and’vaguegeneralities。’Itwasthe’productionofarudeage’；thesillyjinglingwhichmightbesuitabletosavages，butwasneedlessforthegrown-upman，andwasdestinedtodisappearalongwiththewholerubbishofmythologyandsuperstitioninwhoseserviceithadbeenenlisted。Thereisindeedanaturalsympathybetweenanyseriousviewoflifeandadistrustoftheaesthetictendencies，theologiansofmanydifferenttypeshavecondemnedmenfordallyingwiththemerelypleasurable，whentheyoughttobepreoccupiedwiththegreatethicalproblemsorthesafetyoftheirsouls。JamesMillhadenoughoftheoldPuritaninhimtosympathisewithCarlyle’saspiration，’Maythedevilflyawaywiththefinearts！’tosuchmenitwasdifficulttodistinguishbetweenfictionandlying；andifsomeconcessionmightbemadetohumanweakness，poetsandnovelistsmightsupplytherelaxationsandservetofilluptheintervalsoflife，butmustbesternlyexcludediftheytriedtointrudeintoseriousstudies，Somehowloveofthebeautifulonlyinterferedwiththescientificinvestigationofhardfacts。
　　Poets，indeed，maytakethesideofreform，ormayperhapsbenaturallyexpectedtotakethatside。
　　Theidealistandthedreamershouldbeattractedmostpowerfullybythevisionsofabetterworldandtherestorationofthegoldenage。Shelleywasamongthemostenthusiasticprophetsofthecomingera。Hiswords，hehoped，weretobe’thetrumpetofaprophecy’to’unawakenedearth。’
　　ShelleyhadsatatthefeetofGodwin，andrepresentedthatvaguemetaphysicaldreamingtowhichtheUtilitarianswereradicallyhostile。Totheliterarycritic，Shelley’spoweristhemoreremarkablebecausefromaflimsyphilosophyhespananimaginativetissueofsuchmagicalandmarvellousbeauty。ButShelleydweltinanetherealregion，whereordinarybeingsfoundbreathingdifficult。Therefactsseemedtodissolveintothinairinsteadofsupplyingasolidandsubstantialbase。Hisidealismmeantunreality。His’trumpet’
　　didnotinfactstimulatethemassofmankind，andhisfameatthisperiodwasconfinedtoafewyounggentlemenofliteraryrefinement。ThemanwhohadreallystirredtheworldwasByron；andifthedeclineofByron’sfamehasresultedpartlyfromrealdefects，itispartlyduealsotothefactthathispoetrywassoadmirablyadaptedtohiscontemporaries。ByronatleastcouldseefactsasclearlyasanyUtilitarian，thoughfactcolouredbyintensepassion，He，liketheUtilitarians，hatedsolemnplatitudesandhypocriticalconventions。IhavenoticedthepointatwhichhecameintocontactwithBentham’sdisciples。Hispatheticdeathshortlyafterwardsexcitedasingularlystrongmovementofsympathy。’Thenewsofhisdeath，’
　　saidCarlyleatthetime，’cameuponmyheartlikeamassoflead；andyetthethoughtofitsendsapainfultwingethroughallmybeing，asifIhadlostabrother。’AtalatertimehedefinesByronas’adandyofsorrowsandacquaintedwithgrief。’21ThathitsoffoneaspectofByronism，ByronwastheMirabeauofEnglishliterature，insofarashewasatonceathorougharistocratandastrongrevolutionist。Hehadthequalificationofatruesatirist。Hisfatewasatdiscordwithhischaracter。Hewasproudofhisorder，andyetdespiseditsactualleaders。
　　Hewasreadyalternatelytoboastofhisvicesandtobeconsciousthattheyweredegrading。Heshockedtherespectableworldbymocking’Satanically，’
　　astheyheld，atmoralconventions，andyetratherdenouncedthehypocrisyandtheheartlessnessofprecisiansthaninsultedtherealaffections。
　　Hecoveredsympathywithhumansufferingunderamaskofmisanthropy，andattackedwarandoppressioninthecharacterofarecklessoutlaw。Fulloftheaffectationofa’dandy，’hewasyetrousingallEuropebyacryofpuresentimentalism。ItwouldbeabsurdtoattributeanydefinitedoctrinetoByron，Hisscepticisminreligiousmatterswasmerelypartofageneralrevoltagainstrespectability。Whatheillustratesisthevaguebutprofoundrevolutionarysentimentwhichindicatedabeliefthattheworldseemedtobeoutofjoint，andavehementprotestagainsttheselfishandstolidconservatismwhichfanciedthattheoldordercouldbepreservedinallitsfossilinstitutionsandcorrespondingdogmas。
　　WhatwasthephilosophycongenialtoConservatism?Thereis，ofcourse，thesimpleanswer，None。Toryismwasa’reaction’duetothegreatstruggleofthewarandtheexcessesoftherevolution。A’reaction’isaveryconvenientphrase。Wearelikeourfathers；thentheresemblanceisonlynatural。Wediffer；thenthephrase’reaction’makesthealterationexplainitself。Nodoubt，however，therewasinsomesenseareaction。Manypeoplechangedtheirmindsastherevolutionarymovementfailedtofulfiltheirhopes。Ineednotarguenowthatsuchmenwerenotnecessarilycorruptrenegades。Icanonlytrytoindicatetheprocessbywhichtheywereledtowardscertainphilosophicaldoctrines。Scott，Wordsworth，andColeridgerepresentitenoughformypurpose。WhenMillwasreproachingEnglishmenfortheirwantofinterestinhistory，hepointedoutthatThierry，’theearliestofthethreegreatFrenchhistorians’GuizotandMicheletarethetwoothers，ascribedhisinterestinhissubjecttoIvanhoe。22EnglishmenreadIvanhoesimplyforamusement。Frenchmencouldseethatitthrewalightuponhistory，oratleastsuggestedagreathistoricalproblem。Scott，itisoftensaid，wasthefirstpersontoteachusthatourancestorswereonceasmuchaliveasourselves。Scott，indeed，theoneEnglishwriterwhosefameupontheContinentcouldbecomparedtoByron’s，hadclearlynointerestin，orcapacityfor，abstractspeculations，Animaginativepower，justfallingshortofthehigherpoeticalgift，andamasculinecommon-sensewerehismostconspicuousfaculties。Thetwoqualitieswereoccasionallyatissue：
　　hisjudgmentstruggledwithhisprejudices，andhesympathisedtookeenlywiththeactiveleadersandconcretecausestocaremuchforanyabstracttheory。Yethisinfluenceuponthought，thoughindirect，wasremarkable，thevividnessofhishistoricalpainting——inaccurate，nodoubt，anddelightfullyrecklessofdatesandfacts——stimulatedthegrowinginterestinhistoricalinquirieseveninEngland，HisinfluenceinonedirectionisrecognisedbyNewman，whowasperhapsthinkingchieflyofhismediaevalism。23ButthehistoricalnovelsareonlyonesideofScott。Patriotictothecore，helivedatatimewhenpatrioticfeelingwasstimulatedtotheutmost，andwhenScotlandinparticularwasstillaprovince，andyetinmanywaysthemostvigorousandprogressivepartofagreatempire。Herepresentspatriotismstimulatedbycontactwithcosmopolitanmovements。Lovingeverylocalpeculiarity，paintingeveryclassfromthenobletothepeasant，lovingtheoldtraditions，andyetsharingthegreatimpulsesoftheday，Scottwasabletointeresttheworldatlarge。Whilethemostfaithfulportrayerofthespecialnationaltype，hehastoomuchsensenottobewellawarethatpicturesquecattle-stealersandJacobitechiefswerethingsofthepast；butheloveswithhiswholehearttheinstitutionsrootedinthepastandrichinhistoricalassociations。HetransferredtopoetryandfictionthepoliticaldoctrineofBurke，tohim，therevolutionarymovementwassimplyasolvent，corrodingalltheoldtiesbecauseitsappedtheoldtraditions，andtendedtosubstituteamobforanation。Thecontinuityofnationallifeseemedtohimtheessentialcondition；andanationwasnotamereaggregateofseparateindividuals，butanancientorganism，developingonanorderlysystem——whereeverymanhadhisrightfulplace，andthebeggar，asheobservesintheAntiquary，wasasreadyasthenobletoriseagainstforeigninvasion。Tohim，thekingsorpriestswho，totherevolutionist，representedsimpledespotism，representedpartofaroughbutmanlyorder，inwhichmanyvirtueswereconspicuousandthegoverningclassesweredischarginggreatfunctions。Thoughhedidnotusethephrase，therevolutionaryorradicalviewwashatefultohimonaccountofits’individualism。’Itmeantthesummarydestructionofallthathecherishedmostwarmlyinordertocarryouttheoriesaltogetherrevoltingtohiscommon-sense。Theveryrootsofasoundsocialorderdependuponthetraditionsandacceptedbeliefswhichbindtogetherclansorfamilies，andassigntoeverymanasatisfactoryfunctioninlife。Thevividrealisationofhistorygoesnaturallywithalove——excessiveorreasonable——oftheoldorder；andScott，thoughwritingcarelesslytoamuseidlereaders，wasstimulatingthehistoricalconceptions，which，forwhateverreason，weremostuncongenialtotheUtilitarianastoalltherevolutionists。
　　ThemoreconsciousphilosophicalapplicationisillustratedbyWordsworthandColeridge，Bothofthemhadsharedthetrulyrevolutionaryenthusiasm，andbothcameintimetobeclassedwiththeTories，Both，aswillbeseen。hadamarkedinfluenceuponJ。S。Mill。WordsworthhaswritteninthePreludeoneofthemostremarkableofintellectualautobiographies。Hewastobe，thoughheneverquitesucceededinbeing，agreatphilosophicalpoet，Heneversucceeded，because，intruth，hewasnotagreatphilosopher。Butnoonehasmoreclearlyindicatedthehistoryofhismentalevolution。Hissympathywiththerevolutionwasperfectlygenuine，butinvolvedavastmisconception。
　　Asturdy，independentyouth，thoroughlyimbuedwiththeinstinctsofhisnortherndalesmen，hehadearlyleanedtoarepublicansentiment。Hisdislikeoftheeffeteconventionalismoftheliterarycreedblendedwithhisaversiontothepoliticalruleofthetime。HecaughtthecontagionofrevolutionaryenthusiasminFrance，andwasconvertedbythesightofthe’hunger-bitten’
　　peasantgirl——thevictimofaristocraticoppression。’Itisagainstthat，’
　　saidhisfriend，’thatwearefighting，’andsofarWordsworthwasaconvert。
　　Therevolution，therefore，meanttohimtherestorationofanidyllicstate，inwhichthehomelyvirtuesoftheindependentpeasantshouldnolongerbecrushedanddeprivedofrewardbytheinstrumentsofselfishdespotism。
　　Theoutbreakofwarputhisprinciplesatissuewithhispatriotism。Hesufferedkeenlywhencalledupontotriumphoverthecalamitiesofhiscountrymen。Butgraduallyhecametothinkthathissympathiesweremisplaced。
　　Therevolutionhadnotalteredhumannature。Theatrocitiesdisturbedhim，butforatimehecouldregardthemasamereaccident。Asthewarwenton，hebegantoperceivethatthenewpowercouldbeastyrannicalandselfishastheold。Insteadofreconstructingasimplesocialideal，itwasformingamilitarydespotism。WhentheFrencharmiesputdownthesimpleSwisspeasantry，towhomhehadbeendrawnbyhishome-bredsympathies，hefinallygaveuptherevolutionarycause。Hehadgonethroughamentalagony，andhisdistractedsympathiesultimatelydeterminedachangewhichcorrespondedtotheadoptionofanewphilosophy。Wordsworth，indeed，hadlittletasteforabstractlogic。HehadimbibedGodwin’sdoctrine，butwhenacceptanceofGodwin’sconclusionsinvolvedaconflictwithhisstrongestaffections——thesacrificenotonlyofhispatriotismbutofthesympathieswhichboundhimtohisfellows——herevolted，Godwinrepresentstheextremeof’individualism，’theabsolutedissolutionofallsocialandpoliticalbonds。Wordsworthescaped，notbydiscoveringalogicaldefectintheargument，butbyyieldingtotheprotestofhisemotions，thesystem，hethought，wasfataltoalltheaffectionswhichhadmadelifedeartohim；tothevague’intimations’which，whateverelsetheymightbe，hadyetpowertogiveharmonytoourexistence。
　　Bydegreesheadoptedanewdiagnosisofthegreatpoliticalevils。Ononeside，hesympathisedwithScott’ssenseofthefataleffectsuponthewholesocialorganism。Amonghisnoblestpoemsarethe’Brothers’and’Michael，’towhichhespeciallycalledtheattentionofFox。Theywereintended，heexplained，toshowthesurpassingvalueofthedomesticaffectionsconspicuousamongtheshepherdsand’statesmen’ofthenortherndales。HehadnowcometoholdthattheprinciplesofGodwinandhislikeweredestructivetothemostimportantelementsofhumanwelfare。Therevolutionistswerenotsimplybreakingthefettersofthesimplepeasant，butdestroyingthemostsacredtiestowhichthepeasantowedwhateverdignityorhappinesshepossessed。Revolution，inshort，meantanarchy。Itmeant，therefore，thedestructionofallthatgivesrealvaluetolife。Itwas，asheheld，oneproductoftheworshipofthe’idolproudlynamedthe”wealthofnations，”’24se1fishnessandgreedreplacingtheoldmotivesto’plainlivingandhighthinking，’