第11章

LatestresearchhasprovedthatwhatsoeverofapretenderParacelsusmayhavebeenincertainrespects，hewasunquestionablyamanofextraordinarypowers：and，asapioneerinascienceofthefirstmagnitudeofimportance，deservingofhighhonour。

IfeverthefamousGermanattainahighplaceinthehistoryofthemodernintellectualmovementinEurope，itwillbeprimarilyduetoBrowning’schampionship。

ButofcoursetheextentorshallownessofParacelsus’claimisamatterofquitesecondaryinterest。Weareconcernedwiththepoet’spresentmentofthemanofthatstrangesoulwhomheconceivedofashavinganticipatedsofar，andashavingfocussedallthevagrantspeculationsofthedayintoonestartlingbeamoflight，nowlambentlypure，nowluridwithgrossconstituents。*

*Paracelsushastwoparticularclaimsuponourregard。

Hegaveuslaudanum，adiscoveryofincalculableblessingtomankind。

Andfromhisfourthbaptismalname，whichheinheritedfromhisfather，wehaveourfamiliarterm，`bombast’。Readersinterestedintheknownfactsconcerningthe“master-mind，thethinker，theexplorer，thecreator，“theforerunnerofMesmerandevenofDarwinandWallace，whobeganlifewiththesoundingappellation“PhilippusAureolusTheophrastusBombastusabHohenheim“，shouldconsultBrowning’sownlearnedappendicalnote，andMr。Berdoe’sinterestingessayintheBrowningSocietyPapers，No。49。

Paracelsus，hisfriendsFestusandhiswifeMichal，andAprile，anItalianpoet，arethecharacterswhoarethepersonalmediathroughwhichBrowning’salreadypowerfulgeniusfoundexpression。

Thepoemis，ofakind，anepic：theepicofabravesoulstrivingagainstbafflingcircumstance。Itisfullofpassagesofraretechnicalexcellence，aswellasofconceptivebeauty：

sofull，indeed，thatthesympatheticreaderofitasadramawillbetooapttooverlookitsradicalshortcomings，castasitisinthedramaticmould。ButitmustnotbeforgottenthatBrowninghimselfdistinctlystatedhehadattemptedtowrite“apoem，notadrama“：andinthelightofthissimplestatementhalftheobjectionsthathavebeenmadefalltotheground。

Paracelsusistheprotagonist：theothersaremerelyincidental。

Thepoemisthesoul-historyofthegreatmedicalstudentwhobeganlifesobraveofaspectanddiedsomiserablyatSalzburg：

butitisalsothehistoryofatypicalhumansoul，whichcanbereadwithoutanyknowledgeofactualparticulars。

Aprileisaprojectionofthepoet’sownpoeticalideal。Hespeaks，buthedoesnotliveasFestuslives，orevenasMichal，who，bytheway，isinterestingasbeingthefirstinthelonggalleryofBrowning’swomen

agalleryofsuperbly-drawnportraits，ofnobleandstrikingandalwaysintenselyhumanwomen，unparalleledexceptinShakespeare。

Pauline，ofcourse，existsonlyasanabstraction，andPorphyriaisinnoexactsenseaportraitfromthelife。YetMichalcanberevealedonlytothesympatheticeye，forsheisnotdrawn，butagainandagainsuddenlysilhouetted。Weseeherinprofilealways：butwhensheexclaimsatthelast，“Ieverdidbelieve，“wefeelthatshehaswithdrawntheveilpartiallyhidingherfairandgenerousspirit。

Totheloverofpoetry“Paracelsus“willalwaysbeaGolconda。

Ithaslinesandpassagesofextraordinarypower，ofahauntingbeauty，andofauniqueandexquisitecharm。Itmaybenoted，inexemplificationofBrowning’sartisticrange，thatinthedescriptivepassageshepaintsaswellintheelaboratePre-Raphaelitemethodaswithabroadsynthetictouch：asin“OneoldpopulousgreenwallTenantedbytheever-busyflies，Greycricketsandshylizardsandquickspiders，Eachfamilyofthesilver-threadedmoss

Which，lookthroughnear，thisway，anditappearsAstubble-fieldoracane-brake，amarshOfbulrushwhiteninginthesun……“

Butoftenerheprefersthemoresuccinctmethodoflandscape-painting，thebroadestimpressionism：asin“Pastthehighrocksthehauntsofdoves，themoundsOfredearthfromwhosesidesstrangetreesgrowout，Pasttracksofmilk-whiteminuteblindingsand。“

Andwhereinmodernpoetryisthereasuperberunionofthescientificandthepoeticvisionthaninthismagnificentpassage

thequintessenceofthepoet’sconceptionoftheraptureoflife：

“Thecentre-fireheavesunderneaththeearth，Andtheearthchangeslikeahumanface；

Themoltenoreburstsupamongtherocks，Windsintothestone’sheart，outbranchesbrightInhiddenmines，spotsbarrenriver-beds，Crumblesintofinesandwheresunbeamsbask

Godjoystherein。Thewrothsea’swavesareedgedWithfoam，whiteasthebittenlipofhate，Wheninthesolitarywaste，strangegroupsOfyoungvolcanoescomeup，cyclops-like，Staringtogetherwiththeireyesonflame

Godtastesapleasureintheiruncouthpride。

Thenallisstill；earthisawintryclod：

ButSpring-wind，likeadancingpsaltress，passesOveritsbreasttowakenit，rareverdureBudstenderlyuponroughbanks，betweenThewitheredtree-restsandthecracksoffrost，Likeasmilestrivingwithawrinkledface；

Thegrassgrowsbright，theboughsareswolnwithbloomsLikechrysalidsimpatientfortheair，Theshiningdorrsarebusy，beetlesrunAlongthefurrows，antsmaketheirado；

Above，birdsflyinmerryflocks，thelarkSoarsupandup，shiveringforveryjoy；

Afartheoceansleeps；whitefishinggullsFlitwherethestrandispurplewithitstribeOfnestedlimpets；savagecreaturesseekTheirlovesinwoodandplainandGodrenewsHisancientrapture。“

Intheselines，particularlyintheirclose，ismanifesttheinfluenceofthenobleHebraicpoetry。ItmusthavebeenatthisperiodthatBrowningconnedoverandoverwithanexultantdelightthesimplebutlordlydictionofIsaiahandtheotherprophets，preferringthisBiblicalpoetrytothatevenofhisbelovedGreeks。

Thereisananecdoteofhiswalkingacrossapublicpark(IamtoldRichmond，butmoreprobablyitwasWimbledonCommon)

withhishatinhislefthandandhisrightwavingtoandfrodeclamatorily，whilethewindblewhishairaroundhisheadlikeanimbus：

soraptinhisecstasyoverthesolemnsweepoftheBiblicalmusicthathedidnotobserveasmallfollowingconsistingofseveraleagerchildren，expectantofthrillingstump-oratory。Hewasjusttheman，however，toacceptananti-climaxgenially，andtodismisshisdisappointedauditorywithsomethingmoretangiblethananaddress。

Thepoet-precursorofscientificknowledgeisagainandagainmanifest：

as，forexample，in“HintsandprevisionsofwhichfacultiesArestrewnconfusedlyeverywhereaboutTheinferiornatures，andallleaduphigher，Allshapeoutdimlythesuperiorrace，Theheirofhopestoofairtoturnoutfalse，Andmanappearsatlast。“*

*ReadersinterestedinBrowning’sinspirationfrom，andtreatmentof，Science，shouldconsulttheexcellentessayonhimas“AScientificPoet“byMr。EdwardBerdoe，F。R。C。S。，and，inparticular，comparewiththeoriginalsthereferencesgivenbyMr。BerdoetothenumerouspassagesbearinguponEvolutionandtheseveralsciences，fromAstronomytoPhysiology。

Therearelines，again，whichhaveamagicthatcannotbedefined。

Ifitbenotfelt，nosenseofitcanbeconveyedthroughanother’swords。

“Whosememorieswereasolacetomeoft，Asmountain-bathstowildfowlsintheirflight。“

“Askthegier-eaglewhyshestoopsatonceIntothevastandunexploredabyss，Whatfull-grownpowerinformsherfromthefirst，Whyshenotmarvels，strenuouslybeatingThesilentboundlessregionsofthesky。“

Thereisonepassage，beautifulinitself，whichhasapatheticsignificancehenceforth。Gordon，ourmostreveredhero，waswonttodeclarethatnothinginallnonscripturalliteraturewassodeartohim，nothinghadsoofteninspiredhiminmomentsofgloom：

“Igotoprovemysoul!

Iseemywayasbirdstheirtracklessway。

Ishallarrive!Whattime，whatcircuitfirst，Iasknot：butunlessGodsendHishailOrblindingfireballs，sleetorstiflingsnow，Insometime，Hisgoodtime，Ishallarrive：

Heguidesmeandthebird。Inhisgoodtime。“

Asforthemuchmisused`Shakespearian’comparison，sooftenmistakenlyappliedtoBrowning，thereisnothingin“Paracelsus“

intheleastwayderivative。BecauseShakespeareisthegreatestgeniusevolvedfromourrace，itdoesnotfollowthateveryloftyintellect，everygreatobjectivepoet，shouldbelabelled“Shakespearian“。

Butthereisacertainqualityinpoeticexpressionwhichwesospecify，becausetheintensehumanitythrobbinginitfindshighestutteranceinthegreatestofourpoets：andthereisatleastoneinstanceofsuchpoignantspeechin“Paracelsus“，worthyalmosttoberankedwiththelastdespairingcryofGuidocallinguponmurderedPompilia：