R440600A. Colombe’s Birthday.
The British Churchman, June 1844, p. 244.
Addendum to The Brownings’ Correspondence, vol. 9.
This author, even were he not possessed of that genius which animates all even his worst productions, would still be a favourite of ours, on account of the Christian tone of mind which pervades and elevates all of his works, whether lyric or dramatic. We can only allude at present to the exquisite but unobtrusive piety of that lovely conception, “Pippa passes;” and the same truly religious spirit which shows itself in the deep—deep repentance of the sweet heroine of the almost equally beautiful “Blot in the ’Scutcheon.” The faults of Robert Browning, as a poet, are great, but his beauties are far greater. His present production, “Colombe’s Birth-day,” pleases us less than any other in the series now publishing of his dramatic works. The plot of the piece has not that deep interest which characterizes all the other plays of Browning; the characters introduced are not as beautiful in themselves, or as clearly developed, as in those former works; and, altogether, it is anything but an advance. Still, it is such a play as Robert Browning could write only, and therefore, of course, contains great beauties. Perhaps, too, we may judge prematurely, for we have only read “Colombe’s Birth-day” twice; and, like a grand but gorging symphony of Beethoven’s, a play of Browning’s only discloses its rarest and choicest beauties after repeated hearings. We trust, however, that all our readers who have any real love for true poetry will read the work, and judge for themselves. Those who have read the former Numbers of the series with any attention, will scarcely want to be told this. Two new Numbers will appear ere long.
Reviewed:
Bells & Pomegranates. No. VI. Colombe’s Birthday (RB), London: Edward Moxon, 1844.
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