Theobjectswhichthrongouryouth，weseeandhear，quiteasamatterofcourse。Butwhatofit，ifyoucouldtellwhattheymean?
TheGermanBoehme，withhisaffinitiesfortheabstract，nevercaredforplantsuntil，oneday，henoticedtheycouldspeak；
thatthedaisycolloquizedwiththecowsliponSUCHthemes！
themesfoundextantinJacob’sprose。Butwhenlife’ssummerpasseswhilereadingproseinthattoughbookhewrote，gettingsomesenseorotheroutofit，whohelps，then，torepairourloss?
AnotherBoehme，sayyou，withatougherbookandsubtlerabstractmeaningsofwhatrosessay?OrsomestoutMagelikeJohnofHalberstadt，whoMADETHINGSBoehmeWROTETHOUGHTSabout?
Ah，John’sthemanforus！whoinsteadofgivingusthewisetalkofroses，scattersallaroundustherosesthemselves，pouringheavenintothisshuthouseoflife。Socome，theharpbacktoyourheartagain，insteadofspeakingdrywordsacrossitsstrings。Yourownboy-facebentoverthefinerchords，andfollowingthecherubatthetopthatpointstoGodwithhispairedhalf-moonwings，isafarbetterpoemthanyourpoemwithallitsnakedthoughts。
ApparentFailure。
Thepoet，itappears，speakshereinhisownperson。
SaunteringaboutParis，hecomesupontheDoriclittleMorgue，thedead-house，wheretheyshowtheirdrowned。Heenters，andseesthroughthescreenofglass，thebodiesofthreemenwhocommittedsuicide，thedaybefore，bydrowningthemselvesintheSeine。
Inthelaststanza，hegivesexpressiontohishopefulphilosophy，whichrecognizes”somesoulofgoodness，inthingsevil”；*
whichseesinhumannature，”potentialityoffinaldeliverancefromtheevilinit，givenonlytimeenoughforthework”。
Inthisageofprofessedandoften，nodoubt，affected，agnosticismandpessimism，BrowningistheforemostapostleofHope。
He，morethananyothergreatauthoroftheage，whetherphilosopher，orpoet，ordivine，hasbeeninspiredwiththefaiththat”asunwillpierceThethickestcloudeartheverstretched；
That，afterLast，returnstheFirst，Thoughawidecompassroundbefetched；
Thatwhatbeganbest，can’tendworst，NorwhatGodblessedonce，proveaccurst。”——
*`HenryV。’，IV。1。4——
Comparewiththis，thefollowingstanzasfromTennyson’s`InMemoriam’，Section54：——”OhyetwetrustthatsomehowgoodWillbethefinalgoalofill，Topangsofnature，sinsofwill，Defectsofdoubt，andtaintsofblood。
Thatnothingwalkswithaimlessfeet；
Thatnotonelifeshallbedestroyed，Orcastasrubbishtothevoid，WhenGodhathmadethepilecomplete。
*****
Behold，weknownotanything；
IcanbuttrustthatgoodshallfallAtlast——faroff——atlast，toall，Andeverywinterchangetospring。”
RabbiBenEzra。
Accompanyme，myyoungfriend，inmysurveyoflifefromyouthtooldage。
Thepresentlifedoesnotrisetoitsbestandthendeclinetoitsworst；”thebestisyettobe，thelastoflife，forwhichthefirstwasmade。”
Theindecisions，perplexities，andyearnings，thehopesandfearsofyouth，Idonotremonstrateagainst。Theyaretheconditionsofvitalityandgrowth，distinguishman’slifefromthelimitedcompletenessofthe”lowkinds”ofcreation，”finishedandfiniteclodsuntroubledbyaspark”；andshouldbeprizedasinseparablefromhishighrankinexistence。
Lifewouldhavenothingtoboastof，weremanformedbuttoexperienceanunalloyedjoy，tofindalwaysandnevertoseek。Careirksnotthecrop-fullbird，anddoubtfretsnotthemaw-crammedbeast。
ButmanisdisturbedbyadivinesparkwhichishistitletoanearerrelationshipwithGodwhogivesthanwithhiscreaturesthatreceive。
Therebuffshemeetswithshouldbewelcomed。Life’struesuccessissecuredthroughobstacles，andseemingfailures，andunfulfilledaspirations。Heisbutabrutewhosesoulisconformedtohisflesh，whosespiritworksfortheplayofarmsandlegs。
Thetestofthebody’sworthshouldbe，theextenttowhichitcanprojectthesoulonitsloneway。
Butwemustnotcalculatesoul-profitsallthetime。
Giftsofeverykindwhichbelongtoournatureshouldprovetheiruse，theirowngoodinthemselves。Iownthatthepastwasformeprofuseofpoweroneveryside，ofperfectionateveryturn，whichmyeyesandearstookin，andmybraintreasuredup。
Theheartshouldbeatinharmonywiththislife，andfeelhowgooditistoliveandlearn，andseethewholedesign。IwhooncesawonlyPower，nowseeLoveperfectalso，andamthankfulthatI
wasaman，andtrustwhatmyMakerwilldowithme。
Thisfleshispleasant，andthesoulcanreposeinit，afteritsownactivities。Itisthesolidlandtowhichitcanreturnwhenweariedwithitsflights；andweoftenwish，inouryearningsforrest，thatwemightholdsomeprizetomatchthosemanifoldpossessionsofthebrute，mightgainmostasweshoulddobest；
buttherealizationofsuchawishisnotcompatiblewiththedignityofournature。
Fleshandsoulmustbemutuallysubservient；onemustnotbemerelysubjectedtotheother，noteventheinferiortothesuperior。
Letuscry，”Allgoodthingsareours，norsoulhelpsfleshmore，now，thanfleshhelpssoul。”
Let，then，youthenterintoitsheritage，anduseandenjoyit；
letitthenpassintoanapprovedmanhood，”forayeremovedfromthedevelopedbrute；aGod，thoughinthegerm”；letitpassfearlessandunperplexedastowhatweaponstoselect，whatarmortoindueforthebattlewhichawaitsthatapprovedmanhood。
Youthended，letwhatithasresultedin，betakenaccountof；
whereinitsucceeded，whereinitfailed；andhavingprovedthepast，letitfacethefuture，satisfiedinactingto-morrowwhatislearnedto-day。
AsitwasbetterthatyouthshouldawkwardlystriveTOWARDmaking，thanreposeinwhatitfoundmade，soisitbetterthatage，exemptfromstrife，shouldknow，thantemptfurther。Asinyouth，agewaswaitedfor，soinage，waitfordeath，withoutfear，andwiththeabsolutesoul-knowledgewhichisindependentofthereasoningintellectofyouth。Itisthisabsolutesoul-knowledgewhichseversgreatmindsfromsmall，ratherthanintellectualpower。
Humanjudgmentsdiffer。Whomshallmysoulbelieve?
Oneconclusionmay，atleast，berestedin：aman’struesuccessmustnotbeestimatedbythingsdone，whichhadtheirpriceintheworld；butbythatwhichtheworld’scoarsethumbandfingerfailedtoplumb；byhisimmatureinstinctsandunsurepurposeswhichweighednotashisworkintheworld’sestimation，yetwenttowardmakingupthemainamountofhisrealworth；
bythoughtswhichcouldnotbecontainedinnarrowacts，byfancieswhichwouldnotsubmittothebondsoflanguage；
byallthathestrivedafterandcouldnotattain，byallthatwasignoredbymenwithonlyfiniteandrealizableaims：suchareGod’sstandardsofhisworth。
Allthetrueacquisitionsofthesoul，allthereflectedresultsofitsenergizingaftertheunattainableinthislife，allthathastrulyBEEN，belongtotheabsolute，andarepermanentamidallearth’schanges。Itis，indeed，throughthesechanges，throughthedanceofplasticcircumstance，thatthepermanentissecured。Theyarethemachinery，theDivinePotter’swheel，whichgivesthesoulitsbent，triesit，andturnsitforthacupfortheMaster’slips，sufficientlyimpressed。”SotakeanduseThywork！
Amendwhatflawsmaylurk，Whatstraino’thestuff，whatwarpingspasttheaim！
MytimesbeinThyhand！
Perfectthecupasplanned！
Letageapproveofyouth，anddeathcompletethesame。”
ThefollowingaccountofRabbiBenEzra，ItakefromDr。F。J。Furnivall’s`BibliographyofRoberBrowning’
(`BrowningSoc。Papers’，PartII。，p。162)：——”RabbiBenEzra，orIbnEzra，wasalearnedJew，1092-1167A。D。
IbnEzraandMaimonides，whomheissaidtohavevisitedinEgypt，weretwoofthefourgreatPhilosophersorLightsoftheJewsintheMiddleAges。IbnEzrawasbornatToledoinSpain，about1092or1093A。D。，orin1088accordingtoGraetz，`GeschichtederJuden’，vi。198。Hewaspoor，butstudiedhard，composedpoemswherewithto`Adornmyown，myHebrewnation’，married，hadasonIsaac(apoettoo)，travelledtoAfrica，theHolyLand，Romein1140，Persia，India，Italy，France，England。
HewrotemanytreatisesonHebrewGrammar，astronomy，mathematics，&c。，commentariesonthebooksoftheBible，&c——manyoftheminRome——andtwopamphletsinEngland`foracertainSalomonofLondon’。JosephofMaudevillewasoneofhisEnglishpupils。
Hediedin1167，attheageof75，eitherinKalahorra，onthefrontierofNavarre，orinRome。HiscommentaryonIsaiahhasbeenenglishedbyM。Friedlaender，andpublishedbytheSocietyofHebrewLiterature，Truebner，1873。
FromtheIntroductiontothatbookItakethesedetails。
IbnEzrabelievedinafuturelife。InhiscommentaryonIsaiah55：3，`ANDYOURSOULSHALLLIVE’，hesays，`Thatis，yoursoulshallliveforeverafterthedeathofthebody，oryouwillreceivenewlifethroughMessiah，whenyouwillreturntotheDivineLaw。’
SeealsoonIsaiah39：18。Ofthepotter’sclaypassage，Isaiah29：16，hehasonlyatranslation，`Shallmanbeesteemedasthepotter’sclay’，andnocommentthatcouldeverhavegivenBrowningahintforhisuseofthemetaphorinhispoem，evenifhehadeverseenIbnEzra’scommentary。SeeRabbiBenEzra’sfine`SongofDeath’
instanzas12-20ofthegrimlyhumorousHoly-CrossDay。”
AGrammarian’sFuneral——
*”Grammarian”mustn’tbeunderstoodhereinitsrestrictedmodernsense；
itmeansratheronedevotedtolearning，orletters，ingeneral——
ShortlyaftertherevivaloflearninginEurope。
Thedevoteddisciplesofadeadgrammarianarebearinghisbodyupamountain-sideforburialonitsloftysummit，”wheremeteorsshoot，cloudsform，lightningsareloosened，starscomeandgo！
Loftydesignsmustcloseinlikeeffects：loftilylying，leavehim，——
stillloftierthantheworldsuspects，livinganddying”。
ThispoemisINFORMEDthroughoutwiththepoet’siterateddoctrineinregardtoearthlife，——totherelativityofthatlife。
Thegrammarian，inhishungerandthirstafterknowledgeandtruth，thoughtnotoftime。”What’stime?LeaveNowfordogsandapes！
ManhasForever。””Oh，ifwedrawacirclepremature，heedlessoffargain，greedyforquickreturnsofprofit，surebadisourbargain！”
Thepoem”exhibitssomethingofthelifeoftheScaligersandtheCasaubons，ofmanyanearlyscholar，likeRogerBacon’sfriend，PierredeMaricourt，workingatsomeregionofknowledge，andcontenttolaborwithoutfamesolongashemasteredthoroughlywhateverheundertook”(`ContemporaryRev。’，iv。，135)。
ButthegrammarianwastruetoonesideonlyofBrowning’sphilosophyoflife。Hedisregardedtheclaimsofthephysicallife，andbecame”soul-hydropicwithasacredthirst”。*
