LatestresearchhasprovedthatwhatsoeverofapretenderParacelsusmayhavebeenincertainrespects，hewasunquestionablyamanofextraordinarypowers：and，asapioneerinascienceofthefirstmagnitudeofimportance，deservingofhighhonour。
IfeverthefamousGermanattainahighplaceinthehistoryofthemodernintellectualmovementinEurope，itwillbeprimarilyduetoBrowning’schampionship。
ButofcoursetheextentorshallownessofParacelsus’claimisamatterofquitesecondaryinterest。Weareconcernedwiththepoet’spresentmentofthemanofthatstrangesoulwhomheconceivedofashavinganticipatedsofar，andashavingfocussedallthevagrantspeculationsofthedayintoonestartlingbeamoflight，nowlambentlypure，nowluridwithgrossconstituents。*
*Paracelsushastwoparticularclaimsuponourregard。
Hegaveuslaudanum，adiscoveryofincalculableblessingtomankind。
Andfromhisfourthbaptismalname，whichheinheritedfromhisfather，wehaveourfamiliarterm，`bombast’。Readersinterestedintheknownfactsconcerningthe“master-mind，thethinker，theexplorer，thecreator，“theforerunnerofMesmerandevenofDarwinandWallace，whobeganlifewiththesoundingappellation“PhilippusAureolusTheophrastusBombastusabHohenheim“，shouldconsultBrowning’sownlearnedappendicalnote，andMr。Berdoe’sinterestingessayintheBrowningSocietyPapers，No。49。
Paracelsus，hisfriendsFestusandhiswifeMichal，andAprile，anItalianpoet，arethecharacterswhoarethepersonalmediathroughwhichBrowning’salreadypowerfulgeniusfoundexpression。
Thepoemis，ofakind，anepic：theepicofabravesoulstrivingagainstbafflingcircumstance。Itisfullofpassagesofraretechnicalexcellence，aswellasofconceptivebeauty：
sofull，indeed，thatthesympatheticreaderofitasadramawillbetooapttooverlookitsradicalshortcomings，castasitisinthedramaticmould。ButitmustnotbeforgottenthatBrowninghimselfdistinctlystatedhehadattemptedtowrite“apoem，notadrama“：andinthelightofthissimplestatementhalftheobjectionsthathavebeenmadefalltotheground。
Paracelsusistheprotagonist：theothersaremerelyincidental。
Thepoemisthesoul-historyofthegreatmedicalstudentwhobeganlifesobraveofaspectanddiedsomiserablyatSalzburg：
butitisalsothehistoryofatypicalhumansoul，whichcanbereadwithoutanyknowledgeofactualparticulars。
Aprileisaprojectionofthepoet’sownpoeticalideal。Hespeaks，buthedoesnotliveasFestuslives，orevenasMichal，who，bytheway，isinterestingasbeingthefirstinthelonggalleryofBrowning’swomen
agalleryofsuperbly-drawnportraits，ofnobleandstrikingandalwaysintenselyhumanwomen，unparalleledexceptinShakespeare。
Pauline，ofcourse，existsonlyasanabstraction，andPorphyriaisinnoexactsenseaportraitfromthelife。YetMichalcanberevealedonlytothesympatheticeye，forsheisnotdrawn，butagainandagainsuddenlysilhouetted。Weseeherinprofilealways：butwhensheexclaimsatthelast，“Ieverdidbelieve，“wefeelthatshehaswithdrawntheveilpartiallyhidingherfairandgenerousspirit。
Totheloverofpoetry“Paracelsus“willalwaysbeaGolconda。
Ithaslinesandpassagesofextraordinarypower，ofahauntingbeauty，andofauniqueandexquisitecharm。Itmaybenoted，inexemplificationofBrowning’sartisticrange，thatinthedescriptivepassageshepaintsaswellintheelaboratePre-Raphaelitemethodaswithabroadsynthetictouch：asin“OneoldpopulousgreenwallTenantedbytheever-busyflies，Greycricketsandshylizardsandquickspiders，Eachfamilyofthesilver-threadedmoss
Which，lookthroughnear，thisway，anditappearsAstubble-fieldoracane-brake，amarshOfbulrushwhiteninginthesun……“
Butoftenerheprefersthemoresuccinctmethodoflandscape-painting，thebroadestimpressionism：asin“Pastthehighrocksthehauntsofdoves，themoundsOfredearthfromwhosesidesstrangetreesgrowout，Pasttracksofmilk-whiteminuteblindingsand。“
Andwhereinmodernpoetryisthereasuperberunionofthescientificandthepoeticvisionthaninthismagnificentpassage
thequintessenceofthepoet’sconceptionoftheraptureoflife：
“Thecentre-fireheavesunderneaththeearth，Andtheearthchangeslikeahumanface；
Themoltenoreburstsupamongtherocks，Windsintothestone’sheart，outbranchesbrightInhiddenmines，spotsbarrenriver-beds，Crumblesintofinesandwheresunbeamsbask
Godjoystherein。Thewrothsea’swavesareedgedWithfoam，whiteasthebittenlipofhate，Wheninthesolitarywaste，strangegroupsOfyoungvolcanoescomeup，cyclops-like，Staringtogetherwiththeireyesonflame
Godtastesapleasureintheiruncouthpride。
Thenallisstill；earthisawintryclod：
ButSpring-wind，likeadancingpsaltress，passesOveritsbreasttowakenit，rareverdureBudstenderlyuponroughbanks，betweenThewitheredtree-restsandthecracksoffrost，Likeasmilestrivingwithawrinkledface；
Thegrassgrowsbright，theboughsareswolnwithbloomsLikechrysalidsimpatientfortheair，Theshiningdorrsarebusy，beetlesrunAlongthefurrows，antsmaketheirado；
Above，birdsflyinmerryflocks，thelarkSoarsupandup，shiveringforveryjoy；
Afartheoceansleeps；whitefishinggullsFlitwherethestrandispurplewithitstribeOfnestedlimpets；savagecreaturesseekTheirlovesinwoodandplainandGodrenewsHisancientrapture。“
Intheselines，particularlyintheirclose，ismanifesttheinfluenceofthenobleHebraicpoetry。ItmusthavebeenatthisperiodthatBrowningconnedoverandoverwithanexultantdelightthesimplebutlordlydictionofIsaiahandtheotherprophets，preferringthisBiblicalpoetrytothatevenofhisbelovedGreeks。
ThereisananecdoteofhiswalkingacrossapublicparkIamtoldRichmond，butmoreprobablyitwasWimbledonCommon
withhishatinhislefthandandhisrightwavingtoandfrodeclamatorily，whilethewindblewhishairaroundhisheadlikeanimbus：
soraptinhisecstasyoverthesolemnsweepoftheBiblicalmusicthathedidnotobserveasmallfollowingconsistingofseveraleagerchildren，expectantofthrillingstump-oratory。Hewasjusttheman，however，toacceptananti-climaxgenially，andtodismisshisdisappointedauditorywithsomethingmoretangiblethananaddress。
Thepoet-precursorofscientificknowledgeisagainandagainmanifest：
as，forexample，in“HintsandprevisionsofwhichfacultiesArestrewnconfusedlyeverywhereaboutTheinferiornatures，andallleaduphigher，Allshapeoutdimlythesuperiorrace，Theheirofhopestoofairtoturnoutfalse，Andmanappearsatlast。“*
*ReadersinterestedinBrowning’sinspirationfrom，andtreatmentof，Science，shouldconsulttheexcellentessayonhimas“AScientificPoet“byMr。EdwardBerdoe，F。R。C。S。，and，inparticular，comparewiththeoriginalsthereferencesgivenbyMr。BerdoetothenumerouspassagesbearinguponEvolutionandtheseveralsciences，fromAstronomytoPhysiology。
Therearelines，again，whichhaveamagicthatcannotbedefined。
Ifitbenotfelt，nosenseofitcanbeconveyedthroughanother’swords。
“Whosememorieswereasolacetomeoft，Asmountain-bathstowildfowlsintheirflight。“
“Askthegier-eaglewhyshestoopsatonceIntothevastandunexploredabyss，Whatfull-grownpowerinformsherfromthefirst，Whyshenotmarvels，strenuouslybeatingThesilentboundlessregionsofthesky。“
Thereisonepassage，beautifulinitself，whichhasapatheticsignificancehenceforth。Gordon，ourmostreveredhero，waswonttodeclarethatnothinginallnonscripturalliteraturewassodeartohim，nothinghadsoofteninspiredhiminmomentsofgloom：
“Igotoprovemysoul!
Iseemywayasbirdstheirtracklessway。
Ishallarrive!Whattime，whatcircuitfirst，Iasknot：butunlessGodsendHishailOrblindingfireballs，sleetorstiflingsnow，Insometime，Hisgoodtime，Ishallarrive：
Heguidesmeandthebird。Inhisgoodtime。“
Asforthemuchmisused`Shakespearian’comparison，sooftenmistakenlyappliedtoBrowning，thereisnothingin“Paracelsus“
intheleastwayderivative。BecauseShakespeareisthegreatestgeniusevolvedfromourrace，itdoesnotfollowthateveryloftyintellect，everygreatobjectivepoet，shouldbelabelled“Shakespearian“。
Butthereisacertainqualityinpoeticexpressionwhichwesospecify，becausetheintensehumanitythrobbinginitfindshighestutteranceinthegreatestofourpoets：andthereisatleastoneinstanceofsuchpoignantspeechin“Paracelsus“，worthyalmosttoberankedwiththelastdespairingcryofGuidocallinguponmurderedPompilia：