ought to have their own heroes and prophets. Tennyson and Browning must be more to them than Wordsworth. But we can (and, alas! do) transmit, to them our habits of contempt, only by a just retribution they are turned against men who have been our benefactors. And as we grow older and colder, we lose our early attachments, without entering into the sympathies of the coming age and learning to respect its teachers. But surely this need not be so. Cannot you, who are critics, cultivate in us, both young and old, a better and truer mind? Why will you not teach us how we may profit by each of the writers that have been given us, whether they wrote masculine

volves certain dogmatic opinions or certain | Wordsworth has certainly diminished. We religious sentiments, is a dead thing to one cannot transmit our admirations to our as to the other. To Keble it was not a sons. It is not fit that we should. They merely dead thing. He had English, however they might be reduced into mere Anglican, sympathies; when he wrote The Christian Year, the grander events of the Jewish history were at least living pictures to his imagination, if they were not substantive facts of his life. But evidently the idolatry of the fathers who had no country robbed him of his precious possession. The living pictures became poor likenesses or adumbrations of some New Testament notion or symbol. What was there in such a conception to match the faith of the Puritans, who believed that the sword of Gideon was the sword of the Lord at all times, and might be unsheathed in their days as much as in the days of the Midianites? That or feminine verses? Why will you not was a masculine faith; not quite satisfactory, I fancy, without some feminine accompaniments, but better perhaps than any which is purely feminine, for that may scratch with nails, if it cannot lift any stouter weapon.

show us that one has a commission to do what another cannot do, and that if he has executed his commission imperfectly, we may be the wiser for that very imperfection? Mr. Swinburne, who has undertaken to instruct us about Lord Byron, would be If I am right in these observations- if greatly amused at such a discussion as I this school has enfeebled itself by its con- have been engaged in. He would regard temptuous. treatment of the writers whom it as the attempt of one member of the it could not understand, and perhaps had parti prêtre to defend another, and to prove no call to understand - should we not be that all poetry should be the minister of very careful of imitating its narrowness divinity. No, Sir, I do not speak of Mr. and exclusiveness? Can we make men Keble as a doctor in divinity ; I have learnt masculine by denouncing them for being more of that from Lord Byron. Most men feminine? Can we exalt the higher poetry who were young men or boys in the Reor quicken the growth of any such among gency, or in the early part of George IV.'s ourselves, by denouncing that which we reign, passed though the Byronic fever. It consider lower that which may have pro- might vary in degrees of virulency; it duced very mean imitations, but which has might last through the twenty-one days, or served to cheer some of the best spirits the crisis might come earlier. Anyhow, I among us, nay, which has ministered great- believe, it was meant to strengthen, not to ly to the refinement and purification of enfeeble, the constitutions which underwent English society? I cannot say how I am it. Most perhaps laughed at themselves oppressed by the thought that the most for this experience, as Lord Byron laughed beautiful faculty of our times is employed at himself for having caused it. But now, chiefly in this negative destructive work, in looking back and trying to understand chiefly in showing us what we are not to the nature of the epidemic,-in trying to prize and love. I do not mean that this trace its stages through the books which use of criticism specially belongs to the called it forth, I do perceive profound present generation. We and our fathers lessons of morality and divinity in them have all turned it to that account, our which I have not been able to derive from children are only improving upon the ex- Wordsworth or from Keble. If I were left ample that we set them. The Edinburgh to The Christian Year and The Excursion, reviewers and all the fashion of the day I might fancy that some sacerdotal medidenounced Wordsworth. He proved too cines could heal the consciences of ordinary strong for them. The critics bowed before men, that a mixture of Pantheism with the poet. But the poet's disciples became these potions could make them available for saucy critics. They spoke contemptuously philosophers. Manfred cures me of that of Pope, whom their fathers honoured. delusion. When he a representative of The revenge came. I do not know if the of our age- asks the spirits to give him study of Pope has increased. The study of forgetfulness, and they answer that they

can give him anything but that, he drives | standard of excellence. It gives us no parme back upon Luther. I see that our century needs a divine redemption and reconciliation as much as the sixteenth century needed them, needs them without the limitations which that century supposed to be reasonable and possible. But having grounded myself in my theology by assiduous attendance on the discourses of Mr. Swinburne's favourite preacher, may I not improve my humanity by listening to less terrible instructors? One may be called "feminine," the other "culinary." I can discern much cleverness and some appropriateness in each epithet. But surely the talent of discovering and labelling defects is not the one to be most esteemed in a liberal and comprehensive age. Your obedient servant,

A SEXAGENARIAN.

[Our correspondent surely mistakes in supposing that because a criticism is partly negative in form it is negative in essence. We agree with him in thinking criticism purely negative on any great writer, any truly popular writer, bad. Whatever the defects of the criticism on Keble, we do not hesitate to say that its writer has seldom put more positive conviction into any criticism. — ED. Spectator.]

ticular recipe for dealing with the family next door, who, in spite of the thinness of London walls, persist in practising the flute every evening from nine o'clock to eleven. The Catechism throws no light upon the subject, and seems, when we think of it under such circumstances, to have been written chiefly in order to do good to people who reside in country parts. The code which should regulate the intercourse of neighbours in the country seems comparatively plain. They are pretty sure to know each other, as acquaintances at least, and to have plenty of opportunities of mutual courtesy or mutual backbiting. They go to the same church, to the same county balls, distribute port wine and blankets to the same sick families, and ride after the same pack of hounds. Such being the case, it is as well to know them and to be civil to them; and, if we only act up to the spirit and letter of the Catechism, we shall know how to do it. To dine with each other occasionally, to subscribe to the same book club, to encourage the respective and rival gardeners to exchange the cold courtesy of cuttings, to keep one's fences in good condition, not to quarrel about electioneering or about occupation roads, and, above all, never to abuse each other except in the strictest confidence- - such are some of the wholesome and useful laws that good sense and propriety dictate to country neighbours. The Catechism is again especially valuable for the lower orders, particularly for those who live in the same village, or on the same property. They will always be wanting to borrow each other's kettles or teapots, or THE whole duty of next-door neighbours chairs or tables, and one of the special parts has never perhaps been thoroughly investi- of a parson's business is to preach at them, gated by any moral philosopher. The and to teach them to be willing to lend each Catechism certainly teaches us, at a very other what they want. The whole duty of early age, how we ought to conduct our- a country labourer is well summed up in the selves towards our neighbour in the abstract. formulary in question, which, though capaBut it is understood that the neighbour of ble of application indirectly to the rich, the Catechism only stands for any one who, appears at the first blush to have been from the point of view of a common and written expressly for the poor. Everybody tailless humanity, ought to be regarded, for will go right so long as the poor obey the moral and religious purposes, as a man and policeman, the clergyman, and the squire, a brother. It is our bounden duty to love order themselves lowly and reverently to all our white brothers, washed or unwash- all their betters, keep their hands from ed, and perhaps even black ones, as our-picking and stealing, and their tongues selves, and to be true and just in all our from lying and slandering; especially if sodealings to them. So much may be conceded on all hands, and it is quite right that such an unexceptionable sentiment should be put into the Prayer-book, and taught once a week to every young person who has not been confirmed. But this golden rule, like all golden rules, is an ideal

From The Saturday Review.
NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBOURS.

briety, and an industrious desire to get their living in that station of life to which they are called, are added to the preceding habits of modesty and virtue. Every one, however, will acknowledge that London next-door neighbours are not connected with each other as closely as neighbours in

the above-mentioned cases. The relationment, in the case of the former tie, which of next-door neighbourhood is at best a makes it palatable and endurable. A lease cold, casual, cheerless tie. It implies a com- for years is not like nature. Interest in a mon party-wall, a common gas company, a common chimney and common drainage common tax-gatherer and dust-cart, and a does not give one the capacity for enjoying common entrance to separate stables. It is concerted music through a wall, or appreevident that the code of morals applicable to ciating the various efforts made by the such a state of things is altogether different juvenile members of an unseen family to from the code supplied by the Catechism; and acquire a mastery over polka music and the yet it is important to have some practical scales. Music which is said to soothe savregulations in one's head, the observance of age beasts would be anything but soothing which will lead with certainty to the gen- to a Siamese twin. Perhaps the greatest eral comfort of both parties. If such regu- instance of human misery which the imagilations differ from the golden standard laid nation can conceive would be the spectacle down by the authority of the Church, the of Mr. Babbage united irrevocably to a difference is due to the peculiarity of the Siamese partner who was fond of the concircumstances, not to any deficiency in the certina or the French horn. The evils to golden standard of the Church itself. which Mr. Babbage has not been condemn"Know thyself" is a precept as old as all ed by nature any of us may be condemned philosophy, and one which, in modern to endure by the caprice of fortune. Haptimes as well as ancient, is rightly thought py are the people who on one side or other to be the secret of most worldly happiness. of their domestic hearth, are not subjected To make it perfect for the uses of life in to an equally severe misfortune of the sort, large towns, it ought, as the sage who invent and as it appears to be a law of harmony ed it would probably admit, to be slightly, that musical sounds should get out of tune though only slightly, amplified. The en- during the process of passing through bricks tire and amended maxim would be quite as and mortar, the lot of those who live next easy to remember, and would possibly run door to musical households is not enviable. thus: "Know thyself, but do not know Nor is it easy to say how far human patience thy next-door neighbour." The Catechism ought to be carried. If flutes and the gais quite consistent with this reading. We mut should be endured without a murmur, are told to "love" our neighbour, but we what is the limit of endurance? are nowhere told to make his acquaintance. Scotchmen are supposed, with some reason, Whether we shall do so or not is an open to be fond of bagpipes; and it would seem point as far as religion is concerned, and a naturally hard to a Scotchman living in philanthropic desire for his best welfare, London if he were altogether interdicted, both here and hereafter, is quite compatible both on week days and Sundays, from the with not knowing him in the flesh. All enjoyment of his national melodies. Any experience warns us that acquaintances of us may, therefore, in the course of a are much more lovable at a little distance, long and happy life, be placed in the posiand the mathematical chances in favour of tion of living next door to a bagpipe-loving both liking and knowing a casual next-door Scotchman, and we ought to be prepared neighbour are less than the chances of lik- for the emergency. For a long time moring him without knowing him at all. Si-ality and manners would bid us to try and amese twins would perhaps go through the bear up cheerfully and happily under the world more happily and comfortably if they infliction. We should go on endeavouring never permitted their compulsory connection to carry them beyond a mere bowing acquaintance with each other. And while London houses continue to be built as badly as they are now built, next-door neighbours are in a position not altogether unlike that of Siamese twins. In some respects they are even worse off. Nature, it is said, usually confers upon Siamese twins the same tastes and the same predilections. One brother likes what the other brother likes, and feels what the other brother feels. The union of a common wall is as indissoluble as the bond of flesh and blood; but there is unhappily no providential arrange

All

to love the Scotchman and his Scotch children, even if we could not bring ourselves to love his bagpipes, on the sound though subtle distinction that one may love the sinner, though one detests the sin. Some day or other we should probably in the long run break down, and determine to remonstrate. It is evidently much easier to remonstrate with the neighbour of whom you know nothing, except that he is a Scotchman with a passion for the Highlands and Highland harmony, or a merchant in the Turkey trade who is teaching himself singing for his private pleasure, than to remonstrate with a family one knows, in