“ThosewhohaveknownCasaGuidiasitwas，couldhardlyenterthelovedroomsnow，andspeakaboveawhisper。Theywhohavebeensofavoured，canneverforgetthesquareanteroom，withitsgreatpictureandpianoforte，atwhichtheboyBrowningpassedmanyanhour
thelittledining-roomcoveredwithtapestry，andwherehungmedallionsofTennyson，Carlyle，andRobertBrowningthelongroomfilledwithplaster-castsandstudies，whichwasMrs。Browning’sretreat
and，dearestofall，thelargedrawing-roomwhereSHEalwayssat。
Itopensuponabalconyfilledwithplants，andlooksoutupontheiron-greychurchofSantaFelice。Therewassomethingaboutthisroomthatseemedtomakeitaproperandespecialhauntforpoets。
Thedarkshadowsandsubduedlightgaveitadrearylook，whichwasenhancedbythetapestry-coveredwalls，andtheoldpicturesofsaintsthatlookedoutsadlyfromtheircarvedframesofblackwood。LargebookcasesconstructedofspecimensofFlorentinecarvingselectedbyMr。Browningwerebrimmingoverwithwise-lookingbooks。Tableswerecoveredwithmoregaily-boundvolumes，thegiftsofbrotherauthors。
Dante’sgraveprofile，acastofKeats’sfaceandbrowtakenafterdeath，apen-and-inksketchofTennyson，thegenialfaceofJohnKenyon，Mrs。Browning’sgoodfriendandrelative，littlepaintingsoftheboyBrowning，allattractedtheeyeinturn，andgaverisetoathousandmusings。Aquaintmirror，easy-chairsandsofas，andahundrednothingsthatalwaysaddanindescribablecharm，wereallmassedinthisroom。Butthegloryofall，andthatwhichsanctifiedall，wasseatedinalowarm-chairnearthedoor。
Asmalltable，strewnwithwritingmaterials，books，andnewspapers，wasalwaysbyherside……Afterherdeath，herhusbandhadacarefulwater-colourdrawingmadeofthisroom，whichhasbeenengravedmorethanonce。Itstillhangsinhisdrawing-room，wherethemirrorandoneofthequaintchairsabovenamedstillare。
Thelowarm-chairandsmalltableareinBrowning’sstudy
withhisfather’sdesk，onwhichhehaswrittenallhispoems。“
ToMr。andMrs。Hawthorne，Mr。Hillard，andMr。Story，inparticular，weareindebtedforseveraldelightfulglimpsesintothehome-lifeofthetwopoets。WecanseeMrs。Browninginher“idealchamber“，neitheralibrarynorasitting-room，butahappyblendingofboth，withthenumerousoldpaintingsinantiqueFlorentineframes，easy-chairsandlounges，carvedbookcasescrammedwithbooksinmanylanguages，bric-a-bracinanyquantity，butalwaysartistic，flowerseverywhere，andherselfthefrailestflowerofall。
Mr。HillardspeaksofthehappinessoftheBrownings’homeandtheirunionasperfect：he，fullofmanlypower，she，thetypeofthemostsensitiveanddelicatewomanhood。
Thismuch-esteemedfriendwasfascinatedbyMrs。Browning。
Againandagainhealludestoherexceedingspirituality：
“Sheisasouloffireenclosedinashellofpearl：“
herframe“thetransparentveilforacelestialandmortalspirit：“
andthosefinewordswhichprovethathetoowasofthebrotherhoodofthepoets，“Hertremulousvoiceoftenfluttersoverherwordsliketheflameofadyingcandleoverthewick。“
Withtheflower-tideofspringin1849cameanewhappinesstothetwopoets：
thesonwhowasbornonthe9thofMarch。TheboywascalledRobertWiedemannBarrett，thesecondname，inremembranceofBrowning’smuch-lovedmother，havingbeensubstitutedforthe“Sarianna“
wherewiththechild，ifagirl，wastohavebeenchristened。
Thereaftertheir“ownyoungFlorentine“wasanendlessjoyandpridetoboth：
andhewasdoublylovedbyhisfatherforhishavingbroughtarenewaloflifetoherwhoborehim。
Thatautumntheywenttothecountry，totheneighbourhoodofVallombrosa，andthentotheBagnidiLucca。Theretheywanderedcontentinchestnut-forests，andgatheredgrapesatthevintage。
EarlyintheyearBrowning’s“PoeticalWorks“werepublishedintwovolumes。
Someofthemostbeautifulofhisshorterpoemsaretobefoundtherein。
Whatanewnoteisstruckthroughout，whatrangeofsubjectthereis!
Amongthemall，arethereanymoretreasurablethantwoofthesimplest，“HomeThoughtsfromAbroad“and“NightandMorning“？
“Oh，tobeinEnglandNowthatApril’sthere，AndwhoeverwakesinEnglandSees，somemorning，unaware，ThatthelowestboughsandthebrushwoodsheafRoundtheelm-treeboleareintinyleaf，WhilethechaffinchsingsontheorchardboughInEnglandnow!
AndafterApril，whenMayfollows，Andthewhitethroatbuilds，andalltheswallows!
Hark，wheremyblossomedpear-treeinthehedgeLeanstothefieldandscattersonthecloverBlossomsanddewdropsatthebentspray’sedge
That’sthewisethrush；hesingseachsongtwiceover，LestyoushouldthinkhenevercouldrecaptureThefirstfinecarelessrapture!“
Amoresignificantnoteisstruckin“MeetingatNight“
and“PartingatMorning“。
Meeting。
Thegreyseaandthelongblackland；
Andtheyellowhalf-moonlargeandlow；
AndthestartledlittlewavesthatleapInfieryringletsfromtheirsleep，AsIgainthecovewithpushingprow，Andquenchitsspeedi’theslushysand。
Thenamileofwarmsea-scentedbeach；
Threefieldstocrosstillafarmappears；
Atapatthepane，thequicksharpscratchAndbluespurtofalightedmatch，Andavoicelessloud，throughitsjoysandfears，Thanthetwoheartsbeatingeachtoeach!
Parting。
Roundthecapeofasuddencamethesea，Andthesunlookedoverthemountain’srim：
Andstraightwasapathofgoldforhim，Andtheneedofaworldofmenforme。
Thefollowingwinter，whentheywereagainattheirFlorentinehome，Browningwrotehis“ChristmasEveandEasterDay“，thatremarkable`apologia’forChristianity，andclose-reasonedpresentationofthereligiousthoughtofthetime。Itis，however，forthisreasonthatitissowidelyknownandadmired：foritisevereasiertoattractreadersbydogmathanbybeauty，byintellectualargumentthanbytheseductionofart。Coincidently，Mrs。Browningwrotethefirstportionof“CasaGuidiWindows“。
Inthespringof1850husbandandwifespentashortstayinRome。
Ihavebeentoldthatthepoementitled`TwointheCampagna’
wasasactuallypersonalasthealreadyquoted“GuardianAngel“。
ButIdonotthinkstressshouldbelaidonthisandkindredlocalisations。
Exactornot，theyhavenoliteraryvalue。Tothepoet，thedramaticpoetaboveall，localityandactualityofexperienceare，sotosay，merelyfortunatecoignsofoutlook，forthewingedgeniustotemporallyinhabit。Totheimaginativemind，truthisnotsimplyactuality。
Asfor`TwointheCampagna’：itistoouniversallytruetobemerelypersonal。Thereisagulfwhichnottheprofoundestsearchcanfathom，whichnotthestrongest-wingedlovecanoverreach：
thegulfofindividuality。Itisthosewhohavelovedmostdeeplywhorecognisemostacutelythisalwayspatheticandoftenterrifyingisolationofthesoul。Nonesavetheweakcanbelieveintheabsoluteunionoftwospirits。Ifthisweredemonstratable，immortalitywouldbeapalpablefiction。Themomentindividualitycanlapsetofusion，thatmomentthetidehasebbed，thewindhasfallen，thedreamhasbeendreamed。Solongasthesoulremainsinviolateamidallshockoftimeandchange，solongisitimmortal。
Noman，nopoetassuredly，couldloveasBrowningloved，andfailtobeaware，oftenwithvagueangerandbitterness，nodoubt，ofthisinsuperableisolationevenwhenspiritseemedtoleaptospirit，inthetouchofakiss，intheevanishingsighofsomeoneorotherexquisitemoment。
Thepoemtellsushowthelovers，strayinghandinhandoneMaydayacrosstheCampagna，satdownamongtheseedinggrasses，contentatfirstintheidlewatchingofaspiderspinninghergossamerthreadsfromyellowingfenneltoothervagrantweeds。Allaroundthem“ThechampaignwithitsendlessfleeceOffeatherygrasseseverywhere!
Silenceandpassion，joyandpeace，Aneverlastingwashofair……
“Suchlifehere，throughsuchlengthofhours，Suchmiraclesperformedinplay，Suchprimalnakedformsofflowers，Suchlettingnaturehaveherway。“……
Letustoobeunashamedofsoul，thepoet-loversays，evenasearthliesbaretoheaven。Nothingistobeoverlooked。
Butallinvain：invain“Idrinkmyfillatyoursoul’ssprings。“
“JustwhenIseemedabouttolearn!
Whereisthethreadnow？offagain!
Theoldtrick!OnlyIdiscern
Infinitepassion，andthepainOffiniteheartsthatyearn。“
ItwasduringthisvisittoRomethatbothweregratifiedbytheproposalintheleadingEnglishliteraryweekly，thatthePoet-Laureateship，vacantbythedeathofWordsworth，shouldbeconferreduponMrs。Browning：
thoughbothrejoicedwhentheylearnedthatthehonourhaddevolvedupononewhomeachsoardentlyadmiredasAlfredTennyson。In1851avisitwaspaidtoEngland，notoneverymuchlookedforwardtobyMrs。Browning，whohadneverhadcausetoyearnforheroldhomeinWimpoleStreet，andwhocouldanticipatenoreconciliationwithherfather，whohadpersistentlyrefusedeventoopenherletterstohim，andhadforbiddenthementionofhernameinhishomecircle。
BayardTaylor，inhistravel-sketchespublishedunderthetitle“AtHomeandAbroad“，hasputonrecordhowhecalledupontheBrowningsoneafternooninSeptember，attheirroomsinDevonshireStreet，andfoundthemontheeveoftheirreturntoItaly。