The San Francisco call., 1905-04-16


OF his adoption and come back TO
US to be an American by choice
Of life as well as he is by chance of
birth, has TO his credit one of the most
noteworthy Of the many enthusiastic
sentences which have been written In
appreciation Of Robert Browning. It
comes TO US as the motto for the best
chapter in the new book, Robert
Browning" by c. II. Herford, profess
sor Of English literature in the Uni
versity of Manchester, just at the time
Mr.. James visits our city; and the coin
Cidence of his bodily presence here may
serve to invoke remembrance of the
coming OF his words in that legends
brief enunciaton, by a master Of Eng
Esh prose Of what were those special
flights Of eloquence wherein Robert
Browning Is the superlative English
poet.
The motto is used to prelude the final
chapter Of this new book-the one
which sums up the study of Brown
ing's life and mind and art in the con-
sideration Of him in that sphere Of
work wherein the great man was at his
greatest. namely, as the interpreter of
master is what we must heed and try
10 remember. and here is the clever
nOvelist's estimate OF one OF the most
soul-uplifting poets;
His voice sounds loudest and also
clearest for the things that as a race
we ike best; the fascination
of faith. the acceptance OF life. the re-
spect for it's mysteries. the endurance
of its charges. the vitality OF the will.
the validity Of character, the beauty of
action. the seriousness. above all, Of
great human passion
This new book is comparatively brief
considering the magnitude OF the sub
Ject- II does not claim 10 be the last
word on Browning. but is only sup
Elementary study Of him from more
definitely Literary standpoint than Of
some others Of the modern ones which
look out philosophically upon the man
and his work. II makes no pretense of
biographical completeness, but is an at
tempt to sift out the really salient ma
tsriaL AS TO the question Of Browning's
Nobscurity," the author considers that
the problems presented by his writings
are merely tough, and VIII always yield
that the problems presented by his
mind are elusive. The work is divided
into two parts. Browning's life and
work. and his mind and art" The
second part is subdivided into a study
of him as q poet, and as an interpreter
Of life.
OF Browning as a poet we learn this
curious item, I have" he wrote, such
a love for flowers and leaves that every
now and then in an impatience at
being unable to possess them thorough
ly. 10 see them quite, satiate myself
with their scent. bite them TO bits"
This is bringing reality pretty close
20 the facetious fiction Of the poetic
fancy being fed on a diet Of flowers.
Another item is that he found his most
exultant rapture in lay-modeling;
nothing" said his wife, ever made
him so happy before" His love Of light
and color is shown by the fact that
most Of his imagined women are pic
tured with the play Of light on golden
hair, like the one whose
5'-esses curled into sumptuous swell Of gold.
and wound
About her Ike e glory. Even the ground
Was bright as with split sunbeams-
In the study Of that quality of the
poets work which is put under the
head Of 10Y In SOUL" there is good
account given of Browning's apprecia-
ton OF the finer points in things. the
delicate shades that make or mar life
10 such an extent that we must ever
tread and speak in some fear lest we
either spoil something. or just miss
a. Fw1to
delight. Thus telling OF joy and how
II may be sobered by recalling the
nerilous hairbreadth chances incurred
in achieving it" he quotes from by
the Fireside";
On the little more, and how much It is!
And the little Jess, and what worlds away
How a sound shall quicken content to bliss
or a breath suspend the biood's best play
And life be proof OF this
T. Sc however, as an interpreter Of
lie that Browning is so great. and
+,,is lfttle book is best when 1t comes
TO the chapter specially on that sub
iect Here we are told Of the poets
confidence in the working of God Ia
fbe world. and his joyous faith in both
80 divine origin and destiny Of man,
~ ~ how his poetry was an effort TO
s.,nravel the tangled circumstance OF
,,,,-,,ar life and disclose everywhere in
anity enmeshed amid the intricacies OF
s,,a fnite.,' Of his thought Of progress. =
heing SO strong in him that it must be
q thing TO continue even in heaven.
11,-en when redeemed Browning would
mink that in that gracious state
achievement lacked a gracious some
what"
Although he saw God everywhere he
was not a pantheist and OF the Ger
man speculation Of making GOO, nature
and man one, he called II a gigantic
stumble" He looked out nappliy upon
human life and resisted all seeming
contradictions TO the grounds OF hope
when the optimism of the mead was
discredited, passion-fraught instinct
under the name Of heart. came to the