hing of prose thoughts in the ceremonial robes of
poesy.

During the same year (1793) he wrote, but did not publish, a political
tract, in which he avowed himself opposed to monarchy and to the
hereditary principle, and desirous of a republic, if it could be had
without a revolution. He probably continued to be all his life in
favour of that ideal republic 'which never was on land or sea', but
fortunately he gave up politics that he might devote himself to his
own nobler calling, to which politics are subordinate, and for which
he found freedom enough in England as it was. Dr. Wordsworth admits
that his uncle's opinions were democratical so late as 1802. I suspect
that they remained so in an esoteric way to the end of his days. He
had himself suffered by the arbitrary selfishness of a great
landholder, and he was born and bred in a part of England where there
is a greater social equality than elsewhere. The look and manner of
the Cumberland people especially are such as recall very vividly to a
New-Englander the associations of fifty years ago, ere the change from
New England to New Ireland had begun. But meanwhile, Want, which makes
no distinctions of Monarchist or Republican, was pressing upon him.
The debt due to his father's estate had not been paid, and Wordsworth
was one of those rare idealists who esteem it the first duty of a
friend of humanity to live for, and not on, his neighbour. He at first
proposed establishing a periodical journal to be called _The
Philanthropist_, but luckily went no further with it, for the receipts
from an organ of opinion which professed republicanism, and at the
same time discountenanced the plans of all existing or defunct
republicans, would have been necessarily scanty. There being no
appearance of any demand, present or prospective, for philanthropists,
he tried to get employment as correspondent of a newspaper. Here also
it was impossible that he should succeed; he was too great to be
merged in the editorial We, and had too well defined a private opinion
on all subjects to be able to express that average of public opinion
which constitutes able editorials. But so it is that to the prophet in
the wilderness the birds of ill omen are already on the wing with food
from heaven; and while Wordsworth's relatives were getting impatient
at what they considered his waste of time, while one thought he had
gifts enough to make a good parson, and another lamented the rare
attorney that was