"Live within earth's limits with all your force; never give in, fight on; but always transcend your fullest action in aspiration, faith and love." It amuses me sometimes the way he is taken by his readers.

The romantic and the Christian folk often claim him as the despiser of this world, as one who bids us live wholly for the future, or in the mystic ranges of thought and passion.

The scientific, humanitarian, and ethical folk accept that side of him which agrees with their views of human life--views which exclude God, immortality, and a world beyond--that is, they take as the whole of Browning the lesser part of his theory of life.

This is not creditable to their understanding, though it is natural enough.

We may accept it as an innocent example of the power of a strong bias in human nature.