He held various jobs, including working as a teacher. He entered the literary field in 1855 and, until his death, consistently attracted the attention and interest of both critics and the public.

In 1868 he obtained a teaching qualification in philology. He toured the United States in 1872, giving lectures.

From 1881 to 1901 he spent a large part of his life in Bordighera, Italy. He died in 1905 in Ashtead, England.

He published more than fifty books, including poetry, novels, short stories, and children’s fantasy literature. Among the works published in this series is one of his most important texts, Lilith.