We should think it ridiculous to speak of a man as suffering from his boots if we meant that he had really no boots.

But we do speak of a man suffering from digestion when we mean that he suffers from a lack of digestion.

In the same way we speak of a man suffering from nerves when we mean that his nerves are more inefficient than any one else's nerves.

If any one wishes to see how grossly language can degenerate, he need only compare the old optimistic use of the word nervous, which we employ in speaking of a nervous grip, with the new pessimistic use of the word, which we employ in speaking of a nervous manner.

And as digestion is a good thing which sometimes goes wrong, as nerves are good things which sometimes go wrong, so existence itself in the eyes of Browning and all the great optimists is a good thing which sometimes goes wrong.