第14章

Mostpeoplewhosawtheperformanceof“Strafford“givenin1886，undertheauspicesoftheBrowningSociety，weresurprisedaswellasimpressed：forfew，apparently，hadrealisedfromperusalthepoweroftheplayasmademanifestwhenacted。Thesecretofthisisthatthedrama，whenprivilyread，seemshardifnotheavyinitsdiction，andtobesoinornate，thoughbynomeanscorrespondinglysimple，astorenderanycomparisonbetweenitandthedramaticworkofShakespeareoutofthequestion。Butwhenacted，theartistryoftheplayisrevealed。

Itsintensenaturalnessisdueingreatparttothesternconcisionofthelines，wherenowordiswasted，whereeverysentenceisfraughtwiththeutmostitcanconvey。Theoutlineswhichdisturbedusbytheirvaguenessbecomemoreclear：inaword，weallseeinenactmentwhatonlyafewofuscandiscerninperusal。Theplayhasitsfaults，butscarcelythoseoflanguage，wherethedictionisnobleandrhythmic，becauseitis，sotospeak，thegenuinerindofthefruititenvelops。

Buttherearedramaticfaultsprimarily，intheextremeeconomyoftheauthorinthepresentmentofhis`dramatispersonae’，whoareembodiedabstractionsmonomaniacsofideas，assomeonehassaidofHugo’spersonagesratherthanmenasweare，withmanifoldcomplexitiesinendlessfrictionorfusion。Onecardinalfaultisthelackofhumour，whichtomymindistheparamountobjectiontoitspopularacceptance。Another，isthemisproportionatelengthofsomeofthespeeches。Onceagain，thereis，asinthegreaterportionofBrowning’slongerpoemsanddramas，abanefulequalityofemphasis。

TheconceptionofCharlesI。isnotonlyobviouslyweak，butstrangelyprejudicedadverselyforsokeenananalystofthesoulasBrowning。

Forwhatafellow-dramatistcallsthis“SunsetShadowofaKing“，nomanorwomancouldabaseeveryhopeandenergy。ShakespearewouldneverhavecommittedthecrucialmistakeofmakingCharlesthedespicabledeformityheisinBrowning’sdrama。Straffordhimselfdisappearstoosoon：

inthefourthactthereisthevacuumabhorredofdramaticpropriety。

Whenheagaincomesonthescene，thecharmispartlybroken。

Butwithaltheplayisoneofremarkablevigourandbeauty。

Itseemstomethattoomuchhasbeenwrittenagainstitonthescoreofitsmetricalrudeness。Thelinesarebeatoutbyahammer，butintheprocesstheyarewroughtclearofallneedlessalloy。

Tourge，ashasbeenlatelyurged，thatitlacksallhumantouchandisamereintellectualfanfaronade，andthatthereisnotoncealineofpoignantinsight，isaltogetheruncritical。Readersofthismindmusthaveforgottenorbeindifferenttothoselines，forexample，wherethewretchedCharlesstammeringlyexcuseshimselftohisloyalministerforhisdeath-warrant，cryingoutthatitwaswrungfromhim，andbeggingStraffordnottocursehim：or，again，thatwonderfullysignificantline，sofullofatootardyknowledgeandofconcentratedscorn，whereStraffordfirstbegsthekingto“begoodtohischildren，“

andthen，withacontemptthatisalmostsublime，implores，“Stay，sir，donotpromise，donotswear!“Thewholeofthesecondsceneinthefifthactispuregenius。Thereader，orspectator，knowsbythistimethatallhopeisover：thatStrafford，thoughallunaware，isbetrayedandundone。Itisasubtledramaticruse，thatofBrowning’srepresentinghimsittinginhisapartmentintheTowerwithhisyoungchildren，WilliamandAnne，blithelysinging。

CanonereadandeverforgetthelinesgivingthegayItalianrhyme，withtheboy’spicturesquelychildishprose-accompaniment？

Straffordisseated，wearyanddistraught：

“`Obell’andarePerbarcainmare，VersolaseraDiPrimavera!’

William。Theboat’sinthebroadmoonlightallthiswhile

`VersolaseraDiPrimavera!’

AndtheboatshootsfromunderneaththemoonIntotheshadowydistance；onlystillYouhearthedippingoar

`Versolasera，’

Andfaint，andfainter，andthenall’squitegone，Musicandlightandall，likealoststar。

Anne。Butyoushouldsleep，father：youweretosleep。

Strafford。Idosleep，Anne；orifnotyoumustknowThere’ssuchathingas……

William。You’retootiredtosleep。

Strafford。Itwillcomeby-and-byandalldaylong，InthatoldquiethouseItoldyouof：

Wesleepsafethere。

Anne。WhynotinIreland？

Strafford。No!

Toomanydreams!“

Tomethischildren’s-songandthefleetingandnowplaintiveechoofit，as“VoicesfromWithin““Versolasera，DiPrimavera“

intheterriblescenewhereStraffordlearnshisdoom，isonlytobeparalleledbythesongofMarianain“MeasureforMeasure“，wherein，likewise，isabducedinonethrillingpoignantstrainthequintessentialpartofthetenselifeofthewholeplay。

SomuchhasbeenwrittenconcerningthedramasofRobertBrowning

thoughindeedthereisstillroomforavolumeofcarefulcriticism，dealingsolelywiththisthemethatIhavethelessregretinhavingsoinadequatelytopassinreviewworksofsuchpoeticmagnitudeasthoseenumeratedabove。

Butitwouldbeimpossible，insosmallabookasthis，toexaminethemindetailwithoutincurringajustchargeofmisproportion。

Thegreatnessandtheshortcomingsofthedramasanddramaticpoemsmustbenotedassuccinctlyaspracticable；andIhavedweltmoreliberallyupon“Pauline“，“Paracelsus“，and“Strafford“，partlybecause(certainlywithoutmorethanoneexception，“Sordello“)

thesearethethreeleastreadofBrowning’spoems，partlybecausetheyindicatethesweepandreachofhisfirstorienteagle-flightthroughnewmorning-skies，andmainlybecauseinthemwealreadyfindBrowningathisbestandathisweakest，becauseinthemwehearnotonlytherushofhissunlitpinions，butalsothelowearthwardsurgeofdullardwings。

Browningisforeshadowedinhisearliestwritings，asperhapsnootherpoethasbeentolikeextent。Inthe“VenusandAdonis“，andthe“RapeofLucrece“，wehavebutthedimmestforeviewoftheauthorof“Hamlet“，“Othello“，and“Macbeth“；hadShakespearediedprematurelynonecouldhavepredicted，fromtheexquisiteblossomsofhisadolescence，theimmortalfruitofhismaturity。But，inBrowning’sthreeearliestworks，weclearlydiscernhim，asthesculptorofMelosprevisionedhisVenusintherough-hewnblock。

Thenceforth，tochangetheimagery，hedevelopedrapidlyuponthesamelines，ordoubleduponhimselfinintricaterevolutions；butalreadyhislineoflife，hispoeticparallel，wasdefinitelyestablished。

IntheconsiderationofBrowning’sdramasitisneedfultobesureofone’svantageforjudgment。ThefirststeptowardsthisassuranceistheablationofthechronicShakespeariancomparison。Primarily，theshapingspiritofthetimewroughtShakespeareandBrowningtoradicallydivergentmethodsofexpression，buteachtoamethodinprofoundharmonywiththedominantsentimentoftheageinwhichhelived。

Aboveallothers，theElizabethanerawasrichinromanticadventure，ofthemindaswellasofthebody，andaboveallothers，savethatoftheRenaissanceinItaly，animatedbyapassionatecuriosity。

So，too，supremely，theVictorianerahasbeenprolificofnovelandvastTitanicstrugglesofthehumanspirittoreachthoseGatesofTruthwhoseloweststepsarethescarcediscerniblestarsandfurthestsunswescan，bypilingOssasofsearchingspeculationuponPelionsofhardly-wonpositiveknowledge。ThehighestexemplaroftheformerisShakespeare，Browningtheprofoundestinterpreterofthelatter。

Toachievesupremacytheonehadtocreateathrobbingactuality，aworldofkeenestliving，ofactsandintervolvedsituationsandepisodes：

theothertofashionamentalitysopassionatelyalivethatitsmanifoldphasesshouldhavealltherealityofconcreteindividualities。Theonerevealsindividuallifetousbytheplayofcircumstance，theinteractionofevents，thecorrelativeeductionofpersonalcharacteristics：

theotherbyhisapprehensionofthatquintessentialmovementormoodorphasewhereinthesoulistransitorilyvisibleonitslonelypinnacleoflight。

Theelderpoetrevealslifetousbythesheervividnessofhisownvision：

theyounger，byanewer，alesspicturesquebutmorescientificabduction，compelsthecomplexrayingsofeachsoul-startoasingularsimplicity，asbythespectrumanalysis。Theone，again，fulfilshisaimbyabroadsynthesisbaseduponthevividobservanceandselectionofvitaldetails：theotherbyanextraordinaryacutepsychicanalysis。

Inaword，Shakespeareworksaswiththeclayofhumanaction：

Browningaswiththeclayofhumanthought。

Asforthedifferenceinvalueofthetwomethodsitisuselesstodogmatise。

Thepsychicportraitureproducedbyeitherisvaluableonlysofarasitisconvincinglytrue。