od is
traceable. The friendship then begun was lifelong, and was continued
with the distinguished Unitarian's family when Mr. Fox himself ended his
active and beneficent career.

But after a time the few admirers of "Pauline" forgot to speak about it:
the poet himself never alluded to it: and in a year or two it was almost
as though it had never been written. Many years after, when articles
upon Robert Browning were as numerous as they once had been scarce,
never a word betrayed that their authors knew of the existence of
"Pauline." There was, however, yet another friendship to come out of
this book, though not until long after it was practically forgotten by
its author.

One day a young poet-painter came upon a copy of the book in the British
Museum Library, and was at once captivated by its beauty. One of the
earliest admirers of Browning's poetry, Dante Gabriel Rossetti--for it
was he--felt certain that "Pauline" could be by none other than the
author of "Paracelsus." He himself informed me that he had never heard
this authorship suggested, though some one had spoken to him of a poem
of remarkable promise, called "Pauline," which he ought to read. If I
remember aright, Rossetti told me that it was on the forenoon of the day
when the "Burden of Nineveh" was begun, conceived rather, that he read
this story of a soul by the soul's ablest historian. So delighted was he
with it, and so strong his opinion it was by Browning, that he wrote to
the poet, then in Florence, for confirmation, stating at the same time
that his admiration for "Pauline" had led him to transcribe the whole of
it.

Concerning this episode, Robert Browning wrote to me, some seven years
ago, as follows:--

"St. Pierre de Chartreuse, Isere, France.

* * * * *

"Rossetti's 'Pauline' letter was addressed to me at Florence more
than thirty years ago. I have preserved it, but, even were I at
home, should be unable to find it without troublesome searching. It
was to the effect that the writer, personally and altogether unknown
to me, had come upon a poem in the British Museum, which he copied
the whole of, from its being not otherwise procurable--that he
judged it to be mine, but could not be sure, and wished me to
pronounce in the matter--which I did. A year or two after, I had a
visit in London from Mr. (William) Allingham and a friend--who
proved to be Rossetti. When I hear