Inthecoversofthefirsteditionwereannouncementsofthe\"EarthlyParadise\":thatvastcollectionoftheworld\'soldtalesretold。Onemightalmostconjecturethat\"Jason\"hadoriginallybeenintendedforapartofthe\"EarthlyParadise，\"andhadoutgrownitslimits。Thetoneismuchthesame，thoughthe\"criticismoflife\"islessformallyandexplicitlystated。
ForMr。Morriscameatlasttoa\"criticismoflife。\"ItwouldnothavesatisfiedMr。MatthewArnold，anditdidnotsatisfyMr。
Morris!Theburdenoftheselongnarrativepoemsisvanitasvanitatum:thefleeting，perishable，unsatisfyingnatureofhumanexistence，thedream\"roundedbyasleep。\"Thelessondrawnistomakelifeasfullandasbeautifulasmaybe，bylove，andadventure，andart。ThehideousnessofmodernindustrialismwasoppressingtoMr。Morris；thathideousnesshewasdoinghisbesttorelieveandredeem，bypoetry，andbyallthemanyartsandcraftsinwhichhewasamaster。Hisnarrativepoemsare，indeed，partofhisindustryinthisfield。Hewasnotborntoslaymonsters，hesays，\"theidlesingerofanemptyday。\"Later，hesetaboutslayingmonsters，likeJason，orunlikeJason，scatteringdragon\'steethtoraiseforceswhichhecouldnotlay，andcouldnotdirect。
Ishallgonofurtherintopoliticsoragitation，andIsaythismuchonlytoprovethatMr。Morris\'s\"criticismoflife，\"andprolonged，wistfuldwellingonthethoughtofdeath，ceasedtosatisfyhimself。Hisownlaterpart，asapoetandanallyofSocialism，provedthistobetrue。Itseemstofollowthatthepeculiarlylevel，lifeless，decorativeeffectofhisnarratives，whichremindusratherofglorioustapestriesthanofpictures，wasnolongerwhollysatisfactorytohimself。Thereisplentyofcharmedanddelightfulreading——\"Jason\"andthe\"EarthlyParadise\"
areliteratureforTheCastleofIndolence，butwedomissastrenuousrenderingofactionandpassion。TheseMr。Morrishadrenderedin\"TheDefenceofGuinevere\":nowhegaveussomethingdifferent，somethingbeautiful，butsomethingdeficientindramaticvigour。ApolloniusRhodiusis，nodoubt，muchofapedant，aliterarywriterofepic，inanageofCriticism。Hedealtwiththetaleof\"Jason，\"andconceivablyhemayhaveborrowedfromolderminstrels。ButtheMedeaofApolloniusRhodius，inherlove，hertenderness，herregretforhome，inallhermaidenwordsandways，isundeniablyacharactermoreliving，morehuman，morepassionate，andmoresympathetic，thantheMedeaofMr。Morris。Icouldalmostwishthathehadcloselyfollowedthatclassicaloriginal，thefirsttruelovestoryinliterature。InthesamewayIpreferApollonius\'sspellforsoothingthedragon，asmuchterserandmoresomniferousthanthespellputbyMr。MorrisintothelipsofMedea。ScholarswillfinditpleasanttocomparethesepassagesoftheAlexandrineandoftheLondonpoets。Asabrickoutofthevastpalaceof\"Jason\"wemayselectthesongoftheNereidtoHylas——Mr。MorrisisalwayshappywithhisNymphsandNereids:-