The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-12-29

posed. On the other mana. L nc'c'
pretended to offer such literature az
should be a substitute for a cigar or
game Of dominoes to an idle man. 80.
perhaps, on the whole l get my deserts,
and something over-not crowd, but
few l value more. y
There are readers. and there are
readers. For that nondescript thing'tne
general reader, it is clear that the poet
had little care. The student. so-called.
who, because Of the obscurity of "Chlide
Roland whould miss the glory ana
beauty of saul. must remain a loser.
We admit there is some trouble
before him, and it is for him to chose
whether ne will risk it. 10 his behalf,
We cannot forbear quoting review by
Mr. Richard Holt Hutton, who charac.
terized the poets manner as "a crowded
note book style and iustifi-s the ef-
preston by this psrenthesis;
"cTo be by him themselves made act
Not watcn Sordcllo acting each 81 thein.l
"What this parentbesis means, ne
saws, II have not the most distant no,
ton. Mr. Browning might as wei
have said. to be.by him. her. himself
herself. themselves made act. &c. Tor
any ye.tige Of meaning | attach to TINS
curious mob Of pronouns and verbs. 1t
l. exactly like the short notes OF a
speech intended to be interpreted alter
wards by one who had heard and un-
derstood it himself. "
Now there il an interpretation Tor the
careful student Of BrovniDgese even or
this remarkable passage. For the pre-
sent we leave it a. a cOnundrum Tor
whom it may concern, along with
"Childs Roland to the DARK Tower
Came the only utterly unintelliglols
poem we have ever seen by our author.
The limits Of this article will not, OF
course, admit Of any review OF THESE
poems. They extend over a period OF
fifty-six years. they embrace an I'M
eaualsd variety Of subjects, abound
with original creations. and rank our
author as the Shakespeare OF the nine-
teenth century.
This NAV seem to many an
arrogant claim, but it is not a
vague hyperbole; allowing for diffsrnce
in time and environment, they have
strong points in common. The study
Of hnmanly Is the subject to which
each devOtes the best efforts OF. which
he is capable. and in the variety and
number OF these characters he has crss-
ted Shakespeare hardly surpasses bis
SUCCESSOR. Again, both have taken for
the theatre OF their dramas the human
soul. which reflects all passing events
a.in mirror. while its own fate or de-
yelopment is the real crisis Of the plot.
Unconnected with one another "a
BrovnlDg's shorter poems are, ana per
feet in themselves as finished canoes
even there the most uumethodical read
or cannot fail to fiud well Connected
and consistent philosophy underlying
them. He must perceive that this 10
not ..fancy's child wafblIng his natiys
wood notes Wild Though 1t was pos
sible to offer that insult to Shakespeare.
.hr greatest OF all artists. no one could
possibly say 1t Of Browning. He 10 no
careless birding OF the forest, guided IN
his Law by primitive instincts. Ills
works show him great thinker, WIFE
certain clearly defined convictions, on
which no founds noble PHILOSOPHY. IL
is not one poem alone, but tho aggregate
of them all. which teaches these truths
with persistence aud growing clcarne's.
They can only be briefly touched upon.
Foremost among them Is the value OF
human life. The Pdganlsm OF the old
world found the life OF man IN the pre-
sent ENJOYMENT of material things
the Puritauism Of Christianity, IN =
,trorr protect against this low estimate
OF the soul. with all It's spiritual asplra'
tons awake and burning. tramples un'
der foot these beggarly elements. while
with ardent gaze raised TO the skies, II
stnmbles and falls over the rubbish that
blocks its path. The great poet and
phil0sopher Of the nineteenth century
holds tie balance between the two:
.rurrirr t. scorn with lirgdivine
The falsehOOd Of extremes"
In his philosophy they are 20 re-
conciled that material life exalted
makes spiritual lie possible. All Is
rot vanity, as Solomon in bis mis-speni
old age would have US believe; the u.s.
Of this world are not weary, stale iist
and Improbable, as Hamlet IN his grlef
and disappointment fouud H.. Listen
10 David IN saul:
"Eow good IL mans ifel The mere living
how On 90 employ,
All he heart and the soul and The senses Ior'
ever IN JOY
The complex interests that make ny
mans life are the means by which anc
not for which the soul lives, - sac
flower has its roots in the base earth
and flourishes only in cOntac. with 1t.
Let us not always say
spite Of this flesh to-day
strove. made head, gained ground, upon the
whole!
Asthe bird wings an sings,
Ietus cry, al good things
/ Arcour, nor soul helps flesh, now, more thar
flesh helps soul!
The moment a soul begins TO live for
these miserable compensations, the bit
Ter scorn Of the poet Is dashed upon it
he watches It's motions with keen and
alien look. as we watch the writings Of
reptiles or observe the habits of lower
creatures: they are but finished and
finite clods, unlr0ubled by a spark.
.sNhat j. lac bu' q brute.
whose nesh has soul To suit
Whose spirit Mofks lesi arms "nu ieSs WAN
play?
70 man, propose This test
Thy body. M ia best,
How far can 10 project thy soul on It's lone
wayf"