somethingoftherealCatullus，throughthemistsofremoteantiquity，iftherehadnotperishedthesinglepassionatecry
　　“Lesbiailla，IllaLesbia，quamCatullusunamPlusquamse，atquesuosamavitomnes!“
　　AtthebeginningofJuly1858，theBrowningsleftFlorenceforthesummerandautumn，andbyeasystagestravelledtoNormandy。
　　Heretheinvalidbenefitedconsiderablyatfirst：andhere，Imayadd，Browningwrotehis`LegendofPornic’，`GoldHair’。
　　Thispoemoftwenty-sevenfive-linestanzaswhichdiffersonlyfromthatinmorerecent“CollectedWorks“，and“Selections“，initslackofthethreestanzasnownumbered21，22，and23
　　wasprintedforlimitedprivatecirculation，thoughprimarilyforthepurposeofsecuringAmericancopyright。Browningseveraltimesprintedsinglepoemsthus，andforthesamereasons
　　thatis，eitherfortransatlanticcopyright，orwhentheverseswerenotlikelytobeincludedinanyvolumeforaprolongedperiod。
　　Theseleafletsorhalf-sheetletsof`GoldHair’and`Prospice’，of`Cleon’and`TheStatueandtheBust’togetherwiththe`TwoPoemsbyElizabethBarrettandRobertBrowning’，published，forbenefitofacharity，in1854areamongtherarest“finds“
　　forthecollector，andareliterallyworthagooddealmorethantheirweightingold。
　　Inthetumultuousyearof1859allItalywasinaferment。
　　NopatriotamongtheNationalistswasmoreardentinherhopesthanthedelicate，toofragile，dyingpoetess，whoseflameoflifeburnedanewwiththegreathopesthatanimatedherforheradoptedcountry。
　　Wellindeeddidshedeserve，amongthelineswhichthepoetTommaseowroteandtheFlorencemunicipalitycausedtobeengravedingolduponawhitemarbleslab，tobeplaceduponCasaGuidi，thewords`fecedelsuoversoaureoanellofraItaliaeInghilterra’
　　“whoofherVersemadeagoldenlinkconnectingEnglandandItaly。“
　　ThevictoriesofSolferinoandSanMartinomadethebitternessofthedisgracefulTreatyofVillafrancathemorehardtobear。
　　EvenhadwenotMr。Story’sevidence，itwouldbeanaturalconclusionthatthisdisastrousendingtothehighhopesoftheItalianpatriotsacceleratedMrs。Browning’sdeath。Thewithdrawalofhopeisoftenworseinitsphysicaleffectsthananydirectbodilyill。
　　Itwasamiserablesummerforbothhusbandandwife，formoreprivatesorrowsalsopresseduponthem。NoteventhesweetautumnalwindsblowinguponSienawaftedawaytheshadowthathadsettledupontheinvalid：
　　norwastheremedicineforherintheairofRome，wherethewinterwasspent。
　　Atemporaryrelief，however，wasaffordedbythemoregenialclimate，andinthespringof1860shewasable，withBrowning’shelp，toseeherItalianpatrioticpoemsthroughthepress。Itgoeswithoutsayingthatthese“PoemsbeforeCongress“hadagrudgingreceptionfromthecritics，becausetheydaredtohintthatallwasnotroseate-huedinEngland。
　　Thetruepatriotsarethosewholovedespiteblemishes，notthosewhocherishtheblemishesalongwiththevirtues。
　　Tohintataflawis“nottobeanEnglishman。“
　　TheautumnbroughtanewsadnessinthedeathofMissArabellaBarrett
　　adearlylovedsister，the“Arabel“ofsomanyaffectionateletters。
　　OncemoreawinterinRomeprovedtemporallyrestorative。
　　Butatlastthedaycamewhenshewroteherlastpoem
　　“NorthandSouth“，agraciouswelcometoHansChristianAndersenontheoccasionofhisfirstvisittotheEternalCity。
　　EarlyinJuneof1861theBrowningswereoncemoreatCasaGuidi。
　　Butsoonaftertheirreturntheinvalidcaughtachill。
　　Forafewdaysshehoveredlikeatiredbirdthoughherfriendssawonlytheseeminglyunquenchablelightinthestarryeyes，anddidnotanticipatethesilencethatwassoontobe。
　　Bytheeveningofthe28thdayofthemonthshewasinsoreperiloffailingbreath。Allnightherhusbandsatbyher，holdingherhand。
　　Twohoursbeforedawnsherealisedthatherlastbreathwoulderelongfalluponhistear-wetface。Then，asafriendhastoldus，shepassedintoastateofecstasy：yetnotsoraptthereinbutthatshecouldwhispermanywordsofhope，evenofjoy。
　　Withthefirstlightofthenewday，sheleanedagainstherlover。
　　Awhileshelaythusinsilence，andthen，softlysighing“Itisbeautiful!“
　　passedlikethewindyfragranceofaflower。
　　Chapter9。
　　Itisneedlesstodwelluponwhatfollowed。Theworldhasallthatneedbeknown。ToBrowninghimselfitwastheabrupt，thetoodeeplypathetic，yetnotwhollyunhappyendingofalovelierpoemthananyheoranothershouldeverwrite，thepoemoftheirmarriedlife。
　　Thereisarareserenityinthethoughtofdeathwhenitisknowntobethegateoflife。ThisconvictionBrowninghad，andsohisgriefwasratherthatofonewhosejoyhaswesteredearlier。
　　Thesweetestmusicofhislifehadwithdrawn：buttherewasstillmusicforonetowhomlifeinitselfwasahappiness。Hehadhisson，andwasnotvoidofothersolace：butevenhaditbeenotherwisehewasofthestrenuousnatureswhoneversuccumb，norwishtodie
　　whateveraccidentofmortalityovercomethewillandthepower。
　　Itwasintheautumnfollowinghiswife’sdeaththathewrotethenoblepoemtowhichallusionhasalreadybeenmade：“Prospice“。
　　Whodoesnotthrilltoitsclose，whenallofgloomorterror“Shallchange，shallbecomefirstapeaceoutofpain，Thenalight，thenthybreast，Othousoulofmysoul!Ishallclasptheeagain，AndwithGodbetherest。“
　　TherearefewdirectallusionstohiswifeinBrowning’spoems。
　　Ofthosepriortoherdeaththemostbeautifulis“OneWordMore“，whichhasbeenalreadyquotedinpart：ofthetwoorthreesubsequenttothateventnonesurpassesthemagiccloseofthefirstpartof“TheRingandtheBook“。
　　Thereafterthedetailsofhislifearepublicproperty。
　　Heallalonglivedinthelight，partlyfromhispossessionofthatserenitywhichmadeGoethegladtobealiveandtobeabletomakeothersshareinthatgladness。Nopoethasbeenmorereveredandmoreloved。
　　Hispersonalitywilllongbeastirringtradition。Inthepresenceofhissimplemanlinessandwealthofallgenerousqualitiesoneisinclinedtopassbyasvalueless，asthemereflyingsprayofthewelcomeshower，themanyhonoursandgratificationsthatbefellhim。
　　Evenifthesethingsmattered，concerningonebywhosegeniuswearefascinated，whileundazzledbythemereaccidentspertinentthereto，theirrecitalwouldbewearisomeofhowhewasaskedtobeLordRectorofthisUniversity，ormadeadoctoroflawsatthat：
　　ofhowlettersandtributesofallkindscametohimfromeverydistrictinourEmpire，fromeverycountryintheworld：andsoforth。
　　Allthesethingsareimpliedinthecircumstancethathislifewasthroughout“anoblemusicwithagoldenending。“
　　In1866hisfatherdiedinParis，strenuousinlifeuntiltheveryend。
　　AfterthiseventMissSariannaBrowningwenttoresidewithherbrother，andfromthattimeonwardwashisinseparablecompanion，andeveroneofthedearestandmosthelpfuloffriends。
　　Inlatteryearsbrotherandsisterwereconstantlyseentogether，andsoregularattendantsweretheyatsuchfunctionsasthe“PrivateViews“
　　attheRoyalAcademyandGrosvenorGallery，thattheseneverseemedcompletewithoutthem。APrivateView，afirstappearanceofJoachimorSarasate，afirstconcertofRichterorHenschelorHalle，ateachofthese，almosttoacertainty，thepoetwassuretoappear。
　　Thechiefpersonalhappinessofhislaterlifewasinhisson。
　　Mr。R。BarrettBrowningissowellknownasapainterandsculptorthatitwouldbesuperfluousformetoaddanythingfurtherhere，excepttostatethathissuccesseswerehisfather’skeenestpleasures。
　　Twoyearsafterhisfather’sdeath，thatisin1868，the“PoeticalWorksofRobertBrowning，M。A。，HonoraryFellowofBalliolCollege，Oxford“，wereissuedinsixvolumes。
　　HeretheequatorofBrowning’sgeniusmaybedrawn。Onthefurthersideliethe“MenandWomen“oftheperiodanteriorto“TheRingandtheBook“：
　　midwayisthetransitionalzoneitself：onthehithersidearethe“MenandWomen“ofamoretemperateifnotcolderclime。
　　Thefirstpartof“TheRingandtheBook“wasnotpublishedtillNovember。
　　InSeptemberthepoetwasstayingwithhissisterandsonatLeCroisic，apicturesquevillageatthemouthoftheLoire，attheendofthegreatsaltplainswhichstretchdownfromGuerandetotheBayofBiscay。