Theintellectualpoweroftwoormoreperiods，asexhibitedintheirliteratures，mayshownomarkeddifference，whilethespiritualvitalityofthesesameperiodsmayverydistinctlydiffer。Andifitbeadmittedthatliteratureproperistheproductofco-operativeintellectandspiritthelatterbeingalwaysanindispensablefactor，thoughtherecanbenohighorderofliteraturethatisnotstronglyarticulated，thatisnotwellfreighted，withthought，itfollowsthattheperiodsofaliteratureshouldbedeterminedbytheebbandflowofspirituallifewhichtheyseverallyregister，ratherthanbyanyotherconsiderations。Thereareperiodswhicharecharacterizedbya”blindnessofheart”，aninactive，quiescentconditionofthespirit，bywhichtheintellectismoreorlessdivorcedfromtheessential，theeternal，anditdirectsitselftotheshowsofthings。Suchperiodsmayembodyintheirliteraturesalargeamountofthought，——thoughtwhichisconversantwiththeexternalityofthings；butthatofitselfwillnotconstituteanobleliterature，howeverperfecttheformsinwhichitmaybeembodied，andthegeneralsenseofthecivilizedworld，independentlyofanytheoriesofliterature，willnotregardsuchaliteratureasnoble。Itismadeupofwhatmustbe，intime，superseded；ithasnotasufficientlylargeelementoftheessential，theeternal，whichcanbereachedonlythroughtheassimilatinglifeofthespirit。Thespiritmaybeso”cabined，cribbed，confined”asnottocometoanyconsciousnessofitself；oritmaybesosetfreeastogoforthandrecognizeitskinship，respondtothespiritualworldoutsideofitself，and，bysoresponding，KNOWwhatmerelyintellectualphilosopherscalltheUNKNOWABLE。
ToturnnowtothelineofEnglishpoetswhomaybesaidtohavepassedthetorchofspirituallife，fromliftedhandtohand，alongthegenerations。Andfirstis”themorningstarofsong，whomadeHismusicheardbelow：”DanChaucer，thefirstwarbler，whosesweetbreathPreludedthosemelodiousburststhatfillThespacioustimesofgreatElizabethWithsoundsthatechostill。”
Chaucerexhibits，inahighdegree，thislifeofthespirit，anditisthesecretofthecharmwhichhispoetrypossessesforusafteralapseoffivehundredyears。Itvitalizes，warms，fuses，andimpartsalightsomenesstohisverse；itcreepsandkindlesbeneaththetissuesofhisthought。WhenwecompareDryden’smodernizationsofChaucerwiththeoriginals，weseethedifferencebetweentheverseofapoet，withahealthyvitalityofspirit，and，throughthathealthyvitalityofspirit，havingsecretdealingswiththings，andversewhichislargelytheproductoftherhetoricalorliteraryfaculty。Wedonotfeel，whenreadingthelatter，thatanyunconsciousmightco-operatedwiththeconsciouspowersofthewriter。ButweDOfeelthiswhenwereadChaucer’sverse。
AlloftheCanterburyTaleshaveoriginalsoranalogues，mostofwhichhavebeenreproducedbytheLondonChaucerSociety。
NotoneofthetalesisofChaucer’sowninvention。Andyettheymayallbesaidtobeoriginal，inthetruest，deepestsenseoftheword。
Theyhavebeenvitalizedfromthepoet’sownsoul。Hehasinfusedhisownpersonality，hisownspirit-life，intohisoriginals；
hehas”createdasoulundertheribsofdeath。”ItisthisinfusedvitalitywhichwillconstitutethecharmoftheCanterburyTalesforallgenerationsofEnglishspeakingandEnglishreadingpeople。Thislifeofthespirit，ofwhichIamspeaking，asdistinguishedfromtheintellect，isfelt，thoughmuchlessdistinctly，inacontemporarywork，`TheVisionofWilliamconcerningPiersthePlowman’。
Whattheauthorcalls”KINDWIT”，thatis，”naturalintelligence”，has，generally，theascendency。Wemeet，however，withpowerfulpassages，whereinthethoughtsareaglowwiththewarmthfromthewriter’sinnerspirit。HeshowsattimesthemoralindignationofaHebrewprophet。
The`ConfessioAmantis’ofJohnGower，anothercontemporarywork，exhibitscomparativelylittleofthelifeofthespirit，eitherinitsverseorinitsthought。Thethoughtrarelypassesthelimitofnaturalintelligence。Thestories，whichthepoetdrewfromthe`GestaRomanorum’andnumerousothersources，canhardlybesaidtohavebeenBORNAGAIN。Theverseissmoothandfluent，butthereaderfeelsittobetheproductofliteraryskill。
Itwantswhatcanbeimpartedonlybyanunconsciousmightbackoftheconsciouslyactiveandtrainedpowers。ItisthisunconsciousmightwhichJohnKeats，inhis`SleepandPoetry’，speaksofas”mighthalfslumberingonitsownrightarm”，andwhicheveryreader，withtherequisitesusceptibility，canalwaysdetectintheverseofatruepoet。
IntheintervalbetweenChaucerandSpenser，thislifeofthespiritisnotdistinctlymarkedinanyofitsauthors，notexceptingevenHenryHoward，EarlofSurrey，whosesadfategaveafactitiousinteresttohiswritings。ItismorenoticeableinThomasSackville，LordBuckhurst’s`InductiontotheMirrorforMagistrates’，which，inthewordsofHallam，”formsalinkwhichunitestheschoolofChaucerandLydgatetothe`FaerieQueene’。”
TheRev。JamesByrne，ofTrinityCollege，Dublin，inhislectureon`TheInfluenceofNationalCharacteronEnglishLiterature’，remarksofSpenser：”AfterthatdarkperiodwhichseparatedhimfromChaucer，afterallthedesolationoftheWarsoftheRoses，andallthedeeptrialsoftheReformation，heroseonEnglandasif，touseanimageofhisown，”`AtlastthegoldenorientallgateOfgreatestheavengantoopenfayre，AndPhoebus，freshasbrydegrometohismate，Camedauncingforth，shakinghisdeawiehayre，Andhurledhisglisteringbeamsthroughgloomyayre。’”ThatbaptismofbloodandfirethroughwhichEnglandpassedattheReformation，raisedbothProtestantandCatholictoanewnessoflife。Thatmightyworkingofheartandmindwithwhichthenationthenheavedthroughout，wentthrougheverymanandwoman，andtriedwhatmannerofspiritstheywereof。Whatapreparationwasthisforthatperiodofourliteratureinwhichman，thegreatactorofthedramaoflife，wasabouttoappearonthestage！
Itwastobeexpectedthatthedramashouldthenstartintolife，andthathumancharactershouldspeakfromthestagewithadepthoflifeneverknownbefore；butwhocouldhaveimaginedShakespeare?”
AndwhatanewmusicburstupontheworldinSpenser’sverse！
Hisnoblestanza，soadmirablyadaptedtopictorialeffect，hassincebeenusedbysomeofthegreatestpoetsoftheliterature，Thomson，Scott，Wordsworth，Byron，Keats，Shelley，andnumerousothers；
butnoneofthem，exceptinrareinstances，havedrawnthemusicoutofitwhichSpenserdrew。
ProfessorGoldwinSmithwellremarks，inhisarticleonMarkPattison’sMilton，”Thegreatgrowthsofpoetryhavecoincidedwiththegreatburstsofnationallife，andthegreatburstsofnationallifehavehithertobeengenerallyperiodsofcontroversyandstruggle。Artitself，initshighestforms，hasbeentheexpressionoffaith。Wehavenowpeoplewhoprofesstocultivateartforitsownsake；buttheyhavehardlyproducedanythingwhichtheworldacceptsasgreat，thoughtheyhavesuppliedsomesubjectsfor`Punch’。”
Spenserwho，ofallthegreatEnglishpoets，isregardedbysomecriticsasthemostremotefromreallife，andtheleastreflectinghisage，is，nevertheless，filledwiththespiritofhisage——itschivalric，romantic，patriotic，moral，andreligiousspirit。Whenhebegantowrite，thenationhadjustpassedthroughthefieryfurnaceofareligiouspersecution，andwasrejoicinginitsdeliverancefromthepapisticalruleofMary。
Thedevotiontothenewqueenwithwhichitwasinspiredwasgrateful，generous，enthusiastic，andevenromantic。ThisdevotionSpenser’sgreatpoemeverywherereflects，andithasbeenjustlypronouncedtobethebestexponentofthesubtletiesofthatCalvinismwhichwasthearistocraticformofProtestantismatthattimeinbothFranceandEngland。
TherenewedspirituallifewhichsetinsostronglywithSpenser，reacheditsspringtideinShakespeare。Itwasthesecretofthatsenseofmoralproportionwhichpervadeshisplays。
Moralproportioncannotbesecuredthroughthelawsoftheancients，orthroughanyformulatedtheoryofart。Itwas，Iamassured，throughhisdeepandsensitivespirit-lifethatShakespearefelttheuniversalspiritandconstitutionoftheworldasfully，perhaps，asthehumansoul，inthislife，iscapableoffeelingit。Throughithetookcognizanceoftheworkingsofnature，andofthelifeofman，BYDIRECTASSIMILATIONOFTHEIRHIDDENPRINCIPLES，——
principleswhichcannotbereachedthroughanobservation，bythenaturalintelligence，ofthephenomenal。Hethusbecamepossessedofaknowledge，orratherwisdom，farbeyondhisconsciousobservationandobjectiveexperience。
Shakespearemayberegardedasthefirstandthelastgreatartisticphysiologistornaturalhistorianofthepassions；
andhewasthisbyvirtueofthelifeofthespirit，whichenabledhimtoreproducesympatheticallythewholerangeofhumanpassionwithinhimself。Hewasthefirstoftheworld’sdramatiststhatexhibitedthepassionsintheirevolutions，andintheirsubtlestcomplications。Andthemoralproportionhepreservedinexhibitingthecomplexandoftenwildplayofthepassionsmusthavebeenlargelyduetotheharmonyofhissoulwiththeconstitutionofthings。WhattheRestorationdramatistsregardedorunderstoodasmoralproportion，wasnotmoralproportionatall，butaproportionfashionedaccordingtomerelyconventionalideasofjustice。Shakespeare’smoralproportionappearedtothem，intheirlowspiritualcondition，amoralchaos，whichtheysetaboutconverting，insomeofhisgreatplays，intoacosmos；
andasadmuss，ifnotaridiculousmuss，theymadeofit。
Signalexamplesofthisarethe`rifacimenti’oftheTempestbyDrydenandDavenant，theKingLearbyTate，andtheAntonyandCleopatraentitled`AllforLove，ortheWorldwellLost’byDryden。
InMilton，thoughthereisanoticeable，anevendistinctlymarked，reductionofthelifeofthespiritinthesenseinwhichIhavebeenusingthesewordsexhibitedbyShakespeare，itisstillverystrongandefficient，andcontinuesuninfluencedbythemalignatmospherearoundhimthelastfifteenyearsofhislife，whichwerelivedinthereignofCharlesII。Withinthatperiodhewrotethe`ParadiseLost’，`ParadiseRegained’，and`SamsonAgonistes’。”Milton，”saysEmerson，”wasthestairorhightable-landtoletdowntheEnglishgeniusfromthesummitsofShakespeare。””Theseheightscouldnotbemaintained。Theywerefollowedbyameannessandadescentofthemindintolowerlevels；
thelossofwings；nohighspeculation。Locke，towhomthemeaningofideaswasunknown，becamethetypeofphilosophy，andhis”understanding”themeasure，inallnations，oftheEnglishintellect。HiscountrymenforsooktheloftysidesofParnassus，onwhichtheyhadoncewalkedwithechoingsteps，anddisusedthestudiesoncesobeloved；thepowersofthoughtfellintoneglect。”
Thehighestpowersofthoughtcannotberealizedwithoutthelifeofthespirit。Itisthis，asIhavealreadysaid，whichhasbeenthegloryofthegreatestthinkerssincetheworldbegan；
nottheirintellects，buttheco-operating，unconsciouspowerIMMANENTintheirintellects。
DuringtheRestorationperiod，andlater，spirituallifewasatitsverylowestebb。Imean，spirituallifeasexhibitedinthepoeticanddramaticliteratureofthetime，whosepoisonedfountain-headwasthedissolutecourtofCharlesII。