, 1873-03-09

OF LIE Itself, and that Ho must seek him. not in
the preference for any one aspect Of existence.
but in his equal sympathy with all
The form he has chosen is that Of a monoloona
which opens With vivid comment on the sichta
OF village lair, and passes into hnlf-dreamv
development of the thoughts suggested BY them.
1t ls spoken by supposed Don juan to an inn
ag1nary ElViro, whose probable remarks he
answers or antlcipatoB, thus giving all the AMI
nation OF dialogue to the undistusbed flow of
his own ideas. Elyire is discernible through-
out the poem, but under form 20 vague that
she seems scarcely more than q phantom con-
science, or haunting idea OF stability and
lrnln. she lorna tho strongest contrast to the
aanp thiru parsonage IN the drama, the gipsy rope
itself with I'LL that is feeting and eauivocal in
Afo. Fifne is the poetry Of the flesh Elyire
the purer life Of the soul.
The reviewer follows the course Of the poem,
maillng coplous extracts, and unvci|iug the
phnosophy which nnderles the involuted verso
and mystic phrase.
:, 10 express that the yearning for completeness
through something other than oneself, which is
the essence OF love aud the vital principle of art
ls also the foundation OF religious beliefs, and
that religion is but transformation Of tho
primitive instincts Of human love, h1r. Brown
ing says;
49, E9eh ,s st sonl liycs, " longs, and works ,ru,
For itself, by itself, because lode etar Turks,
Another thun itEclf, In whntsoe'er tho niche
or na1stiest Heaven it hide wlon'er the aiumdatclich
May grasp the aulliyer; Or It, Or he, OF ale-
For funa sake where the phrase has fastened leAyo
1t fxcdI
So soft It Eays-God. man. or both together mixed
This guessed at through the aesh by arts which prove
the whole.
This constitutes the soul disceruib1e by soul
-Elrlre by me!
The poem ends With the line which, Is perhaps
trne summary Of Mr., Brownings belief: Lore
is al, and Death is nattght.
this singular tissue Of truth and sophi.try has any
practical tendency it IL TINT Of satire upon arr:ge
or at least domestic lfe and II better
that It had not been written. The self-ridcule Of tho
heros final cscapade adds considerably to the dramatic
effect OF the poe and perhaps necessary result Of
tho ecrioconc spirit in which It was conceived but 1t
leSyea impression the ess unpleasant for the
slight relation 1t probably bears to any definite purpose
OF tho authors mind. The Of EIvires perhaps
need Lesson they arc sometimes ahort-sighted aud
and dispoeed to exact maximum Of
fidelity in return for . minimum OF charns:
but they have some virtues and many sorrown and We
typical wife, just the nldel degree OF pungeacy or Of
awecness that would hnva insured her husbands de-
voon 1T east for fouraul-twenty hours longer. In
lis ost direct advocacy Of free love ho almost dis
arms criticism for he treats tho subject with !
large simplicity which places It outside morality II
not beyond 1t wle the frankly pagan worship which
he dedcates to material beauty is eavened by a the
mystic ideasn OF semi Christian bcef The hals-rc-
gious language Of Don Juan's cfusions has,
1t were otherwise, 'Fne ut the Fair would he more
md nfap 1nsS ,ynrfh fra Under.