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Life and Letters of Robert Browning-Part11_Mrs.Sutherland Orr(1828-1903)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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well known in later life as the Rev. Archer Gurney,

and chaplain to the British embassy in Paris. His sympathies were at present



largely absorbed by politics. He was contesting the representation

of some county, on the Conservative side; but he took a very vivid interest



in Mr. Browning's poems; and this perhaps fixes the beginning of the intimacy

at a somewhat later date; since a pretty story by which it was illustrated



connects itself with the publication of `Bells and Pomegranates'.

He himself wrote dramas and poems. Sir John, afterwards Lord, Hanmer



was also much attracted by the young poet, who spent a pleasant week with him

at Bettisfield Park. He was the author of a volume entitled



`Fra Cipollo and other Poems', from which the motto of `Colombe's Birthday'

was subsequently taken.



The friends, old and new, met in the informal manner of those days,

at afternoon dinners, or later suppers, at the houses of Mr. Fox,



Serjeant Talfourd, and, as we shall see, Mr. Macready; and Mr. Fox's daughter,

then only a little girl, but intelligent and observant for her years,



well remembers the pleasant gatherings at which she was allowed to assist,

when first performances of plays, or first readings of plays and poems,



had brought some of the younger and more ardent spirits together.

Miss Flower, also, takes her place in the literary group.



Her sister had married in 1834, and left her free to live for her own pursuits

and her own friends; and Mr. Browning must have seen more of her then



than was possible in his boyish days.

None, however, of these intimacies were, at the time,



so important to him as that formed with the great actor Macready.

They were introduced to each other by Mr. Fox early in the winter of 1835-6;



the meeting is thus chronicled in Macready's diary, November 27.*

--



* `Macready's Reminiscences', edited by Sir Frederick Pollock; 1875.

--



==

`Went from chambers to dine with Rev. William Fox, Bayswater. . . .



Mr. Robert Browning, the author of `Paracelsus', came in after dinner;

I was very much pleased to meet him. His face is full of intelligence. . . .



I took Mr. Browning on, and requested to be allowed to improve

my acquaintance with him. He expressed himself warmly,



as gratified by the proposal, wished to send me his book;

we exchanged cards and parted.'



==

On December 7 he writes:



==

`Read `Paracelsus', a work of great daring, starred with poetry of thought,



feeling, and diction, but occasionally obscure; the writer can scarcely fail

to be a leading spirit of his time. . . .'



==

He invited Mr. Browning to his country house, Elm Place, Elstree,



for the last evening of the year; and again refers to him

under date of December 31.



==

`. . . Our other guests were Miss Henney, Forster, Cattermole, Browning,



and Mr. Munro. Mr. Browning was very popular with the whole party;

his simple and enthusiastic manner engaged attention, and won opinions



from all present; he looks and speaks more like a youthful poet

than any man I ever saw.'



==

This New-Year's-Eve visit brought Browning and Forster together



for the first time. The journey to Elstree was then performed by coach,

and the two young men met at the `Blue Posts', where, with one or more



of Mr. Macready's other guests, they waited for the coach to start.

They eyed each other with interest, both being striking in their way,



and neither knowing who the other was. When the introduction took place

at Macready's house, Mr. Forster supplemented it by saying:






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