, 1880-08-22

The Second Series OF IS Dramatic Idyls.''
St. L4nlfs Gn.gt<.

l. When the first series of Mr. BroWnlng's
"Dramatic Idyls" appeared it seemed rs II
some electric spark had flashed through the
various currents Of his genius and left some
| thing behind more comprehensive and yet
more compact than any earlier inspiration
had produced. The second series Of the
Idyls is less startling than the first. 1t con-
tains no tremendous situations, and only one
which is tragica1ly< intense The authors
Imagination is already subsiding int9 the
semi-seriOus or purely fantastic moods with
which VIC are so familiar; but the episodes
of the book excite i'll their various ways an
Interest as curious if not SO thrilling rs that
| Of the earlier volume, while they supply
! some elements of grace and tenderness
| which its choice Of subjects excluded. Ivan
1vanovitch and its companion sketches
might lead us to think that fear is the ruling
| passion Of humanity. The story of Hoseyn
and his Arab mare is as perfect an acknowl-
| edgment Of the power Of love as was ever
| clothed in dramatic for1n.. Mul6ykeh is her
| masters ''Pearl,'' the pride of his life.
Neither bribes nor eltreaties will part him
| from her. Duill offers 4 Thousand camcls,
but they are refused. Tie declares his son is
pine1 to death'' for MulGyEeh's beauty,
and only its possession can save him; but
| Uoseyn answers:
''God gives each man ono life, like lamp, then
gives
Tint lamp due measure Of oil; lamp lighted
hold high, wave wide
= what help is left?
The 81 sISksS 9 ySsf kaEp lamp is your son: shine while
Would II beg your son to cheer my dark if Mu-
It is l'fs M against life: what good avatls to the
And then Duhl swears that he will never
wash his head till he has stolen the mare
But 11oseyn sleeps at his Pearls side, with
her heatIstall wound round his wrist. Duhl
gldcs in upon him at night, cuts the head
stall away, mounts Multykeh, and escapes
with her- uoseyn starts up and uursues
hill; The sister mare, Buheysell, is always
Her speed is only second to the Pearls: and
the the Pearl has only Duh1 to ride her. Buhey-
sch Is cOnuuerlng.
She Is near now, nose By tail-thcy are neck by
What folly makes Hoseyn shout "Dog Duhl,
Damned son Of the Dust,
ioucf me rgnF H. eas an1 press with your foot my
and Duhl was wise Mt the word, and Mul6ykeh
w.o w. as prompt perceived
And leap indeed gave she, and evanished for
And HMoseyn M looked one long last look as who,
LOOKS. fain to follow the dead SO far US the liv-
ing may:
Then ,,tn nc - turned Buh6yseh's neck alow home
ward, weeping sore.
And' 10, IN the sunrise, sat noseyn upon the
"eepRg; RxG, and neighbors came the trbesmen of
In the ynie Of green Er-Isass and they oues-
.na tt TONED l him Of his grief;
ana e nS fSIq 1T dfo sst to lust how, serpentike
his wsy ~ to 81 9s nest and how Duhl rode like an
And how bahdyseh did wonders, yet Pearl re-
mained with the thief.
and they jeercd him, one and ali. "poor
uo Hoseyn is crazed past hope| $40 va
aoW else had he wrought himself his ruin In
To have 19ftineS sieiy 1nits? SaiS t,a tonn,a
And here were sia;leykeh again, the eyed like an
The eb', bst Ct hi his hsaft by day the wife of his
And BE, she beaten neu in speed" wept Hoseyn;
The second Idyl is supposed to recall the
one on, !, moment in the Life OF Robert Give in
which he felt fear; but in this cuse Mr.
Browning has Illustrated that fear Of dis
honor which may wear all the attributes Of
courage; he selects an instance Of deliberate
bravery as an expression Of the deadliest ter
ror which a man can know. In its outward |
FEATURES the adventure is historical. Give |
Natss vas stlli II MS eoanting-house days when he
cheating at cards. lie taxed him publicly
with the Utfense, persisted in the charge. and |
was challenged; the only concession uatle |
70 his untr1et capacity for fighting being the |
choice Of pistols instead OF swords. As the |
stury is told in Mr.. Browning's words. Ie
misses misses ils am, and his opponent, his pistol
1eveled at 'Clive's head, dIies him to repeat /
t tae l accusation: lie repeats it nevertheless:
'tneat you did. sou knew you cheated. and
4. thls moment, know us we'll
AS for me- my honcly breeding hfds s
and 90 to Hcili' ~" 4e
The officer Is cowed by this unfilnchinos
ilr1llaess, filings down the pistol. cnnfass..,
nls guilt, and disappears. But. snrs the
i iIishn 10 whom the adventure is rt.iata11
- " here In al this is the evidence nf ft.ar .,
and Give, Indignant at so shallow q vision
breaks forth: 'ta4on'
- fou-a soldier? You at plassy7 You're +ba
faculty to nick Aoo1s tae
1nstantnne9usly occasion when YOUR foe r.
A.htntn.-quick, 'A Aoe' -
Al MS mercy: ut his malIcc-hns yo,, tbronoh
some stupid inch ~" eNAouen
onoei enoeu 1 ~, ~ yuar bulwark7 Thus laid onan-
1nat ; nctds courage, you'll conccde me. Then
T.h.-,lt' oh nefc suppose the man
not nty snan ADVANCE his weapon still extended,
Distant from my tcmnlc-c,,rso .,,,,
Keep your ifc cal,imn;Htor, ,,.
freely spare: ~N10s Hie L
'''ne you freely would ha7a taaeu-murdered
o.., nte and my good fame
M. your own bad ain e'''' <a1" 1DsA1'@
" A4eA peEinlt3 me to forgive you7' who% r.