Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 32.djvu/65

 his tender attachment to his children might have led to happier results: but his friends could escape from his explosions. Landor had been receiving about 600l. a year from his English properties, the remainder of the rents being absorbed by mortgages and a reserve fund. On leaving Italy he made over 400l. of his own share to his wife, and transferred absolutely to his son the villa and farm at Fiesole. His income was thus 200l. a year, which was afterwards doubled at the cost of the reserve fund (, p. 517).

Landor was again at Clifton in the winter of 1836-7, and had a friendly meeting with Southey. After some rambling be settled at Bath in the spring of 1838, and lived there till his final departure from England. His 'Shakespeare' had been published in 1834; the 'Pericles and Aspasia' came out with such ill sucess that Landor returned to his publishers 100l., which they had paid for it, an action only paralleled in the case of Collins. A similar result seems to have followed the publication of the 'Pentameron' in 1837 (ib. pp. 373,384,403). He next set about his three plays, the 'Andrea of Hungary,' 'Giovanna of Naples,' and 'Fra Rupert,' the last of which showed a curious resemblance, due probably to unconscious recollection, to the plot of a play called 'The Earl of Brecon,' published by his brother Robert in 1824. Little as those plays, or 'conversations in verse,' succeeded with the public, Landor gained warm admirers, many of whom were his personal friends. At Bath he was intimate with Sir William Napier; during his first years there he visited Armilage Brown at Plymouth, and John Kenyon, down to his death in 1856, was a specially warm friend. Southey's mind was giving way when he wrote a last letter to his friend in 1839, but he continued to repeat Landor's name when generally incapable of mentioning any one. Julius Hare, whom he frequently visited at Hurstmonceaux sent during his last illness (in 1854) for Landor, and spoke of him affectionately till the end. Landor occasionally visited town to see Lady Blessington. Forster's review of the 'Shakespeare' had led to a friendship, and Forster was in the habit of going with Dickens to Bath, in order to celebrate on the same day Landor's birth and Charles I's execution. Landor greatly admired Dickens's works, and was especially moved by 'Little Nell.' Dickens drew a portrait of some at least of Landor's external peculiarities in his Boythorne in 'Bleak House.' Forster had helped Landor in the publication of his plays, and was especially useful in the colection of his works, which appeared in 1846, Forster harvng objected to the insertion into this of his Latin poetry. Landor yielded, and published his 'Poemata et Inscriptiones' separately in 1847. In the same year he published the ' Hellenics,' including the poems published under that title in the collected works, together with English translations of the Latin idyls. The collected works also included the conversations regained from N. P. Willis, Some additional poems, conversations, and miscellaneous writings were published in 1863 as 'Last Fruit off an Old Tree.' It contained also some letters originally written to the 'Examiner,' then edited by Forster, on behalf of Southey's family, which had led, to Landor's pleasure, to the bestowal of one of the chancellor's livings upon Cuthbert, the son of his old friend

In the beginning of 1857 Landor's mind was evidently weakened. He unfortunately got himself mixed up in a miserable quarrel, in which two ladies of his acquaintance were concerned. He gave to one of them a legacy of 100l. received from his friend Kenyon. She, without his knowledge, transferred half of it to the other. They then quarrelled, and the second lady accused the first of having obtained the money from Landor for discreditable reasons. Landor in his fury committed himself to a libel, for which he was persuaded to apologise. Unluckily he had resolved, in spite of Forster's remonstrances, to publish a book called 'Dry Sticks fagoted by W. S. Landor,' containing, among much that was unworthy of him. a scandalous lampoon suggested by the quarrel. Landor had desired that the book should be described as by 'the late W. S. Landor,' and he had ceased in fact to be fully his old self. Unluckily he was still legally responsible. At the end of March 1858 he was found insensible in his bed, was unconscious for twenty-four hours, and for some time in a precarious state. An action for libel soon followed. He was advised to assign away his property, to sell his pictures, and retire to Italy. He accordingly left England for France on 14 July, went to Genoa, and thence to his old home at Florence.

Landor, before leaving, transferred the whole of the English estates to his son, His wife's income, which in 1842 had been raised to 500l. a year, was now secured upon the Llanthony estate. The younger children had received from various legacies enough for their support. Landor had himself only a few books, pictures, or plate, and 150l. in cash. Damages for 1,000l. were given against him in the libel case (23 Aug. 1858; reported in ' Times' 24 Aug.), and by an order of the court of chancery this sum was paid