Thelatteryearsofthepoetwerefullofvariedinterestforhimself，butpresentlittleofparticularsignificanceforspecificationinamonographsoconciseasthismustperforcebe。Everyyearhewentabroad，toFranceortoItaly，andonceortwiceonayachtingtripintheMediterranean。*Athomeformanyyears，at19WarwickCrescent，inwhatsomeonehascalledthedrearyMesopotamiaofPaddington，andforthelastthreeorfouryearsofhislifeat29DeVereGardens，KensingtonGorehisavocationsweresomanifoldthatitisdifficulttounderstandwherehehadleisureforhisvocation。Everybodywishedhimtocometodine；andhedidhisutmosttogratifyEverybody。
　　Hesaweverything；readallthenotablebooks；kepthimselfacquaintedwiththeleadingcontentsofthejournalsandmagazines；
　　conductedalargecorrespondence；readnewFrench，German，andItalianbooksofmark；readandtranslatedEuripidesandAeschylus；
　　knewallthegossipoftheliteraryclubs，salons，andthestudios；
　　wasafrequenterofafternoon-teaparties；andthen，overandaboveit，hewasBrowning：themostprofoundlysubtlemindthathasexerciseditselfinpoetrysinceShakespeare。Hispersonalgraceandcharmofmannerneverfailed。Whetherhewasdedicating“Balaustion’sAdventure“
　　intermsofgraciouscourtesy，orhandingaflowerfromsomejarofroses，orlilies，orhisfavouritedaffodils，withabrightsmileormerryglance，totheladyofhisregard，orwhensendingacopyofanewbookofpoetrywithanaccompanyingletterexpressedwithrarefelicity，orwhengenerouslyprophesyingforayoungpoettheonlytruesuccessifhewillbutlistenandactupon“theinnervoice“，hewasinallthese，andinallthings，theidealgentleman。Thereissocharmingandcharacteristicatouchinthefollowingnotetoagirl-friend，thatImustfindroomforit：
　　*Itwasonhisfirstexperienceofthiskind，morethanaquarterofacenturyearlier，thathewrotethenoblypatrioticlinesof“HomeThoughtsfromtheSea“，andthatflawlessstrainofbird-music，“HomeThoughtsfromAbroad“：then，also，thathecomposed“HowtheybroughttheGoodNews“。Concerningthelast，hewrote，in1881
　　see`TheAcademy’，April2nd，“Thereisnosortofhistoricalfoundationabout[thispoem]。IwroteitunderthebulwarkofavesselofftheAfricancoast，afterIhadbeenatitlongenoughtoappreciateeventhefancyofagalloponthebackofacertaingoodhorse，`York’，theninmystableathome。Itwaswritteninpencilonthefly-leafofBartoli’s`Simboli’，Iremember。“
　　DeVereGardens，W。，6thJuly1889。
　　MybelovedAlma，IhadthehonouryesterdayofdiningwiththeShah，whereuponthefollowingdialogue：
　　“Vouse^tespoe“te？“
　　“Ons’estpermisdemeledirequelquefois。“
　　“Etvousavezfaitdeslivres？“
　　“Tropdelivres。“
　　“Voulez-vousm’endonnerun，afinquejepuissemeressouvenirdevous？“
　　“Avecplaisir。“
　　Ihavebeenaccordinglythismorningtotown，wherethethingisprocurable，andasIchoseavolumeofwhichIjudgedthebindingmighttaketheimperialeye，Isaidtomyself，“HeredoIpresentmypoetrytoapersonageforwhomIdonotcarethreestraws；whyshouldInotventuretodoasmuchforayoungladyIlovedearly，who，fortheauthor’ssake，willnotimpossiblycareratherfortheinsidethantheoutsideofthevolume？“SoIwasboldenoughtotakeoneandofferitforyourkindacceptance，beggingyoutorememberindaystocomethattheauthor，whetheragoodpoetorno，wasalways，myAlma，youraffectionatefriend，RobertBrowning。
　　Hislookwasacontinualandserenegleam。Lamartine，whoremarksthisofBossuetinhisyouth，addsaphrasewhich，asobservantacquaintancesofthepoetwillagree，mightbewrittenofBrowning
　　“Hislipsquiveredoftenwithoututterance，asifwiththewindofaninternalspeech。“
　　ExceptforthetouchingandbeautifulletterwhichhewrotefromAsoloabouttwomonthsbeforehisdeath，toMr。WilfridMeynell，aboutayoungwritertowhomthelatterwishedtodrawthepoet’skindlyattentionaletterwhichhasapeculiarpathosinthewords，“IshallsoondepartforVenice，onmywayhomeward“
　　exceptforthisletterthereisnonesowellworthrepetitionhereashislastwordtothePoet-Laureate。Thefriendshipbetweenthesetwogreatpoetshasinitselfthefragranceofgenius。
　　TheletterwaswrittenjustbeforeBrowningleftLondon。
　　29DeVereGardens，W。，August5th，1889。
　　MydearTennyson，To-morrowisyourbirthdayindeed，amemorableone。
　　LetmesayIassociatemyselfwiththeuniversalprideofourcountryinyourglory，andinitshopethatformanyandmanyayearwemayhaveyourveryselfamongussecurethatyourpoetrywillbeawonderanddelighttoallthoseappointedtocomeafter。
　　Andformyownpart，letmefurthersay，Ihavelovedyoudearly。
　　MayGodblessyouandyours。
　　Atnomomentfromfirsttolastofmyacquaintancewithyourworks，orfriendshipwithyourself，haveIhadanyotherfeeling，expressedorkeptsilent，thanthiswhichanopportunityallowsmetoutterthatIamandevershallbe，mydearTennyson，admiringlyandaffectionatelyyours，RobertBrowning。
　　ShortlyafterthishewasatAsolooncemore，thelittlehill-townintheVeneto，whichhehadvisitedinhisyouth，andwhereheheardagaintheechoofPippa’ssong
　　“God’sinHisheaven，All’srightwiththeworld!“
　　Mr。W。W。Storywritestomethathespentthreedayswiththepoetatthistime，andthatthelatterseemed，exceptforaslightasthma，tobeasvigorousinmindandbodyasever。Thence，laterintheautumn，hewenttoVenice，tojoinhissonanddaughter-in-lawatthehomewherehewas“tohaveacornerforhisoldage，“
　　thebeautifulPalazzoRezzonico，ontheGrandCanal。Hewasneverhappier，moresanguine，morejoyous，thanhere。Heworkedforthreeorfourhourseachmorning，walkeddailyforabouttwohours，crossedoccasionallytotheLidowithhissister，andintheeveningsvisitedfriendsorwenttotheopera。Butforsometimepast，hisheart
　　alwaysphenomenallyslowinitsaction，andoflateominouslyintermittent
　　hadbeennoticeablyweaker。Ashesufferednopainandlittleinconvenience，hepaidnoparticularattentiontothematter。BrowninghadaslittlefearofdeathasdoubtinGod。InacontrollingProvidencehedidindeedprofoundlybelieve。Hefelt，withJoubert，that“itisnotdifficulttobelieveinGod，ifonedoesnotworryoneselftodefineHim。“*
　　*“Browning’s`orthodoxy’broughthimintomanyacombatwithhisrationalisticfriends，someofwhomcouldhardlybelievethathetookhisdoctrineseriously。Suchwasthefact，however；
　　indeed，Ihaveheardthatheoncestoppednearanopen-airassemblywhichanatheistwasharanguing，and，inthefreedomofhis`incognito’，gavestrenuousbattletotheopinionsuttered。Toonewhohadspokenofanexpected`JudgmentDay’asasuperstition，Iheardhimsay：
　　`Idon’tseethat。Whyshouldtherenotbeasettlingdayintheuniverse，aswhenamastersettleswithhisworkmenattheendoftheweek？’
　　Therewassomethinginhistoneandmannerwhichsuggestedhisdramaticconceptionofreligiousideasandideals。“MoncureD。Conway。
　　“Howshouldexternalssatisfymysoul？“washiscryin“Sordello“，anditwasthefundamentalstrainofallhispoetry，asthefundamentalmotiveisexpressiblein“alovingwormwithinitssodWeredivinerthanalovelessgodAmidhisworlds“
　　lovebeingwithhimthegoldenkeywherewithtounlocktheworldoftheuniverse，ofthesoul，ofallnature。HeisasconvincedofthetwoabsolutefactsofGodandSoulasCardinalNewmaninwritingof“Twoandtwoonly，supremeandluminouslyself-evidentbeings，myselfandmyCreator。“Mostferventlyhebelievesthat“Haplyforustheidealdawnshallbreak……
　　Andsetourpulseintunewithmoodsdivine“
　　though，co-equally，inthenecessityof“makingmansolesponsorofhimself。“
　　Everandagain，ofcourse，hewasbetrayedbythebewilderinganddefiantpuzzleoflife：seeinginthefaceofthechildtheseedofsorrow，“inthegreentreeanambushedflame，inPhosphoravaunt-guardofNight。“
　　YetneverofhimcouldbewrittenthatthrillingsayingwhichSainte-BeuveutteredofPascal，“Thatlosttravellerwhoyearnsforhome，who，strayedwithoutaguideinadarkforest，takesmanytimesthewrongroad，goes，returnsuponhissteps，isdiscouraged，sitsdownatacrossingoftheroads，utterscriestowhichnooneresponds，resumeshismarchwithfrenzyandpain，throwshimselfuponthegroundandwantstodie，andreacheshomeatlastonlyafterallsortsofanxietiesandaftersweatingblood。“Nodarkness，notempest，nogloom，longconfusedhisvisionof`theidealdawn’。
　　Asthecarrier-doveisoftenbaffled，yeterelongsurelyfindsherwaythroughsmokeandfoganddintoherfarcountryhome，sohetoo，howeverdistraught，soonorlatesoaredtountroubledether。
　　Hehadthatprofoundinquietude，whichthegreatFrenchcriticsays`attestsamoralnatureofahighrank，andamentalnaturestampedwiththesealofthearchangel。’But，unlikePascal
　　whoinSainte-Beuve’swordsexposesinthehumanminditselftwoabysses，“ononesideanelevationtowardGod，towardthemorallybeautiful，areturnmovementtowardanillustriousorigin，andontheothersideanabasementinthedirectionofevil“Browningsees，believesin，holdstonothingshortofthereturnmovement，foroneandall，towardanillustriousorigin。
　　Thecrowninghappinessofahappylifewashisdeathinthecityhelovedsowell，inthearmsofhisdearones，inthelightofaworld-widefame。
　　ThesilencetowhichthemosteloquentofusmustallonedaylapsecameuponhimlikethesuddenseductivetwilightoftheTropics，andjustwhenhehadbequeathedtousoneofhisfinestutterances。
　　Itseemsbutadayortwoagothatthepresentwriterheardfromthelipsofthedeadpoetamockeryofdeath’svanity
　　abraveassertionofthegloryoflife。“Death，death!