apieceofpurebewilderment“a“criticism“whichanticipatedandthuspreventedtheinsertionofahighlyfavourablereviewwhichJohnStuartMillvoluntarilywrote。
　　Browningmusthaveregardedhisfirstbookwithmingledfeelings。
　　Itwasabidforliteraryfortune，inonesense，butabidsohandicappedbythecircumstancesofitspublicationastobealmostcertainlyofnoavail。
　　Probably，however，hewaswellcontentthatitshouldhavemereexistence。
　　Alreadythefeverofanabnormalintellectualcuriositywasuponhim：
　　alreadyhehadschemedmorepotentandmorevitalpoems：
　　already，even，hehaddevelopedtowardsamoreindividualisticmethod。
　　Soindifferentwashetoaneasilygainedreputationthatheseemstohavebeenreallyurgentuponhisrelativesandintimateacquaintancesnottobetrayhisauthorship。TheMissFlower，however，towhomallusionhasalreadybeenmade，couldnotrepressheradmirationtotheextentofdeprivingherfriend，Mr。Fox，ofapleasuresimilartothatshehadherselfenjoyed。Theresultwasthegenerousnoticeinthe`MonthlyRepository’。ThepoetneverforgothisindebtednesstoMr。Fox，towhosesympathyandkindnessmuchdirectandindirectgoodistraceable。Thefriendshipthenbegunwaslifelong，andwascontinuedwiththedistinguishedUnitarian’sfamilywhenMr。Foxhimselfendedhisactiveandbeneficentcareer。
　　Butafteratimethefewadmirersof“Pauline“forgottospeakaboutit：
　　thepoethimselfneveralludedtoit：andinayearortwoitwasalmostasthoughithadneverbeenwritten。Manyyearsafter，whenarticlesuponRobertBrowningwereasnumerousastheyoncehadbeenscarce，neverawordbetrayedthattheirauthorsknewoftheexistenceof“Pauline“。
　　Therewas，however，yetanotherfriendshiptocomeoutofthisbook，thoughnotuntillongafteritwaspracticallyforgottenbyitsauthor。
　　Onedayayoungpoet-paintercameuponacopyofthebookintheBritishMuseumLibrary，andwasatoncecaptivatedbyitsbeauty。
　　OneoftheearliestadmirersofBrowning’spoetry，DanteGabrielRossetti
　　foritwashefeltcertainthat“Pauline“couldbebynoneotherthantheauthorof“Paracelsus“。Hehimselfinformedmethathehadneverheardthisauthorshipsuggested，thoughsomeonehadspokentohimofapoemofremarkablepromise，called“Pauline“，whichheoughttoread。
　　IfIrememberaright，Rossettitoldmethatitwasontheforenoonofthedaywhenthe“BurdenofNineveh“wasbegun，conceivedrather，thathereadthisstoryofasoulbythesoul’sablesthistorian。
　　Sodelightedwashewithit，andsostronghisopinionitwasbyBrowning，thathewrotetothepoet，theninFlorence，forconfirmation，statingatthesametimethathisadmirationfor“Pauline“hadledhimtotranscribethewholeofit。
　　Concerningthisepisode，RobertBrowningwrotetome，somesevenyearsago，asfollows：
　　St。PierredeChartreuse，Isere，France。
　　“Rossetti’s`Pauline’letterwasaddressedtomeatFlorencemorethanthirtyyearsago。Ihavepreservedit，but，evenwereIathome，shouldbeunabletofinditwithouttroublesomesearching。
　　Itwastotheeffectthatthewriter，personallyandaltogetherunknowntome，hadcomeuponapoemintheBritishMuseum，whichhecopiedthewholeof，fromitsbeingnototherwiseprocurablethathejudgedittobemine，butcouldnotbesure，andwishedmetopronounceinthematter
　　whichIdid。Ayearortwoafter，IhadavisitinLondonfromMr。WilliamAllinghamandafriendwhoprovedtobeRossetti。
　　WhenIheardhewasapainterIinsistedoncallingonhim，thoughhedeclaredhehadnothingtoshowmewhichwasfarenoughfromthecase。Subsequently，onanotherofmyreturnstoLondon，hepaintedmyportrait，not，Ifancy，inoils，butwater-colours，andfinisheditinParisshortlyafter。ThismusthavebeenintheyearwhenTennysonpublished`Maud’，forIrememberTennysonreadingthepoemoneeveningwhileRossettimadearapidpen-and-inksketchofhim，verygood，fromoneobscurecornerofvantage，whichIstillpossess，anddulyvalue。
　　ThiswasbeforeRossetti’smarriage。“*
　　*ThehighlyinterestingandexcellentportraitofBrowningherealludedtohasneverbeenexhibited。
　　Asamatteroffact，asrecordedonthebackoftheoriginaldrawing，theeventfulreadingtookplaceat13DorsetStreet，PortmanSquare，onthe27thofSeptember1855，andthosepresent，besidesthePoet-Laureate，Browning，andRossetti，wereMrs。E。BarrettBrowningandMissArabellaBarrett。
　　When，ayearortwoago，thepoetlearnedthatacopyofhisfirstwork，whichin1833couldnotfindadozenpurchasersatafewshillings，wentatapublicsalefortwenty-fiveguineas，heremarkedthathadhisdearoldauntbeenlivinghecouldhavereturnedtoher，muchtoherincredulousastonishment，nodoubt，hesmilinglyaverred，thecostofthebook’spublication，less3Pounds15s。
　　Itwasaboutthetimeofthepublicationof“Pauline“
　　thatBrowningbegantoseesomethingoftheliteraryandartisticlifeforwhichhehadsuchaninborntaste。ForabriefperiodhewentoftentotheBritishMuseum，particularlytheLibrary，andtotheNationalGallery。AttheBritishMuseumReadingRoomheperusedwithgreatindustryandresearchthoseworksinphilosophyandmedicalhistorywhicharethebasesof“Paracelsus“，andthoseItalianRecordsbearinguponthestoryofSordello。ResidenceinCamberwell，in1833，renderednightengagementsoftenimpracticable：butneverthelesshemanagedtomixagooddealincongenialsociety。Itisnotcommonlyknownthathewasfamiliartotheseearlyassociatesasamusicianandartistratherthanasapoet。Amongthem，andtheycomprisedmanywell-knownworkersintheseveralarts，wereCharlesDickensand“Ion“Talfourd。
　　Mr。Fox，whomBrowninghadmetonceortwiceinhisearlyyouth，aftertheformerhadbeenshowntheByronicverseswhichhadinonewaygratifiedandinanotherwayperturbedthepoet’sfather，sawsomethingmoreofhisyoungfriendafterthepublicationof“Pauline“。
　　Heverykindlyofferedtoprintinhismagazineanyshortpoemstheauthorofthatbookshouldseefittosendanoffer，however，whichwasnotputtothetestforsometime。
　　Practicallysimultaneouslywiththepublicationof“Pauline“
　　appearedanothersmallvolume，containingthe“PalaceofArt“，“Oenone“，“Mariana“，etc。ThoseearlybooksofTennysonandBrowninghavefrequently，andsomewhatuncritically，beencontrasted。Unquestionably，however，theelderpoetshowedaconsummateandcontinuousmasteryofhisartaltogetherbeyondtheintermittentexpressionalpowerofBrowninginhismostrhythmicemotionatanytimeofhislife。Toaffirmthatthereismoreintellectualfibre，whatRossetticalledfundamentalbrain-work，intheproductoftheyoungerpoet，wouldbebesidethemark。
　　TheinsistenceonthesupremacyofBrowningoverallpoetssinceShakespearebecausehehasthehighest“message“todeliver，becausehisintellectisthemostsubtleandcomprehensive，becausehispoemshavethisorthatdynamiceffectupondormantorsluggishorotheractiveminds，istobeseriouslyandenergeticallydeprecated。Itiswithpresentmentthattheartisthas，fundamentally，toconcernhimself。
　　IfhecannotPRESENTpoeticallythenheisnot，ineffect，apoet，thoughhemaybeapoeticthinker，oragreatwriter。Browning’seminenceisnotbecauseofhisdetachmentfromwhatsomeonehasfoolishlycalled“themerehandiwork，thefurnisher’sbusiness，ofthepoet。“
　　Itisthedelightofthetrueartistthattheproductofhistalentshouldbewroughttoahightechniqueequallybytheshapingbrainandthedexteroushand。Browningisgreatbecauseofhisformativeenergy：
　　because，despitetheexcessofburningandcompulsivethought
　　“Thoughtsswarmingthro’themyriad-chamberedbrainLikemultitudesofbeesi’theinnumerouscells，Eachstaggering’neaththeundeliveredfreight“
　　hestrikesfromtheFURORofwordsanelectricflashsotranscendentlyilluminativethatwhatiscommonplacebecomesradiantwiththatlightwhichdwellsnotinnature，butonlyinthevisionaryeyeofman。Formforthemerebeautyofform，isaplayingwiththewind，theacceptanceofashadowforthesubstance。
　　Ifnothinganimateit，itmaypossiblybefairofaspect，butonlyasthefrozensmileuponadeadface。
　　WeknowlittleofBrowning’sinnerorouterlifein1833and1834。
　　Itwasasecretive，notaproductiveperiod。Onebyonecertainpinnaclesofhisfairsnow-mountainofTitanicaimmeltedaway。
　　Hebegantorealisethefirstdisenchantmentoftheartist：
　　thesenseofdreamsnevertobeaccomplished。Thatlandofthegreatunwrittenpoems，thegreatunpaintedpictures：
　　whataheritancetherefortheenfranchisedspiritsofgreatdreamers!
　　Intheautumnof1833hewentforthtohisUniversity，thatoftheworldofmenandwomen。Itwaseverafavouriteanswerofhis，whenaskedifhehadbeenateitherOxfordorCambridge，
　　“ItalywasmyUniversity。“
　　ButfirsthewenttoRussia，andspentsometimeinSt。Petersburg，attractedthitherbytheinvitationofafriend。Thecountryinterestedhim，butdoesnotseemtohavedeeplyorpermanentlyengagedhisattention。
　　That，however，hisRussianexperienceswerenotfruitlessismanifestfromtheremarkablypicturesqueandtechnicallyveryinterestingpoem，“IvanIvanovitch“thefourthofthe`DramaticIdyls’，1879。
　　Ofatruth，afterhisownraceandcountryreaderswillatoncethinkof“HomeThoughtsfromtheSea“，orthethrillinglinesin“HomeThoughtsfromAbroad“，beginning
　　“Oh，tobeinEngland，NowthatApril’sthere!“
　　orperhaps，thoselinesinhisearliestwork
　　“IcherishmostMyloveofEnglandhow，hername，awordOfhersinastrangetonguemakesmyheartbeat!“
　　itwasofthemysticOrientoroftheglowingSouththatheoftenestthoughtanddreamed。WithHeinehemighthavecried：
　　“OFirdusi!OIschami!OSaadi!HowdoIlongaftertherosesofSchiraz!“
　　AsforItaly，whoofallourtruestpoetshasnotlovedher：
　　butwhohasworshippedherwithsomanlyapassion，soloyalalove，asBrowning？Onealoneindeedmaybematedwithhimhere，shewhohadhisheartofhearts，andwholiesatrestintheoldFlorentinecemeterywithinsoundofthelovedwatersofArno。
　　Whocanforgethislinesin“DeGustibus“，“Openmyheartandyouwillsee，gravedinsideofit，Italy。“