Mackechnie. — On Broivning's Vision of Life. 369 



name is frequently on men's lips as a great poet, is even more 

 generally neglected; and the "Divine Comedy" of Dante, 

 though presented by Carey and other translators in an attrac- 

 tive English garb, is only read by a few lovers of Italian 

 literature. That great and original powers are not readily 

 appreciated is clear from the admission of Sir Joshua Eey- 

 nolds, who acknowledges in his " Discourses " that he was 

 greatly disappointed on first viewing the masterpieces of 

 Italian art ; and that he devoted six months to their study 

 before he discovered their superlative excellencies. This 

 admission by no mean master of his art proves, if proof were 

 required, that we cannot reasonably expect to appreciate "ex- 

 cellencies of the higher order of minds without some little 

 study on our own part. And m reference to this difficulty 

 we may recall with advantage what Ruskin considers due 

 from readers to great writers. In " Sesame and Lilies " he 

 says, "The metal you are in search of being the author's mind 

 or meaning, his words are as the rock which you have to crush 

 and smelt in order to get at it. And your pickaxes are your 

 own care, wit, and learning ; your snielting-furnace is your 

 own thoughtful soul. Do not hope to get at any good author's 

 meaning without these tools and that fire." The question, then, 

 is : Is it worth while, for the sake of Browning's thoughts, 

 to devote some degree of study to the language in which he 

 has clothed them? Men of taste and judgment say distinctly 

 that it is. The greatness of his thought and his wondrous 

 insight into the workings of man's spirit are acknowledged 

 by the learned few, and these undoubtedly fix the true posi- 

 tion in literature of great writers. The masses simply echo 

 the opinion formed by the superior intelligence of highly 

 educated minds, without comprehending the worth or feehng 

 the beauties they praise. Browning lived to see a first edition 

 of some early poems, unsaleable at the time they issued from 

 the press, realise at auction no less a sum than £25. From 

 this we may fairly conclude that the popularity of his writings 

 will surely though slowly extend, and receive a more general 

 recognition than has yet been accorded to them. 



But there is another objection which to my mind fully 

 accounts for his unpopularity, and which cannot be removed 

 or overcome. I refer to the subject-matter of his poems. 

 He depicts the inward workings of man's spirit, and his 

 power to do so was great and varied. From his earliest 

 literary production to the last he ever dwells upon that one 

 subject. The soul, he declared, is the only thing worth 

 study, and to that study he devoted his life. To the few who 

 take a deep and absorbing interest in psychological studies 

 these elaborate poems on the subject dearest to their hearts 

 are held in the highest estimation — beyond all praise. But 



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