andagainandagaininhispoemswemayencountervagueechoesofthose“remoteisles“and“perilousseas“as，forexample，in“thedimclusteredislesofthebluesea“of“Pauline“，andthe“someisle，withthesea’ssilenceonit
　　someunsuspectedisleinthefarseas!“of“PippaPasses“。
　　Butofcoursehehadothermattersformentaloccupationbesidespoetry。
　　HiseducationatMr。Ready’sprivateacademyseemstohavebeenexcellentsofarasitwent。Heremainedtheretillhewasfourteen。
　　Perhapsbecauseofthefewboardersattheschool，possiblyfromhisownreticenceinself-disclosure，hedoesnotseemtohaveimpressedanyschool-matedeeply。Wehearofnoonewho“knewBrowningatschool。“Hisbesteducation，afterall，wasathome。
　　HisfatherandmotherincidentallytaughthimasmuchasMr。Ready：
　　hisloveofpaintingandmusicwasfostered，indirectly：
　　andinthe`dovecot’bookshelfabovethefireplaceinhisbedroom，werethepreciousvolumeswithinwhoseswayandmagicwashistruestlife。
　　Hisfather，forsomereasonwhichhasnotbeenmadepublic，butwasdoubtlessexcellent，andis，inthelightinwhichwenowregardit，amatterforwhichtobethankful，decidedtosendhissonneithertoalargepublicschool，nor，later，toOxfordorCambridge。
　　Amorestimulativeandwidertrainingwasawaitinghimelsewhere。
　　ForatimeRobert’seducationwassuperintendedbyatutor，whocametothehouseinCamberwellforseveralhoursdaily。
　　Theafternoonsweremainlydevotedtomusic，toexercise，andoccasionallytovariousexperimentalstudiesintechnicalscience。
　　Intheevenings，afterhispreparatorytaskswereover，whenhewasnotintheentertainingcompanyofhisfather，hereadandassiduouslywrote。Afterpoetry，hecaredmostforhistory：
　　butasamatteroffact，littlecameamisstohiseagerintellectualappetite。
　　Itwasaperiodofgrowth，with，itmaybe，avagueconsciousnessthathismindwasexpandingtowardscompulsiveexpression。
　　“SoasIgrew，IrudelyshapedmylifeTomyimmediatewants，yetstrongbeneathWasavaguesenseofpowersfoldedup
　　Asensethatthoughthoseshadowytimeswerepast，Theirspiritdweltinme，andIshouldrule。“
　　WhenMr。BrowningwassatisfiedthatthetutorhadfulfilledhisdutyhesenthissontoattendafewlecturesatUniversityCollege，inGowerStreet，thenjustfounded。RobertBrowning’snameisontheregistrar’sbooksfortheopeningsession，1829-30。
　　“IattendedwithhimtheGreekclassofProfessorLong“wroteafriend，inthe`Times’，Dec。14：’89，“andIwellrecollecttheesteemandregardinwhichhewasheldbyhisfellow-students。Hewasthenabright，handsomeyouth，withlongblackhairfallingoverhisshoulders。“
　　Soshortwashisperiodofattendance，however，andsounimportanttheinstructionhetherederived，thattoallintentsitmaybesaidBrowninghadnoUniversitytraining。
　　NotwithstandingthefactthatMr。Browningbutslightlyappreciatedhisson’spoeticidolsandalreadyfoundhimselfinanoppositeliterarycamp，hehadaprofoundsympathywiththeboy’sidealsandnolittleconfidenceinhispowers。Whenthetestcameheactedwiselyaswellaswithaffectionatecomplaisance。Inaword，hepracticallyleftthedecisionastohiscourseoflifetoRoberthimself。Thelatterwashelpedtheretobytheknowledgethathissisterwouldbeprovidedfor，andthat，ifneedbe，therewassufficientforhimselfalso。Therewasofcoursebutonewayopentohim。Hewouldnothavebeenatruepoet，anartist，ifhehadhesitated。Withastrangemisconceptionoftheartisticspirit，someonehasawardedthepoetgreatcreditforhischoice，becausehehad“thesingularcouragetodeclinetoberich。“
　　Browninghimselfhadnothingofthisbourgeoisspirit：
　　hewasthelastmantospeakofaninevitableartisticdecisionas“singularcourage“。TherearenodoubtpeoplewhoestimatehisresolveasMr。Barrett，sohisdaughterdeclared，regardedHornewhenheheardofthatpoethavingpublished“Orion“atafarthing：
　　“PerhapsheisgoingtoshoottheQueen，andispreparingevidenceofmonomania。“
　　WithBrowningtherenevercouldhavebeentwosidestothequestion：
　　itwereexcusable，itwerenaturaleven，hadhisfatherwavered。
　　TheoutcomeoftheirdeliberationswasthatRobert’sfurthereducationshouldbeobtainedfromtravel，andintercoursewithmenandforeignliteratures。
　　Bythistimethepoetwastwenty。Hisyouthhadbeenuneventful；inasense，moresothanhisboyhood。Hismind，however，wasrapidlyunfolding，andgreatprojectswerecastingagloryaboutthecomingdays。
　　Itwasinhisnineteenthyear，Ihavebeentoldongoodauthority，thathebecameardentlyinlovewithagirlofrarebeauty，ayearortwoolderthanhimself，butotherwise，possibly，noinappropriateloverforthiswooer。Whyandwhenthisearlypassioncametoaclose，orwasrudelyinterrupted，isnotknown。
　　Whatiscertainisthatitmadeadeepimpressiononthepoet’smind。
　　Itmaybethatit，ofitself，orwroughttoahigheremotionbyhishungerafteridealbeauty，wasthesourceof“Pauline“，thatveryunequalbutyetbeautifulfirstfruitofBrowning’sgenius。
　　Itwasnottillwithinthelastfewyearsthatthepoetspokeatallfreelyofhisyouthfullife。Perhapstheearliestrecordoftheseutterancesisthatwhichappearedinthe`CenturyMagazine’in1881。
　　Fromthissource，andfromwhatthepoethimselfsaidatvarioustimesandinvariousways，weknowthatjustaboutthetimeBalzac，afteryearsofapparentlywastelabour，wasbeginningtoforecasttheTitanicrangeofthe`ComedieHumaine’，Browningplanned“aseriesofmonodramaticepics，narrativesofthelifeoftypicalsouls
　　agiganticschemeatwhichaVictorHugooraLopedeVegawouldstartbackaghast。“
　　Alreadyhehadsethimselftotheanalysisofthehumansoulinitsmanifoldaspects，alreadyhehadrecognisedthatforhimatleasttherewasnootherstudyworthyofalifelongdevotion。
　　Inasensehehasfulfilledthisearlydream：atanyratewehaveauniqueseriesofmonodramaticpoems，illustrativeoftypicalsouls。
　　Inanothersense，themajorportionofBrowning’slife-workis，collectively，onemonodramatic“epic“。Heishimselfatypeofthesubtle，restless，curious，searchingmodernageofwhichheistheprofoundestinterpreter。
　　Throughamultitudeofmaskshe，thetypicalsoul，speaks，anddelivershimselfofamessagewhichcouldnotbepresentedemphaticallyenoughastheutteranceofasingleindividual。
　　Heisatruedramaticpoet，thoughnotinthesenseinwhichShakespeareis。
　　Shakespeareandhiskindredprojectthemselvesintothelivesoftheirimaginarypersonages：Browningpayslittleheedtoexternallife，ortotheexigenciesofaction，andprojectshimselfintothemindsofhischaracters。
　　Inaword，Shakespeare’smethodistodepictahumansoulinaction，withallthepertinentplayofcircumstance，whileBrowning’sistoportraytheprocessesofitsmentalandspiritualdevelopment：ashesaidinhisdedicatoryprefaceto“Sordello“，“littleelseisworthstudy。“
　　Theoneelectrifiesuswiththeouteranddominantactualities；
　　theotherflashesuponourmentalvisiontheinner，complex，shapingpotentialities。Theonedealswithlifedynamically，theotherwithlifeasThought。Bothmethodsarecompassedbyart。
　　Browning，whoisaboveallmodernwritersthepoetofdramaticsituations，issurpassedbymanyofinferiorpowerincontinuityofdramaticsequence。
　　Hisfinestworkisinhisdramaticpoems，ratherthaninhisdramas。
　　Herealisedintenselythevalueofquintessentialmoments，aswhenthePrefectin“TheReturnoftheDruses“thrustsasidethearras，mutteringthatforthefirsttimeheenterswithoutasenseofimminentdoom，“nodraughtcomingasfromasepulchre“salutinghim，whilethatmomentthedaggeroftheassassinplungestohisheart：
　　or，furtherinthesamepoem，whenAnael，comingtodenounceDjabalasanimpostor，isovermasteredbyhertyranniclove，andfallsdeadwiththetoobitterfreightofheremotion，thoughnottillshehasproclaimedhimtheGodbyhersingleworshippingcry，`Hakeem!’
　　or，oncemore，in“TheRingandtheBook“，where，withthesuperbestcloseofanydramaticpoeminourliterature，thewretchedGuido，atthepointofdeath，criesoutinthelastextremitynotuponGodortheVirgin，butuponhisinnocentandmurderedwife
　　“Abate，Cardinal，Christ，Maria，God，……
　　Pompilia，willyouletthemmurderme？“ThuswecanimagineBrowning，withhischaracteristicperceptionoftheprofoundsignificanceofacircumstanceorasinglewordeven，havingwrittenoftheknockingatthedoorin“Macbeth“，orhavingused，withallitsmarvellouscumulativeeffect，theword`wrought’towardsthecloseof“Othello“，whentheMoorcriesinhisbitternessofsoul，“Butbeingwrought，perplextintheextreme“：wecanimaginethis，andyetcouldnotcreditthesuggestionthateventheauthorof“TheRingandtheBook“
　　couldbyanypossibilityhavecomposedthetwomostmovingtragedieswritinourtongue。
　　Inthelateautumnof1832Browningwroteapoemofsingularpromiseandbeauty，thoughimmatureinthoughtandcrudeinexpression。*
　　Thirty-fouryearslaterheincluded“Pauline“inhis“PoeticalWorks“
　　withreluctance，andinanoteexplainedthereasonofhisdecision
　　namely，toforestallpiraticalreprintsabroad。“Thethingwasmyearliestattemptat`poetryalwaysdramaticinprinciple，andsomanyutterancesofsomanyimaginativepersons，notmine，’
　　whichIhavesincewrittenaccordingtoaschemelessextravagant，andscalelessimpracticable，thanwereventureduponinthiscrudepreliminarysketchasketchthat，onreviewal，appearsnotaltogetherwideofsomehintofthecharacteristicfeaturesofthatparticular`dramatispersona’itwouldfainhavereproduced：
　　gooddraughtsmanship，however，andrighthandlingwerefarbeyondtheartistatthattime。“Thesebehardwords。Nocriticwilleveradventureuponsosevereacensureof“Pauline“：mostcapablejudgesagreethat，withallitsshortcomings，itisaworkofgenius，andthereforeevertobeheldtreasurableforitsownsakeaswellasforitssignificance。
　　*Probablyfromthefactof“Richmond“havingbeenaddedtothedateattheendoftheprefaceto“Pauline“，havearisenthefrequentmisstatementsastotheBrowningfamilyhavingmovedwestfromCamberwellinorshortlybefore1832。
　　Mr。R。BarrettBrowningtellsmethathisfather“neverlivedatRichmond，andthatthatplacewasconnectedwith`Pauline’，whenfirstprinted，asamystification。“