[Venice—Thursday, 12 December 1889]
This morning, Ferdinando saw RBB—who said the Doctors give up hope! 6 P.M. My son just returned from Palo Rezzonico. Mr Browning apparently much better—and said to his son, “I feel a great deal better and should like to get up & dress and walk about—but I know I am too weak.” He was without pain of any kind. But, at 8.30 came a note from Miss Barclay (stayg in the house) to my son. ‘Dear Mr Browning is just passing away. He is still breathing—that is all,’ and asking my son to do what is necessary for having a cast made of Mr Browning’s head and hands, “wh. his son feels to be a duty he owes to the public.” This P.M. he said that Mr Browning talked freely of many things, and a telegram was read, from London, reporting the demand already made for his new volume, issued today. He said, “Now that I call good news,” with great interest and pleasure. And in so few hours expires—in that Italy, whose name, he said, was written on his heart– My son by request, recd in the evening from R.B.B. found a formatori to take the cast, and superintended the process till 12.30 P.M.
