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alone from Browning’s works. The last lines published of 
Browning were an epilogue, which formed a fitting conclusion 
of such a life. The book was published on the morning of the 
12th, and in the evening of the same day the poet died, an event 
unexpected by everyone. His sudden death was a calamity and 
was received as such. The poet wished to be buried by the side 
of his wife, but it was found that this could not be, as the 
burial place where she lay was closed. The Florentine 
authorities, however, endeavoured to meet the family in their 
difficulty, and were willing to give the authority needed to exhume 
the body of Mrs. Browning for reinterment in the new cemetery 
with the poet, but in the meantime the Dean of Westminster had 
offered a place in the Poet’s Corner, which was accepted, and 
there the poet now lies. 
A discussion followed :— 
Mr. Henry Houlding held that the greater the poet the 
simpler his language and style. He supposed that Homer was 
understood, and loved and recited in Greece very likely by the 
poor unlettered bards of the time with as much enthusiasm as 
Shakespeare is ranted on every stage to-day. There was no such 
difficulty in Homer to those who knew the language, or in 
Chaucer, or in Spenser, after one had mastered their archaisms. 
He was not going to say that Browning was not a great poet—- 
he believed he was. But many people took a pleasure in reading 
poetry who were very much engaged in the business of life. 
They had not time to read and read a poet before they could 
understand his drift and meaning; and if all poets were so 
difficult to understand, then business men would have to be 
content with mastering one instead of a number of poets. 
Browning spoilt his power by his style, his rugged chopped-up 
language was a detriment and a drawback to his power. To his 
mind there was something which never could be dissociated 
from poetry, and that was musical language. Poetry was 
thought, emotion, passion expressed in beautiful rhythmic 
language. He did not offer any opinion as to the merit of 
Browning. He had only read his poetry in selections, but even 
in selections it was possible to form some estimate of the 
power and inspiration of poetry, and he must say that he had 
been somewhat disappointed in this respect with the two 
volumes of selections from Browning’s works he had read. 
The Rev. §. Pearce Carey, M.A., said the difficulty lay in 
Browning’s particular style of humour and the rapidity of his 
thought. He believed that Browning's expression suited the 
thoughts he wished to express. He was not the poet of the 
people, but the poet of the poets and the poet of the high 
thinkers. What he admired most in Browning was his method 
of looking at the bright side and the hopefulness of his life. 
