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THE BROWNINGS
THEIR LIFE AND ART
ROBERT BROWNING
From a drawing made by Field Talfourd, in Rome, 1855
THE BROWNINGS
THEIR LIFE AND ART
BY
LILIAN WHITING
AUTHOR OF “THE WORLD BEAUTIFUL,”
“ITALY THE MAGIC LAND,”
“THE SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE,” ETC.
ILLUSTRATED
BOSTON
LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY
1911
Copyright, 1911,
By Little, Brown, and Company.
All rights reserved
Published, October, 1911
Printers
S. J. Parkhill & Co., Boston, U.S.A.
INSCRIBED TO
ROBERT BARRETT BROWNING
(CAVALIERE DELLA CORONA D’ITALIA)
PAINTER, SCULPTOR, CONNOISSEUR IN ART
WITH ENCHANTING REMEMBRANCES OF HOURS IN “LA TORRE
ALL’ ANTELLA” AND THE FAITHFUL REGARDS OF
LILIAN WHITING
Florence, Italy,
June, 1911
FOREWORD
The present volume was initiated in Florence, and, from its firstinception, invested with the cordial assent and the sympatheticencouragement of Robert Barrett Browning. One never-to-be-forgotten day,all ethereal light and loveliness, has left its picture in memory, when,in company with Mr. Browning and his life-long friend, the MarchesaPeruzzi di’ Medici (náta Story), the writer of this biography strolledwith them under the host’s orange trees and among the riotous roses of hisFlorentine villa, “La Torre All’ Antella,” listening to their sparklingconversation, replete with fascinating reminiscences. To Mr. Browning thetribute of thanks, whose full scope is known to the Recording Angel alone,is here offered; and there is the blending of both privilege and duty ingrateful acknowledgements to Messrs. Smith, Elder, & Company for theircourtesy in permitting the somewhat liberal drawing on their publishedLetters of both the Brownings, on which reliance had to be based in anyeffort to
“Call up the buried Past again,”
and construct the story, from season to season, so far as might be, ofthat wonderful interlude of the wedded life of the poets.
Yet any formality of thanks to this hous