Someyearsafterhiswife’sdeath，whichoccurredin1849，Mr。BrowningleftHatchamandcametoPaddington，butfinallywenttoresideinParis，andlivedthere，inasmallstreetofftheChampsElysees，tillhisdeathin1866。TheCreolestrainseemstohavebeendistinctlynoticeableinMr。Browning，somuchsothatitispossibleithadsomethingtodowithhisunwillingnesstoremainatSt。Kitts，wherehewascertainlyononeoccasiontreatedcavalierlyenough。
Thepoet’scomplexioninyouth，lightandivory-tonedasitwasinlaterlife，hasbeendescribedasolive，anditissaidthatoneofhisnephews，whomethiminParisinhisearlymanhood，tookhimforanItalian。
IthasbeenaffirmedthatitwastheemotionalCreolestraininBrowningwhichfoundexpressioninhispassionformusic。**
Thethreebrothersweremenofliberaleducationandliterarytastes。
Mr。W。S。Browning，whodiedin1874，wasanauthorofsomerepute。
His`HistoryoftheHuguenots’isastandardbookonthesubject。
**Mrs。SutherlandOrr，inher“LifeandLettersofRobertBrowning“1891，nowavailableonlinerefutesthesestatements。A。L。，1996。
ByoldfriendsofthefamilyIhavebeentoldthatMr。Browninghadastronglikingforchildren，withwhomhisreallyremarkablefacultyofimpromptufictionmadehimaparticularfavourite。
Sometimeshewouldsupplementhistalesbyillustrationswithpencilorbrush。
MissAliceCorkranhasshownmeanillustratedcolouredmap，depictiveofthemainincidentsandsceneryofthe`Pilgrim’sProgress’，whichhegeniallymadefor“thechildren“。*
*Mrs。FraserCorkran，whosawmuchofthepoet’sfatherduringhisresidenceinParis，hasspokentomeofhisextraordinaryanalyticalfacultyintheelucidationofcomplexcriminalcases。
Itwasoncesaidofhimthathisdetectivefacultyamountedtogenius。
Thisisasignificanttraitinthefatheroftheauthorof“TheRingandtheBook“。
HehadthreechildrenhimselfRobert，bornMay7th，1812，adaughternamedSarianna，afterhermother，andClara。
Hiswifewasawomanofsingularbeautyofnature，withadepthofreligiousfeelingsavedfromnarrownessofscopeonlybyarareserenityandafathomlesscharity。Herson’slovingadmirationofherwasalmostapassion：evenlateinlifeherarelyspokeofherwithouttearscomingtohiseyes。
Shewas，moreover，ofanintellectualbentofmind，andwithanartisticbiashavingitsreadiestfulfilmentinmusic，and，tosomeextent，inpoetry。
InthelattersheinclinedtotheRomanticists：herhusbandalwaysmaintainedthesupremacyofPope。Helookedwithmuchdubietyuponhisson’searlywritings，“Pauline“and“Paracelsus“；
“Sordello“，thoughhefounditbeyondeitherhisartisticorhismentalapprehension，heforgave，becauseitwaswritteninrhymedcouplets；thematurerworksheregardedwithsympathyandpride，withavagueadmirationwhichpassedintoaclearerunderstandingonlywhenhislonglifewasdrawingnearitsclose。
Ofhischildren’scompanyhenevertired，evenwhentheywerescarceoutofbabyhood。HewasfondoftakingthelittleRobertinhisarms，andwalkingtoandfrowithhimintheduskin“thelibrary“，soothingthechildtosleepbysingingtohimsnatchesofAnacreonintheoriginal，toafavouriteoldtuneofhis，“ACottageinaWood“。
Readersof“Asolando“willremembertheallusionsinthatvolumeto“myfatherwhowasascholarandknewGreek。“AweekortwobeforehisdeathBrowningtoldanAmericanfriend，Mrs。Corson，inreplytoastatementofhersthatnoonecouldaccusehimoflettinghistalentslieidle：
“Itwouldhavebeenquiteunpardonableinmycasenottohavedonemybest。
MydearfatherputmeinaconditionmostfavourableforthebestworkIwascapableof。WhenIthinkofthemanyauthorswhohavehadtofighttheirwaythroughallsortsofdifficulties，Ihavenoreasontobeproudofmyachievements。Mygoodfathersacrificedafortunetohisconvictions。Hecouldnotbearwithslavery，andleftIndiaandacceptedahumblebank-officeinLondon。
Hesecuredformealltheeaseandcomfortthataliterarymanneedstodogoodwork。ItwouldhavebeenshamefulifIhadnotdonemybesttorealisehisexpectationsofme。“*
*`India’isaslipontheparteitherofBrowningorofMrs。Corson。
Thepoet’sfatherwasneverinIndia。Hewasquiteayouthwhenhewenttohismother’ssugar-plantationatSt。Kitts，intheWestIndies。
ThehomeofMr。Browningwas，asalreadystated，inCamberwell，asuburbthenoflesseasyaccessthannow，andwherethereweregreentrees，andgroves，andenticingruralperspectivesinto“real“country，yetwithalnotwithoutsomesuggestionofthemetropolitanair。
“TheoldtreesWhichgrewbyouryouth’shomethewavingmassOfclimbingplants，heavywithbloomanddew
Themorningswallowswiththeirsongslikewords
Alltheseseemclear……mostdistinctamidThefeverandthestirofafteryears。“
`Pauline’。
Anothergreatwriterofourtimewasborninthesameparish：
andthosewhowouldknowHerneHillandtheneighbourhoodasitwasinBrowning’syouthwillfindanenthusiasticguideintheauthorof`Praeterita’。
Browning’schildhoodwasahappyone。Indeed，ifthepoethadbeenabletoteachinsongonlywhathehadlearntinsuffering，thelargerpartofhisversewouldbesingularlybarrenofinterest。
Fromfirsttolasteverythingwentwellwithhim，withtheexceptionofasingleprofoundgrief。ThismustbeborneinmindbythosewhowouldestimatearightthegeniusofRobertBrowning。
Itwouldbeaffectationorfollytodenythathissplendidphysique
apaternalinheritance，forhisfatherdiedattheageofeighty-four，withouthavingeverenduredaday’sillnessandtheexceptionallyfortunatecircumstanceswhichwerehisthroughoutlife，hadsomethingtodowiththatsuperbfaithofhiswhichfindsconcentratedexpressioninthelinesinPippa’ssong
“God’sinHisHeaven，All’srightwiththeworld!“
Itisdifficultforahappymanwithanimperturbabledigestiontobeapessimist。HeisalwaysinclinedtogiveNaturethebenefitofthedoubt。Hisfavouritetermforthismentalcomplaisanceis“catholicityoffaith“，or，itmaybe，“adivinehope“。
ThelessfortunatebrethrenbewailthelawsofNature，anddoubtafuturereadjustment，becauseofstomachschronicallyoutoforder。
AneminentauthorwithaweakdigestionwrotetomerecentlyanimadvertingonwhathecallsBrowning’sinsanityofoptimism：
itrequirednopersonalacquaintanceshiptodiscernthedyspepticwell-springofthisutterance。Allthismaybeadmittedlightlywithoutcarryingthephysiologicalargumenttoextremes。
Amanmayhavealiberalhopeforhimselfandforhumanity，althoughhisdinnerbehabituallyamartyrdom。Afterall，weareonlydictatedtobyourbodies：wehavenotperforcetoobeythem。
Abitterwitonceremarkedthatthesoul，ifitwereeverdiscovered，wouldbefoundembodiedinthegastricjuice。Hewasnotaltogetherafool，thismanwhohadlearntinsufferingwhathetaughtinepigram；
yetwashewideofthemark。
AsaveryyoungchildBrowningwaskeenlysusceptibletomusic。
Oneafternoonhismotherwasplayinginthetwilighttoherself。
Shewasstartledtohearasoundbehindher。Glancinground，shebeheldalittlewhitefiguredistinctagainstanoakbookcase，andcouldjustdiscerntwolargewistfuleyeslookingearnestlyather。
Thenextmomentthechildhadsprungintoherarms，sobbingpassionatelyatheknewnotwhat，but，ashisparoxysmofemotionsubsided，whisperingoverandover，withshyurgency，“Play!play!“
Itisstrangethatamongallhisfather’scollectionofdrawingsandengravingsnothinghadsuchfascinationforhimasanengravingofapictureofAndromedaandPerseusbyCaravaggio。
Thestoryoftheinnocentvictimandthedivinedelivererwasoneofwhichinhisboyhoodhenevertiredofhearing：
andashegrewolderthecharmofitspictorialpresentmenthadforhimadeeperandmorecomplexsignificance。
WehaveitontheauthorityofafriendthatBrowninghadthisengravingalwaysbeforehiseyesashewrotehisearlierpoems。
Hehasgivenbeautifulcommemorationtohisfeelingforitin“Pauline“：
“Andromeda!
Andsheiswithmeyearsroll，Ishallchange，ButchangecantouchhernotsobeautifulWithherdarkeyes，earnestandstill，andhairLiftedandspreadbythesalt-sweepingbreeze；
Andoneredbeam，allthestormleavesinheaven，Restinguponhereyesandfaceandhair，Assheawaitsthesnakeonthewetbeach，Bythedarkrock，andthewhitewavejustbreakingAtherfeet；quitenakedandalone，athingYoudoubtnot，norfearfor，securethatGodWillcomeinthunderfromthestarstosaveher。“
Oneofhisownearlyrecollectionswasthatofsittingonhisfather’skneesinthelibrary，andlisteningwithenthralledattentiontotheTaleofTroy，withmarvellousillustrationsamongtheglowingcoalsinthefireplace；
with，belowall，thevaguelyheardaccompaniment
fromtheneighbouringroomwhereMrs。Browningsat“inherchiefhappiness，herhourofdarknessandsolitudeandmusic“ofawildGaeliclament，withitsinsistentfallingcadences。Astoryconcerninghispoeticprecocityhasbeencirculated，butisnotworthrepeating。