The more distinctive artistic function (commonly so accepted) of gratifying the senses is not to be neglected, although it may not--as with the Greek--be cultivated to the exclusion, whole or partial, of that which is in its essence more enduring. The monkish painter (1412-69), whilst defending his realistic methods, yet perceives in vision the immensity of possible achievement if he "drew higher things with the same truth." To work thus were "to take the Prior's pulpit-place, interpret God to all of you."[35] In so far, then, as he strives towards this realization of the spiritual, the early Italian painter holds, according to Browning, higher place in the ranks of the artistic hierarchy than the Greek who had attained already to perfection in his particular department, feeling that "where he had reached who could do more than reach?" No such perfection of attainment was possible to him who would "bring the invisible full into play." His glory lay rather "in daring so much before he well did it." Thus The first of the new, in our race's story, Beats the last of the old.[36] As with the artist, so with the spectator, growth had only begun when Looking [his] last on them all, [He] turned [his] eyes inwardly one fine day And cried with a start--What if we so small Be greater and grander the while than they? Are they perfect of lineament, perfect of stature? In both, of such lower types are we Precisely because of our wider nature; For time, theirs--ours, for eternity.[37] * * * * * They are perfect--how else? they shall never change: We are faulty--why not? we have time in store. The Artificer's hand is not arrested With us; we are rough-hewn, nowise polished.[38] Bitter as is to Cleon the realization that "What's come to perfection perishes," to the Christian artist the same axiom serves but as incentive to more strenuous effort. In imperfection he recognizes the germ of future progress. The help whereby he mounts, The ladder-rung his foot has left, may fall, _Since all things suffer change save God the Truth_.[39] As imperfection suggests progress, so to "the heir of immortality" is failure but a step towards ultimate attainment. With confidence he may inquire What is our failure here but a triumph's evidence[40] For the fulness of the days? The Greek, with his bounded horizon, realizes but the first aspect of the truth: that In man there's failure, only since he left The lower and inconscious forms of life. That Most progress is most failure.