As to the personality of Rossetti, to which Mr. Benson alludes, to
say that it was the one that stood out among the lives of the
Victorian poets is to state the case very feebly. It has been the
fortune of the delineator of D'Arcy to be thrown intimately across
several of the great poets of his time, not one of whom displayed a
personality so dominant as Rossetti's. Fine as is Rossetti's poetry
and fine as are his paintings, they but inadequately represent the
man. As to his personal fascination, among all the poets of England
we have no record of anything equal to it. It asserted itself not
only in relation to the pre-Raphaelite group, but in relation to all
other members of society with whom he was brought into contact. To
describe the magnetism of such a man is, of course, impossible. Much
has been written upon what is called the _demonic_ power in certain
individuals--the power of casting one's own influence over all
others. Napoleon's case is generally instanced as a typical one. But
Napoleon's demonic power was of a self-conscious kind.
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