SD1802. Journal Entry of Elizabeth Clementine Kinney
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 21, 371–372 (in part).
[Florence]
Feb’y 7th. [1855]
Mr Browning spent last evening with us; says his poor, dear wife is better; but yet sees no one, as talking increases her cough. He himself looks poorly, from anxiety & broken rest; but he was, as usual, talkative, & very interesting in conversation. He is a wonderful man for his intellectual resources, profound learning, general information, tenacious memory & fund of anecdote. For everything that occurs in the course of conversation, he has a quotation to apply, or an illustrative incident to tell: nor does he of late abuse others as he did, but seems to have made good improvement of the articles on him which condemned this uncharitable practice. The conversation turned on a volume of Mr Norton’s now in press, the poems of which seem mostly to have been modelled on Browning’s Sordello—that story in a mist—that enigmatical poem, which none, save himself, has ever pretended to understand!– Mr B. did not speak of the imitation; but he did criticize Norton, as grotesque, obscure, & full of crude conceits. I wanted to ask him if he felt proud to be the leader of such a school of poets; but did not dare the question: tho’ I hope he does see for himself the ill effects of his own quaint & unintelligible writings. What weather! What a traitor is “Sunny Italy” in winter!
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Columbia University.
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