s and salons; the Brownings were there, and in their prime.
The young painter and his work, including the _Cimabue's Madonna_ in its
earlier stages, made a great impression on Thackeray, who turned prophet
for once on the strength of it. On returning to London and meeting
Millais, he prophesied gaily to that ardent Pre-Raphaelite, then
marching on from success to success: "Millais! my boy, I have met in
Rome a versatile young dog called Leighton, who will one of these days
run you hard for the presidentship!" This was early days for such a
rumour to reach the Academy, who knew an older school, represented by
Landseer and Eastlake, and a younger school, represented by Millais and
Rossetti, but as yet knew not Leighton.

Among the leading artists in Rome at this time, beside Cornelius, were
the two French painters, Bouguereau and Gerome. To these, especially to
Bouguereau, who was a great believer in "scientific composition,"
Leighton was, on his own testimony, largely indebted for his fine sense
of form. Yet another famous Frenchman, Robert Fleury, whom he afterwards
met in Paris, may be mentioned here, since from him he learnt much in
the way of colouring, and the technique of his art.

Turning from the painters to the poets, it was at Rome that Robert
Browning, who was at this time writing his "Men and Women," formed close
acquaintance with the young artist. Something of the atmosphere which
permeates such poems as "Bishop Blougram's Apology," "Andrea del Sarto,"
and others of the same series, seems to linger yet in the record of
those early meetings of poets and painters, with all their associations:

"The Vatican,
Greek busts, Venetian paintings, Roman walls,
And English books."

One easily supposes Browning speaking through his Bishop Blougram, as,
it is said, he was heard to speak in those days in praise of Correggio,
to whose qualities, Ruskin tells us, Sir Frederic Leighton curiously
approximates:

"'Twere pleasant could Correggio's fleeting glow
Hang full in face of one where'er one roams,
Since he more than the others brings with him
Italy's self--the marvellous Modenese!"

Italy's self, in truth, Frederic Leighton, like Browning in poetry,
did not fail to bring with him, and revived for us for many years, by
his art and southern glow of colour, in the gray heart of London.

[Illustration: CIMABUE'S MADONNA CARRIED IN PROCESSION THROUGH THE STREETS
OF FLORENC