Text extracted from opening pages of book: BRONTE POEMS SELECTIONS FROM THE POETRY OF CHARIJOTTE, EMILY, ANNE ANU BRANWELL BRONTE EDITED, WITH AN INTRODUCTION, BY ARTHUR C. BENSON WITH PORTRAITS AND FACSIMILES LONDON JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET, W. 1915 CHARLOTTE BRONTE ( 1816-1855) EMILY JANE BRONTE ( 1818-1848) ANNE BRONTE ( 1820-1849) From the painting, by Patrick Branwell Bronte, about 1835 in the National Portrait Gallery. ( The figures in the group are, reading from eft to right, Anne, Emily and Charlotte Bronte) This is the picture shown by Charlotte Bronte to Mrs Gaskell and cles-; ribecl by her in The Life of Charlotte Haworth Edition pages 135-130) Printed by BALLANTYNE, HANSON & Co., At the Ballantyne Press, Edinburgh All INTRODUCTION IT is a matter of something more than simple curiosity to trace, if possible, the physical descent of imaginative and technical qualities so marked and pronounced as those which flowered in the four Brontes. Mendelism that is to say the new scien tific view of heredity has taught us to look confi dently in the ancestry of any stock for the germs of outstanding faculties, even though it also indicates that such a variation implies a loss rather than a gain of balance, and that an outburst of intellectual or artistic force probably implies, not an added quality, but the abstracting of some other quality, the absence of which allows the mind to have freer play. But though Mrs. Gaskell traced the life and tem perament of the sisters in a fine flowing outline, full of insight and charm, and though Mr. Clement Shorter, with infinite patience and exactness of inves tigation, has accumulated an astonishing amount of v Introduction detailed evidenceabout the whole household, yet we cannot precisely discern the far-off approach of genius and capacity in their case. All that we know is that the mother, a Cornishwoman, had a taste for the elaborate, if somewhat prim, expression of emotions; and that the father, that grim and even grotesque figure, who in later life tended to sub merge his face into ever-increasing folds of a cam bric choker, was a zealous and industrious poet. He published, as a young parson, a volume entitled * Cottage Poems, ‘ and according to his own account c When relieved from Clerical avocations, he was occupied in writing the Cottage Poems from morning till noon, and from noon till night 5 his employment was full of indescribable pleasure, such as he could wish to taste as long as life lasts. His hours glided pleasantly and almost imperceptibly by, and when night drew on, and he retired to rest, ere his eyes closed in sleep with sweet calmness and serenity of mind, he often reflected that, though the delicate palate of criticism might be disgusted, the business of the day in the prosecution of this humble task was well-pleasing in the sight of God, and by His blessing might be rendered useful to some poor soul who cared little about critical niceties.* Here is a case of undoubted artistic absorption; vi Introduction but the manner and matter of Mr Bronte’s verse can be adequately gauged and summarily dismissed by giving two not t unfavourable specimens 1 Should poverty, modest and clean, E'er please when presented to view, Should cabin on brown heath or green, Disclose aught engaging to you; Should Erin’s wild harp soothe the ear, When touched by such fingers as mine, Then kindly attentive draw near, Andcandidly ponder each line.’ He further published a prose work called * The Cottage in the Wood, or the Art of becoming Rich and Happy, ‘ which contains a poetical episode entitled’ The Nightly Revel, ‘ from which it may be inferred that he was a diligent student of Pope. 4 Without, within, above, beneath, around, Ungodly jests and deep-mouthed oaths resound; Pale Reason, trembling, leaves her reeling throne, Truth, Honour, Virtue, Justice, all are flown; The sly, dark-glancing harlot’s fatal breath Allures to sin and sorrow, shame and death. The gaming-table, too, that