“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。