The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-06-11

IL authentic. have stricken from the "Canter-
bury Tales" the lewdness and ribaldry which
dis1Rure them; but there IL not n line, or
word In the wide range OF Winters work whose
least suggestion the writer need wish to blot.
Here, at all events is poet who can read Sid
ney's Defence OF Poesy without twinge or
sneer, who may claim that kindly and upright
living has been the constant burden Of his song,
and that he has faithfully within the COMPASS of
his talent, fulfilled the genial function which in
sidney's words, "not only shows the way but
eiveth SO fair prospect into the way us will en-
tice any man TO enter into It,"
In that philosophy which refers all that ia
generous and lofty In the human heart to the
| operation OF sympathy we may doubtless md
the key Of whittier's ethics. So far as his UNI
obtrusivo voice may be said to preach anything,
It breaches the gospel Of sympathy. and we can
only gauge Alright the merit Of such teaching by
recalling what different lessons were put forth
by n school OF poetry which dominated at the
outset Of his career, as well asby another whose
vigorous development has partially overshadow-
ed Its close. Tho philosophy Of Byron, OF Heino
and De Musset exhibited that less rcpulsiye
form Of egotism, the offspring OF half-reluctant
atheism. which SURVEYS Its own Isolation with
| kind OF horror and where defiance not seldom
| borrows the accents OF despair. On the other
| hand, Morris and Swinburne appear to acquiesce
with entire satisfaction IN the drearest corolia-
| ries OF materialism and the one with euphuistic
| refinement, the other with cynical sincerity set
forth the rapture and the wisdom of SELFISH
| sensuous existence. Perhaps In no way can the
benenant spirit which makes whittiets poetry
| a potent instrument Of heathfu education be-
| more nicely Disseminated than by contrast with
| the atmosphere which enfods the Earthly
| Paradise"
We need not sticmatize Morris's poetry as
| heather, for that would raise an unnecessary
| question. We may even allow his premises, ana
stu except to the bleak philosophy he rears on
| them; and white we yield to the charm OF his
| melody, fepudiate his scheme Of happiness For
admitting that life Is bounded 10y the grave and
| that earth IL the only paradise mems eyes are
| like to see, II by no means follows that all the
| joys Of existence must be summed In short
| decade of lusty YOUTH while the long vista Of
our later years Is darkened with vain repniug
and regret. There would he truth In the picture
! IL egotism could be trusted to serve even
| Epcurus, since sellsbness dwells In the pas
sions and their heyday IA indeed brief. But
/ that common sense OF mankind which Is con
tent to accept without too curious dissection
| the record OF its impressions, finds sympathy at
the root OF its profoundest joys, aud accordingly
recognizes the affections as the vertabe minis
trants OF happiness. Now It is n singular fact
that Of those affections whose ONCE 1t Is to wish
and further anothers welfare OF delight, there is
scarcely trace In that Earthly Paradise TO
which Morris would conduct us. IL Is true he
wells with exquisite tact and dellcacy the grosser
aspects of physical passion, but, although his
| lovers do not smte with ewes, or scorch with
not nerce Hips, OF Rripe with hard embraces as
| Mr. Swinburnes sometimes do, they obey the
| same animal instinct. and seem unable to con-
ceive of an affec,io that should outlive desire.
| Stripped Of its demure accents and dainty dress
what is this but the philosophy Of the sty ?
| Surely, not even a shrewd materialism could he
held responsible for these deductions, much
less such atheism as shelley's. whose pure and
lofty ethics dicnfed the human nature on
which he based them.
| Had Whittier been moved to concentrate his
! energies upon the drama, II would have been In
cumbent on him to portray the passions, since
they supply the shadows Of life but, rs a lyric
| bard by impulse and habit, he had a right to
| ignore them and constitute himself the laureate
Of the affections. Scarcely any poet Of our day, IL
| We except Wordsworth. has touched with more
honest reverence aud loving tenderness the re-
lstions OF friendship, OF marriage, OF parent and
| child Whittier Is truly, in Sidney's sense, n
homilst. Those winning pictures of peaceful
home, its innocent JOYS, and sweet content
ment, which Jeremy Taylor loved to draw, are
| not more wholesome and serene than his,
| while no manual OF noble living hit the
| springs OF motive and mould the character like
| the subtle influence OF song.