
Crome； Sir Thomas Lawrence； Constable； Sir David Wilkie； and Turner
were in the exercise of their happiest faculties： as were； in the usage of
theirs； Beethoven； Weber； Schubert； Spohr； Donizetti； and Bellini。
It is not inadvisedly that I make this specification of great names； of
men who were born coincidentally with； or were in the broader sense
contemporaries of Robert Browning。 There is no such thing as a fortuitous
birth。 Creation does not occur spontaneously； as in that drawing of David
Scott's where from the footp
