558 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



and the Knights of the Bound Table swear to follow it, Arthur, 

 the kingly embodiment of law and order, upbraids them with 

 following " wandering fires." Their vows are sacred, they 

 must go; yet how often now, instead of "laying the sudden 

 heads of violence flat," and splashing " the strong White 

 Horse with his own heathen blood " — 



This chance of noble deeds will come and go 

 Unchallenged, while ye follow wandering fires, 

 Lost in the quagmire. 



It is the same in politics. England, the land of law and 

 order. 



Where freedom slowly broadens down 

 Prom precedent to precedent, 



is always contrasted with 



the schoolboy heat, 



The blind hysterics of the Celt. 



Look, too, at the close of " The Princess." The passage is 

 too long to quote, but the contrast between England and France 

 is even more strongly put. So it is elsewhere. In the " Ode 

 on the Death of the Duke of Wellington " the characteristic of 

 the dead hero especially insisted on is his submission to duty. 

 For him 



The path of duty was the way to glory. 



On the other hand, with Browning it is not law but 

 passion and aspiration which are supreme. Life is to have 

 its full and free development. It is the main idea of his first 

 work. Paracelsus aspires to the highest pleasure, the highest 

 knowledge, and fails. But Browning constantly insists that 

 he does not fail. So long as a man does nothing contrary to 

 the law of his nature his failures in lofty aspirations may be 

 and are higher and nobler than a meaner success. This prin- 

 ciple is always present with Browning, and it will explain, I 

 think, the difference between the art of Browning and Tenny- 

 son. It is now seen to be a fundamental difference of prin- 

 ciple. Tennyson, restrained by law, feeling the laws and 

 limitations of his temperament, will do nothing beyond them. 

 Browning, not perhaps less aware of his limitations, will 

 aspire gloriously, even if he fail, for his failure will also be 

 glorious. Better a noble failure than a mean success. 



That low man seeks a little thing to do. 



Sees it and does it ; 

 This high man, with a great thing to pursue, 



Dies ere he knows it. 



To aim at a million and miss by a unit is better than to 

 gain a hundred by adding one to one. So it is in art. With 

 Browning, 



He is all fault that hath no fault at all ; 



