Inoneofhis`Causeries’，thekeenFrenchcriticquotedabovehasaremarkuponthegreatBossuet，whichmaywithsingularaptnessberepeatedofBrowning：“HisistheHebrewgeniusextended，fecundatedbyChristianity，andopentoalltheacquisitionsoftheunderstanding，butretainingsomedegreeofsovereigninterdiction，andclosingitsvasthorizonpreciselywhereitslightceases。“
Browningcannot，orwillnot，facetheproblemofthefutureexceptfromthebasisofassuredcontinuityofindividualexistence。
Heissomuchinlovewithlife，forlife’ssake，thathecannotevencreditthepossibilityofincontinuity；hisassuranceofeternityinanotherworldisatleastinpartduetohisdespairatnotbeingeternalinthis。
Heissosure，thattheintellectuallyscrupulousdetecttheodoursofhypothesesamidthesweetsavourofindestructibleassurance。
Schopenhauersays，inoneofthoserecently-foundAnnotationsofhiswhicharesocharacteristicandsoacute，“thatwhichiscalled`mathematicalcertainty’isthecaneofablindmanwithoutadog，orequilibriumindarkness。“Browningwouldsometimeshaveusaccepttheevidenceofhis`cane’asall-sufficient。Hedoesnotentrenchhimselfamongconventions：forhealreadyfindshimselfwithinthefortifiedlinesofconvention，andremainsthere。ThusistruewhatMr。Mortimersaysinarecentadmirablecritique“Hispositioninregardtothethoughtoftheageisparadoxical，ifnotinconsistent。
Heisinadvanceofitineveryrespectbutone，themostimportantofall，thematteroffundamentalprinciples；intheseheisbehindit。
Hisprocessesofthoughtareoftenscientificintheirprecisionofanalysis；
thesuddenconclusionwhichheimposesuponthemistranscendentalandinept。“
Browning’sconclusions，whichharmonisesowellwithourhaphazardprevisionings，aresometimessodisastrouslyfacilethattheyexerciseaninsurrectionaryinfluence。TheyoccasionallysuggestthatwisdomofGothamwhichiseverreadytopostulatethecertaintyofafulfilmentbecauseoftheexistenceofadesire。
Itisthisthatvitiatessomuchofhispoeticreasoning。
TruthmayringregnantinthelinesofAbtVogler
“Andwhatisourfailureherebutatriumph’sevidenceForthefulnessofthedays？“
but，unfortunately，theconclusionis，initself，illogical。
Weareallfamiliarwith，andinthisbookIhavedweltmorethanonceupon，Browning’shabitualattitudetowardsDeath。Itisnotanovelone。
Thefrontageisnotsomuchthatofthedaringpioneer，asthesedateassuranceof`theoldestinhabitant’。Itisofgoodhap，ofwelcomesignificance：nonethelessthereisanaspectofourmortalityofwhichthepoet’sevasionisuncompromisingandabsolute。
IcannotdobetterthanquoteMr。Mortimer’snoteworthywordshereupon，inconnection，moreover，withBrowning’sartisticrelationtoSex，thatothergreatProtagonistintherelentlessduelofHumanitywithCircumstance。“Thefinalinductivehazardhedeclinesforhimself；
hisreadersmaytakeitiftheywill。Itispartoftheinsistentandperverseingenuitywhichwedisplayinmaskingwithillusionthemoredisturbingelementsoflife。Veilafterveilistorndown，butseldombeforeanotherhasbeenslippedbehindit，untilweacquiescewithoutamurmurintheconcealmentthatweourselveshavemade。Twofactsthuscarefullyshroudedfromfullvisionbyelaborateillusionconspicuouslyroundinourlives
thelife-givingandlife-destroyingelements，SexandDeath。
Wearecompelledtooccasionalphysiologicandeconomicdiscussionoftheone，butweshrinkfromrecognisingthefullextenttowhichitbasesthewholesocialfabric，carefullyconcealingitsinsurrections，andignoringormisreadingtheirlessons。Theother，incertainaspects，wearecompelledtoface，buttodoitwetippleonillusions，fromourcradleupwards，indreadofthecominggrave，purchasingadrugforourpoltrooneryattheexpenseofoursanity。
Weupholdourwaywardstepswiththepromisesandthecommandmentsforcrutches，butoneithersideofustrudgetheshadowDeathandthebacchanalSex，andwemumbleprayersagainsttheone，whilewescourgeourselvesforleeringattheother。
OnoneonlyofthesecanBrowningbesaidtohavespokenwithnovelforce
therelationsofsex，whichhehastreatedwithasubtletyandfreedom，andoftenwithabeauty，unapproachedsinceGoethe。OntheproblemofDeath，exceptinmasqueradeofrobesandwings，hiseupeptictemperamentneverallowedhimtodwell。HesentimentalisedwhereShakespearethought。“
Browning’swholeattitudetotheHereafterisdifferentfromthatofTennysononlyinthatthelatter`faintly’，whilehestrenuously，“truststhelargerhope。“Tohimallcredit，that，standinguponthefrontiersofthePast，hecanimplicitlytrusttheFuture。
“High-heartedsurelyhe；
Butboldertheywhofirstoff-castTheirmooringsfromthehabitablePast。“
Theteachermaybeforgotten，theprophetmaybehearkenedtonomore，butagreatpoet’sutteranceisnevertemporal，havingthatinitwhichconservesitagainsttheantagonismoftime，andtheebbandflowofliteraryideals。Whatrange，whatextentofgenius!
AsMr。FrederickWedmorehaswellsaid，`Browningisnotabook
heisaliterature。’
Butthathewill“standoutgigantic“inMASSofimperishablework，inthatfar-offday，Iforonecannotcredit。Hispoeticshortcomingsseemtooessentialtopermitofthis。Thatfatalexcessofcoldoveremotivethought，ofthoughtthat，howeverprofound，incisive，orscrupulouslyclear，isnotyetimpassioned，isafundamentaldefectofhis。
ItistheveryimpetuosityofthismentalenergytowhichisduethemiscalledobscurityofmuchofBrowning’sworkmiscalled，because，howeverremoteinhisallusions，howeverpedanticeven，heisneverobscureinhisthought。Hisisthat“palaceinfinitewhichdarkenswithexcessoflight。“Butmereexcessinitselfisnothingmorethansymptomatic。Browninghassufferedmorefromintellectualexploitationthananywriter。Itisaruinousprocess
forthepoet。“Hesowellrepaysintelligentstudy。“
Thatisit，unfortunately。Therearemany，liketheoldScotchladywhoattemptedtoreadCarlyle’s`FrenchRevolution’，whothinktheyhavebecome“daft“whentheyencounterapassagesuchas，forexample，“Rivals，who……
Tuned，fromBocafoli’sstark-nakedpsalms，ToPlara’ssonnetsspoiltbytoyingwith，`AsknopsthatstudsomealmugtothepithPrickedforgum，wrythence，andcrinkledworseThanpursedeyelidsofariver-horseSunninghimselfo’theslimewhenwhirrsthebreeze
GAD-FLY，thatis。’“
TheoldladyperseveredwithCarlyle，and，afterafewdays，found“shewasnaesaedaft，butthatshehadtackledavarradee-fee-cultauthor。“Whatwouldeventhatindomitablestudenthavesaidtotheabovequotation，andtothepoemwhenceitcomes？
Tomanyitisnotthepoetry，butthedifficulties，thataretheattraction。
Theyrejoice，afterlongandfrequentdippings，tofindtheirplummet，almostlostinremotedepths，touchbottom。Enough`meaning’
hasbeeneducedfrom`ChildeRoland’，tocitebutoneinstance，tostartaSchoolofPhilosophywith：thoughitsohappensthatthepoemisanimaginativefantasy，writteninoneday。
Worsestill，itwasnotinspiredbythemysteryofexistence，butby`aredhorsewithaglaringeyestandingbehindadunoneonapieceoftapestrythatusedtohanginthepoet’sdrawing-room。’*
Ofallhisfaults，however，theworstisthatjugglery，thatinferiorlegerdemain，withtheelementsofthebeautifulinverse：
mostobviousin“Sordello“，inportionsof“TheRingandtheBook“，andinsomanyofthelaterpoems。Theseinexcusableviolationsarelikethelarvaewithincertainvegetablegrowths：soonorlatetheywilldestroytheirenvironmentbeforetheyperishthemselves。
Thoughpossessiveaboveallothersofthatscienceofthepercipientinthealliedartsofpaintingandmusic，whereinhefoundtheunconventionalShelleysomissuadedbyconvention，heseemedevermorealerttothesubstancethantothemannerofpoetry。
InaletterofMrs。Browning’sshealludestoafriend’s“melodiousfeeling“
forpoetry。Possiblythephrasewasaccidental，butitissignificant。
Toinhalethevitalairofpoetrywemustloveit，notmerelyfindit“interesting“，“suggestive“，“soothing“，“stimulative“：inaword，wemusthavea“melodiousfeeling“forpoetrybeforewecandeeplyenjoyit。
Browning，whohassoofteneducedfromhislyremelodiesandharmoniesoftranscendent，thoughnovel，beauty，wastoofrequently，duringcomposition，withoutthismelodiousfeelingofwhichhiswifespeaks。
ThedistinctionbetweenliterarytypessuchasBrowningorBalzacontheonehand，andKeatsorGustaveFlaubertontheother，isthatwiththeformerthereexistsareverenceforthevocationandarelativeindifferencetothemeans，inthemselves
and，withthelatter，ascrupulousrespectforthemeremeansaswellasforthattowhichtheyconduce。Thepoetwhodoesnotlovewordsforthemselves，asanartistlovesanychancecolouruponhispalette，orasthemusiciananyvagranttoneevokedbyasuddentouchinidlenessorreverie，hasnotenteredintothefullinheritanceofthesonsofApollo。Thewritercannotaimatbeauty，thatwhichmakesliteratureandart，withoutthisheed
without，rather，thiscreativeanxiety：foritiscertainlynotenough，assomeonehassaid，thatlanguageshouldbeusedmerelyforthetransportationofintelligence，asawheelbarrowcarriesbrick。