dge him in this latter
spirit would undoubtedly perceive all the fine points in Strafford's
nature and would balance these against his theories of government to the
better understanding of this extraordinary man.

It is almost needless to say that Browning's perception of Strafford's
character was penetrating and sympathetic. Strafford's devotion to his
King had in it not only the element of loyalty to the liege, but an
element of personal love which would make an especial appeal to
Browning. He, in consequence, seizes upon this trait as the key-note of
his portrayal of Strafford.

The play is, on the whole, accurate in its historical details, though
the poet's imagination has added many a flying buttress to the
structure.

Forster's lives of the English Statesmen in Lardner's Cyclopaedia
furnished plenty of material, and he was besides familiar with some if
not all of Forster's materials for the lives. One of the interesting
surprises in connection with Browning's literary career was the fact
divulged some years ago that he had actually helped Forster in the
preparation of the Life of Strafford. Indeed it is thought that he wrote
it almost entirely from the notes of Forster. Dr. Furnivall first called
attention to this, and later the life of Strafford was reprinted as
"Robert Browning's Prose Life of Strafford."[2] In his Forewords to this
volume, Dr. Furnivall, who, among many other claims to distinction, was
the president of the "London Browning Society," writes, "Three times
during his life did Browning speak to me about his prose 'Life of
Strafford.' The first time he said only--in the course of chat--that
very few people had any idea of how much he had helped John Forster in
it. The second time he told me at length that one day he went to see
Forster and found him very ill, and anxious about the 'Life of
Strafford,' which he had promised to write at once, to complete a volume
of 'Lives of Eminent British Statesmen' for Lardner's 'Cabinet
Cyclopaedia.' Forster had finished the 'Life of Eliot'--the first in the
volume--and had just begun that of Strafford, for which he had made full
collections and extracts; but illness had come on, he couldn't work, the
book ought to be completed forthwith, as it was due in the serial issue
of volumes; what _was_ he to do? 'Oh,' said Browning, 'don't trouble
about it. I'll take your papers and do it for you.' Forster thanked his
young friend heartily, Browning put the Strafford