第1章

TheChurch，whichwasoncethemotherofpoetsnolessthanofsaints，duringthelasttwocenturieshasrelinquishedtoaliensthechiefgloriesofpoetry，ifthechiefgloriesofholinessshehaspreservedforherown。Thepalmandthelaurel，DominicandDante，sanctityandsong，grewtogetherinhersoil:shehasretainedthepalm，butforgonethelaurel。Poetryinitswidestsense，{1}andwhennotprofessedlyirreligious，hasbeentoomuchandtoolongamongmanyCatholicseithermisprisedordistrusted;toomuchandtoogenerallythefeelinghasbeenthatitisatbestsuperfluous，atworstpernicious，mostoftendangerous。Oncepoetrywas，assheshouldbe，thelessersisterandhelpmateoftheChurch;theministertothemind，astheChurchtothesoul。Butpoetrysinned，poetryfell;and，inplaceoflovinglyreclaimingher，Catholicismcastherfromthedoortofollowthefeetofherpaganseducer。Theseparationhasbeenillforpoetry;ithasnotbeenwellforreligion。

FathersoftheChurch（wewouldsay），pastorsoftheChurch，piouslaicsoftheChurch:youaretakingfromitswallsthepanoplyofAquinas—takealsofromitswallsthepsalteryofAlighieri。UnrolltheprecedentsoftheChurch\'spast;recalltoyourmindsthatFrancisofAssisiwasamongtheprecursorsofDante;thatsworntoPovertyheforsworenotBeauty，butdiscernedthroughthelampBeautytheLightGod;thathewasevenmoreapoetinhismiraclesthaninhismelody;thatpoetryclungroundthecowlsofhisOrder。

Followhisfootsteps;youwhohaveblessingsformen，haveyounoblessingforthebirds？Recalltoyourmemorythat，intheirminorkind，thelovepoemsofDanteshednolesshonouronCatholicismthandidthegreatreligiouspoemwhichisitselfpivotedonlove;

thatinsingingofheavenhesangofBeatrice—thissupportingangelwasstillcarvenonhisharpevenwhenhestirreditsstringsinParadise。Whatyoutheoreticallyknow，vividlyrealise:thatwithmanythereligionofbeautymustalwaysbeapassionandapower，thatitisonlyevilwhendivorcedfromtheworshipofthePrimalBeauty。PoetryisthepreachertomenoftheearthlyasyouoftheHeavenlyFairness;ofthatearthlyfairnesswhichGodhasfashionedtoHisownimageandlikeness。YouproclaimthedaywhichtheLordhasmade，andPoetryexultsandrejoicesinit。YoupraisetheCreatorforHisworks，andsheshowsyouthattheyareverygood。

Bewarehowyoumisprisethispotentally，forhersistheartofGiottoandDante:bewarehowyoumisprisethisinsidiousfoe，forhersistheartofmodernFranceandofByron。Hervalue，ifyouknowitnot，Godknows，andknowtheenemiesofGod。IfyouhavenoroomforherbeneaththewingsoftheHolyOne，thereisplaceforherbeneaththewebsoftheEvilOne:whomyoudiscard，heembraces;whomyoucastdownfromanhonourableseat，hewilladvancetoahaughtythrone;thebrowsyoudislaurelofajustrespect，hewillbindwithbalefulsplendours;thestonewhichyoubuildersreject，hewillmakehisheadofthecorner。Mayshenotprophesyinthetemple？thenthereisreadyforherthetripodofDelphi。Eyehernotaskanceifsheseldomsingdirectlyofreligion:thebirdgivesglorytoGodthoughitsingsonlyofitsinnocentloves。Suspicioncreatesitsowncause;distrustbegetsreasonfordistrust。Thisbeautiful，wild，felinePoetry，wildbecauselefttorangethewilds，restoretothehearthofyourcharity，shelterundertherafterofyourFaith;disciplinehertothesweetrestraintsofyourhousehold，feedherwiththemeatfromyourtable，softenherwiththeamityofyourchildren;tameher，fondleher，cherishher—youwillnolongerthenneedtofleeher。

Sufferhertowanton，sufferhertoplay，sosheplayroundthefootoftheCross！

Thereisachangeoflateyears:theWandererisbeingcalledtoherFather\'shouse，butwewouldhavethecallyetlouder，wewouldhavetheprofferedwelcomemoreunstinted。Therearestillstrayremnantsoftheoldintolerantdistrust。ItisstillpossibleforevenaFrenchhistorianoftheChurchtoenumerateamongthearticlescastuponSavonarola\'sfamouspile，poesieserotiques，tantdesanciensquedesmodernes，livresimpiesoucorrupteurs，Ovide，Tibulle，Properce，pournenommerquelesplusconnus，Dante，Petrarque，Boccace，touscesauteursItaliensquidejesouillaientlesamesetruinaientlesmoeurs，encreantouperfectionnantlalangue。{2}Blameworthycarelessnessattheleast，whichcanclasstheVitaNuovawiththeArsAmandiandtheDecameron！AndamongmanyEnglishCatholicsthespiritofpoetryisstilloftenreceivedwitharestrictedPuritanicalgreeting，ratherthanwiththetraditionallyCatholicjoyousopenness。

Weask，therefore，foralargerinterest，notinpurelyCatholicpoetry，butinpoetrygenerally，poetryinitswidestsense。Withfewexceptions，whatsoeverinourbestpoetsisgreatandgoodtothenon—Catholic，isgreatandgoodalsototheCatholic;andthoughFaberthrewhiseditionofShelleyintothefireandneverregrettedtheact;though，moreover，ShelleyissolittlereadamongusthatwecanstilltolerateinourChurchesthereligiousparodywhichFabershouldhavethrownafterhisthree—volumedShelley;{3}—inspiteofthis，wearenotdisposedtonumberamongsuchexceptionsthatstrayingspiritoflight。

Wehaveamongusatthepresentdaynolinealdescendant，inthepoeticalorder，ofShelley;andanysuchoffspringoftheaboundinglyspontaneousShelleyishardlypossible，stilllesslikely，onaccountofthedefectbywhich（wethink）contemporarypoetryingeneral，ascomparedwiththepoetryoftheearlynineteenthcentury，ismildewed。Thatdefectisthepredominanceofartoverinspiration，ofbodyoversoul。WedonotsaytheDEFECT

ofinspiration。Thewarrioristhere，butheishamperedbyhisarmour。Writersofhighaiminallbranchesofliterature，evenwhentheyarenot—asMr。Swinburne，forinstance，is—lavishinexpression，aregenerallyover—deliberateinexpression。Mr。HenryJames，delineatingafictitiouswriterclearlyintendedtobetheidealofanartist，makeshimregretthathehassometimesallowedhimselftotakethesecond—bestwordinsteadofsearchingforthebest。Theoretically，ofcourse，oneoughtalwaystotryforthebestword。Butpractically，thehabitofexcessivecareinword—

selectionfrequentlyresultsinlossofspontaneity;and，stillworse，thehabitofalwaystakingthebestwordtooeasilybecomesthehabitofalwaystakingthemostornateword，thewordmostremovedfromordinaryspeech。Inconsequenceofthis，poeticdictionhasbecomelatterlyakaleidoscope，andone\'schiefcuriosityisastotheprecisecombinationsintowhichthepieceswillbeshifted。Thereis，infact，acertainbandofwords，thePraetoriancohortsofpoetry，whoseprescriptiveaidisinvokedbyeveryaspiranttothepoeticalpurple，andwithoutwhoseprescriptiveaidnonedaresaspiretothepoeticalpurple;againsttheseitistimesomebannershouldberaised。Perhapsitisalmostimpossibleforacontemporarywriterquitetoevadetheservicesofthefree—lanceswhomoneencountersundersomanystandards。{4}

ButitisatanyratecurioustonotethattheliteraryrevolutionagainstthedespoticdictionofPopeseemsissuing，likepoliticalrevolutions，inadespotismofitsownmaking。

This，then，wecannotbutthink，distinguishestheliteraryperiodofShelleyfromourown。Itdistinguisheseventheunquestionabletreasuresandmasterpiecesofto—dayfromsimilartreasuresandmasterpiecesoftheprecedentday;eventheLotus—EatersfromKubla—

Khan;evenRossetti\'sballadsfromChristabel。ItispresentintherestraintofMatthewArnoldnolessthanintheexuberanceofSwinburne，andaffectsourwriterswhoaimatsimplicitynolessthanthosewhoseekrichness。Indeed，nothingissoartificialasoursimplicity。ItisthesimplicityoftheFrenchstageingenue。

Weareself—conscioustothefinger—tips;andthisinherentquality，entailingonourpoetrytheinevitablelossofspontaneity，ensuresthatwhateverpoets，ofwhateverexcellence，maybeborntousfromtheShelleianstock，itsfounder\'sspiritcantakeamongusnoreincarnation。Anagethatisceasingtoproducechild—likechildrencannotproduceaShelley。Forbothaspoetandmanhewasessentiallyachild。