Inhischeerfulalertness，self-possession，andgenialsuavityBrowningimpressedhimasanAmericanratherthanasanEnglishman，thoughtherecanbenoquestionbutthatnomorethoroughEnglishmanthanthepoeteverlived。Itisamistake，ofcourse，tospeakofhimasatypicalEnglishman：fortypicalhewasnot，exceptinaveryexclusivesense。BayardTaylordescribeshiminreportorialfashionasbeingapparentlyaboutseven-and-thirtyafairlycloseguess，withhisdarkhairalreadystreakedwithgreyaboutthetemples：withafaircomplexion，justtingedwithfaintestolive：
　　eyeslarge，clear，andgrey，andnosestrongandwell-cut，mouthfullandratherbroad，andchinpointed，thoughnotprominent：
　　aboutthemediumheight，strongintheshoulders，butslenderatthewaist，withmovementsexpressiveofacombinationofvigourandelasticity。
　　Withdueallowanceforthepassageoffive-and-thirtyyears，thisdescriptionwouldnotbeinaccurateofBrowningtheseptuagenarian。
　　TheydidnotreturndirecttoItalyafterall，butwinteredinPariswithRobertBrowningtheelder，whohadretiredtoasmallhouseinastreetleadingofftheChampsElysees。ThepensionhedrewfromtheBankofEnglandwasasmallone，but，withwhatheotherwisehad，wassufficientforhimtoliveincomfort。Theoldgentleman’shealthwassuperbtothelast，forhediedin1866withouteverhavingknownaday’sillness。
　　SpringcameoutandfoundthemstillinParis，Mrs。BrowningenthusiasticaboutNapoleonIII。andinterestedinspiritualism：
　　herhusbandserenelyscepticalconcerningboth。InthesummertheyagainwenttoLondon：buttheyappeartohaveseenmoreofKenyonandotherintimatefriendsthantohaveledabusysociallife。
　　Kenyon’sfriendshipandgoodcompanyneverceasedtohaveacharmforbothpoets。Mrs。Browninglovedhimalmostasabrother：
　　herhusbandtoldBayardTaylor，onthedaywhenthatgoodpoetandcharmingmancalleduponthem，andafteranothervisitorhaddepartedamanwithalargerosyfaceandrotundbody，asTaylordescribeshim“theregoesoneofthemostsplendidmenliving
　　amansonobleinhisfriendship，solavishinhishospitality，solarge-heartedandbenevolent，thathedeservestobeknownallovertheworldasKenyontheMagnificent。“
　　IntheearlyautumnasuddenmovetowardsItalywasagainmade，andafterafewweeksinParisandonthewaytheBrowningsfoundthemselvesathomeoncemoreinCasaGuidi。
　　Butbeforethis，probablyindeedbeforetheyhadleftParisforLondon，Mr。MoxonhadpublishedthenownotoriousShelleyforgeries。
　　Theseweretwenty-fivespuriousletters，butsocleverlymanufacturedthattheyatfirstdeceivedmanypeople。IntheprecedingNovemberBrowninghadbeenaskedtowriteanintroductiontothem。
　　Thishehadgladlyagreedtodo，eagerashewasforasuitableopportunityofexpressinghisadmirationforShelley。Whenthelettersreachedhim，hefoundthat，genuineornot，thoughheneversuspectedtheywereforgeries，theycontainednothingofparticularimport，nothingthataffordedajustbasisforwhathehadintendedtosay。Pledgedashewas，however，towritesomethingforMr。Moxon’seditionoftheLetters，hesetaboutthecompositionofanEssay，ofageneralasmuchasofanindividualnature。
　　ThishewroteinParis，andfinishedbythebeginningofDecember。
　　Itdealtwiththeobjectiveandsubjectivepoet；ontherelationofthelatter’slifetohiswork；anduponShelleyinthelightofhisnature，art，andcharacter。ApartfromthecircumstancethatitistheonlyindependentprosewritingofanylengthfromBrowning’spen，thisisanexceptionallyableandinterestingproduction。
　　Dr。Furnivalldeservesgeneralgratitudeforhisobtainingtheauthor’sleavetore-issueit，andforhavingpublisheditasoneofthepapersoftheBrowningSociety。Asthatenthusiasticstudentandgoodfriendofthepoetsaysinhis“foretalk“tothereprint，theessayisnoteworthy，notmerelyasasignalservicetoShelley’sfameandmemory，butforBrowning’sstatementofhisownaiminhisownwork，bothasobjectiveandsubjectivepoet。
　　Thesameclearsightednessandimpartialsympathy，whicharesuchdistinguishingcharacteristicsofhisdramaticstudiesofhumanthoughtandemotion，areobviousinBrowning’sShelleyessay。
　　“Itwouldbeidletoenquire，“hewrites，“ofthesetwokindsofpoeticfacultyinoperation，whichisthehigherorevenrarerendowment。
　　Ifthesubjectivemightseemtobetheultimaterequirementofeveryage，theobjectiveinthestricteststatemuststillretainitsoriginalvalue。
　　Foritiswiththisworld，asstarting-pointandbasisalike，thatweshallalwayshavetoconcernourselves；theworldisnottobelearnedandthrownaside，butrevertedtoandreclaimed。“
　　Ofitscriticalsubtletythemoreremarkableasbyapoet-criticwhoreveredShelleythepoetandlovedandbelievedinShelleytheman
　　thebestexample，perhaps，isinthosepassageswherehealludestothechargeagainstthepoet’smoralnature“chargeswhich，ifsubstantiatedtotheirwidebreadth，wouldmateriallydisturb，Idonotdeny，ourreceptionandenjoymentofhisworks，howeverwonderfultheartisticqualitiesofthese。Forwearenotsufficientlysuppliedwithinstancesofgeniusofhisordertobeabletopronouncecertainlyhowmanyofitsconstituentpartshavebeentaskedandstrainedtotheproductionofagivenlie，andhowhighandpureamoodofthecreativemindmaybedramaticallysimulatedasthepoet’shabitualandexclusiveone。“
　　Thelargecharity，theliberalhumansympathy，thekeencriticalacumenofthisessay，makeonewishthattheauthorhadsparedusa“SludgetheMedium“ora“Pacchiarotto“，orevena“PrinceHohenstiel-Schwangau“，andgivenusmoreofsuchhonourableworkin“theotherharmony“。
　　GladastheBrowningsweretobehomeagainatCasaGuidi，theycouldnotenjoythemidsummerheatsofFlorence，andsowenttotheBathsofLucca。Itwasadelightforthemtorambleamongthechestnut-woodsofthehighTuscanforests，andtogoamongthegrape-vineswherethesunburntvintagerswerebusy。
　　OnceBrowningpaidavisittothatremotehill-streamandwaterfall，highupinaprecipitousglen，where，morethanthree-scoreyearsearlier，Shelleyhadbeenwonttoamusehimselfbysittingnakedonarockinthesunlight，reading`Herodotus’whilehecooled，andthenplungingintothedeeppoolbeneathhimtoemerge，furtherupstream，andthenclimbthroughthesprayofthewaterfalltillhewaslikeaglitteringhumanwraithinthemiddleofadissolvingrainbow。
　　ThoseTuscanforests，thathighcrownofLucca，mustalwayshavespecialassociationsforloversofpoetry。HereShelleylived，raptinhisbeautifuldreams，andtranslatedthe`Symposium’
　　sothathiswifemightsharesomethingofhisdelightinPlato。
　　Here，tenyearslater，Heinesneered，andlaughedandwept，andsneeredagaindrankteawith“labelleIrlandaise“，flirtedwithFrancesca“laballerina“，andwrotealternatelywithafeatheredquillfromthebreastofanightingaleandwithalancetsteepedinaquafortis：andhere，aquarterofacenturyafterward，RobertandElizabethBrowningalsolaughedandweptand“joyedi’thesun，“
　　dreamedmanydreams，andtouchedchordsofbeautywhosevibrationhasbecomeincorporatedwiththelargerrhythmofallthatishighandenduringinourliterature。
　　OnreturningtoFlorenceBrowningwiththeMS。ofthegreaterpartofhissplendidfragmentarytragedy，“InaBalcony“，composedmainlywhilewalkingalonethroughtheforestglades，Mrs。Browningfoundthatthechillbreathofthe`tramontana’wasaffectingherlungs，soamovewasmadetoRome，forthepassingofthewinter1853-4。
　　Inthespringtheirlittleboy，theirbeloved“Pen“，*becameillwithmalaria。
　　ThisdelayedtheirreturntoFlorencetillwelloninthesummer。
　　DuringthisstayinRomeMrs。Browningrapidlyproceededwith“AuroraLeigh“，andBrowningwroteseveralofhis“MenandWomen“，includingtheexquisite`LoveamongtheRuins’，withitsnovelmetricalmusic；
　　`FraLippoLippi’，wherethepainter，alreadyimmortalisedbyLandor，hashisthirdwarrantofperpetuity；the`EpistleofKarshish’inpart；
　　`Memorabilia’composedontheCampagna；`Saul’，aportionofwhichhadbeenwrittenandpublishedtenyearspreviously，thatnobleandloftyutterance，withitstrumpet-likenoteoftheregnantspirit；theconcludingpartof“InaBalcony“；
　　and`HolyCrossDay’besides，probably，oneortwoothers。
　　InthelatespringApril27thalso，hewrotetheshortdactyliclyric，`BenKarshook’sWisdom’。Thislittlepoemwasgiventoafriendforappearanceinoneofthethenpopular`Keepsakes’literallygiven，forBrowningnevercontributedtomagazines。Theveryfewexceptionstothisruleweretheresultofakindlinessstrongerthanscruple：
　　aswhenatrequestofLordHoughtonthenMr。MoncktonMilnes，hesent`Tokay’，the`Flower’sName’，and`SibrandusSchafnaburgensis’，to“helpinmakingupsomemagazinenumbersforpoorHood，thenatthepointofdeathfromhemorrhageofthelungs，occasionedbytheenlargementoftheheart，whichhadbeenbroughtonbythewearingexcitementofceaselessandexcessiveliterarytoil。“
　　As`BenKarshook’sWisdom’，thoughithasbeenreprintedinseveralquarters，willnotbefoundinanyvolumeofBrowning’sworks，andwasomittedfrom“MenandWomen“byaccident，andfromfurthercollectionsbyforgetfulness，itmaybefitlyquotedhere。Karshook，itmaybeadded，istheHebraicwordforathistle。