THE ROMANTIC REVOLT.

CHAPTER I.

BRITAIN.

LIMITS OF THE PERIOD

-

CHARACTERISTICS OF ROMANCE CONTRAST
BETWEEN THIS AND THE PRECEDING PERIOD-THE PRECURSORS-
THOMSONGOLDSMITH AND OTHERS-MACPHERSON AND PERCY-
THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE CONTINENT-THEIR TREATMENT OF THE
SUPERNATURAL-THEIR RESEMBLANCE AND CONTRAST-APPARENT
REACTION AGAINST ROMANCE ENDED BY COWPER -HIS INNOVA-
TIONS HIS RELIGIOUS FERVOUR INFLUENCE OF THE RELIGIOUS
REVIVAL -'THE TASK'-COWPER'S ATTITUDE TO NATURE HIS
HUMOUR AND LETTERS-THE PERSONAL STRAIN IN HIS POETRY-
BURNS HIS RELATION TO SCOTTISH WRITERS AND TO PERCY-HIS
TREATMENT OF THE SUPERNATURAL-OF NATURE-OF MAN-HIS
SATIRE HIS SONGS BLAKE HIS POEMS OF CHILD LIFE-
VISIONARY SPIRIT-PICTORIAL ELEMENT IN HIS POETRY-ALLEGED
CLASSICAL REVIVAL -CRABBE -HIS REALISM HIS RELATION TO
ROMANCE ROGERS-CAMPBELL-LYRICAL BALLADS '-PREVIOUS
POETRY OF COLERIDGE-INFLUENCE OF BOWLES-PREVIOUS POETRY
OF WORDSWORTH
- DESIGN OF LYRICAL BALLADS'. ANCIENT
MARINER-COLERIDGE'S OTHER POEMS — WORDSWORTH'S CONTRIBU-
TIONS POEMS OF MAN-PASTORALS-POEMS OF 1799-POEMS OF
NATURE- WORDSWORTH'S JOY IN NATURE PERSONAL NOTE IN
THESE POEMS-PATRIOTIC SONNETS-LATER POEMS-ATTITUDE OF
THE PUBLIC TO COLERIDGE AND WORDSWORTH- - WORDSWORTH'S
REALISM HIS ROMANCE-THE 'PRELUDE '-SOUTHRY-SCOTT--NEW

A

HIS

ISSUES OF ROMANCE-EARLY WORK-SCOTT AND GOETHE 'MIN-
STRELSY'-ROMANCES IN VERSE- WAVERLEY NOVELS'-AFFINITIES
AND INFLUENCE-MOORE-TRAGEDY: MISS BAILLIE- -'OSORIO'-
'THE BORDERERS'-COMEDY-SHERIDAN-THE NOVEL-ROMANCE:
BECKFORD MRS RADCLIFFE -MACKENZIE GODWIN - NOVEL OF
MANNERS: MISS BURNEY · MISS AUSTEN -MISS EDGEWORTH

DIDACTIC NOVEL: MRS MORE-MRS INCHBALD-BAGE-DEVELOP-
MENT OF THE NOVEL - LIGHTER POETRY: WOLCOT, GIFFORD
'ROLLIAD '--ANTI-JACOBIN-BURKE-EARLIER WORK-APPEAL TO
EXPERIENCE-EXPEDIENCY-DUTY-LATER WRITINGS-HOW FAR TO
BE RECONCILED WITH THE EARLIER-THE GROUND SHIFTED-ATTACK
ON INDIVIDUALISM—THE TRUE END OF SOCIETY-EACH NATION
BOUND BY ITS PAST-THE STATE CONTROLS THE PASSIONS OF THE
INDIVIDUAL-BURKE'S PLACE IN THE HISTORY OF POLITICAL THEORY
-ANALOGY BETWEEN POLITICAL LIFE AND THE ORDER OF THE
WORLD CHANGE IN THE WHOLE CONCEPTION OF REASON- - HIS
STYLE ANSWERS TO BURKE MACKINTOSH PAINE GODWIN-
BENTHAM: AS MORAL PHILOSOPHER-AS LEGISLATIVE REFORMER-
AS POLITICAL PHILOSOPHER COLERIDGE AS PHILOSOPHER AS
LITERARY CRITIC LAMB- EDINBURGH' AND 'QUARTERLY' ·

ORATORS: CHATHAM--BURKE-FOX-SHERIDAN-GRATTAN-PITT-
INTELLECTUAL ADVANCE IN EUROPE-STUDY OF OLDER LITERATURE
HISTORY OF LITERATURE WOLF HISTORY THEOLOGY-
CHEMISTRY AND BIOLOGY.

period.

THE period covered by the following pages is, roughly speaking, the last quarter of the eighteenth Limits of the century and the first few years of the nineteenth; or, to date by events in the literary history of Europe, the period from the death of Voltaire and Rousseau (1778) to the death of Schiller (1805). The scheme of the preceding volume has made allowance for a certain amount of overlapping; and, considering the difference of perspective which can hardly fail to assert itself when a fresh writer takes up the narrative, it will be convenient to give some little latitude of interpretation

to the provision there expressly made. With this warning, we turn at once to our theme-the Romantic Revolt.

of Romance.

With the middle of the eighteenth century a great change began to make itself felt in the thought and Characteristics literature of western Europe-a change from the spirit of criticism to that of creation; from wit to humour and pathos; from satire and didactic verse to the poetry of passion and impassioned reflection; above all, a change from a narrow and cramping conception of man's reason to one far wider and more adequate to his powers. This change may be conveniently summed up in one phrase: the Romantic Revival, or, if our object be to lay stress on its negative aspect, the Romantic Revolt. But no such phrases can serve as more than a rough index. And it must be understood, on the one hand, that some few writers stand altogether apart from the general movement of the time; and, on the other hand, that behind the apparent unity of that movement several distinct tendencies were at work.

Thus the very words Romantic and Romanticism, though they have their use and are sanctioned by long tradition, may easily give rise to misconception. They will certainly do so, unless we bear in mind. that they cover two completely different meanings. In the narrower and more usual sense, they point to that love of vivid colouring and strongly marked contrasts, that craving for the unfamiliar, the mar