The sun., 1891-07-12
soMs NEW soOxA
The Brownines.

" critical estima ates OF Robert Browning We
have had perhaps enough, and we have cer-
tsiuly had o supernuity OF attempts to inter-
rret his more cryptic utterances. We may
nflirm with confidence that II contemporary
poet be unintelligible to people OF good parts
his meaning Is not worth discovering and was
not clear oven to himself. From Homer 10
Milton there arc no real exceptions to this
iu'c. II to us Eschylus seem At times OBJ
p ure. this is due mainly TO the corruption OF
his text and We may be sure that his tragedies
would never have been placed upon the stage
had not his diction been lucid to the mass OF
the Athenians. The difficulties encountered
in reading Dante should bs attributed.
flrst to his diction being exceedingly
archaic. the Divine Comedy having been
the frst considerabls composition In the
Italian tongue; and. secondly. to the fact that
to understand tho innumerabls historical.
biographical, theological. and metaphysical
allusions requires an intimate acquaini ance
with the philosophy Of the schoolmsn and with
political and social lite in thirteenth century
ltsiy that very few readers possess. or might
even deem 1t worth while to acquire. For
Browning's obscurity. on the other hand' thero
is absolutely no excuse. and he must nave
been himself aware that only those poems OF
his which are comprehended at glance Dy IN
tellIgent persons have any chance OF life. IL
10 oAly among the devotoes OF the Browning
cult, who arc said to be especially numerous
IN Chicago. that omns t0notunt pro maontfco 10
supposed to be ON axiom In criticism.
But while We know all We need to know
about Browning. the poet. We knew. up to the
time OF his death, sinrularly little about tho
man. even less. indeed. than We know about
Tennyson or Swinburne, and It cannot be said
that either Of their personalities IA very sharp
" defined. We have reason. therefore. to well
come tho biography oompiled by Mrs. SuTHER-
LAND ORR under the title of Life aud Letters
Of Robert Browning iHouRhton. Mlflin Coz.
For the spistolary and reminiscent materials
embodied in those two volumes, the com piler
n mainly indebted to Robert Drownings sis.
tor. whose memory Is indeed the only extant
record OF her brothers boyhood and youth.
The task which Mrs. Orr undertook has been
performed with modesty and industry, and
her work will undoubtedly remain the prluci-
pal authority with reiationito the poets life. in
the present notice we shall not attempt to fol-
low Brownin9's long career from 1919 to 1889.
but. after a glance at his early environment
and what may be termed his Inherited outfit,
We shall connne ourselves to an account OF his
romantic and Interesting married life. 1t
was. uudou btedly. ON ideal union. that OF Miss
Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning.
Seldom has there been more perfect intel
lsctual fellowship and spiritual sympathy.
There could be. indeed. no greater mistake
than to imagine that q sharp divergence in
respect 10 intellect and tempersment is essen
tial to Q happy marriage. Ono difference.
indeed. cannot be too strongly accented. Its
Indispensable that tho wife should bs intensely
feminine and that the man should bs veritably
manlike Lot. however. this difference OF sex
bs emphasized. and the more alike they are
in other things. the better for their harmony
and happiness.