Inhischeerfulalertness，self-possession，andgenialsuavityBrowningimpressedhimasanAmericanratherthanasanEnglishman，thoughtherecanbenoquestionbutthatnomorethoroughEnglishmanthanthepoeteverlived。Itisamistake，ofcourse，tospeakofhimasatypicalEnglishman：fortypicalhewasnot，exceptinaveryexclusivesense。BayardTaylordescribeshiminreportorialfashionasbeingapparentlyaboutseven-and-thirtyafairlycloseguess，withhisdarkhairalreadystreakedwithgreyaboutthetemples：withafaircomplexion，justtingedwithfaintestolive：
eyeslarge，clear，andgrey，andnosestrongandwell-cut，mouthfullandratherbroad，andchinpointed，thoughnotprominent：
aboutthemediumheight，strongintheshoulders，butslenderatthewaist，withmovementsexpressiveofacombinationofvigourandelasticity。
Withdueallowanceforthepassageoffive-and-thirtyyears，thisdescriptionwouldnotbeinaccurateofBrowningtheseptuagenarian。
TheydidnotreturndirecttoItalyafterall，butwinteredinPariswithRobertBrowningtheelder，whohadretiredtoasmallhouseinastreetleadingofftheChampsElysees。ThepensionhedrewfromtheBankofEnglandwasasmallone，but，withwhatheotherwisehad，wassufficientforhimtoliveincomfort。Theoldgentleman’shealthwassuperbtothelast，forhediedin1866withouteverhavingknownaday’sillness。
SpringcameoutandfoundthemstillinParis，Mrs。BrowningenthusiasticaboutNapoleonIII。andinterestedinspiritualism：
herhusbandserenelyscepticalconcerningboth。InthesummertheyagainwenttoLondon：buttheyappeartohaveseenmoreofKenyonandotherintimatefriendsthantohaveledabusysociallife。
Kenyon’sfriendshipandgoodcompanyneverceasedtohaveacharmforbothpoets。Mrs。Browninglovedhimalmostasabrother：
herhusbandtoldBayardTaylor，onthedaywhenthatgoodpoetandcharmingmancalleduponthem，andafteranothervisitorhaddepartedamanwithalargerosyfaceandrotundbody，asTaylordescribeshim“theregoesoneofthemostsplendidmenliving
amansonobleinhisfriendship，solavishinhishospitality，solarge-heartedandbenevolent，thathedeservestobeknownallovertheworldasKenyontheMagnificent。“
IntheearlyautumnasuddenmovetowardsItalywasagainmade，andafterafewweeksinParisandonthewaytheBrowningsfoundthemselvesathomeoncemoreinCasaGuidi。
Butbeforethis，probablyindeedbeforetheyhadleftParisforLondon，Mr。MoxonhadpublishedthenownotoriousShelleyforgeries。
Theseweretwenty-fivespuriousletters，butsocleverlymanufacturedthattheyatfirstdeceivedmanypeople。IntheprecedingNovemberBrowninghadbeenaskedtowriteanintroductiontothem。
Thishehadgladlyagreedtodo，eagerashewasforasuitableopportunityofexpressinghisadmirationforShelley。Whenthelettersreachedhim，hefoundthat，genuineornot，thoughheneversuspectedtheywereforgeries，theycontainednothingofparticularimport，nothingthataffordedajustbasisforwhathehadintendedtosay。Pledgedashewas，however，towritesomethingforMr。Moxon’seditionoftheLetters，hesetaboutthecompositionofanEssay，ofageneralasmuchasofanindividualnature。
ThishewroteinParis，andfinishedbythebeginningofDecember。
Itdealtwiththeobjectiveandsubjectivepoet；ontherelationofthelatter’slifetohiswork；anduponShelleyinthelightofhisnature，art，andcharacter。ApartfromthecircumstancethatitistheonlyindependentprosewritingofanylengthfromBrowning’spen，thisisanexceptionallyableandinterestingproduction。
Dr。Furnivalldeservesgeneralgratitudeforhisobtainingtheauthor’sleavetore-issueit，andforhavingpublisheditasoneofthepapersoftheBrowningSociety。Asthatenthusiasticstudentandgoodfriendofthepoetsaysinhis“foretalk“tothereprint，theessayisnoteworthy，notmerelyasasignalservicetoShelley’sfameandmemory，butforBrowning’sstatementofhisownaiminhisownwork，bothasobjectiveandsubjectivepoet。
Thesameclearsightednessandimpartialsympathy，whicharesuchdistinguishingcharacteristicsofhisdramaticstudiesofhumanthoughtandemotion，areobviousinBrowning’sShelleyessay。
“Itwouldbeidletoenquire，“hewrites，“ofthesetwokindsofpoeticfacultyinoperation，whichisthehigherorevenrarerendowment。
Ifthesubjectivemightseemtobetheultimaterequirementofeveryage，theobjectiveinthestricteststatemuststillretainitsoriginalvalue。
Foritiswiththisworld，asstarting-pointandbasisalike，thatweshallalwayshavetoconcernourselves；theworldisnottobelearnedandthrownaside，butrevertedtoandreclaimed。“
Ofitscriticalsubtletythemoreremarkableasbyapoet-criticwhoreveredShelleythepoetandlovedandbelievedinShelleytheman
thebestexample，perhaps，isinthosepassageswherehealludestothechargeagainstthepoet’smoralnature“chargeswhich，ifsubstantiatedtotheirwidebreadth，wouldmateriallydisturb，Idonotdeny，ourreceptionandenjoymentofhisworks，howeverwonderfultheartisticqualitiesofthese。Forwearenotsufficientlysuppliedwithinstancesofgeniusofhisordertobeabletopronouncecertainlyhowmanyofitsconstituentpartshavebeentaskedandstrainedtotheproductionofagivenlie，andhowhighandpureamoodofthecreativemindmaybedramaticallysimulatedasthepoet’shabitualandexclusiveone。“
Thelargecharity，theliberalhumansympathy，thekeencriticalacumenofthisessay，makeonewishthattheauthorhadsparedusa“SludgetheMedium“ora“Pacchiarotto“，orevena“PrinceHohenstiel-Schwangau“，andgivenusmoreofsuchhonourableworkin“theotherharmony“。
GladastheBrowningsweretobehomeagainatCasaGuidi，theycouldnotenjoythemidsummerheatsofFlorence，andsowenttotheBathsofLucca。Itwasadelightforthemtorambleamongthechestnut-woodsofthehighTuscanforests，andtogoamongthegrape-vineswherethesunburntvintagerswerebusy。
OnceBrowningpaidavisittothatremotehill-streamandwaterfall，highupinaprecipitousglen，where，morethanthree-scoreyearsearlier，Shelleyhadbeenwonttoamusehimselfbysittingnakedonarockinthesunlight，reading`Herodotus’whilehecooled，andthenplungingintothedeeppoolbeneathhimtoemerge，furtherupstream，andthenclimbthroughthesprayofthewaterfalltillhewaslikeaglitteringhumanwraithinthemiddleofadissolvingrainbow。
ThoseTuscanforests，thathighcrownofLucca，mustalwayshavespecialassociationsforloversofpoetry。HereShelleylived，raptinhisbeautifuldreams，andtranslatedthe`Symposium’
sothathiswifemightsharesomethingofhisdelightinPlato。
Here，tenyearslater，Heinesneered，andlaughedandwept，andsneeredagaindrankteawith“labelleIrlandaise“，flirtedwithFrancesca“laballerina“，andwrotealternatelywithafeatheredquillfromthebreastofanightingaleandwithalancetsteepedinaquafortis：andhere，aquarterofacenturyafterward，RobertandElizabethBrowningalsolaughedandweptand“joyedi’thesun，“
dreamedmanydreams，andtouchedchordsofbeautywhosevibrationhasbecomeincorporatedwiththelargerrhythmofallthatishighandenduringinourliterature。
OnreturningtoFlorenceBrowningwiththeMS。ofthegreaterpartofhissplendidfragmentarytragedy，“InaBalcony“，composedmainlywhilewalkingalonethroughtheforestglades，Mrs。Browningfoundthatthechillbreathofthe`tramontana’wasaffectingherlungs，soamovewasmadetoRome，forthepassingofthewinter1853-4。
Inthespringtheirlittleboy，theirbeloved“Pen“，*becameillwithmalaria。
ThisdelayedtheirreturntoFlorencetillwelloninthesummer。
DuringthisstayinRomeMrs。Browningrapidlyproceededwith“AuroraLeigh“，andBrowningwroteseveralofhis“MenandWomen“，includingtheexquisite`LoveamongtheRuins’，withitsnovelmetricalmusic；
`FraLippoLippi’，wherethepainter，alreadyimmortalisedbyLandor，hashisthirdwarrantofperpetuity；the`EpistleofKarshish’inpart；
`Memorabilia’composedontheCampagna；`Saul’，aportionofwhichhadbeenwrittenandpublishedtenyearspreviously，thatnobleandloftyutterance，withitstrumpet-likenoteoftheregnantspirit；theconcludingpartof“InaBalcony“；
and`HolyCrossDay’besides，probably，oneortwoothers。
InthelatespringApril27thalso，hewrotetheshortdactyliclyric，`BenKarshook’sWisdom’。Thislittlepoemwasgiventoafriendforappearanceinoneofthethenpopular`Keepsakes’literallygiven，forBrowningnevercontributedtomagazines。Theveryfewexceptionstothisruleweretheresultofakindlinessstrongerthanscruple：
aswhenatrequestofLordHoughtonthenMr。MoncktonMilnes，hesent`Tokay’，the`Flower’sName’，and`SibrandusSchafnaburgensis’，to“helpinmakingupsomemagazinenumbersforpoorHood，thenatthepointofdeathfromhemorrhageofthelungs，occasionedbytheenlargementoftheheart，whichhadbeenbroughtonbythewearingexcitementofceaselessandexcessiveliterarytoil。“
As`BenKarshook’sWisdom’，thoughithasbeenreprintedinseveralquarters，willnotbefoundinanyvolumeofBrowning’sworks，andwasomittedfrom“MenandWomen“byaccident，andfromfurthercollectionsbyforgetfulness，itmaybefitlyquotedhere。Karshook，itmaybeadded，istheHebraicwordforathistle。