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times intimated, the soul has moods, emotions, ideas, which, were there no such thing as poetry, would probably never have come into active, visible existence. As there is, they exist, yet, in default of poetry, would remain, for most of us, as if they were not. Poetry, whatever in its origin and essence it may be, proves its being by furnishing expression for them. For the purpose, it takes ordinary speech. Having by some strange, untraceable process of spiritual chemistry, which we call Inspiration, fused with it the mute spiritual germs, it introduces the amalgam into the common mind. Thereupon emotions, ideas, moods cease to be dumb; and language swells into the diapason of an organ. Without the poets innumerable phases of the soul, many of them among the highest, would never have come to life, completely, if at all. Eternal gratitude is their due, and, on the whole, is, I dare say, adequately rendered to the acknowledged princes of song. Candidates struggling upwards to the light receive hard measure. It appears to be considered that the ignominy of defeat in poetry ought to be proportionate to the possible, the rare, glory. Failures in prose are liable usually, as I know, to no more condign penalty than neglect. Poets, unless they be crowned, are never safe from the pillory. They enter the lists at the peril of the doom threatened to law reformers in the old Greek State. In equity they well might plead that their critics ought equally to abide the risk. For myself I am fully conscious how fair the claim would be, and sincerely trust that I have behaved as if I were. Throughout I can assert that, in venturing to assume the critical character, I have had a constant sense of a cord round my own neck instead of the poet's. I have even felt a lively appre hension that the noose might be tightened by the thick fingers of some Georgian poet's ghost. For their own sakes,

no less than for that of the public, members of the profession, in which for my present purpose I have enrolled myself, are bound, I believe, to be always on the watch that they do not bar entrance within the temple of the Muses to angels unawares. Continually they should be reminding themselves that aspirants vainly seeking admittance in the despised guise of Minor Poets have been discovered ere this to be meditating poetry which is Great.

INDEX OF POETS

WITH DATES OF BIRTH AND DEATH

ADDISON, JOSEPH (1672-1719).

ARNOLD, EDWIN, Sir (1831-1904).

ARNOLD, MATTHEW (1822-1888).

AYTOUN, WILLIAM EDMONSTOUNE, Professor (1813-1865).

BACON, FRANCIS, Viscount St. Albans (1561-1626).

BAILEY, PHILIP JAMES (1816-1902).

BARBAULD, ANNA LETITIA, Mrs. (1743-1825).

BARNES, WILLIAM, Rev. (1801-1886).

BEDDOES, THOMAS LOVELL (1803-1849).

BRETON, NICHOLAS (1545 ?-1626 ?).

BROWNING, ELIZABETH BARRETT, Mrs. (1809-1861)

BROWNING, ROBERT (1812-1889).

BRYANT, WILLIAM CULLEN (1794-1878)..

BUCHANAN, ROBERT (1841-1901).

BYRON, GEORGE GORDON NOEL, Lord (1788-1824).

CAMPION, THOMAS, (1567 ?-1619, or 1623).

CAREW, THOMAS (1598 ?-1639 ?).

CAREY, HENRY (1696 ?-1743).·

CLOUGH, ARTHUR HUGH (1819-1861).

COLERIDGE, SAMUEL TAYLOR (1772-1834).

DAVENANT (or D'AVENANT) WILLIAM, Sir (1606-1668).

DEKKER, THOMAS (1570 ?-1641 ?).

DOBELL, SYDNEY THOMPSON (1824-1874).

DRUMMOND, WILLIAM, of Hawthornden (1585-1649).

ELLIOT, JANE (JEAN) (1727-1805).

ELLIOTT, EBENEZER ('THE CORN-LAW RHYMER ') (1781–1849).

EMERSON, RALPH WALDO (1803-1882).

FITZGERALD, EDWARD (1809-1883).

FORD, JOHN (1586 (baptized)-1639 ?).

HEMANS, FELICIA DOROTHEA, Mrs. (1793-1835).

HENLEY, WILLIAM ERNEST (1840-1903).

HOGG, JAMES (1770, or 1772-1835).

HOOD, THOMAS (1799, or 1798–1845).

HORNE, RICHARD HENRY (or HENGIST) (1808-1884).

HUNT, JAMES HENRY LEIGH (1784-1859).

INGELOW, JEAN (1820-1897).

INGRAM, JOHN KELLS, LL.D. (1823-1907).

JOHNSON, SAMUEL, LL.D. (1691-1773).

KEATS, JOHN (1795, or 1796-1821).

KEBLE, JOHN, Rev. (1792-1866).

KINGSLEY, CHARLES, Rev. (1819-1875).

LAMB, CHARLES (1775-1834).

LAMPSON-LOCKER, FREDERICK (1821-1895).

LANDON, LETITIA ELIZABETH (Mrs. MACLEAN)—'L. E. L.' (1802-

1838).

LANDOR, WALTER SAVAGE (1775–1864).

LINDSAY (BARNARD), ANNE, Lady (1750-1825).

LODGE, THOMAS (1558 ?-1625).

LOGAN, JOHN, Rev. (1748-1788).

LONGFELLOW, HENRY WADSWORTH (1807–1882).

LOVER, SAMUEL (1797-1868).

LOWELL, JAMES RUSSELL (1819-1891).

LYLY (LILLY, LYLIE), JOHN (1554 ?-1606).

MACAULAY, THOMAS BABINGTON, Lord (1800-1859).

MAHONY, FRANCIS SYLVESTER (' FATHER PROUT') (1804–1866).

MICKLE, WILLIAM JULIUS (1735-1788).

MILLIKEN, RICHARD ALFRED (1767–1816).

MILMAN, HENRY HART, D.D., Dean of St. Paul's (1791-1868).

MILNES, RICHARD MONCKTON, Lord Houghton (1809-1885).

MONTGOMERY, JAMES (1771-1854).

MONTROSE, JAMES GRAHAM, Marquis of (1612-1650).

MOORE, THOMAS (1779-1852).

MORRIS, WILLIAM (1834-1896).

NEWMAN, JOHN HENRY, D.D., Cardinal (1801-1890).

PARNELL, THOMAS, D.D., Archdeacon (1679-1718).

PATMORE, COVENTRY Kearsey Dighton (1823-1896).
PERCY, THOMAS, Bishop (1729, or 1728-1811).

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