of this chapter.

[53] Holmes (Oliver Wendell), quoted by Miss Mitford in her
_Recollections of a Literary Life_. [Ruskin.] From _Astraea, a Poem
delivered before the Phi Beta Kappa Society of Yale College_. The
passage in which these lines are found was later published as
_Spring_.

[54] Kingsley's _Alton Locke_, chap. 26.

[55] I admit two orders of poets, but no third; and by these two
orders I mean the creative (Shakspere, Homer, Dante), and
Reflective or Perceptive (Wordsworth, Keats, Tennyson). But both of
these must be _first_-rate in their range, though their range is
different; and with poetry second-rate in _quality_ no one ought to
be allowed to trouble mankind. There is quite enough of the
best,--much more than we can ever read or enjoy in the length of a
life; and it is a literal wrong or sin in any person to encumber us
with inferior work. I have no patience with apologies made by young
pseudo-poets, "that they believe there is _some_ good in what they
have written: that they hope to do better in time," etc. _Some_
good! If there is not _all_ good, there is no good. If they ever
hope to do better, why do they trouble us now? Let them rather
courageously burn all they have done, and wait for the better days.
There are few men, ordinarily educated, who in moments of strong
feeling could not strike out a poetical thought, and afterwards
polish it so as to be presentable. But men of sense know better
than so to waste their time; and those who sincerely love poetry,
know the touch of the master's hand on the chords too well to
fumble among them after him. Nay, more than this, all inferior
poetry is an injury to the good, inasmuch as it takes away the
freshness of rhymes, blunders upon and gives a wretched commonalty
to good thoughts; and, in general, adds to the weight of human
weariness in a most woful and culpable manner. There are few
thoughts likely to come across ordinary men, which have not already
been expressed by greater men in the best possible way; and it is a
wiser, more generous, more noble thing to remember and point out
the perfect words, than to invent poorer ones, wherewith to
encumber temporarily the world. [Ruskin.]

[56] _Inferno_, 3. 112.

[57] _Christabel_, 1. 49-50.

[58] "Well said, old mole! can'st work i' the ground so
fast?"--[Ruskin.]

[59] _Odyssey_, 11. 57-58.

[60] It is worth while compa