Newman, Kingsley, Arnold, and others. If we leave out of account its connection with a special individual, the poem stands, however, as a delightful study of a type in which is depicted in passingly clever fashion methods of reasoning compounded of tantalizing gleams of truth and darkening sophistication. The poem which shows most completely the effect of contemporary biblical criticism on the poet is "A Death in the Desert." It has been said to be an attempt to meet the destructive criticism of Strauss. The setting of the poem is wonderfully beautiful, while the portrayal of the mystical quality of John's reasoning is so instinct with religious feeling that it must be a wary reader indeed who does not come from the reading of this poem with the conviction that here, at least, Browning has declared himself unflinchingly on the side of supernatural Christianity in the face of the battering rams of criticism and the projectiles of science. But if he be a wary reader, he will discover that the argument for supernaturalism only amounts to this--and it is put in the mouth of John, who had in his youth been contemporary with Christ--namely, that miracles had been performed when only by means of them faith was possible, though miracles were probably not what those who believed in them thought they were. Here is the gist of his defence of the supernatural: "I say, that as a babe, you feed awhile, Becomes a boy and fit to feed himself, So, minds at first must be spoon-fed with truth: When they can eat, babes'-nurture is withdrawn. I fed the babe whether it would or no: I bid the boy or feed himself or starve. I cried once, 'That ye may believe in Christ, Behold this blind man shall receive his sight!' I cry now, 'Urgest thou, _for I am shrewd And smile at stories how John's word could cure-- Repeat that miracle and take my faith_?' I say, that miracle was duly wrought When save for it no faith was possible. Whether a change were wrought in the shows o' the world, Whether the change came from our minds which see Of shows o' the world so much as and no more Than God wills for his purpose,--(what do I See now, suppose you, there where you see rock Round us?)--I know not; such was the effect, So faith grew, making void more miracles, Because too much they would compel, not help. I say, the acknowledgment of God in Christ Accepted by thy reason, solves for thee All questions in the earth and out of it, And has so far advanced thee to be wise. Wouldst thou improve this to re-prove the proved? In life's mere minute, with power to use the proof, Leave knowledge and revert to how it sprung? Thou hast it; use it and forthwith, or die!"