An introduction to Macready which took place at Mr Fox’s house towards the close of November 1835 was fruitful in consequences.  A month later Browning was Macready’s guest at Elstree, the actor’s resting-place in the country.  His fellow-traveller, then unknown to him, in the coach from London was John Forster; in Macready’s drawing-room the poet and his critic first formed a personal acquaintance.  Browning had for long been much interested in the stage, but only as a spectator.  His imagination now turned towards dramatic authorship with a view to theatrical performance.  A play on a subject from later Roman history, Narses, was thought of and was cast aside.  The success of Talfourd’s Ion, after the first performance of which (May 26, 1836) Browning supped in the author’s rooms with Macready, Wordsworth, and Landor, probably raised high hopes of a like or a greater success for some future drama of his own.  “Write a play, Browning,” said Macready, as they left the house, “and keep me from going to America.”  “Shall it be historical or English?” Browning questioned, as the incident is related by Mrs Orr, “What do you say to a drama on Strafford?” The life of Stafford by his friend Forster, just published, which during an illness of the author had been revised in manuscript by Browning, probably determined the choice of a subject.

By August the poet had pledged himself to achieve this first dramatic adventure.  The play was produced at Covent Garden on May 1st, 1837, by Macready, who himself took the part of Strafford.  Helen Faucit, then a novice on the stage, gave an adequate rendering of the difficult part of Lady Carlisle.  For the rest, the complexion of the piece, as Browning describes it, after one of the latest rehearsals, was “perfect gallows.”  Great historical personages were presented by actors who strutted or slouched, who whimpered or drawled.  The financial distress at Covent Garden forbade any splendour or even dignity of scenery or of costumes.[19] The text was considerably altered—­and not always judiciously—­from that of the printed play, which had appeared before its production on the stage.  Yet on the first night Strafford was not damned, and on the second it was warmly applauded.[20] After the fifth performance the wretched Pym refused to save his mother England even once more, and the play was withdrawn.  Browning declared to his friends that never again, as long as he might live, would he write a play.  Whining not being to his taste, he averted his eyes and set himself resolutely to work upon Sordello.

“I sail this morning for Venice,” Browning wrote to a friend on Good Friday, 1838.  He voyaged as sole passenger on a merchantman, and soon was on friendliest terms with the rough kindly captain.  For the first fortnight the sea was stormy and Browning suffered much; as they passed through the Straits of Gibraltar, Captain Davidson aided him to reach the deck, and a pulsing of home-pride—­not