in revelations for the wisest philosopher, could he but enter into his world. Hence hel conceived of characters in humble life with a purity, delicacy, insight, and sympat achieved by no other poet. The Pedlar, Michael, and the Leechgatherer have beco through him heroes of history. In his treatment of such characters we have a compl illustration of what he meant by that famous sentence in his Preface of 1800: "T the feeling therein developed gives importance to the action and situation, and not t action and situation to the feeling." If one would understand the secret of the shor poems one should ponder over these two sources of poetic power - -"The Prelude " a "The Excursion." James Russell Lowell says: "Wordsworth has won for himself secure immortality by a depth of intuition which makes only the best minds at their b hours worthy, or indeed capable, of his companionship, and by a homely sincerity human sympathy which reaches the humblest heart. Our language owes him gratitu for the habitual purity and abstinence of his style, and we who speak it, for having e boldened us to take delight in simple things, and to trust ourselves to our own instinct When in 1800 a second edition of the Lyrical Ballads was published, somewhat e larged, it contained the famous Preface which set forth his theory of poetry in gener and of his own poetry in particular; this called down upon him a storm of abuse seco only to that caused by the poems themselves. From this time until 1815 neglect, ob quy, ridicule, and disparagement followed his work. It is to these years that we owe fearless, if not altogether prudent, Apologies. In 1802 the first Preface was enlarg and an Appendix on "Poetic Diction" added. These were repeated in successi editions of his poems until 1815, when, in the edition of that year, the first volume co tained a new preface and a supplementary essay of the poetry of the last two centuri while at the close of the second volume was placed the first Preface and the Appendix "Poetic Diction." These Prefaces were changed by alterations, insertions, and omission in the various editions until they received their last revision in 1845. While it is true that Wordsworth silenced his opponents by his poems rather than his Prefaces, the two are so inter-related that the history of one is the history of the oth Of no artist can it be more truly said than of Wordsworth that he builded better th he knew. Artists cannot expiain the secret of their art, and yet they can at times reve to us much that is helpful to an appreciation of their work. Every artist brings in the world of art a new thing his own personality and consequently he must crea the taste by which he is to be judged. In these Prefaces we have the principles whi constitute the foundation of inductive criticism clearly and forcefully revealed; the fu damental of these is that You must love him ere to you If they had been productive in nothing else than stimulating Coleridge to write the noble chapters in the Biographia Literaria, in review of the theory they set forth, th would have justified themselves. The great satisfaction which came to Wordsworth from his friendship with Colerid was that he was understood; this helped him to endure the public ridicule of many lo years. Nothing in the history of Coleridge's critical genius better illustrates the unerri precision with which he discerned the elements of greatness where to the ordinary mi there seemed to be only the commonplace. Witness the marvelously subtle skill in pr paring the way for his final masterly tribute to the genius and work of his friend-t noblest tribute yet written by any English critic - by first discriminating between Fan ad Imagination, and then revealing the true nature of poetry, where he says: Finally, ood sense is the body of poetic genius, fancy its drapery, motion its life, and imagination te soul that is everywhere, and in each; and forms all into one graceful and intelligent hole." He then apparently assents to the most obvious accusations of the Reviewers, ily to rise at last to the heights of his great argument, showing step by step how misaided they have been, and concluding with those six fundamentals which entitle Wordsorth to poetic greatness. The only events of importance in Wordsworth's external life during these Grasmere ys were his marriage in 1802 to Mary Hutchinson, the friendship with Sir George eaumont begun in 1803, and the death of his brother John in 1805. By his marriage to le friend of his youth the home circle was enriched by the presence and devotion of A perfect woman, nobly planned, With something of angelic light. the atmosphere of serene domestic sweetness grew that poetry full of modesty and rength, of valiant human-heartedness, and homely spiritual truth; a poetry which makes mmon cause with all that is true to the kindred points of heaven and home. Between 303 and 1808 four children were born to him and the little cottage became too small r the family. In 1808 he moved to Allan Bank across the lake and under the shadow Silver How. Here "The Excursion" was completed. It was during his residence t Allan Bank that the estrangement with Coleridge took place an estrangement oth wicked and cruel, for which neither poet was in the least to be blamed. By it that lyllic friendship begun when they "wantoned in wild poesy" among the Quantocks was roken up. The world can never know the full significance of that joyous and radiant mradeship. "The reciprocal influence of these two ardent young enthusiasts, the wizard scination of the dreamer of dreams, playing against the healing calm of the child of the ountains, can never be completely revealed." It is as significant as it is pathetic that æ close of the great creative period in the life of each poet is coincident with this breach. In 1811 the parsonage opposite the church became his home, and here the poet's life as saddened by the death of two of his children. In 1813 he removed to his favorite nd final abode, Rydal Mount. The sun of Wordsworth's morning of inspiration, which rose in symbolic glory over be heights at Hawkshead, had reached its meridian and was declining towards the west to t in that evening of extraordinary splendor and beauty witnessed at Rydal Mount. The wilight of his song was rich in "pontific purple and dark harvest gold." The association Rydal with sympathetic and appreciative friends, Miss Fenwick, Dr. Arnold, Professor Vilson, Hartley Coleridge, and F. W. Faber; his travels on the Continent and in Scotland, ad his visits to Coleorton; his receptions in London with Gladstone, Rogers, and Crabb Lobinson, when he met that devoted band of young disciples; his evenings at Fox How then he discoursed so eloquently on the great English poets; his reception of young and Id, rich and poor in feast and merrymaking on his birthdays, and his solitude and meditaion in his familiar haunts among the hills he loved, could not fail to call forth something 1 the glow and gladsomeness of youth, the pathos and power of maturity. It was such ssociation and the consciousness of a lofty and consecrated purpose in all he had written bat enabled him to withstand the pitiless storm of abuse which beat upon him from the ritical reviews, and inspired him to sing: For thus I live remote From evil speaking; rancour never sought Smooth passion, smooth discourse and joyous thought. In his calm assurance that time would deal justly with all things great and small quieted the fears of his disciples who became anxious about the future of his poems. writes: " Trouble not yourself upon their present reception; of what moment is that com pared with what I trust is their destiny?- to console the afflicted; to add sunshi to daylight, by making the happy happier; to teach the young and the gracious of eve age to see, to think and feel, and, therefore, to become more actively and securely vi tuous." Honor now came to him from sources which attested how potent his influen had become. Blessings be with them and eternal praise, Who gave us nobler loves and nobler cares, — Oh! might my name be numbered among theirs; Thus wrote Wordsworth in 1805, and long and patiently did he wait for the answer his prayer. At last, in the summer of 1833, he was permitted to realize that for whi he had labored so assiduously and prayed so earnestly, when, by the foremost Universi of his land and the world, he was honored as one of the chief glories of English poet and the greatest name since Milton. Keble, the professor of Poetry in the Universit introduced him to the Vice Chancellor as being "one who had shed a celestial light up the affections, the occupations, and the piety of the poor." The ovation which he ceived was such as had never been witnessed there before, except upon the occasion of t visit of the Duke of Wellington. The long battle had been patiently and courageous fought, and victory was at length achieved. Of this victory the Rev. Frederick Rober son says: "It was my lot, during a short university career, to witness a transition and a reactio or revulsion, of public feeling with regard to two great men. The first of these w Arnold of Rugby; the second, Wordsworth. When he came forward to receive 1 honorary degree, scarcely had his name been pronounced than from three thousand voic at once there broke forth a burst of applause echoed and taken up again and aga There were young eyes then filled with an emotion of which they had no need to ashamed; there were hearts beating with the proud feeling of triumph that at last t world had recognized the merit of the man they had loved so long and acknowledged their teacher." In 1842 there was bestowed on him an annuity of £300 a year from the Civil List f distinguished work in the field of literature. In 1843 a still greater honor was conferred upon him at the hands of the young Quee He was urged to accept the Laureateship, but gratefully and respectfully declined, he considered that his years unfitted him for the discharge of its duties. He was th in his seventy-fourth year. This brought a letter from the Prime Minister, Sir Robe Peel, urging his acceptance of the appointment, saying, "As the Queen can select for t honourable appointment no one whose claims for respect and honour, on account of en nence as a poet, can be placed in competition with you, I trust that you will no long hesitate to accept it. There is but one unanimous feeling on the part of all who have heard of the proposal. "The offer was made not for the purpose of imposing upon you any onerous task or disagreeable duties, but in order to pay you that tribute of respect which is justly due to the first of living poets." This letter removed his scruples, and the laurel wreath was placed upon the brows “of him who uttered nothing base.” He produced but little poetry after this date; but there is one poem, written in 1846 upon the fly-leaf of a gift copy of his poems, presented to the Royal Library at Windsor Castle, which is of special interest as connected with his Laureateship. Deign, Sovereign Mistress! to accept a lay, No Laureate offering of elaborate art; Queen, wife, and mother! may all-judging Heaven On earth to goodness blessed by grace divine. Lady! devoutly honoured and beloved Through every realm confided to thy sway; As thou art wont thy sovereignty adorn With woman's gentleness, yet firm and staid; And now, by duty urged, I lay this book Nor wilt thou blame an aged poet's prayer, Or grief, the inheritance of human kind. For know we not that from celestial spheres W. W. RYDAL MOUNT, 9th January, 1816. The death of the beloved daughter, Dora, in July, 1847, so saddened his declining years that he never again retouched his harp. His mission was completed. The bright dream of his boyhood was fulfilled; and that spirit singled out for holy services, after the discipline of sadness and suffering, entered into its rest. His body lies, as he had requested, in the churchyard at Grasmere, in the bosom of that dear vale where he had lived and loved and sung; surrounded by the dalesmen whom he honored; beneath the shade of those yews planted by his own hands, in sound of Rotha murmuring her plaintive strain that While round about in phalanx firm stand the mountains old, faithful guardians of the sacred spot. Earth has no more fitting resting-place for the dust of William Wordsworth. Plain is the stone that marks the Poet's rest ; A grey slate headstone tells where Wordsworth lies, No heavier thing upon his gentle breast There was but one thing more which his countrymen could do for him, and this was rot long left undone, for in the Venerable Abbey, surrounded by the memorials of Keble, Arnold, Kingsley, and Maurice, may be seen the life-size statue of the poet in white marble; he is represented seated in the attitude of contemplation, the characteristic of all his portraits being thus strikingly reproduced in the marble. Underneath are engraved the words above quoted, “Blessings be with them and eternal praise," etc. But perhaps the most significant tribute to his worth as a man and poet is the medallion in Grasmere Church erected by his friends and neighbors. It bears the following inscription: TO THE MEMORY OF WILLIAM WORDSWORTH, A TRUE PHILOSOPHER AND POET, WHETHER HE Discoursed on Man or NATURE, TIRED NOT OF MAINTAINING THE CAUSE AND SO IN PERILOUS TIMES WAS Raised up NOT ONLY OF NOBLEST POESY, IS PLACED HERE BY HIS FRIENDS AND NEIGHBOURS RESPECT, AFFECTION, AND GRATITUDE. ANNO 1851. 1 H. D. Rawnsley. |