found in other painters. With his early designs (the outcome of such a
quest as has been indicated) there came, perchance, artistic crudities
enough, but assuredly there came a great spirituality also. By and by
Rossetti perceived that he must make narrower the stream of his effort
if he would have it flow deeper; and then, throughout many years, he
perfected his technical methods by abandoning complex subject-designs,
and confining himself to simple three-quarter-length pictures. More
shall be said on this point in due course. Already, although unknown
through the medium of the public picture-gallery, he was recognised as
the leader of a school of rising young artists whose eccentricities were
frequently a theme of discussion. He never invited publicity, yet he was
rapidly attaining to a prominent position among painters.

His personal character in early manhood is described by friends as one
of peculiar manliness, geniality, and unselfishness. It is said that, on
one occasion, he put aside important work of his own in order to
spend several days in the studio of a friend, whose gifts were quite
inconsiderable compared with his, and whose prospects were all but
hopeless,--helping forward certain pictures, which were backward, for
forthcoming exhibition. Many similar acts of self-sacrifice are still
remembered with gratitude by those who were the recipients of them.
Rossetti was king of his circle, and it must be said, that in all that
properly constituted kingship, he took care to rule. There was then
a certain determination of purpose which occasionally had the look of
arbitrariness, and sometimes, it is alleged, a disregard of opposing
opinion which partook of tyranny: but where heart and not head were in
question, he was assuredly the most urbane and amiable of monarchs.
In matters of taste in art, or criticism in poetry, he would brook no
opposition from any quarter; nor did he ever seem to be conscious of the
unreasonableness of compelling his associates to swallow his opinions
as being absolute and final. This disposition to govern his circle
co-existed, however, with the most lavish appreciation of every good
quality displayed by the members of it, and all the little uneasiness
to which his absolutism may sometimes have given rise was much more than
removed by constantly recurring acts of good-fellowship,--indeed it was
forgotten in the presence of them.

A photograph which exists of Rossetti at twenty-seven con