THE ROSSETTI IN LIGHTER VEIN.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 110, 1 February 1908, Page 13

THE ROSSETTI IN LIGHTER VEIN.

It-was at an early period in my London life that I-met the Rossetti's. Dante Gabriel Rossotti charmed mo by his' fine freedom, of. thpught and. feeling boforo 1 could thoroughly appreciate his works. ■ Ho' was a unique personality, free from prejudice, and absolutely dedicated to Beauty,,-His poems and paintings aro,so p>>quiijlto|y exotic that; one has to live up to them individually. They ha,vo cpfiveyed to tho world .the impression, of a spnibro spirit like tho gront Italian poet whose .namo ho bete, but he was sociable and generous and had a rich vein of humour.: 1 * -Ho gavo pleasant dinners, ati-which. Willi lain,-Ills brother, Swinbupio, W- B. Scott, Madox Brown, Stillman (whon 111 town) wero generally present, and to which I was somc:times inifited. ' - He eagerly'joined in the talk ; ho 1 w;as a fino wrangler; and, ■ indeed, I: think some of his friends took pains to raise discussions that- would bring out his wit and,the .colours:-of his: sensibility. F.e'He-'loved to_ poke fun at familiar friends, aud 'wrote "Nonsense Verses" ' about'them, i Borne of which I remember. One was 011 tho artist: and poot; W. B. Scott, whoso "Year of the World/' Emerson so admired.; Scott woro a wi£:— ■ . ". "There is an old. party called Scott, Who seems to havo hair, but has not; Ho Beems to havo sense— A still grosser , pretenco \ On tho-part of that .'party called Scot t"." At a dinner to Stillman, at which Whistler (a..Confederate) related, with'satisfaction his iistioufF with a "Yankeo" ; 011 shipboard; 11! Lan 1 Rossetti romarked: ■"I must ,say; Whistler, .-that your conduct was scandalous." Stilhpaii, and myself wero silent. Dante Gabriel promptly wrote:— \ ™ hor .° is a artjst caile4 "Whistler, v Who 111 every respect is a bristler; ! A tubo of whico load Or a punch oi] the head .-. CfltPS equally handy to Wlnstlor." ' ■ -' Another rhyn)e I remember: — - !"T|iei p's the .. Irishman, Arthur' o'Shau<*h- , • - - nessy— : . - t.° On the chessboard of poets a pawn is ho; Though bishop or king . ' " Would bo rather tho thing V-vV''■iriy'i: To tho fancy of Aithur-O'Shaughnessy." —Fi om the "Autobiography of Moncure D Conway.