is struggling with obstacles, just where it is
encumbered with incongruities. It deals, to use the language of
science, not with normal types but with abnormal specimens; to use the
language of old philosophy, not with what nature is striving to be,
but with what by some lapse she has happened to become.

This art works by contrast. It enables you to see, it makes you see,
the perfect type by painting the opposite deviation. It shows you what
ought to be by what ought not to be, when complete it reminds you of
the perfect image, by showing you the distorted and imperfect image.
Of this art we possess in the present generation one prolific master.
Mr. Browning is an artist working by incongruity. Possibly hardly one
of his most considerable efforts can be found which is not great
because of its odd mixture. He puts together things which no one else
would have put together, and produces on our minds a result which no
one else would have produced, or tried to produce. His admirers may
not like all we may have to say of him. But in our way we too are
among his admirers. No one ever read him without seeing not only his
great ability but his great _mind_. He not only possesses superficial
useable talents, but the strong something, the inner secret something
which uses them and controls them; he is great, not in mere
accomplishments, but in himself. He has applied a hard strong
intellect to real life; he has applied the same intellect to the
problems of his age. He has striven to know what _is_: he has
endeavoured not to be cheated by counterfeits, not to be infatuated
with illusions. His heart is in what he says. He has battered his
brain against his creed till he believes it. He has accomplishments
too, the more effective because they are mixed. He is at once a
student of mysticism, and a citizen of the world. He brings to the
club sofa distinct visions of old creeds, intense images of strange
thoughts: he takes to the bookish student tidings of wild Bohemia, and
little traces of the _demi-monde_. He puts down what is good for the
naughty and what is naughty for the good. Over women his easier
writings exercise that imperious power which belongs to the writings
of a great man of the world upon such matters. He knows women, and
therefore they wish to know him. If we blame many of Browning's
efforts, it is in the interest of art, and not from a wish to hurt or
degrade him.

If we wanted to illustrate the nature of grotesque