Browningpromisedtoconsiderthesuggestion。Sixweekslater，incompanywithForster，withwhomhehadbecomeintimate，hecalleduponMacready，todiscusstheplotofatragedywhichhehadpondered。Hetoldthetragedianhowdeeplyhehadbeenimpressedbyhisperformanceof“Othello“，andhowthishaddeflectedhisintentionfromamodernandEuropeantoanOrientalandancienttheme。
“BrowningsaidthatIhadBIThimbymyperformanceof`Othello’，andItoldhimIhopedIshouldmakethebloodcome。“The“blood“hadcomeintheguiseofadrama-motivebasedonthecrucialperiodinthecareerofNarses，theeunuch-generalofJustinian。Macreadylikedthesuggestion，thoughhedemurredtooneortwopointsintheoutline：
andbeforeBrowningleftheeagerlypressedhimto“goonwith`Narses’。“
ButwhetherBrowningmistrustedhisowninterestinthetheme，orwasdubiousastothesuccesswithwhichMacreadywouldrealisehisconception，orastothereceptionaplayofsuchnaturewouldwinfromanauditorynolongerreverentofhighdramaticideals，hegaveuptheidea。SomethreemonthslaterMay26thheenjoyedanothereventfulevening。ItwasthenightofthefirstperformanceofTalfourd’s“Ion“，andhewasamongthepersonalfriendsofMacreadywhowereinvitedtothesupperatTalfourd’srooms。
Afterthefallofthecurtain，Browning，Forster，andotherfriendssoughtthetragedianandcongratulatedhimuponthesuccessbothoftheplayandofhisimpersonationofthechiefcharacter。
Theythenadjournedtothehouseoftheauthorof“Ion“。
TohissurpriseandgratificationBrowningfoundhimselfplacednextbutonetohishost，andimmediatelyoppositeMacready，whosatbetweentwogentlemen，onecalmasasummerevening，andtheotherwithatempestuousyouthdominatinghissixtyyears，whomtheyoungpoetatoncerecognisedasWordsworthandWalterSavageLandor。
Everyonewasingoodspirits：thehostperhapsmostofall，whowascelebratinghisbirthdayaswellasthesuccessof“Ion“。
PossiblyMacreadywastheonlypersonwhofeltatallbored
unlessitwasLandorforWordsworthwasnot，atsuchafunction，anentertainingconversationalist。ThereismuchsignificanceinthesuccinctentryinMacready’sjournalconcerningtheLake-poet
“Wordsworth，whopinnedme。“……WhenTalfourdrosetoproposethetoastof“ThePoetsofEngland“everyoneprobablyexpectedthatWordsworthwouldbenamedtorespond。Butwithakindlygracethehost，afterflatteringremarksuponthetwogreatmenthenhonouringhimbysittingathistable，coupledhistoastwiththenameoftheyoungestofthepoetsofEngland“Mr。RobertBrowning，theauthorof`Paracelsus’。“ItwasaveryproudmomentforBrowning，singledoutamongthatbrilliantcompany：anditispleasanttoknow，ontheauthorityofMissMitford，whowaspresent，that“heperformedhistaskwithgraceandmodesty，“looking，theamiableladyadds，evenyoungerthanhewas。Perhaps，however，hewasprouderstillwhenWordsworthleanedacrossthetable，andwithstatelyaffabilitysaid，“Iamproudtodrinkyourhealth，Mr。Browning：“whenLandor，also，withasuperblyindifferentandyetkindlysmile，alsoraisedhisglasstohislipsincourteousgreeting。
OfWordsworthBrowningsawnotalittleintheensuingfewyears，forontherarevisitstheelderlypoetpaidtoLondon，Talfourdneverfailedtoasktheauthorof“Paracelsus“，forwhomhehadasincereadmiration，tomeetthegreatman。
Itwasnotinthenatureofthingsthatthetwopoetscouldbecomefriends，butthoughtheyoungerwassometimesannoyedbytheelder’spooh-poohinghisrepublicansympathies，andcontemptuouslywaivingasideasamerenobodynolessanindividualthanShelley，heneverfailedofrespectandevenreverence。Withwhattendernessanddignityhehascommemoratedthegreatpoet’sfallingawayfromhisearlyideals，maybeseenin“TheLostLeader“，oneofthemostpopularofBrowning’sshortpoems，andlikelytoremainso。Forseveralreasons，however，itisbestaswellasrightthatWordsworthshouldnotbemorethanmerelynominallyidentifiedwiththeLostLeader。
Browningwasalwaysimperativeuponthispoint。
TowardsLandor，ontheotherhand，heentertainedasentimentofgenuineaffection，coupledwithaprofoundsympathyandadmiration：
asentimentdulyreciprocated。Thecareoftheyoungerfortheelder，intheoldageofthelatter，isoneofthemostbeautifulincidentsinabeautifullife。
Buttheeveningwasnottopasswithoutanothermemorableincident，onetowhichweowe“Strafford“，andprobably“ABlotinthe’Scutcheon“。
Justastheyoungpoet，flushedwiththetriumphantpleasureoftheevening，wasabouttoleave，Macreadyarrestedhimbyafriendlygripofthearm。
InunmistakableearnestnessheaskedBrowningtowritehimaplay。
Withasimplicityequaltotheoccasion，thepoetcontentedhimselfwithreplying，“ShallitbehistoricalandEnglish？WhatdoyousaytoadramaonStrafford？“
Macreadywaspleasedwiththeidea，andhopefulthathisfriendwouldbemoresuccessfulwiththeEnglishstatesmanthanwiththeeunuchNarses。
Afewmonthselapsedbeforethepoet，whohadsetasidethelongworkuponwhichhewasengaged“Sordello“，calleduponMacreadywiththemanuscriptof“Strafford“。Thelatterhopedmuchfromit。
InMarchtheMS。wasready。AbouttheendofthemonthMacreadytookittoCoventGardenTheatre，andreadittoMr。Osbaldiston，“whocaughtatitwithavidity，andagreedtoproduceitwithoutdelay。“
ItwasaneventfulfirstofMayaneventfultwelvemonth，indeed，foritwastheinitialyearoftheVictorianera，notable，too，asthatwhereintheElectricTelegraphwasestablished，and，inletters，whereinanewdramaticliteraturehaditsorigin。For“Strafford“，alreadysignificantofanovelmovement，anddestined，itseemstome，tobestillmoresignificantinthatgreatdramaticperiodtowardswhichwearefastconverging，wasnotlessimportanttotheDramainEngland，asanewdepartureinmethodandradicallyindicativeofafreshstandpoint，than“Hernani“wasinFrance。Butinliteraryhistorythedayitselfisdoublymemorable，forintheforenoonCarlylegavethefirstofhislecturesinLondon。Theplaywasasuccess，despitetheshamefullyinadequateactingofsomeofthoseentrustedwithimportantparts。Therewasonce，perhapsthereweremoreoccasionsthanone，wheresuccesspoisedlikethesoulofaMohammedanontheinvisiblethreadleadingtoParadise，butoneithersideofwhichliesperdition。
Therewasnonetocry`Timbul’saveMacready，exceptMissHelenFaucit，whogainedabrillianttriumphasLadyCarlisle。ThepartofCharlesI。
wasenactedsoexecrablythatdamnationforallwasagainandagainwithinmeasurabledistance。“TheYoungerVane“rantedsothatahiss，likeanembodiedscorn，vibratedonvagrantwingsthroughoutthehouse。
Therewasnotevenanyextraneousaidtoafortunateimpression。
Thehousewasinillrepair：theseatsdusty，the“scenery“commonplaceandsometimesnoticeablyinappropriate，thecostumesandaccessoriesalmostsordid。Butinthefaceofallthis，atriumphwassecured。
ForabriefwhileMacreadybelievedthatthestarofregenerationhadarisen。
Unfortunately’twas，inthewordsofacontemporarydramaticpoet，“arisingsorrowsplendidlyforlorn。“ThefinancialconditionofCoventGardenTheatrewassoruinousthatnoteventhemostsuccessfulplaycouldhaverestoreditsdoomedfortunes。
Afterthefifthnightoneoftheleadingactors，havingreceivedabetterofferelsewhere，suddenlywithdrew。
Thiswasthelaststraw。Acollapseforthwithoccurred。
Inthescrambleforsharesinthefewremainingfundseveryonegainedsomething，excepttheauthor，whowastohavereceived12Poundsforeachperformanceforthefirsttwenty-fivenights，and10Poundseachfortennightsfurther。ThisdisasterwasadeepdisappointmenttoBrowning，andabynomeanstransitoryone，forthreeorfouryearslaterhewroteAdvt。of“BellsandPomegranates“：
“TwoorthreeyearsagoIwroteaplay，aboutwhichthechiefmatterImuchcaretorecollectatpresentis，thatapitfulofgood-naturedpeopleapplaudedit。Eversince，Ihavebeendesirousofdoingsomethinginthesamewaythatshouldbetterrewardtheirattention。“
But，exceptinsofarasitsabruptdeclensionfromthestagehurtitsauthorintheeyesofthecritics，andpossiblyinthoseoftheatricalmanagers，“Strafford“wascertainlynofailure。Ithastheelementsofagreatactingplay。Everything，eventhelanguageandherewasastumbling-blockwithmostofthecriticsandcriticasters，wassubordinatedtodramaticexigencies：thoughthesubordinationwasinconformitywithanovelshapingmethod。“Strafford“wasnot，however，allowedtoremainunknowntothosewhohadbeenunabletovisitCoventGardenTheatre。*Browning’snamehadquitesufficientliteraryreputetojustifyapublisherinriskingtheissueofadramabyhim，one，atanyrate，thathadtheadvantageofassociationwithMacready’sname。
TheLongmansissuedit，andtheauthorhadthepleasureofknowingthathisthirdpoeticworkwasnotproducedattheexpenseofarelative，butatthatofthepublishers。Ithadbutanindifferentreception，however。
*“ItistimetodenyastatementthathasbeenrepeatedadnauseamineverynoticethatprofessestogiveanaccountofMr。Browning’scareer。
Whateverissaidornotsaid，itisalwaysthathisplayshave`failed’
onthestage。Inpointoffact，thethreeplayswhichhehasbroughtouthaveallsucceeded，andhaveowedittofortuitouscircumstancesthattheirtenureontheboardshasbeencomparativelyshort。“
E。W。Gosse，inarticlein`TheCenturyMagazine’。