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。