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。
　　ThereisananecdoteofhiswalkingacrossapublicparkIamtoldRichmond，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：