Thelatteryearsofthepoetwerefullofvariedinterestforhimself，butpresentlittleofparticularsignificanceforspecificationinamonographsoconciseasthismustperforcebe。Everyyearhewentabroad，toFranceortoItaly，andonceortwiceonayachtingtripintheMediterranean。*Athomeformanyyears，at19WarwickCrescent，inwhatsomeonehascalledthedrearyMesopotamiaofPaddington，andforthelastthreeorfouryearsofhislifeat29DeVereGardens，KensingtonGorehisavocationsweresomanifoldthatitisdifficulttounderstandwherehehadleisureforhisvocation。Everybodywishedhimtocometodine；andhedidhisutmosttogratifyEverybody。
Hesaweverything；readallthenotablebooks；kepthimselfacquaintedwiththeleadingcontentsofthejournalsandmagazines；
conductedalargecorrespondence；readnewFrench，German，andItalianbooksofmark；readandtranslatedEuripidesandAeschylus；
knewallthegossipoftheliteraryclubs，salons，andthestudios；
wasafrequenterofafternoon-teaparties；andthen，overandaboveit，hewasBrowning：themostprofoundlysubtlemindthathasexerciseditselfinpoetrysinceShakespeare。Hispersonalgraceandcharmofmannerneverfailed。Whetherhewasdedicating“Balaustion’sAdventure“
intermsofgraciouscourtesy，orhandingaflowerfromsomejarofroses，orlilies，orhisfavouritedaffodils，withabrightsmileormerryglance，totheladyofhisregard，orwhensendingacopyofanewbookofpoetrywithanaccompanyingletterexpressedwithrarefelicity，orwhengenerouslyprophesyingforayoungpoettheonlytruesuccessifhewillbutlistenandactupon“theinnervoice“，hewasinallthese，andinallthings，theidealgentleman。Thereissocharmingandcharacteristicatouchinthefollowingnotetoagirl-friend，thatImustfindroomforit：
*Itwasonhisfirstexperienceofthiskind，morethanaquarterofacenturyearlier，thathewrotethenoblypatrioticlinesof“HomeThoughtsfromtheSea“，andthatflawlessstrainofbird-music，“HomeThoughtsfromAbroad“：then，also，thathecomposed“HowtheybroughttheGoodNews“。Concerningthelast，hewrote，in1881
see`TheAcademy’，April2nd，“Thereisnosortofhistoricalfoundationabout[thispoem]。IwroteitunderthebulwarkofavesselofftheAfricancoast，afterIhadbeenatitlongenoughtoappreciateeventhefancyofagalloponthebackofacertaingoodhorse，`York’，theninmystableathome。Itwaswritteninpencilonthefly-leafofBartoli’s`Simboli’，Iremember。“
DeVereGardens，W。，6thJuly1889。
MybelovedAlma，IhadthehonouryesterdayofdiningwiththeShah，whereuponthefollowingdialogue：
“Vouse^tespoe“te？“
“Ons’estpermisdemeledirequelquefois。“
“Etvousavezfaitdeslivres？“
“Tropdelivres。“
“Voulez-vousm’endonnerun，afinquejepuissemeressouvenirdevous？“
“Avecplaisir。“
Ihavebeenaccordinglythismorningtotown，wherethethingisprocurable，andasIchoseavolumeofwhichIjudgedthebindingmighttaketheimperialeye，Isaidtomyself，“HeredoIpresentmypoetrytoapersonageforwhomIdonotcarethreestraws；whyshouldInotventuretodoasmuchforayoungladyIlovedearly，who，fortheauthor’ssake，willnotimpossiblycareratherfortheinsidethantheoutsideofthevolume？“SoIwasboldenoughtotakeoneandofferitforyourkindacceptance，beggingyoutorememberindaystocomethattheauthor，whetheragoodpoetorno，wasalways，myAlma，youraffectionatefriend，RobertBrowning。
Hislookwasacontinualandserenegleam。Lamartine，whoremarksthisofBossuetinhisyouth，addsaphrasewhich，asobservantacquaintancesofthepoetwillagree，mightbewrittenofBrowning
“Hislipsquiveredoftenwithoututterance，asifwiththewindofaninternalspeech。“
ExceptforthetouchingandbeautifulletterwhichhewrotefromAsoloabouttwomonthsbeforehisdeath，toMr。WilfridMeynell，aboutayoungwritertowhomthelatterwishedtodrawthepoet’skindlyattentionaletterwhichhasapeculiarpathosinthewords，“IshallsoondepartforVenice，onmywayhomeward“
exceptforthisletterthereisnonesowellworthrepetitionhereashislastwordtothePoet-Laureate。Thefriendshipbetweenthesetwogreatpoetshasinitselfthefragranceofgenius。
TheletterwaswrittenjustbeforeBrowningleftLondon。
29DeVereGardens，W。，August5th，1889。
MydearTennyson，To-morrowisyourbirthdayindeed，amemorableone。
LetmesayIassociatemyselfwiththeuniversalprideofourcountryinyourglory，andinitshopethatformanyandmanyayearwemayhaveyourveryselfamongussecurethatyourpoetrywillbeawonderanddelighttoallthoseappointedtocomeafter。
Andformyownpart，letmefurthersay，Ihavelovedyoudearly。
MayGodblessyouandyours。
Atnomomentfromfirsttolastofmyacquaintancewithyourworks，orfriendshipwithyourself，haveIhadanyotherfeeling，expressedorkeptsilent，thanthiswhichanopportunityallowsmetoutterthatIamandevershallbe，mydearTennyson，admiringlyandaffectionatelyyours，RobertBrowning。
ShortlyafterthishewasatAsolooncemore，thelittlehill-townintheVeneto，whichhehadvisitedinhisyouth，andwhereheheardagaintheechoofPippa’ssong
“God’sinHisheaven，All’srightwiththeworld!“
Mr。W。W。Storywritestomethathespentthreedayswiththepoetatthistime，andthatthelatterseemed，exceptforaslightasthma，tobeasvigorousinmindandbodyasever。Thence，laterintheautumn，hewenttoVenice，tojoinhissonanddaughter-in-lawatthehomewherehewas“tohaveacornerforhisoldage，“
thebeautifulPalazzoRezzonico，ontheGrandCanal。Hewasneverhappier，moresanguine，morejoyous，thanhere。Heworkedforthreeorfourhourseachmorning，walkeddailyforabouttwohours，crossedoccasionallytotheLidowithhissister，andintheeveningsvisitedfriendsorwenttotheopera。Butforsometimepast，hisheart
alwaysphenomenallyslowinitsaction，andoflateominouslyintermittent
hadbeennoticeablyweaker。Ashesufferednopainandlittleinconvenience，hepaidnoparticularattentiontothematter。BrowninghadaslittlefearofdeathasdoubtinGod。InacontrollingProvidencehedidindeedprofoundlybelieve。Hefelt，withJoubert，that“itisnotdifficulttobelieveinGod，ifonedoesnotworryoneselftodefineHim。“*
*“Browning’s`orthodoxy’broughthimintomanyacombatwithhisrationalisticfriends，someofwhomcouldhardlybelievethathetookhisdoctrineseriously。Suchwasthefact，however；
indeed，Ihaveheardthatheoncestoppednearanopen-airassemblywhichanatheistwasharanguing，and，inthefreedomofhis`incognito’，gavestrenuousbattletotheopinionsuttered。Toonewhohadspokenofanexpected`JudgmentDay’asasuperstition，Iheardhimsay：
`Idon’tseethat。Whyshouldtherenotbeasettlingdayintheuniverse，aswhenamastersettleswithhisworkmenattheendoftheweek？’
Therewassomethinginhistoneandmannerwhichsuggestedhisdramaticconceptionofreligiousideasandideals。“MoncureD。Conway。
“Howshouldexternalssatisfymysoul？“washiscryin“Sordello“，anditwasthefundamentalstrainofallhispoetry，asthefundamentalmotiveisexpressiblein“alovingwormwithinitssodWeredivinerthanalovelessgodAmidhisworlds“
lovebeingwithhimthegoldenkeywherewithtounlocktheworldoftheuniverse，ofthesoul，ofallnature。HeisasconvincedofthetwoabsolutefactsofGodandSoulasCardinalNewmaninwritingof“Twoandtwoonly，supremeandluminouslyself-evidentbeings，myselfandmyCreator。“Mostferventlyhebelievesthat“Haplyforustheidealdawnshallbreak……
Andsetourpulseintunewithmoodsdivine“
though，co-equally，inthenecessityof“makingmansolesponsorofhimself。“
Everandagain，ofcourse，hewasbetrayedbythebewilderinganddefiantpuzzleoflife：seeinginthefaceofthechildtheseedofsorrow，“inthegreentreeanambushedflame，inPhosphoravaunt-guardofNight。“
YetneverofhimcouldbewrittenthatthrillingsayingwhichSainte-BeuveutteredofPascal，“Thatlosttravellerwhoyearnsforhome，who，strayedwithoutaguideinadarkforest，takesmanytimesthewrongroad，goes，returnsuponhissteps，isdiscouraged，sitsdownatacrossingoftheroads，utterscriestowhichnooneresponds，resumeshismarchwithfrenzyandpain，throwshimselfuponthegroundandwantstodie，andreacheshomeatlastonlyafterallsortsofanxietiesandaftersweatingblood。“Nodarkness，notempest，nogloom，longconfusedhisvisionof`theidealdawn’。
Asthecarrier-doveisoftenbaffled，yeterelongsurelyfindsherwaythroughsmokeandfoganddintoherfarcountryhome，sohetoo，howeverdistraught，soonorlatesoaredtountroubledether。
Hehadthatprofoundinquietude，whichthegreatFrenchcriticsays`attestsamoralnatureofahighrank，andamentalnaturestampedwiththesealofthearchangel。’But，unlikePascal
whoinSainte-Beuve’swordsexposesinthehumanminditselftwoabysses，“ononesideanelevationtowardGod，towardthemorallybeautiful，areturnmovementtowardanillustriousorigin，andontheothersideanabasementinthedirectionofevil“Browningsees，believesin，holdstonothingshortofthereturnmovement，foroneandall，towardanillustriousorigin。
Thecrowninghappinessofahappylifewashisdeathinthecityhelovedsowell，inthearmsofhisdearones，inthelightofaworld-widefame。
ThesilencetowhichthemosteloquentofusmustallonedaylapsecameuponhimlikethesuddenseductivetwilightoftheTropics，andjustwhenhehadbequeathedtousoneofhisfinestutterances。
Itseemsbutadayortwoagothatthepresentwriterheardfromthelipsofthedeadpoetamockeryofdeath’svanity
abraveassertionofthegloryoflife。“Death，death!