life of robert browning(罗伯特·布朗宁传)-第5部分
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Browning was very proud of these early blooms of song； and when her
twelve…year…old son； tired of vain efforts to seduce a publisher from the
wary ways of business； surrendered in disgust his neatly copied out and
carefully stitched MSS。； she lost no opportunity when Mr。 Browning
was absent to expatiate upon their merits。 Among the people to whom
she showed them was a Miss Flower。 This lady took them home； perused
them； discerned dormant genius lurking behind the boyish handwriting；
read them to her sister （afterwards to become known as Sarah Flower
Adams）； copied them out before returning them； and persuaded the
celebrated Rev。 William Johnson Fox to read the transcripts。 Mr。 Fox
agreed with Miss Flower as to the promise； but not altogether as to the
actual accomplishment； nor at all as to the advisability of publication。 The
originals are supposed to have been destroyed by the poet during the
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eventful period when； owing to a fortunate gift； poetry became a new thing
for him： from a dream； vague； if seductive； as summer…lightning；
transformed to a dominating reality。 Passing a bookstall one day； he saw；
in a box of second…hand volumes； a little book advertised as 〃Mr。 Shelley's
Atheistical Poem： very scarce。〃 He had never heard of Shelley； nor did he
learn for a long time that the 〃Daemon of the World〃； and the
miscellaneous poems appended thereto； constituted a literary piracy。 Badly
printed； shamefully mutilated； these discarded blossoms touched him to a
new emotion。 Pope became further removed than ever： Byron； even； lost
his magnetic supremacy。 From vague remarks in reply to his inquiries； and
from one or two casual allusions； he learned that there really was a poet
called Shelley； that he had written several volumes； that he was dead。
Strange as it may seem； Browning declared once that the news of this
unknown singer's death affected him more poignantly than did； a year or
less earlier； the tidings of Byron's heroic end at Missolonghi。 He begged
his mother to procure him Shelley's works； a request not easily complied
with； for the excellent reason that not one of the local booksellers had even
heard of the poet's name。 Ultimately； however； Mrs。 Browning learned that
what she sought was procurable at the Olliers' in Vere Street； London。
She was very pleased with the result of her visit。 The books； it is true；
seemed unattractive： but they would please Robert； no doubt。 If that
packet had been lost we should not have had 〃Pauline〃： we might have
had a different Browning。 It contained most of Shelley's writings； all in
their first edition； with the exception of 〃The Cenci〃： in addition； there
were three volumes by an even less known poet； John Keats； which kindly
Mrs。 Browning had been persuaded to include in her purchase on Mr。
Ollier's assurance that they were the poetic kindred of Shelley's writings；
and that Mr。 Keats was the subject of the elegiac poem in the purple paper
cover； with the foreign…looking type and the imprint 〃Pisa〃 at the foot of
the title…page； entitled 〃Adonais〃。 What an evening for the young poet that
must have been。 He told a friend it was a May night； and that in a
laburnum； 〃heavy with its weight of gold；〃 and in a great copper…beech at
the end of a neighbour's garden； two nightingales strove one against the
other。 For a moment it is a pleasant fancy to imagine that there the souls of
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Keats and Shelley uttered their enfranchised music； not in rivalry but in
welcome。 We can realise； perhaps； something of the startled delight； of the
sudden electric tremors； of the young poet when； with eager eyes； he
turned over the pages of 〃Epipsychidion〃 or 〃Prometheus Unbound〃；
〃Alastor〃 or 〃Endymion〃； or the Odes to a Nightingale； on Melancholy； on
a Grecian Urn。
More than once Browning alluded to this experience as his first
pervasive joy； his first free happiness in outlook。 Often in after life he was
fain； like his 〃wise thrush〃； to 〃recapture that first fine carefree rapture。〃 It
was an eventful eve。 〃And suddenly； without heart…wreck； I awoke As
from a dream。〃 Thenceforth his poetic development was rapid； and
continuous。 Shelley enthralled him most。 The fire and spirit of the great
poet's verse； wild and strange often； but ever with an exquisiteness of
music which seemed to his admirer； then and later； supreme； thrilled him
to a very passion of delight。 Something of the more richly coloured； the
more human rhythm of Keats affected him also。 Indeed； a line from the
Ode to a Nightingale； in common with one of the loveliest passages in
〃Epipsychidion〃； haunted him above all others： and again and again in his
poems we may encounter vague echoes of those 〃remote isles〃 and
〃perilous seas〃 as； for example； in 〃the dim clustered isles of the blue
sea〃 of 〃Pauline〃； and the 〃some isle； with the sea's silence on it some
unsuspected isle in the far seas！〃 of 〃Pippa Passes〃。
But of course he had other matters for mental occupation besides
poetry。 His education at Mr。 Ready's private academy seems to have been
excellent so far as it went。 He remained there till he was fourteen。 Perhaps
because of the few boarders at the school； possibly from his own reticence
in self…disclosure； he does not seem to have impressed any school…mate
deeply。 We hear of no one who 〃knew Browning at school。〃 His best
education； after all； was at home。 His father and mother incidentally taught
him as much as Mr。 Ready： his love of painting and music was fostered；
indirectly： and in the ‘dovecot' bookshelf above the fireplace in his
bedroom； were the precious volumes within whose sway and magic was
his truest life。
His father； for some reason which has not been made public； but was
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doubtless excellent； and is； in the light in which we now regard it； a matter
for which to be thankful； decided to send his son neither to a large public
school； nor； later； to Oxford or Cambridge。 A more stimulative and wider
training was awaiting him elsewhere。
For a time Robert's education was superintended by a tutor； who came
to the house in Camberwell for several hours daily。 The afternoons were
mainly devoted to music； to exercise； and occasionally to various
experimental studies in technical science。 In the evenings； after his
preparatory tasks were over； when he was not in the entertaining company
of his father； he read and assiduously wrote。 After poetry； he cared most
for history： but as a matter of fact； little came amiss to his eager
intellectual appetite。 It was a period of growth； with； it may be； a vague
consciousness that his mind was expanding towards compulsive
expression。 〃So as I grew； I rudely shaped my life To my immediate wants；
yet strong beneath Was a vague sense of powers folded up A sense that
though those shadowy times were past； Their spirit dwelt in me； and I
should rule。〃 When Mr。 Browning was satisfied that the tutor had fulfilled
his duty he sent his son to attend a few lectures at University College； in
Gower Street； then just founded。 Robert Browning's name is on the
registrar's books for the opening session； 1829…30。 〃I attended with him
the Greek class of Professor Long〃 （wrote a friend； in the ‘Times'； Dec。
14：'89）； 〃and I well recollect the esteem and regard in which he was held
by his fellow…students。 He was then a bright； handsome youth； with long
black hair falling over his shoulders。〃 So short was his period of
attendance； however； and so unimportant the instruction he there derived；
that to all intents it may be said Browning had no University training。
Notwithstanding the fact that Mr。 Browning but slightly appreciated
his son's poetic idols and already found himself in an opposite literary
camp； he had a profound sympathy with the boy's ideals and no little
confidence in his powers。 When the test came he acted wisely as well as
with affectionate complaisance。 In a word； he practically left the decision
as to his course of life to Robert himself。 The latter was helped thereto by
the knowledge that his sister would be provided for； and that； if need be；
there was sufficient for himself also。 There was of course but one way
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open to him。 He would not have been a true poet； an artist； if he had
hesitated。 With a strange mis
