, 1869-04-04
JOHN KEDLE,

Ffom Rttite ef Sir John colvidges X,n,ira
The picture which Sir John Co1er1dgc puts before
Us though deficient In what |. striking and b.il-
liant . sunlcteEtly remarkable and uncommon
and Intellect, Ia whom religion whs not merely
something farur1nG and elcFating life, not merely
6tt clement and OBJECT Of spEiton! activity, hut
ard tue spring Of every Thought and purpose,
Whether people lise such character or not anil
whether Or not they may th!hk the religion wrung
understand the writer Of the Ch1ifftan Ear they
must st1t from this point He Was man who,
without particle Of the religious can't Of any
school. without any circumstances or preten-
sion or unnatural strain, literally passed his days
under the quick and pefvn1ing influence, for re-
at!aint and for ettm1ias, Of ne VIII md presence
its power over him had not TO bc invoked md
stirred up: It acted spontansonsly and nnnotleed
tn him; It WAS dominant Ii all his acuFttJ:
Il quenchcd In him attnA and even, t: may
be, faculties: continually ha1upe.ed The
Tree .play OF bis p0wc5 And 9!@ and
key, awkwnrt, unequal, and uufntelligo1e. But
tor ibis awful sense Of truth and reality unseen
which dwarfed to hin ~ PERSONS, thoughts and
all present things, he might hare been more dn-
ished writer more lttrsctivo preacher, lesa ,n-
different foster father 70 his own work. aut II
hls snoughta hahtuAIy dwelt WIN, % shink of the
ordinary objects Of auihoYahlp, Of studying any
thing Of this world for it, own sake, Of perlectlng
spells Of language to give atsrsctiyeness 10. his
writings Akrrtnexs, lnalet1nacv,. anu oi,scurity
OF expression were tight Matters nnd Eare him
little couceru compared with the haunting fear OF
unreal words This '.seekin9 l1rst the kingdom Of
God and Ii!a righteousness" as he understood It,
wss the hasis oi riI that he v2a It was really and
unal.ectedly his governing principle, the root Of
his affections and his anrraihica tust as 70 other
men Is the passion for scientific discovery or poHt-
restrained bY these conditions, q strongly marked
character eIute5ans with power anil Life, and the
play Of individual qualities displayed itself There
were two Intellectual Ades 10. his mlnd-one
which made him 4 poet, qu!ckneas and
dcIeacy Of observation and sympa-
tncttc Interpretation, the realizing md
,nt,r1na.nr nGwer Of deem feeling md penet,ntive
Imagination the other sf nrsr sisht little related
10 pl,etrv, a har!heaicst, ingenious prosatc
incss and dlrrctness Of common sense, deal.
and on the whole yesJ little curious ai,oat ec!cn-
fasSton mo,1e,led On Bishop Dater and fui of
logical resource, good and often It must be owned
had II WAS . mind which unlo1deti nrst under the
country parsonage, wters the unshovy ptety anl
strong morality ind modest theology Of tbs middle
a4c OF Angiicanlsm the school Of Pta.1on But
aad Wilson, were supreme. And from this II came
under ne new influences Of bold md Independents
Influences which were ii first seprcsen.e,l By such
men ~ Dawson, Cop!eatup. and above au Whate-
II; Influences which repeted kcble by what he
RAW Of hardne*s shailowneas and nzroR1noe and
sill more Of selisunccncJ and Intellectual display
but which nevertheless powerfully a0ectesi aim,
and Of which he showed the traces to the
last Sir John ColcFtSe Is tisappotn tinz ss to tAa
amount Of Light which be ihrpw1 on the ptocess
which vas going on IN kebles ntnd during the
CArt<snn Tear but there il one touch which rtfe1s
to this period: Speaking, In 1888 OF Alexander