Alltheslopsofthatcourtwentintothedrama，allthe`sentinareipublicae’，thebilgewateroftheshipofstate。
Thedramaticwritersofthetime，tousethewordsofSt。PaulinhislettertotheEphesians，”walkedinthevanityoftheirmind；
havingtheunderstandingdarkened，beingalienatedfromthelifeofGodthroughtheignorancethatwasinthembecauseoftheblindnessoftheirheart；who，beingpastfeeling，gavethemselvesoveruntolasciviousness，toworkalluncleannesswithgreediness。”Theage，asEmersonsays，hadnolive，distinct，actuatingconvictions。Itwasinevenworsethananegativecondition。
Asrepresentedbyitsdramaandpoetry，itmayalmostbesaidtohaverepudiatedthemoralsentiment。Aspiritualdiseaseaffectedtheupperclasses，whichcontinueddownintothereignoftheGeorges。Thereappearstohavebeenbutlittlebeliefintheimpulsewhichtheheartimpartstotheintellect，orthatthelatterdrawsgreatnessfromtheinspirationoftheformer。
TherewasatimeinthehistoryoftheJewsinwhich，itisrecorded，”therewasnoopenvision”。Itcanbesaid，emphatically，thatinthetimeofCharlesII。therewasnoopenvision。
Andyetthatbesotted，thatspirituallydarkage，whichwasafflictedwithpneumatophobia，flattereditselfthattherehadneverbeenanagesofloodedwithlight。ThegreatageofElizabethwhichdesignationIwouldapplytotheperiodoffiftyyearsormore，from1575to1625，orsomewhatlater，inwhichthehumanfaculties，intheirwholerange，bothintellectualandspiritual，reachedsuchadegreeofexpansionastheyhadneverbeforereachedinthehistoryoftheworld，——
thatgreatage，Isay，theageofSpenser，Sidney，Marlowe，Shakespeare，Bacon，Raleigh，Hooker，BenJonson，Beaumont，Fletcher，Chapman，Dekker，Ford，Herbert，Heywood，Massingerandthislistofgreatnamesmightbecontinued，——thatgreatage，Isay，wasregardedbythemenoftheRestorationperiodasbarbarousincomparisonwiththeirown。Butbeneathall，stilllaytherestorativeelementsoftheEnglishcharacter，whichweretoreassertthemselvesandusherinaneweraofliteraryproductiveness，thegreatestsincetheElizabethanage，andembodyingthehighestidealsoflifetowhichtheracehasyetattained。
Wecanaccount，tosomeextent，forthisinterregnumorspirituallife，butonlytosomeextent。ThebrutalheartlessnessandlicentiousnessofthecourtwhichtheexiledCharlesbroughtbackwithhim，andthereleasefromPuritanrestraint，explainpartlythestateofthings，orratherthedegreetowhichthestateofthingswaspushed。
Inthemiddleoftheeighteenthcentury，orsomewhatearlier，theriseofthespiritualtideisdistinctlyobservable。
WeseeareactionsettinginagainstthesoullesspoetrywhichculminatedinAlexanderPope，whose`RapeoftheLock’
isthemasterpieceofthatpoetry。Itis，infact，themostbrilliantsociety-poemintheliterature。DeQuinceypronouncesittobe，thoughsomewhatextravagantly，”themostexquisitemonumentofplayfulfancythatuniversalliteratureoffers。”BishopWarburton，oneofthegreatcriticalauthoritiesoftheage，believedintheinfallibilityofPope，ifnotofTHEPope。
Tonoticebutafewoftheinfluencesatwork：ThomsonsangoftheSeasons，andinvitedattentiontothebeautiesofthenaturalworld，towhichthepreviousgenerationhadbeenblindandindifferent。BishopPercypublishedhis`ReliquesofAncientEnglishPoetry’，thusawakeninganewinterestintheoldballadswhichhadsprungfromtheheartofthepeople，andcontributingmuchtofreepoetryfromtheyokeoftheconventionalandtheartificial，andtoworkarevivalofnaturalunaffectedfeeling。ThomasTyrwhitteditedinascholarlyandappreciativemanner，theCanterburyTalesofChaucer。JamesMcPhersonpublishedwhatheclaimedtobetranslationsfromthepoemsofOssian，thesonofFingal。
Whethergenuineornot，thesepoemsindicatedthetendencyofthetime。
InScotland，theoldballadspirit，whichhadcontinuedtoexistwithavigorbutlittleabatedbytheinfluenceoftheartificial，mechanicalschoolofpoetry，wasgatheredupandintensifiedinthesongsofhim”whowalkedingloryandinjoy，followinghisplow，alongthemountain-side”，andwhoisentitledtoahighrankamongthepoeticalreformersoftheage。
ItisnotsurprisingthatthegreatliterarydictatorinPercy’sday，Dr。SamuelJohnson，shouldtreattheoldballadswithridicule。
Thegoodmanhadbeentrainedinadifferentschoolofpoetry，andcouldnotinhisoldageyieldtothereactionarymovement。
BishopWarburton，whorankednexttoJohnsoninliteraryauthority，hadnothingbutsneeringcontempttobestowuponupontheoldballads，andthisfeelingwassharedbymanyothersintheforemostranksofliteratureandcriticism。Butinthefaceofallopposition，andaidedbytheyearningforliterarylibertythatwasabroad，theoldballadsgrewmoreandmoreintofavor。TheinfluenceofthisfolklorewasnotconfinedtoEngland。Itextendedacrossthesea，andswayedthegeniusofsuchpoetsasBuergerandGoetheandSchiller。
Alongwiththepoeticalrevivalintheeighteenthcentury，camethegreatreligiousrevivalinauguratedbytheWesleysandWhitefield；andofthisrevival，thepoetryofWilliamCowperwasadirectproduct。Butthetworevivalswereco-radical，——
onewasnotderivedfromtheother。Thelong-suppressedspiritualelementsofthenationbegantoreassertthemselvesinreligionandinpoetry。TheChurchhadbeenassoundasleepastheMuses。
CowperbelongstotheWhitefieldsideofthereligiousrevival，theEvangelicals，astheywerecalledthosethatremainedwithintheEstablishment。Inhispoementitled`Hope’，hevindicatesthememoryofWhitefieldunderthenameLeuconomus，atranslationintoGreek，ofWhitefield。ItwashisconversiontoEvangelicismwhichgavehimhisinspirationandhisthemes。`TheTask’hasbeenasjustlycalledthepoemofMethodismasthe`ParadiseLost’
hasbeencalledtheepicofPuritanism。InitwearepresentedwithanumberofpicturesoftheutterlyfossilizedconditionoftheclergyofthedayintheEstablishedChurchseeespeciallybookII。，vv。326-832，inwhichhesatirizestheclergyandtheuniversities。
CowperhasbeentrulycharacterizedbyProfessorGoldwinSmith，as”theapostleoffeelingtoahardage，toanartificialage，theapostleofnature。Heopenedbeneaththearidsurfaceofapolishedbutsoullesssociety，afountainofsentimentwhichhadlongceasedtoflow。”
Thegreatestthingsinthisworldareoftendonebythosewhodonotknowtheyaredoingthem。ThisisespeciallytrueofWilliamCowper。Hewaswhollyunawareofthegreatmissionhewasfulfilling；hiscontemporarieswerewhollyunawareofit。
Andsotemporalaretheworld’sstandards，inthebestoftimes，thatspiritualregeneratorsarenotgenerallyrecognizeduntillongaftertheyhavepassedaway，whentheresultsofwhattheydidarefullyripe，andphilosophersbegintotracetheoriginalimpulses。”Onlyreapers，reapingearlyInamongthebeardedbarley，HearasongthatechoescheerlyFromtheriverwindingclearlyDowntotoweredCamelot：
Andbythemoonthereaperweary，Pilingsheavesinuplandsairy，Listening，whispers，’TisthefairyLadyofShalott。”
JohnBurroughs，inhisinspiringessayonWaltWhitmanentitled`TheFlightoftheEagle’，quotesthefollowingsentencefromalectureonBurns，deliveredby”alecturerfromoverseas”，whomhedoesnotname：”Whenliteraturebecomesdozy，respectable，andgoesinthesmoothgroovesoffashion，andcopiesandcopiesagain，somethingmustbedone；andtogivelifetothatdyingliterature，amanmustbefoundnoteducatedunderitsinfluence。”
SuchamanIwouldsaywasWilliamCowper，who，inhisweakness，was”Strongtosanctifythepoet’shighvocation”，andwho”Testifiedthissolemntruth，whilephrenzydesolated，——
NormannorangelsatisfieswhomonlyGodcreated。”
JohnKeats，inhispoementitled`SleepandPoetry’，haswellcharacterizedthesoullesspoetryoftheperiodbetweentheRestorationandthepoeticalrevivalinthelatterpartoftheeighteenthcentury，butmoreespeciallyofthePopianperiod。
AfterspeakingofthegreatnessofhisfavoritepoetsoftheElizabethanperiod，hecontinues：——”Couldallthisbeforgotten?Yes，aschismNurturedbyfopperyandbarbarism，MadegreatApolloblushforthishisland。
MenwerethoughtwisewhocouldnotunderstandHisglories：withapulinginfant’sforceTheysway’daboutuponarocking-horse，AndthoughtitPegasus。”
Alludingtotherocking-horsemovementofthePopianverse。”Ahdismalsoul’d！