Withoutthespiritual，observe，thenatural’simpossible；——
noform，nomotion！Withoutsensuous，spiritualisinappreciable；——
nobeautyorpower！Andinthistwofoldspherethetwo-foldman(andstilltheartistisintenselyaman)holdsfirmlybythenatural，toreachthespiritualbeyondit，——fixesstillthetypewithmortalvision，topiercethrough，witheyesimmortal，totheantetype，somecalltheideal，——bettercalledthereal，andcertaintobecalledsopresentlywhenthingsshallhavetheirnames。”
Browninghascloselyfollowed，inthemonologue，theart-historian，GiorgioVasari，asthefollowingextractswillshow(thetranslationisthatofMrs。JonathanFoster，intheBohnLibrary)：——”TheCarmelitemonk，FraFilippodiTommasoLippi(1412-1469)*1*
wasbornatFlorenceinabye-streetcalledArdiglione，undertheCantoallaCuculia，andbehindtheconventoftheCarmelites。
Bythedeathofhisfatherhewasleftafriendlessorphanattheageoftwoyears，hismotherhavingalsodiedshortlyafterhisbirth。
ThechildwasforsometimeunderthecareofacertainMonaLapaccia，hisaunt，thesisterofhisfather，whobroughthimupwithverygreatdifficultytillhehadattainedhiseighthyear，when，beingnolongerabletosupporttheburdenofhismaintenance，sheplacedhimintheabove-namedconventoftheCarmelites。
Here，inproportionasheshowedhimselfdexterousandingeniousinallworksperformedbyhand，didhemanifesttheutmostdulnessandincapacityinletters，towhichhewouldneverapplyhimself，norwouldhetakeanypleasureinlearningofanykind。TheboycontinuedtobecalledbyhisworldlynameofFilippo，*2*andbeingplacedwithothers，wholikehimselfwereinthehouseofthenovices，underthecareofthemaster，totheendthatthelattermightseewhatcouldbedonewithhim；inplaceofstudying，heneverdidanythingbutdaubhisownbooks，andthoseoftheotherboys，withcaricatures，whereuponthepriordeterminedtogivehimallmeansandeveryopportunityforlearningtodraw。
ThechapeloftheCarminehadthenbeennewlypaintedbyMasaccio，andthisbeingexceedinglybeautiful，pleasedFraFilippogreatly，whereforehefrequenteditdailyforhisrecreation，and，continuallypractisingthere，incompanywithmanyotheryouths，whowereconstantlydrawinginthatplace，hesurpassedalltheothersbyverymuchindexterityandknowledge……Proceedingthus，andimprovingfromdaytoday，hehadsocloselyfollowedthemannerofMasaccio，andhisworksdisplayedsomuchsimilaritytothoseofthelatter，thatmanyaffirmedthespiritofMasacciotohaveenteredthebodyofFraFilippo——
*1*Thedateofbirthdiffersinthebiographies，itbeingvariouslygivenas1400，1406，1410，and1412。Butthelatterappearstobetheonegenerallyaccepted。
*2*Itwascustomary，onenteringaconvent，tochangethebaptismalnameforsomeother。”ItissaidthatFraFilippowasmuchaddictedtothepleasuresofsense，insomuchthathewouldgiveallhepossessedtosecurethegratificationofwhateverinclinationmightatthemomentbepredominant；……Itwasknownthat，whileoccupiedinthepursuitofhispleasures，theworksundertakenbyhimreceivedlittleornoneofhisattention；forwhichreasonCosimode’Medici，wishinghimtoexecuteaworkinhisownpalace，shuthimup，thathemightnotwastehistimeinrunningabout；
buthavingenduredthisconfinementfortwodays，hethenmaderopeswiththesheetsofhisbed，whichhecuttopiecesforthatpurpose，andsohavinglethimselfdownfromawindow，escaped，andforseveraldaysgavehimselfuptohisamusements。
WhenCosimofoundthatthepainterhaddisappeared，hecausedhimtobesought，andFraFilippoatlastreturnedtohiswork，butfromthattimeforwardCosimogavehimlibertytogoinandoutathispleasure，repentinggreatlyofhavingpreviouslyshuthimup，whenheconsideredthedangerthatFraFilippohadincurredbyhisfollyindescendingfromthewindow；andeverafterwardslaboringtokeephimtohisworkbykindnessonly，hewasbythismeansmuchmorepromptlyandeffectuallyservedbythepainter，andwaswonttosaythattheexcellenciesofraregeniuswereasformsoflightandnotbeastsofburden。”
AFace。
Thespeakerimaginestheheadofabeautifulgirlheknows，”painteduponabackgroundofpalegold，suchastheTuscan’searlyartprefers”，anddetailsthepictureashewouldhaveit。
TheBishopordershisTomb。
TheBishopordershisTombatSt。Praxed’sChurch。*
[Rome，15。]——
*Firstpublishedin`Hood’sMagazine’，March，1845，No。III。，vol。iii。，pp。237-239，underthetitle`TheTombatSt。Praxed’s(Rome，15——)’。”Thispoemand`TheFlightoftheDuchess’weresentbyBrowningtohelpmakeupthenumbersofthemagazinewhileHoodlaydying。”——
Furnivall’s`BibliographyofRobertBrowning’，p。48——
ThedyingBishoppleadswithhisnaturalsonsthattheygivehimthesumptuoustombtheystandpledgedto，——suchatombaswillexcitetheenvyofhisoldenemyGandolf，whocheatedhimoutofafavoritenicheinSt。Praxed’sChurch，bydyingbeforehim，andsecuringitforhistomb。
Itisnotnecessarytosupposethatthenaturalsonsarepresent。
His，perhaps，deliriousmindisoccupiedwiththepreciousmarblesandstonesandotherluxurieshehaslovedtomuch，andwithhisoldrivalandenemy，Gandolf。
JohnRuskin，inhis`ModernPainters’(Vol。IV。，chap。XX。，Section32)，remarks：——”RobertBrowningisunerringineverysentencehewritesoftheMiddleAges；alwaysvital，right，andprofound；
sothatinthematterofart，……thereishardlyaprincipleconnectedwiththemediaevaltemper，thathehasnotstruckuponinthoseseeminglycarelessandtooruggedrhymesofhis。
Thereisacuriousinstance，bytheway，inashortpoem*1*
referringtothisverysubjectoftombandimagesculpture；
allillustratingjustoneofthosephasesoflocalhumancharacterwhich，thoughbelongingtoShakespeare’sownage，he[Shakespeare]
nevernoticed，becauseitwasspeciallyItalianandun-English；
connectedalsocloselywiththeinfluenceofmountainsontheheart，andthereforewithourimmediateinquiries。*2*ImeanthekindofadmirationwithwhichasouthernartistregardedtheSTONEheworkedin；
andthepridewhichpopulaceorpriesttookinthepossessionofpreciousmountainsubstance，workedintothepavementsoftheircathedrals，andtheshaftsoftheirtombs——
*1*`TheBishopordershisTombinSt。Praxed’sChurch’。
*2*`TheMountainGlory’，thesubjectofthechapterfromwhichthisistaken——”Observe，Shakespeare，inthemidstofarchitectureandtombsofwood，orfreestone，orbrass，naturallythinksofGOLDasthebestenrichingandennoblingsubstanceforthem；inthemidstalsoofthefeveroftheRenaissancehewrites，aseveryoneelsedid，inpraiseofpreciselythemostviciousmasterofthatschool——
GiulioRomano*；butthemodernpoet，livingmuchinItaly，andquitoftheRenaissanceinfluence，isablefullytoenterintotheItalianfeeling，andtoseetheeviloftheRenaissancetendency，notbecauseheisgreaterthanShakespeare，butbecauseheisinanotherelement，andhasseenotherthings……
Winter’sTale’，V。2。106。
IknownootherpieceofmodernEnglish，proseorpoetry，inwhichthereissomuchtold，asintheselines[`TheBishopordershisTomb’]，oftheRenaissancespirit，——itsworldliness，inconsistency，pride，hypocrisy，ignoranceofitself，loveofart，ofluxury，andofgoodLatin。ItisnearlyallthatIsaidoftheCentralRenaissanceinthirtypagesofthe`StonesofVenice’
putintoasmanylines，Browning’sbeingalsotheantecedentwork。
TheworstofitisthatthiskindofconcentratedwritingneedssomuchSOLUTIONbeforethereadercanfairlygetthegoodofit，thatpeople’spatiencefailsthem，andtheygivethethingupasinsoluble；though，truly，itoughttobetothecurrentofcommonthoughtlikeSaladin’stalisman，dippedinclearwater，notsolublealtogether，butmakingtheelementmedicinable。”
ProfessorDowden，inregardtoMr。Browning’sdoctrinesonthesubjectofart，remarks：——”Itisalwaysinanunfavorablelightthathedepictsthevirtuosoorcollector，who，consciousofnounsatisfiedaspirationssuchasthosewhichmaketheartist’sjoyandsorrow，restsinthevisibleproductsofart，andlooksuptonothingaboveorbeyondthem……TheunbelievingandworldlyspiritofthedyingBishop，whoordershistombatSt。Praxed’s，hissenseofthevanityoftheworldsimplybecausetheworldispassingoutofhisreach，theregretfulmemoryofthepleasuresofhisyouth，theenviousspitetowardsGandolf，whorobbedhimofthebestpositionforatomb，andthedreadlesthisreputedsonsshouldplayhimfalseandfailtocarryouthisdesigns，areunitedwithaperfectappreciationofRenaissanceart，andaluxurioussatisfaction，whichevenadeath-bedcannotdestroy，inthesplendorofvoluptuousformandcolor。Thegreatlumpoflapislazuli，”`BigasaJew’sheadcutoffatthenape，Blueasaveino’ertheMadonna’sbreast’，mustpoisebetweenhissculpturedknees；theblackbasaltmustcontrastwiththebas-reliefinbronzebelow：——”`St。Praxedinaglory，andonePanReadytotwitchtheNymph’slastgarmentoff’；
theinscriptionmustbe`choiceLatin，pickedphrase，Tully’severyword’。”
AToccataofGaluppi’s。
ThespeakerislisteningtoaToccataofGaluppi’s，andthemusictellshimofhowtheylivedonceinVenice，wherethemerchantswerethekings。
HewasneveroutofEngland，yetit’sasifheSAWitall，throughwhatisaddressedtotheearalone。
Butthemusicdoesmorethanreflectthelifeofmirthandfollywhichwasledinthegayandvoluptuouscity。Ithasanundertoneofsadness；itslesserthirdssoplaintive，itssixthsdiminished，sighonsigh，tellthevotariesofpleasuresomething；
itssuspensions，itssolutions，itscommiseratingsevenths，awakeninthemthequestionoftheirholdonlife。Thatquestionthemusicanswers。
AbtVogler。
(Afterhehasbeenextemporizinguponthemusicalinstrumentofhisinvention。)
TheAbbeGeorgJosephVoglerwasbornatWuerzburg(Bavaria)，June15，1749；appointedKappelmeistertotheKingofSweden，in1786。Whileinthiscapacity，the”musicalinstrumentofhisinvention”，calledtheOrchestrion，wasconstructed；*
wenttoLondonwithhisorgan，in1790，andgaveaseriesofsuccessfulconcerts，realizingsome1200Pounds，andmakinganameasanorganist；commissionedtoreconstructtheorganofthePantheonontheplanofhisOrchestrion；andlater，receivedlikecommissionsatCopenhagenandatNeuRuppininPrussia；
foundedaschoolofmusicatCopenhagen，andpublishedtheremanyworks；in1807wasappointedbytheGrandDuke，LouisI。，KappelmeisteratDarmstadt；foundedtherehislastschool，twoofhispupilsbeingWeberandMeyerbeer；diedin1814。
BrowningpresentsVoglerasagreatextemporizer，inwhichcharacterheappearstohavebeenthemostfamous。Forafurtheraccount，seeMissEleanorMarx’spaperontheAbbeVogler，fromwhichtheabovefactshavebeenderived(`BrowningSoc。Papers’，Pt。III。，pp。339-343)。HerauthoritiesareFetis’s`Biogr。Univ。desMusiciens’
andNisard’s`Viedel’AbbeVogler’。
