Theobjectswhichthrongouryouth，weseeandhear，quiteasamatterofcourse。Butwhatofit，ifyoucouldtellwhattheymean?
　　TheGermanBoehme，withhisaffinitiesfortheabstract，nevercaredforplantsuntil，oneday，henoticedtheycouldspeak；
　　thatthedaisycolloquizedwiththecowsliponSUCHthemes！
　　themesfoundextantinJacob’sprose。Butwhenlife’ssummerpasseswhilereadingproseinthattoughbookhewrote，gettingsomesenseorotheroutofit，whohelps，then，torepairourloss?
　　AnotherBoehme，sayyou，withatougherbookandsubtlerabstractmeaningsofwhatrosessay?OrsomestoutMagelikeJohnofHalberstadt，whoMADETHINGSBoehmeWROTETHOUGHTSabout?
　　Ah，John’sthemanforus！whoinsteadofgivingusthewisetalkofroses，scattersallaroundustherosesthemselves，pouringheavenintothisshuthouseoflife。Socome，theharpbacktoyourheartagain，insteadofspeakingdrywordsacrossitsstrings。Yourownboy-facebentoverthefinerchords，andfollowingthecherubatthetopthatpointstoGodwithhispairedhalf-moonwings，isafarbetterpoemthanyourpoemwithallitsnakedthoughts。
　　ApparentFailure。
　　Thepoet，itappears，speakshereinhisownperson。
　　SaunteringaboutParis，hecomesupontheDoriclittleMorgue，thedead-house，wheretheyshowtheirdrowned。Heenters，andseesthroughthescreenofglass，thebodiesofthreemenwhocommittedsuicide，thedaybefore，bydrowningthemselvesintheSeine。
　　Inthelaststanza，hegivesexpressiontohishopefulphilosophy，whichrecognizes”somesoulofgoodness，inthingsevil”；*
　　whichseesinhumannature，”potentialityoffinaldeliverancefromtheevilinit，givenonlytimeenoughforthework”。
　　Inthisageofprofessedandoften，nodoubt，affected，agnosticismandpessimism，BrowningistheforemostapostleofHope。
　　He，morethananyothergreatauthoroftheage，whetherphilosopher，orpoet，ordivine，hasbeeninspiredwiththefaiththat”asunwillpierceThethickestcloudeartheverstretched；
　　That，afterLast，returnstheFirst，Thoughawidecompassroundbefetched；
　　Thatwhatbeganbest，can’tendworst，NorwhatGodblessedonce，proveaccurst。”——
　　*`HenryV。’，IV。1。4——
　　Comparewiththis，thefollowingstanzasfromTennyson’s`InMemoriam’，Section54：——”OhyetwetrustthatsomehowgoodWillbethefinalgoalofill，Topangsofnature，sinsofwill，Defectsofdoubt，andtaintsofblood。
　　Thatnothingwalkswithaimlessfeet；
　　Thatnotonelifeshallbedestroyed，Orcastasrubbishtothevoid，WhenGodhathmadethepilecomplete。
　　*****
　　Behold，weknownotanything；
　　IcanbuttrustthatgoodshallfallAtlast——faroff——atlast，toall，Andeverywinterchangetospring。”
　　RabbiBenEzra。
　　Accompanyme，myyoungfriend，inmysurveyoflifefromyouthtooldage。
　　Thepresentlifedoesnotrisetoitsbestandthendeclinetoitsworst；”thebestisyettobe，thelastoflife，forwhichthefirstwasmade。”
　　Theindecisions，perplexities，andyearnings，thehopesandfearsofyouth，Idonotremonstrateagainst。Theyaretheconditionsofvitalityandgrowth，distinguishman’slifefromthelimitedcompletenessofthe”lowkinds”ofcreation，”finishedandfiniteclodsuntroubledbyaspark”；andshouldbeprizedasinseparablefromhishighrankinexistence。
　　Lifewouldhavenothingtoboastof，weremanformedbuttoexperienceanunalloyedjoy，tofindalwaysandnevertoseek。Careirksnotthecrop-fullbird，anddoubtfretsnotthemaw-crammedbeast。
　　ButmanisdisturbedbyadivinesparkwhichishistitletoanearerrelationshipwithGodwhogivesthanwithhiscreaturesthatreceive。
　　Therebuffshemeetswithshouldbewelcomed。Life’struesuccessissecuredthroughobstacles，andseemingfailures，andunfulfilledaspirations。Heisbutabrutewhosesoulisconformedtohisflesh，whosespiritworksfortheplayofarmsandlegs。
　　Thetestofthebody’sworthshouldbe，theextenttowhichitcanprojectthesoulonitsloneway。
　　Butwemustnotcalculatesoul-profitsallthetime。
　　Giftsofeverykindwhichbelongtoournatureshouldprovetheiruse，theirowngoodinthemselves。Iownthatthepastwasformeprofuseofpoweroneveryside，ofperfectionateveryturn，whichmyeyesandearstookin，andmybraintreasuredup。
　　Theheartshouldbeatinharmonywiththislife，andfeelhowgooditistoliveandlearn，andseethewholedesign。IwhooncesawonlyPower，nowseeLoveperfectalso，andamthankfulthatI
　　wasaman，andtrustwhatmyMakerwilldowithme。
　　Thisfleshispleasant，andthesoulcanreposeinit，afteritsownactivities。Itisthesolidlandtowhichitcanreturnwhenweariedwithitsflights；andweoftenwish，inouryearningsforrest，thatwemightholdsomeprizetomatchthosemanifoldpossessionsofthebrute，mightgainmostasweshoulddobest；
　　buttherealizationofsuchawishisnotcompatiblewiththedignityofournature。
　　Fleshandsoulmustbemutuallysubservient；onemustnotbemerelysubjectedtotheother，noteventheinferiortothesuperior。
　　Letuscry，”Allgoodthingsareours，norsoulhelpsfleshmore，now，thanfleshhelpssoul。”
　　Let，then，youthenterintoitsheritage，anduseandenjoyit；
　　letitthenpassintoanapprovedmanhood，”forayeremovedfromthedevelopedbrute；aGod，thoughinthegerm”；letitpassfearlessandunperplexedastowhatweaponstoselect，whatarmortoindueforthebattlewhichawaitsthatapprovedmanhood。
　　Youthended，letwhatithasresultedin，betakenaccountof；
　　whereinitsucceeded，whereinitfailed；andhavingprovedthepast，letitfacethefuture，satisfiedinactingto-morrowwhatislearnedto-day。
　　AsitwasbetterthatyouthshouldawkwardlystriveTOWARDmaking，thanreposeinwhatitfoundmade，soisitbetterthatage，exemptfromstrife，shouldknow，thantemptfurther。Asinyouth，agewaswaitedfor，soinage，waitfordeath，withoutfear，andwiththeabsolutesoul-knowledgewhichisindependentofthereasoningintellectofyouth。Itisthisabsolutesoul-knowledgewhichseversgreatmindsfromsmall，ratherthanintellectualpower。
　　Humanjudgmentsdiffer。Whomshallmysoulbelieve?
　　Oneconclusionmay，atleast，berestedin：aman’struesuccessmustnotbeestimatedbythingsdone，whichhadtheirpriceintheworld；butbythatwhichtheworld’scoarsethumbandfingerfailedtoplumb；byhisimmatureinstinctsandunsurepurposeswhichweighednotashisworkintheworld’sestimation，yetwenttowardmakingupthemainamountofhisrealworth；
　　bythoughtswhichcouldnotbecontainedinnarrowacts，byfancieswhichwouldnotsubmittothebondsoflanguage；
　　byallthathestrivedafterandcouldnotattain，byallthatwasignoredbymenwithonlyfiniteandrealizableaims：suchareGod’sstandardsofhisworth。
　　Allthetrueacquisitionsofthesoul，allthereflectedresultsofitsenergizingaftertheunattainableinthislife，allthathastrulyBEEN，belongtotheabsolute，andarepermanentamidallearth’schanges。Itis，indeed，throughthesechanges，throughthedanceofplasticcircumstance，thatthepermanentissecured。Theyarethemachinery，theDivinePotter’swheel，whichgivesthesoulitsbent，triesit，andturnsitforthacupfortheMaster’slips，sufficientlyimpressed。”SotakeanduseThywork！
　　Amendwhatflawsmaylurk，Whatstraino’thestuff，whatwarpingspasttheaim！
　　MytimesbeinThyhand！
　　Perfectthecupasplanned！
　　Letageapproveofyouth，anddeathcompletethesame。”
　　ThefollowingaccountofRabbiBenEzra，ItakefromDr。F。J。Furnivall’s`BibliographyofRoberBrowning’
　　`BrowningSoc。Papers’，PartII。，p。162：——”RabbiBenEzra，orIbnEzra，wasalearnedJew，1092-1167A。D。
　　IbnEzraandMaimonides，whomheissaidtohavevisitedinEgypt，weretwoofthefourgreatPhilosophersorLightsoftheJewsintheMiddleAges。IbnEzrawasbornatToledoinSpain，about1092or1093A。D。，orin1088accordingtoGraetz，`GeschichtederJuden’，vi。198。Hewaspoor，butstudiedhard，composedpoemswherewithto`Adornmyown，myHebrewnation’，married，hadasonIsaacapoettoo，travelledtoAfrica，theHolyLand，Romein1140，Persia，India，Italy，France，England。
　　HewrotemanytreatisesonHebrewGrammar，astronomy，mathematics，&c。，commentariesonthebooksoftheBible，&c——manyoftheminRome——andtwopamphletsinEngland`foracertainSalomonofLondon’。JosephofMaudevillewasoneofhisEnglishpupils。
　　Hediedin1167，attheageof75，eitherinKalahorra，onthefrontierofNavarre，orinRome。HiscommentaryonIsaiahhasbeenenglishedbyM。Friedlaender，andpublishedbytheSocietyofHebrewLiterature，Truebner，1873。
　　FromtheIntroductiontothatbookItakethesedetails。
　　IbnEzrabelievedinafuturelife。InhiscommentaryonIsaiah55：3，`ANDYOURSOULSHALLLIVE’，hesays，`Thatis，yoursoulshallliveforeverafterthedeathofthebody，oryouwillreceivenewlifethroughMessiah，whenyouwillreturntotheDivineLaw。’
　　SeealsoonIsaiah39：18。Ofthepotter’sclaypassage，Isaiah29：16，hehasonlyatranslation，`Shallmanbeesteemedasthepotter’sclay’，andnocommentthatcouldeverhavegivenBrowningahintforhisuseofthemetaphorinhispoem，evenifhehadeverseenIbnEzra’scommentary。SeeRabbiBenEzra’sfine`SongofDeath’
　　instanzas12-20ofthegrimlyhumorousHoly-CrossDay。”
　　AGrammarian’sFuneral——
　　*”Grammarian”mustn’tbeunderstoodhereinitsrestrictedmodernsense；
　　itmeansratheronedevotedtolearning，orletters，ingeneral——
　　ShortlyaftertherevivaloflearninginEurope。
　　Thedevoteddisciplesofadeadgrammarianarebearinghisbodyupamountain-sideforburialonitsloftysummit，”wheremeteorsshoot，cloudsform，lightningsareloosened，starscomeandgo！
　　Loftydesignsmustcloseinlikeeffects：loftilylying，leavehim，——
　　stillloftierthantheworldsuspects，livinganddying”。
　　ThispoemisINFORMEDthroughoutwiththepoet’siterateddoctrineinregardtoearthlife，——totherelativityofthatlife。
　　Thegrammarian，inhishungerandthirstafterknowledgeandtruth，thoughtnotoftime。”What’stime?LeaveNowfordogsandapes！
　　ManhasForever。””Oh，ifwedrawacirclepremature，heedlessoffargain，greedyforquickreturnsofprofit，surebadisourbargain！”
　　Thepoem”exhibitssomethingofthelifeoftheScaligersandtheCasaubons，ofmanyanearlyscholar，likeRogerBacon’sfriend，PierredeMaricourt，workingatsomeregionofknowledge，andcontenttolaborwithoutfamesolongashemasteredthoroughlywhateverheundertook”`ContemporaryRev。’，iv。，135。
　　ButthegrammarianwastruetoonesideonlyofBrowning’sphilosophyoflife。Hedisregardedtheclaimsofthephysicallife，andbecame”soul-hydropicwithasacredthirst”。*