The Brontë Family, with special reference to Patrick Branwell Brontë. Vol. 2 of 2Leyland, Francis A.
History
The Brontë Family, with special reference to Patrick Branwell Brontë. Vol. 2 of 2
Leyland, Francis A.
Authors, English -- 19th century -- Biography; Brontë family; Brontë, Patrick Branwell, 1817-1848
Far from being hopelessly a 'miserable fellow,' an 'unprincipled
dreamer,' an 'unnerved and garrulous prodigal,' as we have been told
he was, he had, in fact, within him, an abundance of worthy ambition,
a modest confidence in his own ability, which he was never known to
vaunt, and a just pride in the celebrity of his family, which, it may
be trusted, will remove from him, at any rate, the imputation of a
lack of moral power to do anything good or forcible at all.
Those who have heard fall from the lips of Branwell Brontë--and they
are few now--all those weird stories, strange imaginings, and vivid
and brilliant disquisitions on the life of the people of the
West-Riding, will recognize that there was at least no opposition, but
rather an affinity, between the tendency of his thoughts and those of
the author of 'Wuthering Heights.' And, as to special points in the
story, it may be said that Branwell Brontë had tasted most of the
passions, weaknesses, and emotions there depicted; had loved, in
frenzied delusion, as fiercely as Heathcliff loved; as with Hindley
Earnshaw, too, in the pain of loss, 'when his ship struck; the captain
abandoned his post; and the crew, instead of trying to save her,
rushed into riot and confusion, leaving no hope for their luckless
vessel.' He had, too, indeed, manifested much of the doating folly of
the unhappy master of the 'Heights'; and, finally, there is no doubt
that he possessed, nevertheless, almost as much force of character,
determination, and energy as Heathcliff himself.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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