第11章

ThisisamostimportantpassagetogetholdofinstudyingBrowning。

ItmaybesaidtogatherupBrowning’sphilosophyoflifeinanutshell。

There’sapassagetothesameeffectin`Balaustion’sAdventure’，inregardtothetransmissionofthepoet’sessence。TheenthusiasticRhodiangirl，Balaustion，aftershehastoldtheplayofEuripides，yearsafterheradventure，toherfourfriends，Petale，Phullis，Charope，andChrusion，says：——”IthinkIseehow……you，I，oranyone，mightmouldanewAdmetos，newAlkestis。Ah，thatbravebountyofpoets，theoneroyalracethateverwas，orwillbe，inthisworld！Theygivenogiftthatboundsitself，andendsi’thegivingandthetaking：

theirssobreedsi’theheartandsoulofthetaker，sotransmutesthemanwhoonlywasamanbefore，thathegrowsgod-likeinhisturn，cangive——healso：sharethepoet’sprivilege，bringforthnewgood，newbeautyfromtheold。Asthoughthecupthatgavethewine，gavetoothegod’sprolificgiverofthegrape，thatvine，waswonttofindout，fawnaroundhisfootstep，springingstilltoblessthedearth，atbiddingofaMainad。”

3。ArtasanIntermediateAgencyofPersonality。

IfBrowning’sideaofthequickening，theregeneration，therectificationofpersonality，throughahigherpersonality，befullycomprehended，hisideaofthegreatfunctionofArt，asanintermediateagencyofpersonality，willbecomeplain。

Toemphasizethelatterideamaybesaidtobetheultimatepurposeofhismasterpiece，`TheRingandtheBook’。

ThecomplexityofthecircumstancesinvolvedintheRomanmurdercase，adaptsitadmirablytothepoet’spurpose——namely，toexhibittheswervingsofhumanjudgmentinspiteofitself，andtheconditionsuponwhichtherectificationofthatjudgmentdepends。

Thismustbetaken，however，asonlythearticulation，theframework，ofthegreatpoem。Itisricherinmaterials，ofthemostvariedcharacter，thananyotherlongpoeminexistence。

Tonoticeonefeatureofthenumberlessfeaturesofthepoem，whichmightbenoticed，Browning’sdeepandsubtleinsightintothegeniusoftheRomishChurchisshowninitmorefullythaninanyotherofhispoems，——thoughspecialphasesofthatgeniusaredistinctlyexhibitedinnumerouspoems：aremarkableonebeing`TheBishopordershisTombatSt。Praxed’sChurch’。

Itisquestionablewhetheranyworkofanykindhaseverexhibitedthatgeniusmorefullyanddistinctlythan`TheRingandtheBook’

exhibitsit。ThereaderbreathesthroughouttheecclesiasticalatmosphereoftheEternalCity。

Toreturnfromthisdigression，theseveralmonologuesofwhichthepoemconsists，withtheexceptionofthoseoftheCanonCaponsacchi，Pompilia，andthePope，areeachcuriousandsubtleandvariedexponentsoftheworkings，withouttheguidanceofinstinctattheheart，oftheprepossessed，prejudicedintellect，andofthesourcesofitsswervingintoerror。Whatissaidofthe”feelafterthevanishedtruth”inthemonologueentitled`HalfRome’——thespeakerbeingajealoushusband——willservetocharacterize，inageneralway，”thefeelaftertruth”

exhibitedintheothermonologues：”honestenough，asthewayis：

allthesame，harboringintheCENTREOFITSSENSEahiddengermoffailure，shybutsure，shouldneutralizethathonestyandleavethatfeelfortruthatfault，asthewayistoo。Someprepossession，suchasstartsamiss，bybutahair’s-breadthattheshoulder-blade，thearmo’thefeeler，diphene’ersobrave；andsoleadswaveringly，letsfallwideo’themarkhisfingermeanttofind，andfixtruthatthebottom，thatdeceptivespeck。”

Thepoetcouldhardlyhaveemployedamoreeffectivemetaphorinwhichtoembodytheideaofmentalswerving。Theseveralmonologuesallgoingoverthesameground，areartisticallyjustifiedintheirexhibiting，eachofthem，aquitedistinctformofthisswerving。Fortheultimatepurposeofthepoet，itneededtobestronglyemphasized。Thestudentofthepoemisamazed，longbeforehegetsoverallthesemonologues，attheProteancapabilitiesofthepoet’sownintellect。

Ittakesallconceivableattitudestowardthecase，andeachseemstobeaperfectlyeasyone。

Thesemonologuesallleaduptothegreatmoralofthepoem，whichisexplicitlysetforthattheend，namely，”thatourhumanspeechisnaught，ourhumantestimonyfalse，ourfameandhumanestimation，wordsandwind。Whytaketheartisticwaytoprovesomuch?Because，itisthegloryandgoodofArt，thatArtremainstheonewaypossibleofspeakingtruth，tomouthslikemine，atleast。Howlookabrotherinthefaceandsay，Thyrightiswrong，eyeshastthouyetartblind，thineearsarestuffedandstopped，despitetheirlength：and，oh，thefoolishnessthoucountestfaith！Saythisassilveryastonguecantroll——theangerofthemanmaybeendured，theshrug，thedisappointedeyesofhimarenotsobadtobear——

buthere’stheplague，thatallthistroublecomesoftellingtruth，whichtruth，bywhenitreacheshim，looksfalse，seemstobejustthethingitwouldsupplant，norrecognizablebywhomitleft：

whilefalsehoodwouldhavedonetheworkoftruth。ButArt，——

whereinmannowisespeakstomen，onlytomankind，——Artmaytellatruthobliquely，DOTHETHINGSHALLBREEDTHETHOUGHT”，thatis，bringwhatisIMPLICITwithinthesoul，intotherightattitudetobecomeEXPLICIT——bringaboutasilentadjustmentthroughsympathyinducedbytheconcrete；inotherwords，preparethewayfortheperceptionofthetruth——”dothethingshallbreedthethought，norwrongthethoughtmissingthemediateword”；meaning，thatArt，sotospeak，isthewordmadeflesh，——ISthetruth，and，asArt，hasnothingdirectlytodowiththeexplicit。”Somayyoupaintyourpicture，twiceshowtruth，beyondmereimageryonthewall，——

so，notebynote，bringmusicfromyourmind，deeperthanevertheAndantedived，——sowriteabookshallmeanbeyondthefacts，sufficetheeyeandsavethesoulbeside。”

Andwhatistheinferencethepoetwouldhaveusdrawfromthispassage?Itis，thatthelifeandefficacyofArtdependsonthepersonalityoftheartist，which”hasinformed，transpierced，thridded，andsothrownfastthefactselsefree，asrightthroughringandringrunsthedjereedandbindstheloose，onebarwithoutabreak。”Anditisreallythisfusionoftheartist’ssoul，whichkindles，quickens，INFORMSthosewhocontemplate，respondto，reproducesympatheticallywithinthemselvesthegreaterspiritwhichattractsandabsorbstheirown。

TheworkofArtisapocalypticoftheartist’sownpersonality。

ItCANNOTbeimpersonal。Asisthetemperofhisspirit，sois，MUSTbe，thetemperofhisArtproduct。*Itishardtobelieve，almostimpossibletobelieve，that`TitusAndronicus’couldhavebeenwrittenbyShakespeare，theexternaltestimonytotheauthorship，notwithstanding。EvenifhehadwrittenitasaburlesqueofsuchaplayasMarlow’s`JewofMalta’，hecouldnothaveavoidedsomerevelationofthatsenseofmoralproportionwhichisomnipresentinhisPlays。ButIcanfindnoShakespearein`TitusAndronicus’。

ArewenotcertainwhatmannerofmanShakespearewasfromhisWorks(notwithstandingthatcriticsareeverassertingtheirimpersonality)——

farmorecertainthanifhisbiographyhadbeenwrittenbyonewhoknewhimallhislife，andsustainedtohimthemostintimaterelations?WeknowShakespeare——orheCAN

beknown，iftherequisiteconditionsaremet，better，perhaps，thananyothergreatauthorthateverlived——know，inthedeepestsenseoftheword，inasenseotherthanthatinwhichweknowDr。Johnson，throughBoswell’sBiography。ThemoralproportionwhichissosignalacharacteristicofhisPlayscouldnothavebeenimpartedtothembytheconsciousintellect。ItwasSHEDfromhisspiritualconstitution——

*”Andlongitwasnotafter，whenIwasconfirmedinthisopinion，thathewhowouldnotbefrustrateofhishopetowritewellhereafterinlaudablethings，oughthimselftobeatruepoem。”——

Milton’s`ApologyforSinectymnuus’——

By”speakingtruth”inArt’sway，Browningmeans，inducingarightATTITUDEtoward，afullandfreeSYMPATHYwith，theTrue，whichisafarmoreimportantandeffectivewayofspeakingtruththandeliveringtruth`inre’。AworkofArt，worthyofthename，neednotbetruetofact，butmustbetrueinitsspiritualattitude，andbeingthustrue，itwilltendtoinduceacorrespondingattitudeinthosewhodofealtytoit。Itwillhavetheinfluence，thoughinaninferiordegree，itmaybe，ofamagneticpersonality。

Personalityistheultimatesourceofspiritualquickeningandadjustment。LiteratureandallformsofArtarebuttheintermediateagenciesofpersonalities。Theartistcannotbeseparatedfromhisart。AsistheartistsoMUSTbehisart。

The`aura’，sotospeak，ofagreatworkofArt，mustcomefromtheartist’sownpersonality。ThespiritualworthofShakespeare’s`Winter’sTale’isnotatallimpairedbythefactthatBohemiaismadeamaritimecountry，thatWhitsunpastoralsandChristianburial，andnumerousotherfeaturesofShakespeare’sownage，areintroducedintopagantimes，thatQueenHermionespeaksofherselfasadaughteroftheEmperorofRussia，thatherstatueisrepresentedasexecutedbyJulioRomano，anItalianpainterofthe16thcentury，thatapuritansingspsalmstohornpipes，and，tocrownall，thatmessengersaresenttoconsulttheoracleofApollo，atDelphi，whichisrepresentedasanisland！Allthisjumble，thisgallimaufry，Isay，doesnotimpairthespiritualworthoftheplay。AsanArt-product，itinvitesarectifiedattitudetowardtheTrueandtheSweet。

Ifwelookattheletterofthetrialscenein`TheMerchantofVenice’，itbordersontheabsurd；butifwelookatitsspirit，weseetheShakespearianattitudeofsoulwhichmakesforrighteousness，fortherighteousnesswhichisinherentinthemoralconstitutionoftheuniverse。

Theinmost，secretestlifeofShakespeare’sPlayscamefromthepersonality，theinmost，secretestlife，ofthemanShakespeare。

Wemight，withthemostalertsagacity，noteandtabulateandaggregatehismyriadphenomenalmeritsasadramaticwriter，butwemightstillbeveryfarfromthatsomethingbackofthemall，orratherthatIMMANENTsomething，thatmysteryofpersonality，thatmicrocosmos，that”inmostcentre，wheretruthabidesinfulness”，asBrowningmakesParacelsuscharacterizeit，”constitutingman’sself，iswhatIs”，ashemakesthedyingJohncharacterizeit，in`ADeathintheDesert’，that”innermostoftheinmost，mostinterioroftheinterne”，asMrs。Browningcharacterizesit，”thehiddenSoul”，asDallascharacterizesit，whichisprojectedinto，andconstitutesthesoulof，thePlays，andwhichisreachedthroughanunconsciousandmysticsympathyonthepartofhimwhohabituallycommuneswithanddoesfealtytothem。Thatpersonality，thatlivingforce，co-operatedspontaneouslyandunconsciouslywiththeconsciouspowers，inthecreativeprocess；andwhenweenterintoasympatheticcommunionwiththeconcreteresultofthatcreativeprocess，ourownmysteriouspersonalities，beingessentiallyidenticalwith，thoughlessquickenedthan，Shakespeare’s，respond，thoughitmaybebutfeebly，tohis。ThisresponseisthehighestresultofthestudyofShakespeare’sworks。

ItisasignificantfactthatShakespeariancriticsandeditors，fornearlytwocenturies，havebeena`genusirritabile’，towhichgenusShakespearehimselfcertainlydidnotbelong。

Theexplanationmaypartlybe，thattheyhavebeentoomuchoccupiedwiththeLETTER，andhavefrettedtheirnervesinangrydisputeaboutreadingsandinterpretations；astheologianshavedoneintheirstudyofthesacredrecords，insteadofendeavoringtoreach，throughtheletter，thepersonalityofwhichtheletterisbutamanifestationmoreorlessimperfect。ToKNOWapersonalityis，ofcourse，aspiritualknowledge——theresultofsympathy，thatis，spiritualresponsiveness。Intellectuallyitisbutlittlemoreimportanttoknowoneratherthananotherpersonality。

Thehighestworthofallgreatworksofgeniusisduetothefactthattheyareapocalypticofgreatpersonalities。

Artsays，astheDivinePersonsaid，whosepersonalityandthepersonalitiesfashionedafterit，havetransformedandmouldedtheages，”Followme！”Deepwasthemeaningwraptupinthiscommand：

itwas，DoasIdo，liveasIlive，notfromanintellectualperceptionoftheprinciplesinvolvedinmylife，butthroughafullsympathy，throughtheawakening，vitalizing，actuatingpoweroftheincarnateWord。

Artalsosays，asdidthevoicefromthewilderness，inadequatelytranslated，”REPENTye，forthekingdomofheavenisathand”。(Metanoei^teh’/ggikega\rh`Basilei/atw^nou’ranw^n。)

Rather，betransformed，or，asDeQuinceyputsit，”Wheelintoanewcentreyourspiritualsystem；GEOCENTRIChasthatsystembeenuptothishour——thatis，havingearthandtheearthlyforitsstarting-point；henceforwardmakeitHELIOCENTRIC(thatis，withthesun，ortheheavenly，foritsprincipleofmotion)。”