Page:Elizabeth Barrett Browning (Ingram, 5th ed.).djvu/83

Rh part supplied by Miss Barrett and Robert Browning, then unknown to each other."

The article on the merits of "Walter Savage Landor," Horne is our authority for saying, was mainly the work of Miss Barrett. "It was forwarded in two letters, which were carefully transcribed. What she had done was preceded by a few biographical and other remarks, founded upon communications forwarded to me by Mr. Landor." That Miss Barrett's observations on Landor are noteworthy needs no confirmation; but that a portion, at least, of the autobiographical information in the article—such as the marvellous anecdote of its hero's connection with the First Napoleon, related by the man himself as an instance of his "great hatred and yet greater forbearance"—was palpably evolved from pure imagination, is self-evident.

The classicism of Walter Savage Landor's style was calculated to inspire Miss Barrett with admiration for his undeniable genius, and, perhaps, to some extent, to blind her to his many eccentricities. Her critique on his writings, and the cause of their slow growth into popular favour, is not only a valuable example of her marvellous clear insight into the real nature of such things, but is a wonderful specimen of her terse and trenchant prose.

The following lines written to Horne by Miss Barrett during the progress of his New Spirit, and with reference to it, are very interesting as proving, what our readers may have already discovered, that there was a light and humorous side to her personality:—

You will conclude, from certain facts, that I am very like a broom!—not Lord Brougham, who only does a little of everything; and not a wheeled brougham, which will stop when it is bidden; and not a