OnlythemanwhosuppliesnewfeelingfreshfromGod，quickensandregeneratestherace，andsetsitontheKing’shighwayfromwhichithaswanderedintoby-ways——notthemanofmereintellect，ofunkindledsoul，thatsuppliesonlystark-nakedthought。Throughtheformer，”GodstoopingshowssufficientofHislightforthosei’thedarktoriseby。”
(`R。andB。，Pompilia’。)Inhimmendiscern”thedawnofthenextnature，thenewmanwhosewilltheyventureintheplaceoftheirs，andwhomtheytrusttofindthemoutnewwaystothenewheightswhichyetheonlysees。”(`Luria’。)
Itisbyreachingtowards，anddoingfealtyto，thegreaterspiritwhichattractsandabsorbstheirown，that，”tracebytraceoldmemoriesreappear，oldtruthreturns，theirslowthoughtdoesitswork，andall’sre-known。”(`Luria’。)”SomeexistencelikeapactAndprotestagainstChaos，……Thefullesteffluenceofthefinestmind，Allindegree，nowaydiverseinkindFrommindsaboveit，mindswhich，moreorlessLoftyorlow，moveseekingtoimpressThemselvesonsomewhat；butonemindhasclimbedStepafterstep，byjustascentsublimed。
Thoughtisthesoulofact，and，stagebystage，Issoulfrombodystilltodisengage，AstendingtoafreedomwhichrejectsSuchhelp，andincorporeallyaffectsTheworld，producingdeedsbutnotbydeeds，Swaying，inothers，framesitselfexceeds，AssigningthemthesimplertasksitusedTopatientlyperformtillSongproducedActs，bythoughtsonly，forthemind：divestMindofe’enThought，and，lo，God’sunexpressedWilldawnsaboveus！”(`Sordello’。)
Adangeroustendencyofcivilizationisthattowardscrystallization——
towardshardened，inflexibleconventionalismswhich”refusethesoulitsway”。
Suchcrystallization，suchconventionalisms，yieldonlytothedissolvingpowerofthespiritualwarmthoflife-fullpersonalities。
Thequickening，regeneratingpowerofpersonalityiseverywhereexhibitedinBrowning’spoetry。Itisemphasizedin`Luria’，andintheMonologuesoftheCanonCaponsacchiandPompilia，inthe`RingandtheBook’；itshinesout，orglintsforth，in`Colombe’sBirthday’，in`Saul’，in`Sordello’，andinalltheLovepoems。Iwouldsay，enpassant，thatLoveisalwaystreatedbyBrowningasaSPIRITUALclaim；
whileDUTYmaybeonlyaworldlyone。SEEespeciallythepoementitled`Bifurcation’。In`Balaustion’sAdventure：
includingatransciptfromEuripides’，theregeneratingpowerofpersonalitymaybesaidtobetheleaveningidea，whichthepoethasintroducedintotheGreekplay。Itisentirelyabsentintheoriginal。Itbaptizes，sotospeak，theGreekplay，andconvertsitintoaChristianpoem。Itisthe”newtruth”
ofthepoet’s`ChristmasEve’。
Afterthemourningfriendshavespokentheirwordsofconsolationtothebereavedhusband，thelastwordbeing，”Dead，thywife——
living，thelovesheleft”，Admetos”turnedonthecomfort，withnotears，thistime。HEWASBEGINNINGTOBELIKEHISWIFE。
Itoldyouofthatpressuretothepoint，wordslowpursuingwordinmonotone，Alkestisspokewith；soAdmetos，now，solemnlyboretheburdenofthetruth。Andasthevoiceofhimgrew，gatheredstrength，andgroanedon，andpersistedtotheend，wefelthowdeephadbeendescentingrief，andWITHWHATCHANGE
HECAMEUPNOWTOLIGHT，andleftbehindsuchlittlenessastears。”
AndwhenAlkestiswasbroughtbackbyHerakles，”theherotwitchedtheveiloff：andtherestood，withsuchfixedeyesandsuchslowsmile，Alkestis’silentself！Itwasthecrowninggraceofthatgreathearttokeepbackjoy：procrastinatethetruthuntilthewife，whohadmadeproofandfoundthehusbandwanting，mightessayoncemore，hear，see，andfeelhimRENOVATEDnow——
ABLETODO，NOW，ALLHERSELFHADDONE，RISENTOTHEHEIGHTOFHER：
so，handinhand，thetwomightgotogether，liveanddie。”
(ComparewiththistherestorationofHermionetoherhusband，in`TheWinter’sTale’，ActV。)
AgoodintellecthasbeencharacterizedasthechorusofDivinity。
Substitutefor”goodintellect”，anexultedmagneticpersonality，andthethoughtisdeepened。AnexaltedmagneticpersonalityisthechorusofDivinity，which，inthegreatDramaofHumanity，guidesandinterpretsthefeelingsandsympathiesofothersoulsandthusadjuststheirattitudestowardstheDivine。
ItisnotthehighestfunctionofsuchapersonalitytoTEACH，butrathertoINFORM，intheearlieranddeepersenseoftheword。
Whatevermeredoctrinehemaypromulgate，isofinferiorimportancetothespontaneousactionofhisconcretelife，inwhichtheTrue，theBeautiful，andtheGood，breatheandlive。Whatisborninthebraindiesthere，itmaybe；atbest，itdoesnot，andcannotofitself，leaduptothefullconcretelife。
Itisonlythroughthespontaneouandunconsciousfealtywhichaninferiordoestoasuperiorsoul(afealtyresultingfromtheresponsivenessofspirittospirit)，thattheformerisslowlyandsilentlytransformedintoamoreorlessapproximateimageofthelatter。Thestrongerpersonalityleadstheweakeronbypathswhichtheweakerknowsnot，upwardheleadshim，thoughhisstepsbeslowandvacillating。
Humility，intheChristiansense，meansthisfealtytothehigher。
Itdoesn’tmeanself-abasement，self-depreciation，asithasbeenunderstoodtomean，byboththeRomishandtheProtestantChurch。
Pride，intheChristiansense，istheclosingofthedoorsofthesoultoagreatmagneticguest。
Browningbeautifullyexpressesthetransmissionofpersonalityinhis`Saul’。ButaccordingtoBrowning’sidea，personalitycannotstrictlybesaidtobetransmitted。PersonalityratherevokesitsLIKEfromothersouls，whichare”allindegree，nowaydiverseinkind。”(`Sordello’。)
DavidhasreachedanadvancedstageinhissymbolicsongtoSaul。
Hethinksnowwhatnextheshallurge”tosustainhimwheresonghadrestoredhim?——Songfilledtothevergehiscupwiththewineofthislife，pressingallthatityieldsofmerefruitage，thestrengthandthebeauty：beyond，onwhatfieldsgleanavintagemorepotentandperfecttobrightentheeyeandbringbloodtothelip，andcommendthemthecuptheyputby?”Sooncemorethestringoftheharpmakesresponsetohisspirit，andhesings：——”Inourfleshgrowsthebranchofthislife，inoursoulitbearsfruit。
Thouhastmarkedtheslowriseofthetree，——howitsstemtrembledfirstTillitpassedthekid’slip，thestag’santler；thensafelyoutburstThefan-branchesallround；andthoumindestwhenthese，too，inturnBrokea-bloomandthepalm-treeseemedperfect；yetmorewastolearn，E’enthegoodthatcomesinwiththepalm-fruit。Ourdatesshallweslight，Whentheirjuicebringsacureforallsorrow?orcarefortheplightOfthepalm’sselfwhoseslowgrowthproducedthem?Notso！
stemandbranchShalldecay，norbeknownintheirplace，whilethepalm-wineshallstaunchEverywoundofman’sspiritinwinter。Ipourtheesuchwine。
Leavethefleshtothefateitwasfitfor！thespiritbethine！
Bythespirit，whenageshallo’ercomethee，thoustillshaltenjoyMoreindeed，thanatfirstwhen，inconscious，thelifeofaboy。
Crushthatlife，andbeholditswinerunning！eachdeedthouhastdoneDies，revives，goestoworkintheworld；untile’enasthesunLookingdownontheearth，thoughcloudsspoilhim，thoughtempestsefface，Canfindnothinghisowndeedproducednot，musteverywheretraceTheresultsofhispastsummer-prime，——SO，EACHRAYOFTHYWILL，EVERYFLASHOFTHYPASSIONANDPROWESS，LONGOVER，SHALLTHRILL
THYWHOLEPEOPLE，THECOUNTLESS，WITHARDOUR，TILLTHEYTOOGIVEFORTH
ALIKECHEERTOTHEIRSONS：WHOINTURN，FILLTHESOUTHANDTHENORTH
WITHTHERADIANCETHYDEEDWASTHEGERMOF。”
Intheconcludinglinesissetforthwhatmightbecharacterizedastheapostolicsuccessionofagreatpersonality——thesuccessionofthose”whointurnfilltheSouthandtheNorthwiththeradiancehisdeedwasthegermof。”
WhatfollowsinDavid’ssonggivesexpressiontotheothermodeoftransmittingagreatpersonality——thatis，throughrecordsthat”giveunborngenerationstheirdueandtheirpartinhisbeing”，andalsotowhatthoserecordsowetheireffectiveness，andaresavedfrombecomingadeadletter。”IsSauldead?Inthedepthofthevalemakehistomb——bidariseAgreymountainofmarbleheapedfour-square，till，builttotheskies，LetitmarkwherethegreatFirstKingslumbers：whosefamewouldyeknow?
Upaboveseetherock’snakedface，wheretherecordshallgoIngreatcharacterscutbythescribe，——SuchwasSaul，sohedid；
Withthesagesdirectingthework，bythepopulacechid，——
Fornothalf，they’llaffirm，iscomprisedthere！Whichfaulttoamend，Inthegrovewithhiskindgrowsthecedar，whereontheyshallspend(See，intablets’tislevelbeforethem)theirpraise，andrecordWiththegoldofthegraver，Saul’sstory，——thestatesman’sgreatwordSidebysidewiththepoet’ssweetcomment。Theriver’sa-waveWithsmoothpaper-reedsgrazingeachotherwhenprophet-windsrave：
SothepengivesunborngenerationstheirdueandtheirpartInthybeing！Then，firstofthemighty，thankGodthatthouart！”
WhatissaidinthispassageisapplicabletotherecordwehaveofChrist’slifeuponearth。ChristianityhasonlytoaverylimitedextentbeenperpetuatedthroughtheletteroftheNewTestament。Ithasbeenperpetuatedchieflythroughtransmissionsofpersonalities，throughapostolicsuccession，inageneralsense，andthroughembodimentsofhisspiritinartandliterature——”thestateman’sgreatword”，”thepoet’ssweetcomment”。Wereitnotforthistransmissionofthequickeningpowerofpersonality，theNewTestamentwouldbetoagreatextentadeadletter。Itowesitssignificancetothequickenedspiritwhichisbroughttothereadingofit。
ThepersonalityofChristcouldnotbe，throughaplasticsympathy，mouldedoutoftheNewTestamentrecords，withouttheaidofintermediatepersonalities。
TheMessianicideawasnotpeculiartotheJewishrace——
theideaofaPersongatheringupwithinhimself，inaneffectivefulnessandharmony，therestorativeelementsofhumanity，whichhavelosttheirpowerthroughdispersionandconsequentobscuration。
TherehavebeenMessiahsofvariousordersandranksineveryage，——
greatpersonalitiesthathaverealizedtoagreaterorlessextent(thoughtherehasbeenbutone，theGod-Man，whofullyrealized)，thespiritualpotentialitiesinman，thathavestooduponthesharpestheightsasbeaconstotheirfellows。Intheindividualthespecieshas，asitwere，beengatheredup，epitomized，andintensified，andhehasthusbeenaprophecy，andtosomeextentafulfilmentofhumandestiny。”Apoetmustbeearth’sESSENTIALking”，asSordelloasserts，andheisthatbyvirtueofhisexertingorsheddingtheinfluenceofhisessentialpersonality。”Ifcaringnottoexerttheproperessenceofhisroyalty，he，thepoet，triflemalapertwithaccidentsinstead——
goodthingsassignedasheraldsofabetterthingbehind”——heis”deposedfromhiskinglythrone，andhisgloryistakenfromhim”。
Ofhimself，Sordellosays：”Thepowerhetookmostpridetotest，wherebyallformsoflifehadbeenprofessedatpleasure，formsalreadyontheearth，wasbutameansofpowerbeyond，whosebirthshould，initsnovelty，bekingship’sproof。Now，whetherhecamenearorkeptalooftheseveralformshelongedtoimitate，nottherethekingshiplay，heseestoolate。Thoseforms，unalterablefirstaslast，provedhimhercopier，nottheprotoplastofnature：whatcouldcomeofbeingfreebyactiontoexhibittreefortree，bird，beast，forbeastandbird，orproveearthboreoneveritablemanorwomanmore?Meanstoanendsuchproofsare：
whattheend?”
TheanswergiveninvolvesthegreatBrowningideaofthequickeningpowerofpersonality：”Letessence，whatsoe’eritbe，extend——nevercontract！”
By”essence”wemustunderstandthatwhich”constitutesman’sself，iswhatIs”，asthedyingJohn，in`ADeathintheDesert’，expressesit——thatwhichbackstheactivepowersandtheconsciousintellect，”subsistingwhethertheyassistorno”。”Letessence，whatsoe’eritbe，extend——nevercontract！”
Sordellosays。”Alreadyyouincludethemultitude”；thatis，yougatherupinyourself，inaneffectivefulnessandharmony，whatliesscatteredandineffectiveinthemultitude；”thenletthemulitudeincludeyourself”；thatis，besubstantiated，essencedwithyourself；”andtheresultwerenew：themselvesbefore，themultitudeturnYOU”(becomeyourself)。”Thisweretoliveandmoveandhave，inthem，yourbeing，andsecureadiademyoushouldtransmit(becausenocycleyearnsbeyonditself，butonitselfreturns)whenthefullsphereinwane，theworldo’erlaidlongsincewithyou，shallhaveinturnobeyedsomeorbstillprouder，somedisplayer，stillmorepotentthanthelast，ofhumanwill，andsomenewkingdeposetheold。”
