Whatis，dramatically，disastrousintheinstanceofMertounsinging“There’sawomanlikeadew-drop“，whenheoughttobeseekingMildred’spresenceinprofoundstealthandsilence，is，dramatically，electricallystartlinginthemouthofSebald，amongthegeraniumsoftheshutteredshrub-house，wherehehaspassedthenightwithOttima，whilehermurderedhusbandliesstarkintheadjoiningroom。
　　Itmust，however，beborneinmindthatthisthrillingdramaticeffectisfullyexperiencedonlyinretrospection，orwhenthereisknowledgeofwhatistofollow。
　　Aconclusiveobjectiontothedramaasanactableplayisthatthreeofthefourmainepisodesarefragmentary。WeknownothingofthefateofLuigi：wecanbutsurmisethefutureofJulesandPhene：
　　weknownothoworwhenMonsignorwillseePipparighted。
　　OttimaandSebaldreachahigherlevelinvoluntarydeaththantheyevercouldhavedoneinlife。
　　Itisquiteunnecessary，here，todwelluponthisexquisiteflowerofgeniusindetail。EveryonewhoknowsBrowningatallknows“PippaPasses“。
　　Itslyricshavebeenunsurpassed，forbirdlikespontaneityandararehighmusic，byanyotherVictorianpoet：itspoeticinsightissuchasnootherpoetthantheauthorof“TheRingandtheBook“
　　and“TheInnAlbum“canequal。Itstechnique，moreover，issuperb。
　　FromtheoutsetofthetremendousepisodeofOttimaandSebald，thereisanoteoftragicpowerwhichisalmostoverwhelming。
　　WhohasnotknowwhatJakobBoehmecalls“theshudderofadivineexcitement“
　　whenLuca’smurdererrepliestohisparamour，“morning？
　　Itseemstomeanightwithasunadded。“
　　Howdeepanote，again，istouchedwhenSebaldexclaims，inallusiontohismurderofLuca，thathewasso“wroughtupon“，thoughhere，itmaybe，thereisanunconsciousreminiscenceofthetenserandmoreculminativecryofOthello，“butbeingwrought，perplextintheextreme。“StillmoreprofoundatouchisthatwhereOttima，daringherlovertothe“onethingthatmustbedone；youknowwhatthing：
　　Comeinandhelptocarry，“says，withaffectedlightsomeness，“Thisdustypanemightserveforlooking-glass，“andsimultaneouslyexclaims，asshethrowsthemrejectinglyfromhernervousfingers，“Three，four
　　fourgreyhairs!“thenwithanalmostsublimecoquetryofhorrorturnsabruptlytoSebald，sayingwithavoicestrivingvainlytobeblithe
　　“IsitsoyousaidAplaitofhairshouldwaveacrossmyneck？
　　Nothisway。“
　　Whohasnotbeenmovedbythetragicgrandeuroftheverse，aswellasbythedramaticintensityoftheepisodeofthelovers’“crowningnight“？
　　“Ottima。Thedayofittoo，Sebald!
　　Whenheaven’spillarsseemedo’erbowedwithheat，Itsblack-bluecanopysuffereddescendCloseonusboth，toweighdowneachtoeach，Andsmotherupalllifeexceptourlife。
　　Solaywetillthestormcame。
　　Sebald。Howitcame!
　　Ottima。Buriedinwoodswelay，yourecollect；
　　Swiftranthesearchingtempestoverhead；
　　AndeverandanonsomebrightwhiteshaftBurnedthro’thepine-treeroof，hereburnedandthere，AsifGod’smessengerthro’theclosewoodscreenPlungedandreplungedhisweaponataventure，Feelingforguiltytheeandme：thenbrokeThethunderlikeawholeseaoverhead“
　　Surelythereisnothinginallourliteraturemorepoignantlydramaticthanthisfirstpartof“PippaPasses“。ThestrainswhichPippasingshereandthroughoutareaspatheticallyfreshandfreeasathrush’ssongintheheartofabeleagueredcity，andaswiththesameunconsideredmagic。
　　Thereissomethingofthemavis-note，liquidfallingtones，caughtupinamomentinjoyouscaprice，in“Giveherbutaleastexcusetoloveme!
　　Whenwhere“
　　Nooneofthesesongs，allacutelyapttothetimeandtheoccasion，hasamoreoverwhelmingeffectthanthatwhichinterruptsOttimaandSebaldattheperiloussummitoftheirsin，beyondwhichliesutterdarkness，behindwhichisthenarrowtwilitbackwardway。
　　“Ottima。Binditthriceaboutmybrow；
　　Crownmeyourqueen，yourspirit’sarbitress，Magnificentinsin。Saythat!
　　Sebald。IcrownyouMygreatwhitequeen，myspirit’sarbitress，Magnificent……
　　[FromwithoutisheardthevoiceofPIPPAsinging]
　　Theyear’satthespring，Andday’satthemorn；
　　Morning’satseven；
　　Thehill-side’sdew-pearled；
　　Thelark’sonthewing；
　　Thesnail’sonthethorn：
　　God’sinhisheaven
　　All’srightwiththeworld!
　　[PIPPApasses。]
　　Sebald。God’sinhisheaven!Doyouhearthat？
　　Whospoke？“
　　ThissweetvoiceofPippareachestheguiltylovers，reachesLuigiinhistower，hesitatingbetweenloveandpatrioticduty，reachesJulesandPhenewhenallthehappinessoftheirunbornyearstremblesinthebalance，reachesthePrinceoftheChurchjustwhenhisconscienceissorebesetbyaseductivetemptation，reachesoneandallatacrucialmomentinthelifeofeach。
　　Theethicallessonofthewholepoemissummedupin“AllserviceranksthesamewithGod
　　WithGod，whosepuppets，bestandworst，Arewe：thereisnolastnorfirst，“
　　andin“God’sinhisheaven
　　All’srightwiththeworld!“
　　“WithGodthereisnolustofGodhood，“saysRossettiin“HandandSoul“：
　　`UndsoistderblaueHimmelgrosseralsjedesGewoelkdarin，unddauerhafterdazu，’meditatesJeanPaul：“Therecanbenothinggood，asweknowit，noranythingevil，asweknowit，intheeyeoftheOmnipresentandtheOmniscient，“utterstheOrientalmystic。
　　Itisinterestingtoknowthatmanyofthenaturetoucheswereindirectlyduetothepoet’ssolitaryrambles，bydawn，sundown，and“dewyeve“，inthewoodeddistrictssouthofDulwich，atHatcham，anduponWimbledonCommon，whitherhewasoftenwonttowanderandtorambleforhours，andwherehecomposedonedaythewell-knownlinesuponShelley，withmanyanotherunrecordedimpulseofsong。Here，too，itwas，thatCarlyle，ridingforexercise，wasstoppedby`abeautifulyouth’，whointroducedhimselfasoneofthephilosopher’sprofoundestadmirers。
　　ItwasfromtheDulwichwoodthat，oneafternooninMarch，hesawastormglorifiedbyadoublerainbowofextraordinarybeauty；
　　amemorablevision，recordedinanutteranceofLuigitohismother：
　　heretoothat，inautumnaldusks，hesawmanyacrescentmoonwith“notchedandburningrim。“Heneverforgotthebygone“sunsetsandgreatstars“hesawinthosedaysofhisfervidyouth。
　　Browningremarkedoncethattheromanceofhislifewasinhisownsoul；
　　andonanotheroccasionIheardhimsmilinglyadd，tosomeone’svagueassertionthatinItalyonlywasthereanyromanceleft，“Ah，well，IshouldliketoincludepooroldCamberwell!“
　　Perhapshewasthinkingofhislinesin“PippaPasses“，ofthedayswhenthatmasterpiececameebullientfromthefountofhisgenius
　　“May’swarmslowyellowmoonlitsummernights
　　Gonearethey，butIhavetheminmysoul!“
　　Thereisallthedistinctionbetween“PippaPasses“and“Sordello“
　　thatthereisbetweentheVenusofMilosandagiganticThebanSphinx。
　　Thelatteris，itistrue，proportionateinitsvastness；
　　butthesymmetryofmerebulkisnotthe`symmetriaprisca’
　　ofidealsculpture。Ihavealreadyalludedto“Sordello“
　　asaderelictupontheoceanofpoetry。This，indeed，itstillseemstome，notwithstandingthewell-meaningsuasionofcertainadmirersofthepoemwhohavehoped“Ishoulddoitjustice，“therebymeaningthatIshouldeulogiseitasamasterpiece。Itisagiganticeffort，ofakind；soisthesustainedthroeofawrestlingTitan。