allpoliticalwriting，withVoltaireandWebster。
NearthatsamefieldmustliemanyofthoseessaysincriticismofwhichProfessorDowdenspeaks。Thiswhichweomit，thisliteratureofknowledge，ispowerfulliterature，thoughitsmainpurposeisnottomove，buttoteach。
Weareonlyreducingourfieldsothatwecansurveyit。Forourusesjustnowweshallfindpureliteraturetakingthethreestandardforms:thepoem，theessay，andthestory。ItistheinfluenceoftheEnglishBibleonthislargefieldofliteraturewhichwearetoobserve。
Justforsafety\'ssake，acceptanothernarrowingofthefield。TheeffectoftheBibleanditsreligiousteaching，onthewriterhimselfisaseparatestudy，andisforthemostpartleftoutofconsideration。ItsoundscorrectwhenMiltonsays:\"HewhowouldnotbefrustrateofhisPowertowritewelloughthimselftobeatruepoem。\"ButthereisMiltonhimselftodealwith；irreproachableinmorals，thereareyettheunhappyyearsofhisyoungwifetotroubleus，andtherewerehisdaughters，whowerenotatpeacewithhim，andwhomaftertheirserviceinhisblindnessheyetstigmatizesinhiswillas\"undutifulchildren。\"Then，ifyouthinkofShelleyorByron，youaretroubledbytheirlives；orevenCarlyle，theverymasteroftheVictorianera——onewouldnotliketoscanhislifeaccordingtothelawsoftruepoetry。
ThenthereisColeridge，fallingapreytoopiumuntil，asyearscame，conscienceandwillseemedtogo。OnlyaveryardentScotwillfeelthathecandefendRobertBurnsatallpoints，andwewouldbestrangeAmericansifwefeltthatEdgarAllenPoewasamodelofpropriety。Thatisalargeandinterestingfield，buttheBibleseemseventogainpowerasabook-makingbookwhenitlaysholdonthebook-makingproclivitiesofmenwhoarenotpreparedtoyieldtoitspersonalpower。Theymaygetawayfromitasreligion；theydonotgetawayfromitasliterature。
ThefirstandmostnotablefactregardingtheinfluenceoftheBibleonEnglishliteratureistheremarkableextentofthatinfluence。Itisliterallyeverywhere。IfeveryBibleinanyconsiderablecityweredestroyed，theBookcouldberestoredinallitsessentialpartsfromthequotationsontheshelvesofthecitypubliclibrary。Thereareworks，coveringalmostallthegreatliterarywriters，devotedespeciallytoshowinghowmuchtheBiblehasinfluencedthem。
TheliteraryeffectoftheKingJamesversionatfirstwaslessthanitssocialeffect；butinthatveryfactliesastrikingliteraryinfluence。
ForalongtimeitformedvirtuallythewholeliteraturewhichwasreadilyaccessibletoordinaryEnglishmen。Wegetourphrasesfromathousandbooks。Thecommontalkofanintelligentmanshowstheeffectofmanyauthorsuponhisthinking。Ourfathersgottheirphrasesfromonegreatbook。Theirwritingandtheirspeakingshowtheeffectofthatbook。
Itisastudybyitself，andyetitistruethatworldliteratureis，asProfessorMoultonputsit，theautobiographyofcivilization。\"Anationalliteratureisareflectionofthenationalhistory。\"
Booksasbooksreflecttheirauthors。Asliteraturetheyreflectthepublicopinionwhichgivesthemindorsement。When，therefore，publicopinion:keepsaliveacertaingroupofbooks，thereistestimonynotsimplytothosebooks，buttothepublicopinionwhichhaspreservedthem。Thehistoryofpopularestimatesofliteratureisitselfmostinteresting。Ontheotherhand，somewritershavebeenamusinglyoverestimated。
NodoubtEdwardFitzgerald，whogaveusthe\"RubaiyatofOmarKhayyam\"didsomeotherdesirablework；butProfessorMoultonquotesthisparagraphfromapopularlifeofFitzgerald，publishedinDublin:\"NotGreeceofoldinherpalmiestdays——theGreeceofHomerandDemosthenes，ofEschylus，Euripides，andSophocles，ofPericles，Leonidas，andAlcibiades，ofSocrates，Plato，andAristotle，ofSolonandLycurgus，ofApellesandPraxiteles——noteventhisGreece，prolificasshewasinsagesandheroes，canboastsuchalengthybead-rollasIrelandcanofnamesimmortalinhistory!\"
But\"thiswasforIrishconsumption。\"Andpopularopinionandevencriticalopinionhassometimesgonefarastrayinitsdestructivetendency。TherewereauthoritativecriticswhodeclaredthatWordsworth，Shelley，andColeridgewrote\"unintelligiblenonsense。\"GeorgeMeredith\'sstyle，especiallyinhispoetry，wascountedsobadthatit——wasnotworthreading。
WeareallnearenoughtheBrowningepochtorecallhowtheobscurityofhisstyleimpressedsomeandoppressedothers。AlfredAustin，in1869，saidthat\"Mr。Tennysonhasnosoundpretensionstobecalledagreatpoet。\"
Contemporarypublicopinionisseldomafinalgaugeofstrengthforapieceofliterature。Ittakesthetestoftime。Howmanybookswehaveseencomeonthestageandthenpassoffagain!Yetthebooksthathavestayedonthestagehavebeenkepttherebypublicopinionexpressingitselfinthelongrun。ThesocialinfluenceoftheKingJamesversion，creatingapublictasteforcertaintypesofliterature，tendedtoproducethematonce。
EnglishliteratureinthesethreehundredyearshasfoundintheBiblethreeinfluentialelements:style，language，andmaterial。
First，thestyleoftheKingJamesversionhasinfluencedEnglishliteraturemarkedly。ProfessorGardineropensoneofhisessayswiththedictumthat\"inallstudyofEnglishliterature，iftherebeanyoneaxiomwhichmaybeacceptedwithoutquestion，itisthattheultimatestandardofEnglishprosestyleissetbytheKingJamesversionoftheBible。\"[1]Youalmostmeasurethestrengthofwritingbyitsagreementwiththepredominanttraitsofthisversion。
Carlyle\'sweakestworksarethosethatlosethehonestsimplicityofitsstyleinaforcedturgidityandaffectedroughness。HisHeroesandHeroWorshiporhisFrenchRevolutionshowshisdistinctivestyle，andyetshowstheinfluenceofthissimplerstyle，whilehisFredericktheGreatisalmostimpossiblebecausehehasgivenfullplaytohisbrokenanddisconnectedsentences。Ontheotherhand，Macaulayfailsusmostinhisstrivingforeffect，makingnicebalanceofsentences，straininghis\"either-or，\"
orhis\"while-one-was-doing-this-the-other-was-
doing-that。\"Thenhissentencesgrowinvolved，andhisparagraphslengthen，andheswingsawayfromthestyleoftheKingJamesversion。
\"OnecansaythatifanywritingdepartsveryfarfromthecharacteristicsoftheEnglishBibleitisnotgoodEnglishwriting。\"
[1]AtlanticMonthly，May，1900，p。684。
ThesecondelementwhichEnglishliteraturefindsintheBibleisitsLANGUAGE。ThewordsoftheBiblearethefamiliaronesoftheEnglishtongue，andhavebeenkeptfamiliarbytheuseoftheBible。Theresultisthat\"thepathofliteratureliesparalleltothatofreligion。Theyareoldanddearcompanions，brethrenindeedofoneblood；notalwaysagreeing，tobesure；
squabblingratherintruebrotherlyfashionnowandthen；occasionallyfallingoutveryseriouslyandbitterly；butstillinterdependentandnecessarytoeachother。\"[1]YearsagoawriterremarkedthateverystudentofEnglishliterature，orofEnglishspeech，findsthreeworksorsubjectsreferredto，orquotedfrom，morefrequentlythanothers。ThesearetheBible，talesofGreekandRomanmythology，andAesop\'sFables。Ofthesethree，certainlytheBiblefurnishesthelargestnumberofreferences。Thereisreasonforthat。Awriterwantsanaudience。Veryfewmencanclaimtobeindependentofthepublicforwhichtheywrite。ThereisnothingthepublicwillbemoreapttounderstandandappreciatequicklythanapassingreferencetotheEnglishBible。SoitcomesaboutthatwhenDickensisdescribingtheinjusticeoftheMurdstonestolittleDavidCopperfield，hecanputthewholematterbeforeusinaparenthesis:
\"ThoughtherewasOneoncewhosetachildinthemidstofthedisciples。\"Dickensknewthathisreaderswouldatoncecatchthemeaningofthatreference，andwouldfeelthecontrastbetweenthescenehewasdescribingandthatsimplescene。TakeanyofthegreatbooksofliteratureandblackoutthephraseswhichmanifestlycomedirectlyfromtheEnglishBible，andyouwouldmarkthembeyondrecovery。
[1]Chapman，EnglishLiteratureinAccountwithReligion。
ButEnglishliteraturehasfoundmoreofitsmaterialintheBiblethananythingelse。Ithaslookedthereforitscharacters，itsillustrations，itssubject-matter。Weshallsee，asweconsiderindividualwriters，howmanyoftheirtitlesandcompleteworksaresuggestedbytheBible。
ItisinterestingtoseehowoneideaoftheScripturewillappearandreappearamongmanywriters。Takeoneillustration。TheFauststoryisanefforttomakeconcreteoneverseofScripture:
\"Whatshallitprofitamanifheshallgainthewholeworldandlosehisownsoul?\"
ProfessorMoultonremindsusthattheFaustlegendappearedfirstintheMiddleAges。InearlyEnglish，Marlowehasit，CalderonputitintoSpanish，themostfamiliarformofitisGoethe\'s，whilePhilipBaileyhascalledhisaccountofitFestus。Ineachofthoseformsthesameideaoccurs。Amansellshissoultothedevilforthegainingofwhatistohimtheworld。ThatisoneofagoodmanyideaswhichtheBiblehasgiventoliterature。Theprodigalsonhasbeenanotherprolificsourceofliterarywriting。Theguidingstarisanother。Otherswillreadilycometomind。
Withthatsimplebackgroundletourmindsmovedownthecourseofliteraryhistory。Style，language，material——wewilleasilythinkhowmuchofeachtheBiblehasgiventoallourgreatwritersiftheirnamesareonlymentioned。Therearefourgroupsofthesewriters。
1。TheJacobean，whowrotewhenandjustafterourversionwasmade。
2。TheGeorgian，whogracedthereignsofthekingswhosenametheperiodbears。
3。TheVictorian。
4。TheAmerican。
Thereisanattractivefifthgroupcomprisingourpresent-dayworkersintherealmofpureliterature，butwemustomitthemandgiveourattentiontonamesthatarestarred。
ItisfamiliarthatinthetimeofElizabeth，\"Englandbecameanestofsingingbirds。\"InthefiftyyearsafterthefirstEnglishtheaterwaserected，themiddleofElizabeth\'sreign，fiftydramaticpoetsappeared，manyofthefirstorder。Someweredistinctlyirreligious，asweremanyofthepeoplewhoselivestheytouched。
SuchmenasFord，Marlowe，Massinger，Webster，Beaumont，andFletcherstandlikeachorusaroundShakespeareandBenJonsonasleaders。
AsTaineputsit:\"Theysingthesamepiecetogether，andattimesthechorusisequaltothesolo；butonlyattimes。\"[1]Culturedpeopleto-dayknowthenamesofmostofthesewriters，butnotmuchelse，anditdoesnotheavilyserveourargumenttosaythattheyfeltthePuritaninfluence；buttheyalldidfeeliteitherdirectlyorbyreaction。
[1]HistoryofEnglishLiterature，chap。iii。
EdmundSpenserandhisfriend，SirPhilipSidney，hadclosedtheirworkbeforetheKingJamesversionappeared，yettheFaerieQueeneinitsreligioustheoryisPuritantothecore，andSidneyisbestrememberedbyhisparaphrasesofScripture。TheinfluenceofbothwasevengreaterintheJacobeanthanintheirownperiod。
ItishardlyfaireventonotetheElizabethanShakespeareasundertheinfluenceoftheKingJamesversion。TheBibleinfluencedhimmarkedly，butitwastheGenevanversionpreparedduringtheexileofthescholarsunderBloodyMary，ortheBishops\'BiblepreparedunderElizabeth。Thoseversionswerefamiliarashouseholdfactstohim。\"NowriterhasassimilatedthethoughtsandreproducedthewordsofHolyScripturemorecopiouslythanShakespeare。\"Dr。Furnivallsaysthat\"heissaturatedwiththeBiblestory，\"andacenturyagoCapelLloftsaidquaintlythatShakespeare\"haddeeplyimbibedtheScriptures。\"ButtheKingJamesversionappearedonlyfiveyearsbeforehisdeath，anditisinsomesensefairertosaythatShakespeareandtheKingJamesversionareformedbythesameinfluenceastotheirEnglishstyle。TheBishopofSt。
AndrewsevendevotesthefirstpartofhisbookonShakespeareandtheBibletoastudyofparallelsbetweenthetwoinpeculiarformsofspeech，andthinksit\"probablethatourtranslatorsof1611owedasmuchtoShakespeareas，orratherfarmorethan，heowedtothem。\"[1]
Itisgenerallyagreedthatonlytwoofhisworkswerewrittenafterourversionappeared。SeveralotherwritershavedevotedseparatevolumestonotingthefrequentusebyShakespeareofBiblicalphrasesandallusionsandcharacterstakenfromearlyversions。Itisaverytemptingfield，andwepassitbyonlybecauseitishardlyintherangeofthestudywearenowmaking。
[1]Wordsworth，Shakespeare\'sKnowledgeandUseoftheBible，p。
9。
When，however，wecometoJohnMilton1608-1674，werememberhewasonlythreeyearsoldwhenourversionwasissued；thatwhenatfifteen，anundergraduateinCambridge，hemadehisfirstparaphrases，castingtwoofthePsalmsintometer，theversionheusedwasthisfamiliarone。AbiographersayshebeganthedayalwayswiththereadingofScriptureandkepthismemorydeeplychargedwithitsphrases。
InlaterlifethemorningchapterwasgenerallyfromtheHebrew，andwasfollowedbyanhourofsilenceformeditation，anexercisewhoseinfluencenoman\'sstylecouldescape。AsawriterhemovedsteadilytowardtheScriptureandthereligiousteachingwhichitbroughthisage。Hisearlierwritingisagroupofpoemslargelysecular，whichyetshowinphrasesandexpressionsmuchoftheinfluenceofhisboyhoodstudyoftheBible，aswellasthefamiliaruseofmythology。Thememorialpoem\"Lycidas，\"
forexample，containsthemuch-quotedreferencetoPeterandhistwokeys——
\"LastcameandlastdidgoThepilotoftheGalileanlake；
Twomassykeysheboreofmetalstwain，Thegoldenopes，theironshutsamain。\"
Butafterthesepoemscametheperiodofhisprose，theworkwhichhesupposedwastheabidingworkofhislife。GeorgeWilliamCurtistoldafriendthatourcivilwarchangedhisownliterarystyle:\"ThatrousedmetoseethatI
hadnorighttospendmylifeinliteraryleisure。
IfeltthatImustthrowmyselfintothestruggleforfreedomandtheUnion。Ibegantolectureandtowrite。Thestyletookcareofitself。
ButIfancyitismoresolidthanitwasthirtyyearsago。\"ThatiswhathappenedtoMiltonwhentheprotectoratecame。[1]Itmadehisstylemoresolid。Hedidnotmeantoliveasapoet。
Hefeltthathisbestenergieswerebeingputintohisessaysindefenseofliberty，onthefreedomofthepressandonthejusticeofthebeheadingofCharles，inwhichservicehesacrificedhissight。AllofitisshotthroughwithScripturequotationsandarguments，andsomeofit，atleast，isintheveryspiritofScripture。Thepleaforlargerfreedomofdivorceissuedplainlyfromhisownbitterexperience；buthismainargumentrootsinafewBibletextstakenoutoftheirconnectionandurgedwithnoshadowofquestionoftheirauthority。Indeed，whenhecomestohismorereligiousessays，hisheavyargumentisthatthereshouldbenoreligionpermittedinEnglandwhichisnotdrawndirectlyfromtheBible；which，therefore，heurgesmustbecommonpropertyforallthepeople。
Thereisacuriousbitofevidencethatthemenofhisowntimedidnotrealizehispowerasapoet。InPierreBayle\'scriticalsurveyoftheliteratureofthetime，hecallsMilton\"thefamousapologistfortheexecutionofCharlesI。，\"who\"meddledinpoetryandseveralofwhosepoemssawthelightduringhislifeorafterhisdeath!\"Forallthat，Miltonwasonlyworkingontowardhisrealpower，andhispowerwastobeshowninhisservicetoreligion。Histhreegreatpoems，intheorderoftheirvalue，are，ofcourse，\"ParadiseLost，\"\"SamsonAgonistes，\"
and\"ParadiseRegained。\"WhoeverknowsanythingofMiltonknowsthesethreeandknowstheyareScripturalfromfirsttolastinphrase，inallusion，and，inpartatleast，inidea。Thereisnottimeforextendedillustration。Oneinstancemaystandforall，whichshallillustratehowMilton\'smindwaslikeagardenwheretheseedsofScripturecametoflowerandfruit。HewilltakeonephrasefromtheBibleandletitgrowtoapagein\"ParadiseLost。\"Hereisanillustrationwhichcomesreadilytohand。IntheGenesisitissaidthat\"thespiritofGodmovedonthefaceofthewaters。\"Theverbsuggeststheideaofbrooding。ThereisonlyoneotherpossiblereferencePsalmxxiv:9。
whichisincludedinthisstatementwhichMiltonmakesoutofthatbriefwordintheGenesis:
\"OnthewaterycalmHisbroadeningwingstheSpiritofGodoutspread，Andvitalvirtueinfused，andvitalwarmthThroughoutthefluidmass，butdownwardpurgedTheblacktartareouscoldinfernaldregs，Adversetolife；thenformed，thencon-globed，Likethingstolike；theresttoseveralplaceDisparted，andbetweenspunouttheair——
Andearthself-balancedonhercenterswung。\"
[1]Strong，TheTheologyofthePoets。
AnyonefamiliarwithMiltonwillrecognizethatasatypicalinstanceofthewayinwhichaseedideafromtheScripturecomestoflowerandfruitinhim。TheresultisthatmorepeoplehavetheirideasaboutheavenandhellfromMiltonthanfromtheBible，thoughtheydonotknowit。
ItseemshardlyfairtouseJohnBunyan1628-1688asanillustrationoftheinfluenceoftheEnglishBibleonliterature，becausehischiefworkiscomposedsolargelyinthelanguageofScripture。Pilgrim\'sProgressisthemostwidelyreadbookintheEnglishlanguageaftertheBible。Itsphrases，itsnames，itsmatterareeitherdirectlyorindirectlytakenfromtheBible。Ithasgivenusalonglistofphraseswhicharepartofourliteraryandreligiouscapital。Thackeraytookthemottoofoneofhisbest-knownbooksfromtheBible；butthetitle，VanityFair，comesfromPilgrim\'sProgress。
Whenadiscouragedmansaysheis\"inthesloughofdespond，\"hequotesBunyan；andwhenapopularevangelisttellsthepeoplethattheburdenofsinwillrollawayiftheylookatthecross，\"accordingtotheBible，\"heoughttosayaccordingtoBunyan。ButallthiswasonlytheoutcomeofthefamiliarityofBunyanwiththeScripture。Itwasalmostallhedidknowinaliteraryway。Macaulaysaysthat\"heknewnolanguagebuttheEnglishasitwasspokenbythecommonpeople；hehadstudiednogreatmodelofcomposition，withtheexceptionofournobletranslationoftheBible。
Butofthathisknowledgewassuchthathemighthavebeencalledalivingconcordance。\"[1]
[1]HistoryofEngland，vol。III。，p。220。
Afterthesethree——Shakespeare，Milton，andBunyan——thereappearedanotherthree，verymuchtheirinferiorsandhavingmuchlessinfluenceonliteraryhistory。ImeanDryden，Addison，andPope。ItisnotnecessarytocredittheScripturewithmuchofDryden\'sspirit，norwithmuchofhisstyle，andcertainlynotwithhisattitudetowardhisfellows；butitisaconstantsurpriseinreadingDrydentodiscoverhowfamiliarhewaswiththeKingJamesversion。
WalterScottinsiststhatDrydenwasatheartserious，that\"hisindelicacywasliketheforcedimpudenceofabashfulman。\"Thatisgenerousjudgment。Butthereisthistobesaid:ashegrowsmoreserioushefallsmoreintoBiblewords。Ifhewritesapoliticalpamphlethecallsit\"AbsalomandAhithophel。\"
InitheholdsthemenofthedayuptoscornunderBiblenames。TheyareZimriandShimei，andthelike。Whenheisfallingintobitterestsatire，hiswritingaboundsintheseBiblicalallusionswhichcouldbemadeonlybyonewhowasveryfamiliarwiththeBook。Quotationscannotbeabundant，ofcourse，butthereisagreatdealofthissortofthing:
\"Sinking，helefthisdruggetrobebehind，Borneupwardbyasubterraneanwind，Themantlefelltotheyoungprophet\'spart，Withdoubleportionofhisfather\'sart。\"
InhisEpistlesthereismuchofthesamesort。
WhenhewritestoCongrevehespeaksofthefathers，andsays:
\"Their\'swasthegiantracebeforetheflood。\"
Fartheronhesays:
\"Ourbuilderswerewithwantofgeniuscurst，Thesecondtemplewasnotlikethefirst。\"
NowDrydenmayhavebeen，asMacaulaysaid，an\"illustriousrenegade，\"butallhiswritingshowstheinfluenceofthelanguageandtheideasoftheKingJamesversion。Wheneverwesingthe\"VeniCreator\"wesingJohnDryden。
SowesingAddisonintheparaphraseofScripture，whichHaydn\'smusichasmadefamiliar:
\"Thespaciousfirmamentonhigh，Withalltheblueetherealsky。\"
WhileDrydenyieldedtohistimes，Addisondidnot，andtheSpectatorbecamenotonlyaliterarybutamoralpower。Intheefforttomakeitsohewasthrownbackonthelargestmoralinfluenceoftheday，theBible，andthroughouttheSpectatorandthroughallofAddison\'swritingyoufindonallproperoccasionstheBiblepressedtothefront。HereagainTaineputsitstrikingly:\"Itisnosmallthingtomakemoralityfashionable；Addisondidit，anditremainsfashionable。\"
Ifwespeakofsinging，wemayrememberthatwesingthehymnofevenpoorlittledwarfedinvalidAlexanderPope。HewasborntheyearBunyandied，bornatcross-purposeswiththeworld。Hecouldwriteabittersatire，likethe\"Dunciad\"；hecouldgivetheworldTheIliadandTheOdysseyinsuchEnglishthatweknowthemfarbetterthanintheGreekofHomer；
butinthoseraremomentswhenhewasathisbetterselfhewouldwritehisgreaterpoem，\"TheMessiah\"，inwhichthemovementofScriptureisoutlinedasitcouldbeonlybyonewhoknewtheEnglishBible。Andwhenwesing——
\"Rise，crownedwithlight，imperialSalem，rise\"——
itisworthwhiletorealizethatthevoicethatfirstsungitwasthatoftheirritablelittlepoetwhofoundsomeofhisscantcomfortinthegrandwordsandphrasesandideasofourEnglishBible。
Withthesesix——Shakespeare，Milton，Bunyan，Dryden，Addison，andPope——thecourseoftheJacobeanliteratureissufficientlymeasured。
Therearemanylessernames，butthesearetheoneswhichmadeitanepochinliterature，andtheseareattheirbestunderthepoweroftheBible。
IntheGeorgiangroupweneedtocallonlyfivegreatnameswhichhavehadcreativeinfluenceinliterature。Ordinarycultureinliteraturewillincludesomeacquaintancewitheachofthem。IntheorderoftheirdeaththeyareShelley1829。，Byron1824，Coleridge1831，WalterScott1832，andWordsworth1850。
Thelastlongoutlivedtheothers；buthebelongswiththem，becausehewasbornearlierthananyotherinthegroupanddidhischiefworkintheirtimeandbeforethelatergroupappeared。ExceptWordsworth，alltheseweregonebeforeQueenVictoriacametothethronein1837。Threeothernamescouldbecalled:
Keats，RobertBurns，andCharlesLamb。Allwouldillustratewhatwearestudying。KeatsleastofallandBurnsmost。TheyareomittedherenotbecausetheydidnotfeeltheinfluenceoftheEnglishBible，notbecausetheydonotconstantlyshowitsinfluence，butbecausetheyarenotsocreativeastheothers；theyhavenotsoinfluencedthecurrentofliterature。Atanyrate，thefivenamedwillrepresentworthilyandwithsufficientcompletenesstheGeorgianperiodofEnglishliterature。
NothingcouldrevealmoreclearlythanthislisthowwearedistinguishingtheBibleasliteraturefromtheBibleasanauthoritativebookinmorals。OnewouldmuchdisliketocredittheBiblewithanypartofthepersonallifeofShelleyorByron。Theywerefriends；they，weregeniuses；buttheywerebothbadlyafflictedwithcommonmoralleprosy。Itisplayingwithmoralstoexcuseeitherofthembecausehewasagenius。Nothinginthegeniusofeitherdemandedorwasservedbythecourseofcheapimmoralitywhichbothpractised。ItwasnotbecauseShelleywasageniusthathemarriedHarrietWestbrook，thenranawaywithMaryGodwin，thentriedtogetthetwotobecomefriendsandneighborsuntilhisownwifecommittedsuicide；itwasnothisgeniusthatmadehimyieldtotheinfluenceofEmiliaVivianiandwriteherthepoem\"Epipsychidion，\"tellingherandtheworldthathe\"wasneverattachedtothatgreatsectwhobelievedthateachoneshouldselectoutofthecrowdamistressorafriend\"andlettherestgo。Thatwasnotgenius，thatwasjustcommonpassion；andourdivorcecourtsarefullofShelleysofthattype。
SoByron\'spersonalimmoralityisnottobeexplainednorexcusedonthegroundofhisgenius。ItwasnotgeniusthatledhimsoastrayinEnglandthathiswifehadtodivorcehim，andthatpublicopiniondrovehimoutoftheland。ItwasnothisgeniusthatsenthimtovisitShelleyandhismistressatLakeGenevaandseducetheirguest，sothatsheborehimadaughter，thoughshewasneverhiswife。ItwasnotgeniusthatmadehimpickupstillanothercompanionoutofseveralinItalyandlivewithherinimmoralrelation。InthenameofcommondecencyletnoonestandupforShelleyandByronintheirpersonalcharacters!Therearenottwomorallaws，oneforgeniusesandoneforcommonpeople。Byron，atanyrate，wasneverdeceivedabouthimself，neverblamedhisgeniusnorhisconscienceforhiswrong。Thesearestrikinglinesin\"ChildeHarold，\"inwhichhedisclaimsallrighttosympathy，because，\"ThethornswhichIhavereapedareofthetreeIplanted，——theyhavetornmeandIbleed。
Ishouldhaveknownwhatfruitwouldspringfromsuchatree。\"
Shelley\'swifewouldnotsaythatforhim。
\"InallShelleydid，\"shesays，\"heatthetimeofdoingitbelievedhimselfjustifiedtohisownconscience。\"Well，somuchtheworseforShelley!Geniusesarenottheonlymenwhocanfindgoodreasonfordoingwhattheywanttodo。OneofShelley\'scriticssuggeststhatthetroublewashisintroductionintopersonalconductoftheimaginationwhichheoughttohavesavedforhiswriting。PerhapswemightexplainByron\'smisconductbyremindingourselvesofhisclub-foot，andapplyingonecodeofmoralstomenwithclub-feetandanothertomenwithnormalfeet。
IfwespeakoftheinfluenceoftheBibleonthesemen，itmustbeontheirliterarywork；
andwhenwefinditthere，itbecomespeculiarmarkofitspower。Theyhadlittlesenseofitasmorallaw。Theirconsciencesapproveditandcondemnedthemselves，orelsetheirdelicateliterarytastesenseditasabookofpower。
ThisisnotablytrueofShelley。WhenhewasstillastudentinOxfordhecommittedhimselftotheopinionofanotherwriter，that\"themindcannotbelieveintheexistenceofGod。\"Hetriestoworkthatoutfullyinhisnoteson\"QueenMab。\"Whenhewashardlyyetofagehehimselfwrotethat\"ThegeniusofhumanhappinessmustteareveryleaffromtheaccursedBookofGod，eremancanreadtheinscriptiononitsheart。\"HeoncesaidthathishighestdesirewasthatthereshouldbeamonumenttohimselfsomewhereintheAlpswhichshouldbeonlyagreatstonewithitsfacesmoothedandthisshortinscriptioncutinit，\"PercyByssheShelley，Atheist。\"
ItwouldseemthatwhateverShelleydrewofstrengthorinspirationfromtheBiblewouldbebywayofreaction；butitisnotso。Howeverhemayhavehatedthe\"accursedBookofGod，\"
hiswifetellsinhernoteon\"TheRevoltofIslam\"
thatShelley\"debatedwhetherheshoulddevotehimselftopoetryormetaphysics，\"and，resolvingontheformer，he\"educatedhimselfforit，engaginghimselfinthestudyofthepoetsofGreece，England，andItaly。Tothese，maybeadded，\"shegoeson，\"aconstantperusalofportionsoftheOldTestament，theBookofPsalms，Job，Isaiah，andothers，thesublimepoetryofwhichfilledhimwithdelight。\"Notonlydidhecatchthespiritofthatpoetry，butitsphraseshauntedhismemory。Inhisbestprosework，whichhecalledADefenseofPoetry，thereisaninterestingrevelationoftheinfluenceofhisBiblereadinguponhim。Towardtheendoftheessaythesetwosentencesoccur:\"Itisinconsistentwiththisdivisionofoursubjecttocitelivingpoets，butposterityhasdoneamplejusticetothegreatnamesnowreferredto。Theirerrorshavebeenweighedandfoundtohavebeendustinthebalance；iftheirsinsareasscarlet，theyarenowwhiteassnow；theyhavebeenwashedinthebloodofthemediatorandredeemer，Time。\"Thereisnomoreeloquentpassageintheessaythantheoneofwhichthisispart，andyetitisfullofallusiontothisBookfromwhichallpagesmustbetorn!Evenin\"QueenMab\"hemakesAhasuerus，thewanderingJew，recounttheBiblestoryinsuchbroadoutlinesascouldbegivenonlybyamanwhowasfamiliarwithit。WhenShelleywasinItalyandthewordcametohimofthemassacreatManchester，hewrotehis\"MasqueofAnarchy。\"
Therearefewmoremelodiouslinesofhiswritingthanthosewhichoccurinthislongpoeminthesectionregardingfreedom。Fourofthoselinesareoftenquoted。TheyareattheveryheartofShelley\'sbestwork。Addressingfreedom，hesays:
\"Thouartlove:therichhavekissedThyfeet，and，likehimfollowingChrist，Gavetheirsubstancetothefree，Andthroughtheroughworldfollowthee。\"
PageafterpageofShelleyrevealsthesehalf-
consciousreferencestotheBible。Thereweretwosourcesfromwhichhereceivedhispassionatedemocracy。OnewasthetreatmenthereceivedatEton，andlateratOxford；theotherishisfrequentreadingoftheEnglishBible，eventhoughhewasinthespiritofrebellionagainstmuchofitsteaching。InBrowning\'sessayonShelley，hereachestheamazingconclusionthat\"hadShelleylived，hewouldfinallyhaverangedhimselfwiththeChristians，\"andseekstojustifyitbyshowingthathewasmovingstraighttowardthepositionsofPaulandofDavid。Someofusmaynotseesuchrapidapproach，butthatShelleyfeltthedrawingofGodintheuniverseisplainenough。
TheinfluenceoftheBibleisstillmoremarkedonByron。HespenthischildhoodyearsatAberdeen。TherehisnursetrainedhimintheBible；and，thoughhedidnotlivebyit，heneverlosthisloveforit，norhisknowledgeofit。Hetellsofhisownexperienceinthisway:
\"Iamagreatreaderofthosebooks[theBible]，andhadreadthemthroughandthroughbeforeIwaseightyearsold；thatistosay，theOldTestament，fortheNewstruckmeasatask，buttheotherasapleasure。\"[1]OneoftheearliestbitsofhisworkisaparaphraseofoneofthePsalms。Hisphysicalinfirmityputhimatoddswiththeworld，whilehisstrikingbeautydrewtohimacrowdofadmirerswhohelpedtopoisoneveryspringofhisgenius。Evenso，heheldhislovefortheBible。WhileShelleyoftenspokeofitincontempt，whilehepridedhimselfonhisdivergencefromthepathofitsteaching，Byronneverdid。Hewanderedfar，buthealwaysknewit；and，thoughhecouldhardlyfindtermstoexpresshiscontemptfortheChurch，thereisnolineofByron\'swritingwhichisaslurattheBible。Ontheotherhand，muchofhisworkrevealsapassionforthebeautyofitaswellasitstruth。HismostmelodiouswritingisinthatgroupofHebrewmelodieswhichwerewrittentobesung。TheydemandfarmorethanapassingknowledgeoftheBiblebothfortheirwritingandtheirunderstanding。Thereisalonglistofthem，butnoonewithoutaknowledgeoftheBiblewouldhaveknownwhathemeantbyhispoem，\"TheHarptheMonarchMinstrelSwept。\"\"Jephtha\'sDaughter\"presumesuponaknowledgeoftheOldTestamentstorywhichwouldnotcometooneinapassingstudyoftheBible。\"TheSongofSaulBeforehisLastBattle\"andthepoemheaded\"Saul\"
couldnothavebeenwritten，norcantheybereadintelligentlybyanyonewhodoesnotknowhisBible。AmongByron\'sdramas，twoofwhichhethoughtmost，were，\"HeavenandEarth\"
and\"Cain。\"WhenhewasaccusedofpervertingtheScripturein\"Cain，\"herepliedthathehadonlytakentheScriptureatitsfacevalue。
BothofthedramasarenotonlybuiltdirectlyoutofScripturalevents，butimplyafarwiderknowledgeofScripturethantheirmeretitlessuggest。
[1]Taine，EnglishLiterature，II。，279。
Therearestrikingreferencesinmanyotherpoems，eveninhisalmostvilepoem，\"DonJuan。\"Themostnotableinstanceisinthefifteenthcanto，whereheisspeakingofpersecutedsagesandtheselinesoccur:
\"Wasitnotso，greatLocke?andgreaterBacon?
GreatSocrates?AndThouDivinerstill，Whoselotitisbymentobemistaken，AndThypurecreedmadesanctionofallill?
Redeemingworldstobebybigotsshaken，HowwasThytoilrewarded?\"
InanoteonthispassageByronsays:\"Asitisnecessaryinthesetimestoavoidambiguity，IsaythatImeanby\'Divinerstill\'Christ。IfeverGodwasman——ormanGod——Hewasboth。
IneverarraignedHiscreed，buttheuseorabuseofit。Mr。CanningonedayquotedChristianitytosanctionslavery，andMr。Wilberforcehadlittletosayinreply。AndwasChristcrucifiedthatblackmenmightbescourged?Ifso，Hehadbetterbeenbornamulatto，togivebothcolorsanequalchanceoffreedom，oratleastsalvation。\"ByroncouldlivefarfromtheinfluenceoftheBibleinhispersonallife；butheneverescapeditsinfluenceinhisliterarywork。
OfColeridgelessneedstobesaid，becausewethinkofhimsomuchintermsofhismoremeditativemusings，whichareoftenreligious。
HehimselftellsoflongandcarefulrereadingsoftheEnglishBibleuntilhecouldsay:IntheBible\"thereismorethatfindsmethanIhaveexperiencedinallotherbookstogether；thewordsoftheBiblefindmeatgreaterdepthsofmybeing。\"Ofcourse，thatwouldinfluencehiswriting，anditdid。Eveninthe\"RimeoftheAncientMariner\"muchofthephraseologyisScriptural。Whenthealbatrossdrewnear，\"AsifithadbeenaChristiansoul，WehaileditinGod\'sname。\"
WhenthemarinerslepthegavepraisetoMary，QueenofHeaven。Hesoughttheshrivingofthehermit-priest。Heendsthestorybecausehehears\"thelittlevesperbell\"whichbidshimtoprayer。Whenyoureadhis\"HymnBeforeSunriseintheValeofChamounix\"youfindyourselfreadingtheNineteenthPsalm。HecallsonthemotionlesstorrentsandthesilentcataractsandthegreatMontBlancitselftopraiseGod。ColeridgeneverhadseenChamounix，norMontBlanc，noraglacier，butheknewhisBible。SohehashisChristmasCarolalongwithalltherest。HispoemoftheMoorsaftertheCivilWarunderPhilipII。isScripturalinitsphraseology，andsoismuchelsethathewrote。
Franklyandwillinglyheyieldedtoitsinfluence。
Inhis\"TableTalk\"heoftenreferstothevalueoftheBibleintheformingofliterarystyle。Oncehesaid:\"IntensestudyoftheBiblewillkeepanywriterfrombeingvulgarinpointofstyle。\"[1]
[1]June14，1830。
TheverymentionofColeridgemakesonethinkofWordsworth。TheyhadaDamonandPythiasfriendship。TheWordsworthswerepoor；theyhadonlyseventypoundsayear，andtheywerenotashamed。Coleridgecalledthemthehappiestfamilyheeversaw。WordsworthwasnotnarrowlyaChristianpoet，hewasnotalwaysseekingtoputChristiandogmaintopoetry，butthroughouthewasexpressingtheChristianspiritwhichhehadlearnedfromtheBible。HispoetrywasonelongprotestagainstbanishingGodfromtheuniverse。Itwasliterallytrueofhimthat\"themeanestflowerthatgrowscangivethoughtsthattoooftenlietoodeepfortears。\"Ifthiswerethetimetobecritical，onewouldthinkthattoomuchwassometimesmadeofveryminuteoccurrences；butthistendencytogetbackoftheeventandseehowGodismovingislearnedbestfromScripture，whereWordsworthhimselflearnedit。Ifyoureadhis\"IntimationsofImmortality，\"orthe\"OdetoDuty，\"or\"TinternAbbay，\"oreventheratherlabored\"Excursion，\"youfindyourselfundertheScripturalinfluence。
ThereremainsinthisGeorgiangroupthegreatprosemaster，WalterScott。Mr。GladstonesaidhethoughtScottthegreatestofhiscountrymen。JohnMorleysuggestedJohnKnoxinstead。Mr。Gladstonereplied:\"No，thelinemustbedrawnfirmlybetweenthewriterandthemanofaction——nocomparisonthere。\"[1]HewentontosaythatBurnsisveryfineandtrue，nodoubt，\"buttoimagineawholegroupofcharacters，tomarshalthem，tosetthemtowork，andtosustaintheaction，Imustcountthatthetestofhighestandmostdiversifiedquality。\"AllwhoarefondofScottwillrealizehowconstantlythesceneswhichheisdescribinggroupthemselvesaroundreligiousobservances，howoftenmenareheldincheckfromdeedsofviolencebyreligiousconception。ManyofthesescenescrystallizearoundaScripturalevent。