Chapter 19

1881-1887

The Browning Society; Mr. Furnivall; Miss E. H. Hickey--His Attitude
towards the Society; Letter to Mrs. Fitz-Gerald--Mr. Thaxter, Mrs. Celia
Thaxter--Letter to Miss Hickey; 'Strafford'--Shakspere and Wordsworth
Societies--Letters to Professor Knight--Appreciation in Italy;
Professor Nencioni--The Goldoni Sonnet--Mr. Barrett Browning;
Palazzo Manzoni--Letters to Mrs. Charles Skirrow--Mrs. Bloomfield
Moore--Llangollen; Sir Theodore and Lady Martin--Loss of old
Friends--Foreign Correspondent of the Royal Academy--'Parleyings with
certain People of Importance in their Day'.

This Indian summer of Mr. Browning's genius coincided with the highest
manifestation of public interest, which he, or with one exception, any
living writer, had probably yet received: the establishment of a Society
bearing his name, and devoted to the study of his poetry. The idea arose
almost simultaneously in the mind of Dr., then Mr. Furnivall, and of
Miss E. H. Hickey. One day, in the July of 1881, as they were on their
way to Warwick Crescent to pay an appointed visit there, Miss Hickey
strongly expressed her opinion of the power and breadth of Mr.
Browning's work; and concluded by saying that much as she loved
Shakespeare, she found in certain aspects of Browning what even
Shakespeare could not give her. Mr. Furnivall replied to this by asking
what she would say to helping him to found a Browning Society; and it
then appeared that Miss Hickey had recently written to him a letter,
suggesting that he should found one; but that it had miscarried, or, as
she was disposed to think, not been posted. Being thus, at all events,
agreed as to the fitness of the undertaking, they immediately spoke of
it to Mr. Browning, who at first treated the project as a joke; but did
not oppose it when once he understood it to be serious. His only proviso
was that he should remain neutral in respect to its fulfilment. He
refused even to give Mr. Furnivall the name or address of any friends,
whose interest in himself or his work might render their co-operation
probable.

This passive assent sufficed. A printed prospectus was now issued. About
two hundred members were soon secured. A committee was elected, of which
Mr. J. T. Nettleship, already well known as a Browning student, was
one of the most conspicuous members; and by the end of October a small
Society had come into existence, which held its inaugural meeting in
the Botanic Theatre of University College. Mr. Furnivall, its principal
founder, and responsible organizer, was Chairman of the Committee, and
Miss E. H. Hickey, the co-founder, was Honorary Secretary. When, two or
three years afterwards, illness compelled her to resign this position,
it was assumed by Mr. J. Dykes