NOTE.

In all important respects I leave this volume to speak for itself. For obvious reasons it does not pretend to be more than a Mémoire pour servir: in the nature of things, the definitive¹ biography cannot appear for many years to come. None the less gratefully may I take the present opportunity to express my indebtedness to Mr. R. Barrett Browning, and to other relatives and intimate friends of Robert Browning, who have given me serviceable information, and otherwise rendered kindly² aid. For some of the hitherto unpublished details my thanks are, in particular, due to Mrs. Fraser Corkran and Miss Alice Corkran, and to other old friends of the poet and his family, here, in Italy, and in America; though in one or two instances, I may add, I had them from Robert Browning himself. It is with pleasure that I further acknowledge my indebtedness to Dr. Furnivall, for the loan of the advance-proofs of his privately-printed pamphlet on "Browning's Ancestors"; and to the Browning Society's Publications--particularly to Mrs. Sutherland Orr's and Dr. Furnivall's biographical and bibliographical³ contributions thereto; to Mr. Gosse's biographical article in the Century Magazine for 1881; to Mr. Ingram's Life of E.B. Browning; and to the Memoirs⁴ of Anna Jameson, the Italian Note-Books of Nathaniel Hawthorne, Mr. G.S. Hillard's Six Months in Italy (1853), and the Lives and Correspondence of Macready, Miss Mitford, Leigh Hunt, and Walter Savage⁵ Landor. I regret that the imperative⁶ need of concision⁷ has prevented the insertion of many of the letters, anecdotes⁸, and reminiscences, so generously placed at my disposal; but possibly I may have succeeded in educing⁹ from them some essential part of that light which they undoubtedly¹⁰ cast upon the personality and genius of the poet.

1 definitive   

adj.确切的，权威性的；最后的，决定性的

参考例句：

• This book is the definitive guide to world cuisine.这本书是世界美食的权威指南。
• No one has come up with a definitive answer as to why this should be so.至于为什么该这样，还没有人给出明确的答复。

2 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

3 bibliographical   

书籍解题的，著书目录的

参考例句：

• Full bibliographical information should be enclosed after the main text. 文献资料另编录于论文本文之后。
• See the bibliographical note under St Anne. 看到书目下的注圣安妮。

4 memoirs   

n.回忆录；回忆录传( mem,自oir的名词复数)

参考例句：

• Her memoirs were ghostwritten. 她的回忆录是由别人代写的。
• I watched a trailer for the screenplay of his memoirs. 我看过以他的回忆录改编成电影的预告片。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 savage   

adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人

参考例句：

• The poor man received a savage beating from the thugs.那可怜的人遭到暴徒的痛打。
• He has a savage temper.他脾气粗暴。

6 imperative   

n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的

参考例句：

• He always speaks in an imperative tone of voice.他老是用命令的口吻讲话。
• The events of the past few days make it imperative for her to act.过去这几天发生的事迫使她不得不立即行动。

7 concision   

n.简明，简洁

参考例句：

• As concision agent, we do business on commission basis. 作为佣金代理人，我们是在佣金的基础上做生产的。
• For example, commonweal establishment is a definite epitome and abstract with concision. 比如公益设施，就是对事物性质的明确概括和提炼，简洁明了、言简意赅。

8 anecdotes   

n.掌故，趣闻，轶事( anecdote的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• amusing anecdotes about his brief career as an actor 关于他短暂演员生涯的趣闻逸事
• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman. 他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 educing   

v.引出( educe的现在分词 )；唤起或开发出（潜能）；推断（出）；从数据中演绎（出）

参考例句：

• There are certain practical signification for avoiding、 educing errors and improving quality of digitized products. 对避免和减少误差、高矢量化产品质量有一定实际意义。 来自互联网

10 undoubtedly   

adv.确实地，无疑地

参考例句：

• It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。
• He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。