A great capacity for friendship involves an equally great meed of sorrow. At last the hour arrived when the friend who was nearer to him than a brother followed those who one by one he had mourned, and of the old familiar faces there were left to him only the two sisters, whose love and devotion had contributed so much to his domestic happiness, and his friend, Mr. Thomas Hake, who for seventeen years had acted as confidential secretary. CONTENTS PAGE. INTRODUCTION 5 I. GEORGE BORROW 25 II. DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI 69 III. ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON 120 IV. CHRISTINA GEORGINA ROSSETTI 177 V. DR. GORDON HAKE 207 VI. JOHN LEICESTER WARREN, LORD DE TABLEY 219 VII. WILLIAM MORRIS 240 VIII. FRANCIS HINDES GROOME 277 ILLUSTRATIONS MRS. WILLIAM MORRIS _Frontispiece_ A. C. SWINBURNE to face page 8 THEODORE WATTS-DUNTON 18 DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI 70 ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON, ÆT 80, 120 CHRISTINA ROSSETTI 178 MRS. ROSSETTI 182 DR. GORDON HAKE 208 WILLIAM MORRIS 240 FRANCIS HINDES GROOME 278 I. GEORGE BORROW. 1803–1881. I.