the people!' as the man who, to my apprehension, represents the democracy, went past. A very intelligent Frenchman, caught in the crowd and forced to grope his way slowly along, told me that the expression of opinion everywhere was curiously the same, not a dissenting mutter did he hear. Strange, strange, all this! For the drama of history we must look to France, for startling situations, for the 'points' which thrill you to the bone.... May God bless you meantime! Take care of yourself for the sake of us all who love you, none indeed more affectionately and gratefully than R.B. and E.B.B. FOOTNOTES: [1] The Holy Scriptures. [2] Miss Haworth was a friend of Mr. Browning from very early days, and was commemorated by him in 'Sordello' under the name of 'Eyebright' (see Mrs. Orr's _Life_, p. 86). Her acquaintance with Mrs. Browning began with this visit to London, and ripened into a warm friendship. One subject of interest which they had in common was mesmerism, with the attendant mysteries of spiritualism and Swedenborgianism; and references to these are frequent in Mrs. Browning's letters to her. [3] So spelt in the earlier letters, but subsequently modified to 'Penini.' [4] Miss Mitford had lately moved into her new home at Swallowfield, about three miles from the old cottage at Three Mile Cross, commemorated in 'Our Village.' [5] The article was by M. Joseph Milsand, and led to the formation of the warm friendship between him and Mr. Browning which lasted until the death of the former in 1886. [6] The May edict restricted the franchise to electors who had resided three years in the same district. In October Louis Napoleon proposed to repeal it, and the refusal of the Assembly no doubt strengthened his hold on the democracy. [7] The _coup d'état_ took place in the early morning of December 2. [8] The constitution of 1848. [9] The point was rather whether they had the _power_. [10] Miss Mitford's _Recollections of a Literary Life_ contained a chapter relating to Robert and Elizabeth Browning, in which, with the best intentions in the world, she told the story of the drowning of Edward Barrett, and of the gloom cast by it on his sister's life. It was this revival of the greatest sorrow of her life that so upset Mrs. Browning. [11] No doubt M. Milsand was the writer in question. [12] The (forged) _Letters of Shelley_, to which Mr. Browning wrote an introduction, dealing rather with Shelley in general than with the letters. [13] 'Lines to Elizabeth Barrett Browning on her Later Sonnets', printed in the _Athenæum_ for February 15, 1851. The allusion to the voice which called 'Dinah' must refer to something in Miss Mulock's letter. Dinah was Miss Mulock's Christian name.