[Illustration: England's Antiphon] ENGLAND'S ANTIPHON BY GEORGE MACDONALD ENGLAND'S ANTIPHON was originally published in 1868 PREFACE In this book I have sought to trace the course of our religious poetry from an early period of our literary history. This could hardly be done without reference to some of the principal phases of the religious history of the nation. To give anything like a full history of the religious feeling of a single county, would require a large book, and--not to mention sermons--would involve a thorough acquaintance with the hymns of the country,--a very wide subject, which I have not considered of sufficient importance from a literary point of view to come within the scope of the volume. But if its poetry be the cream of a people's thought, some true indications of the history of its religious feeling must be found in its religious verse, and I hope I have not altogether failed in setting forth these indications. My chief aim, however, will show itself to have been the mediating towards an intelligent and cordial sympathy betwixt my readers and the writers from whom I have quoted. In this I have some confidence of success. Heartily do I throw this my small pebble at the head of the great Sabbath-breaker _Schism_. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION. CHAPTER I. SACRED LYRICS OF THE THIRTEENTH CENTURY. CHAPTER II. THE MIRACLE PLAYS, AND OTHER POEMS OF THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY. CHAPTER III. THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY. CHAPTER IV. INTRODUCTION TO THE ELIZABETHAN ERA. CHAPTER V. SPENSER AND HIS FRIENDS. CHAPTER VI. LORD BACON AND HIS COEVALS. CHAPTER VII. DR. DONNE. CHAPTER VIII. BISHOP HALL AND GEORGE SANDYS. CHAPTER IX. A FEW OF THE ELIZABETHAN DRAMATISTS. CHAPTER X. SIR JOHN BEAUMONT AND DRUMMOND OF HAWTHORNDEN. CHAPTER XI. THE BROTHERS FLETCHER. CHAPTER XII. WITHER, HERRICK, AND QUARLES. CHAPTER XIII. GEORGE HERBERT. CHAPTER XIV. JOHN MILTON. CHAPTER XV. EDMUND WALLER, THOMAS BROWN, AND JEREMY TAYLOR. CHAPTER XVI. HENRY MORE AND RICHARD BAXTER. CHAPTER XVII. CRASHAW AND MARVELL. CHAPTER XVIII. A MOUNT OF VISION--HENRY VAUGHAN. CHAPTER XIX. THE PLAIN. CHAPTER XX. THE ROOTS OF THE HILLS. CHAPTER XXI. THE NEW VISION. CHAPTER XXII. THE FERVOUR OF THE IMPLICIT. INSIGHT OF THE HEART. CHAPTER XXIII. THE QUESTIONING FERVOUR. ENGLAND'S ANTIPHON. INTRODUCTION. If the act of worship be the highest human condition, it follows that the highest human art must find material in the modes of worship. The first poetry of a nation will not be religious poetry: the nation must have a history at least before it can possess any material capable of being cast into the mould of religious utterance; but, the nation once possessed of this material, poetry is the first form religious utterance will assume.