“Festus，strangesecretsareletoutbydeathWhoblabssooftthefolliesofthisworld：
AndIamdeath’sfamiliar，asyouknow。
Ihelpedamantodie，somefewweekssince，Warpedevenfromhisgo-carttooneend
Thelivingonprinces’smiles，reflectedfromAmightyherdoffavourites。NomeantrickHeleftuntried，andtrulywell-nighwormedAlltracesofGod’sfingeroutofhim：
Thendied，grownold。Andjustanhourbefore，Havinglainlongwithblankandsoullesseyes，Hesatupsuddenly，andwithnaturalvoiceSaidthatinspiteofthickairandcloseddoorsGodtoldhimitwasJune；andheknewwellWithoutsuchtelling，harebellsgrewinJune；
AndallthatkingscouldevergiveortakeWouldnotbepreciousasthosebloomstohim。“
Technically，IdoubtifBrowningeverproducedanyfinerlongpoem，except“PippaPasses“，whichisalyricaldrama，andneitherexactlya`play’
norexactlya`poem’intheconventionalusageoftheterms。
Artistically，“Paracelsus“isdisproportionate，andhasfaults，obtrusiveenoughtoanysensitiveear：butinthemainithasabeautywithoutharshness，aswiftnessofthoughtandspeechwithouttumultuouspressureofideasorstammering。Ithasnot，inlikedegree，theintensehumaninsightof，say，“TheInnAlbum“，butithasthatcharmofsequentexcellencetoorarelytobefoundinmanyofBrowning’slaterwritings。Itglidesonwardlikeasteadfaststream，thethoughtmovingwiththecurrentitanimatesandcontrols，andthrobbingeagerlybeneath。Whenwereadcertainportionsof“Paracelsus“，andthelovelylyricsinterspersedinit，itisdifficultnottothinkofthepoetassometimes，inlaterlife，stoopinglikethemarinerinRoscoe’sbeautifulsonnet，strivingtoreclaim“somelovedlostechofromthefleetingstrand。“
Butitisthefleetingshoreofexquisiteart，notofthefar-reachingshadowycapesandpromontoriesof“thepoeticland“。
Ofthefourinterlusivelyricsthefreermusicisintheuniquechant，“Overtheseaourgalleyswent“：asongfullofmelodyandblithelilt。
Itismarvellouslypictorial，andyethasafreedomthatplacesitamongthemostdelightfulofspontaneouslyrics：
“Weshouted，everymanofus，Andsteeredrightintotheharbourthus，Withpompandpaeanglorious。“
Itis，however，toolongforpresentquotation，andasanexampleofBrowning’searlylyricsIselectrathertherichanddelicatesecondofthese“Paracelsus“songs，onewhereintheinfluenceofKeatsissomarked，andyetwhereallisthepoet’sown：
“Heapcassia，sandal-budsandstripesOflabdanum，andaloe-balls，SmearedwithdullnardanIndianwipesFromoutherhair：suchbalsamfallsDownsea-sidemountainpedestals，Fromtree-topswheretiredwindsarefain，Spentwiththevastandhowlingmain，Totreasurehalftheirisland-gain。
“AndstrewfaintsweetnessfromsomeoldEgyptian’sfineworm-eatenshroudWhichbreakstodustwhenonceunrolled；
Orshreddedperfume，likeacloudFromclosetlongtoquietvowed，Withmothedanddroppingarrashung，Moulderingherluteandbooksamong，Aswhenaqueen，longdead，wasyoung。“
Withthismusicinourearswecanwellforgivesomeoftheprosaiccommonplaceswhichdeface“Paracelsus“someofthoselapsesfromrhythmicenergytowhichthepoetbecamelessandlesssensitive，tillhecouldbesodeaftothevanishing“echoofthefleetingstrand“
astosinktothelevelofdoggerelsuchasthatwhichclosesthepoemcalled“Popularity“。
“Paracelsus“isnotagreat，butitisamemorablepoem：
anotableachievement，indeed，foranauthorofBrowning’syears。
WellmayweexclaimwithFestus，whenweregardthepoetinallthegreatnessofhismaturity
“ThesunriseWellwarrantedourfaithinthisfullnoon!“
Chapter4。
The`Athenaeum’dismissed“Paracelsus“withahalfcontemptuouslineortwo。
Ontheotherhand，the`Examiner’acknowledgedittobeaworkofunequivocalpower，andpredictedforitsauthorabrilliantcareer。
Thesamecriticwhowrotethisreviewcontributedanarticleofabouttwentypagesupon“Paracelsus“tothe`NewMonthlyMagazine’，undertheheading，“EvidencesofaNewDramaticPoetry“。
Thisarticleisablywritten，andremarkableforitssympatheticinsight。
“Mr。Browning，“thecriticwrites，“isamanofgenius，hehasinhimselfalltheelementsofagreatpoet，philosophicalaswellasdramatic。“
TheauthorofthisenthusiasticandimportantcritiquewasJohnForster。
Whenthe`Examiner’reviewappearedthetwoyoungmenhadnotmet：
buttheencounter，whichwastobetheseedofsofineafloweroffriendship，occurredbeforethepublicationofthe`NewMonthly’article。Beforethis，however，Browninghadalreadymadeoneofthemostmomentousacquaintanceshipsofhislife。
Hisgoodfriendandearlycritic，Mr。Fox，askedhimtohishouseoneeveninginNovember，afewmonthsafterthepublicationof“Paracelsus“。
ThechiefguestoftheoccasionwasMacready，thenattheheightofhisgreatreputation。Mr。Foxhadpavedthewayfortheyoungpoet，butthemomentheenteredhecarriedwithhimhisbestrecommendation。
EveryonewhometBrowninginthoseearlyyearsofhisbuoyantmanhoodseemstohavebeenstruckbyhiscomelinessandsimplegraceofmanner。
Macreadystatedthathelookedmorelikeapoetthananymanhehadevermet。
Asayoungmanheappearstohavehadacertainivorydelicacyofcolouring，whatanoldfriendperhapssomewhatexaggeratedlydescribedtomeasanalmostflower-likebeauty，whichpassederelongintoalessgirlishandmorerobustcomplexion。Heappearedtallerthanhewas，forhewasnotabovemediumheight，partlybecauseofhisraregraceofmovement，andpartlyfromacharacteristichighpoiseoftheheadwhenlisteningintentlytomusicorconversation。Eventhenhehadthatexpressivewaveo’thehand，whichinlateryearswasasfullofvariousmeaningsasthe`Ecco’ofanItalian。Aswiftalertnesspervadedhim，noticeableasmuchintherapidchangeofexpression，inthedeepeningandillumingcoloursofhissingularlyexpressiveeyes，andinhissensitivemouth，withtheupperlipeversoswifttocurveordroopinresponsetothemostfluctuantemotion，asinhisgreyhound-likeapprehension，whichsooftengraspedthesubjectinitsentiretybeforeitspropounderhimselfrealiseditssignificance。
Alady，whoremembersBrowningatthattime，hastoldmethathishair
thenofabrownsodarkastoappearblackwassobeautifulinitsheavysculpturesquewavesastoattractfrequentnotice。
Another，andmoresubtle，personalcharmwashisvoice，thenwitharareflute-liketone，clear，sweet，andresonant。
Afterwards，thoughalwayswithpreciseclarity，itbecamemerelystrongandhearty，alittletooloudsometimes，andnotinfrequentlyasthatofonesimulatingkeenimmediateinterestwhiletheattentionwasalmostwhollydetached。
Macready，inhisJournal，*aboutaweeklaterthanthedateofhisfirstmeetingwiththepoet，wrote“Read`Paracelsus’，aworkofgreatdaring，starredwithpoetryofthought，feeling，anddiction，butoccasionallyobscure：thewritercanscarcelyfailtobealeadingspiritofhistime。“Thetragedian’shouse，whitherhewentatweek-endsandonholidays，wasatElstree，ashortdistancetothenorthwardofHampstead：andthereheinvitedBrowning，amongotherfriends，tocomeonthelastdayofDecemberandspendNewYear’sDay1836。**Whenalluding，inafteryears，tothisvisit，Browningalwaysspokeofitasoneofthered-letterdaysofhislife。ItwasherehefirstmetForster，withwhomheatonceformedwhatprovedtobeanenduringfriendship；andonthisoccasion，also，thathewasurgedbyhishosttowriteapoeticplay。
*FormanyinterestingparticularsconcerningMacreadyandBrowning，andtheproductionof“Strafford“，etc。，seethe`Reminiscences’，vol。1。
**ItwasforMacready’seldestboy，WilliamCharles，thatBrowningwroteoneofthemostwidelypopularofhispoems，“ThePiedPiperofHamelin“。
Itissaidtohavebeenanimpromptuperformance，andtohavebeensolittlevaluedbytheauthorthathehesitatedaboutitsinclusionin“BellsandPomegranates“。Itwasinsertedatthelastmoment，inthethirdnumber，whichwasshortof“copy“。Someoneanonymous，butwhomItaketobeMr。Nettleshiphaspubliclyalludedtohispossessionofarivalpoementitled，simply，“Hamelin“
byRobertBrowningtheelder，andofaletterwhichhehadsenttoafriendalongwiththeverses，inwhichhewrites：“BeforeIknewthatRoberthadbegunthestoryofthe`Rats’Ihadcontemplatedataleonthesamesubject，andproceededwithitasfarasyousee，but，onhearingthatRoberthadasimilaroneonhand，Idesisted。“
Thismusthavebeenin1842，foritwasinthatyearthatthethirdpartof`BellsandPomegranates’waspublished。
In1843，however，hefinishedit。Browning’s“PiedPiper“
hasbeentranslatedintoFrench，Russian，Italian，andGerman。
ThelatteroroneGermanversionisinprose。Itwasmadein1880，foraspecialpurpose，andoccupiedthewholeofonenumberofthelocalpaperofHameln，whichisaquainttownletinHanover。