ItisthisharpingondeathIdespisesomuch，“heremarkedwithemphasisofgestureaswellasofspeechtheinclinedheadandbody，therighthandlightlyplaceduponthelistener’sknee，theabruptchangeintheinflectionofthevoice，allsocharacteristicofhim
“thisidleandoftencowardlyaswellasignorantharping!
Whyshouldwenotchangelikeeverythingelse？Infiction，inpoetry，insomuchofboth，FrenchaswellasEnglish，and，Iamtold，inAmericanartandliterature，theshadowofdeathcallitwhatyouwill，despair，negation，indifferenceisuponus。Butwhatfoolswhotalkthus!
Why，`amicomio’，youknowaswellasIthatdeathislife，justasourdaily，ourmomentarilydyingbodyisnonethelessaliveandeverrecruitingnewforcesofexistence。Withoutdeath，whichisourcrapelikechurchyardywordforchange，forgrowth，therecouldbenoprolongationofthatwhichwecalllife。
Pshaw!itisfoolishtoargueuponsuchathingeven。Formyself，Idenydeathasanendofeverything。NeversayofmethatIamdead!“
OntheeveningofThursday，the12thofDecember1889，hewasinbed，withexceedingweakness。Inthecentreoftheloftyceilingoftheroominwhichhelay，andwhereithadbeenhiswonttowork，thereisapaintingbyhisson。Itdepictsaneaglestrugglingwithaserpent，andisillustrativeofasuperbpassageinShelley’s“RevoltofIslam“。Whatmemories，whatdeepthoughts，itmusthavesuggested；howsignificant，tous，thecircumstance!
Butweakasthepoetwas，heyetdidnotseetheshadowwhichhadbeguntochilltheheartsofthewatchers。
ShortlybeforethegreatbellofSanMarcostruckten，heturnedandaskedifanynewshadcomeconcerning“Asolando“，publishedthatday。Hissonreadhimatelegramfromthepublishers，tellinghowgreatthedemandwasandhowfavourableweretheadvance-articlesintheleadingpapers。Thedyingpoetsmiledandmuttered，“Howgratifying!“
WhenthelasttollofSt。Mark’shadleftadeeperstillnessthanbefore，thosebythebedsidesawayetprofoundersilenceonthefaceofhimwhomtheyloved。
Itisneedlesstodwelluponthegriefeverywherefeltandexpressedfortheirreparableloss。ThemagnificentclosinglinesofShelley’s“Alastor“
musthaveoccurredtomanyamourner；forgone，indeed，was“asurpassingSpirit“。ThesuperbpompoftheVenetianfuneral，thesolemngrandeuroftheintermentinWestminsterAbbey，donotseemworthrecording：soinsignificantarealltheseaccidentsofdeathmadebythesupremefactitself。YetitisfittingtoknowthatVenicehasneverinmoderntimesaffordedamoreimpressivesight，thanthosecrapedprocessionalgondolasfollowingthehighflower-strewnfuneral-bargethroughthethrongedwaterwaysandoutacrossthelagoontothedesolateIsleoftheDead：thatLondonhasrarelyseenaughtmoresolemnthanthefog-duskedCathedralspaces，echoingatfirstwiththeslowtrampofthepall-bearers，andthenwiththesweetaerialmusicswayingupwardthelovedfamiliarwordsofthe`LyricVoice’hushedsolongbefore。
Yetthepoetwasasmuchhonouredbythosehumblefriends，Lambethartisansandafewpoorworking-women，whothrewspraysoflaurelbeforethehearsebythatdesolate，starving，woe-wearygentleman，shiveringinhisthreadbareclothes，whoseemedtransfixedwithaheart-wrungthoughsilentemotion，erehehurriedlydrewfromhissleevealargewhitechrysanthemum，andthrowingitbeneaththecoffinasitwasliftedinward，disappearedinthecrowd，whichclosedagainliketheseauponthislostwanderingwave。
Whowouldnothonourthismightydead？Allwhocouldbepresentwerethere，somewhereintheancientAbbey。Oneofthegreatest，lovedandadmiredbythedeadpoet，hadalreadyputthemourningofmanyintotheloftydignityofhisverse：
“Nowdumbishewhowakedtheworldtospeak，Andvoicelesshandstheworldbesidehisbier，Ourwordsaresobs，ourcryofpraiseatear：
Wearethesmittenmortal，wetheweak。
WeseeaspiritonEarth’sloftiestpeakShine，andwinghencethewayhemakesmoreclear：
SeeagreatTreeofLifethatneversereDroppedleafforaughtthatageorstormsmightwreak：
SuchendingisnotDeath：suchlivingshowsWhatwideilluminationbrightnessshedsFromonebighearttoconquerman’soldfoes：
Thecoward，andthetyrant，andtheforceOfallthoseweedymonstersraisingheadsWhenSongismurkfromspringsofturbidsource。“*
*GeorgeMeredith。
Onewordmoreof“lightandfleetingshadow“。InthegreatnessofhisnaturehemustberankedwithMilton，Defoe，andScott。Hisveryshortcomings，suchastheywere，wereneverbanefulgrowths，butmereweeds，withacertainpleasantthoughpungentsavourmoreover，growinguponarich，anexuberantsoil。Pluckoneoftheleastlovely
rathercallittheunworthyarrowshotatthebodyofadeadcomrade，soinnocentofillintent：yetittoohasabeautyofitsown，fortheshaftwasaflamefromthefulnessofaheartwhoselovehadwithstoodthechillpassageoftheyears。
OnthenightofBrowning’sdeathanewstarsuddenlyappearedinOrion。*
Thecoincidenceissuggestiveifweliketoindulgeinthefancythatinthatconstellation
“NomoresubjectedtothechangeorchanceOftheunsteadyplanets“
gleamthoseother“abodeswheretheImmortalsare。“Certainly，awanderingfirehaspassedawayfromus。Whitherhasitgone？
TothatnewstarinOrion：orwhirledtoremotesilencesinthetrailoflostmeteors？Whence，andforhowlong，willitsraysreachourstormandgloom-beleagueredearth？
*Mrs。Orrdisputesthisstatement。A。L。，1996。
“TheallegedfactisdisprovedbythestatementoftheAstronomerRoyal，towhomithasbeensubmitted；butitwouldhavebeenabeautifulsymboloftranslation，suchasaffectionatefancymightgladlycherishifitweretrue。“Mrs。SutherlandOrr，“LifeandLettersofRobertBrowning“1891。
Suchquestionscannotmeanwhilebesolved。Oureyesarestillconfusedwiththelight，withthatardentflame，asweknewithere。
Butthisweknow，itwasindeed“acentralfiredescendinguponmanyaltars。“
These，thoughtouchedwithbutasparkoftheimmortalprinciple，bearenduringtestimony。Andwhattestimony!Howheartfelt：
happilyalsohowwidespread，howelectricallystimulative!
Butthetimemustcomewhenthepoet’spersonalitywillhavetheremotenessoftradition：whenourperplexedjudgmentswillbeasataleofsoundandfury，signifyingnothing。
Itisimpossibleforanystudentofliterature，foranyinterestedreader，nottoindulgeinsomeforecastastowhatrankinthepoetichierarchyRobertBrowningwillultimatelyoccupy。Thecommonplaceastotheimpossibilityofprognosticatingtheultimateslowdecadence，orslowerrise，or，itmaybe，sustainedsuspension，ofapoet’sfame，isofteninsincere，andbutanexcuseofindolence。
Todogmatiseweretheheightofpresumptionaswellasoffolly：
buttoforegospeculation，baseduponcompletepresentknowledge，foranidlecontentmentwithnarrowhorizons，wereperhapsfoolisherstill。
Butassuredlyeachmustperforcebecontentwithhisownprevision。
Nonecanansweryetforthegenerality，whosedecisivefranchisewillelectafitarbiterinduetime。
So，formyself，letmesummarisewhatIhavealreadywritteninseveralsectionsofthisbook，andparticularlyintheclosingpagesofChapter6。There，itwillberememberedafterhavingfoundthatBrowning’shighestachievementisinhissecondperiod
emphasiswaslaidontheprimaryimportanceofhislife-workinitshavingcompelledustotheassumptionofafreshcriticalstandpointinvolvingtheconstructionofanewdefinition。InthelightofthisnewdefinitionIthinkBrowningwillultimatelybejudged。Asthesculptorin“PippaPasses“
wasthepredestinatednovelthinkerinmarble，soBrowninghimselfappearsasthepredestinatednovelthinkerinverse；thenovelthinker，however，indegree，notinkind。ButIdonotforamomentbelievethathisgreatnessisinhisstatusasathinker：evenless，thatthepoetandthethinkerareindissociable。ManyyearsagoSainte-Beuvedestroyedthisshallowartificeofpseudo-criticism：
“Venirnousdirequetoutpoe“tedetalentest，paressence，ungrandPENSEUR，etquetoutvraiPENSEURestne/cessairementartisteetpoe“te，c’estunepre/tentioninsoutenableetquede/menta\\chaqueinstantlare/alite/。“
WhenBrowning’senormousinfluenceuponthespiritualandmentallifeofourdayaninfluenceevershapingitselftowiseandbeautifulissues
shallhavelostmuchofitsimmediateimport，therewillstillsurelybediscernedinhisworkaformativeenergywhoseresultantispurepoeticgain。
Itisasthepoethewilllive：notmerelyasthe“novelthinkerinverse“。
Logically，hisattitudeas`thinker’isunimpressive。Itistheattitude，asIthinksomeonehaspointedout，ofacquiescencewithcodifiedmorality。