e. Dr. Arnold, the great
schoolmaster of Rugby, speaking of Keble's poems, says: "Nothing equal to
them exists in our language. The knowledge of Scripture, the purity of
heart, and the richness of poetry, I never saw equaled." "It is a book,"
says Canon Barry, "which leads the soul up to God, not through one, but
through all of the various faculties which He has implanted in it." And
Dr. Pusey adds: "It taught, because his own soul was moved so deeply; the
stream burst forth, because the heart that poured it out was full; it was
fresh, deep, tender, loving, because he himself was such; he was true,
and thought aloud, and conscience everywhere responded to the voice of
conscience."

The publication of "The Christian Year" brought Keble such fame that, in
1831, he was elected professor of poetry at Oxford. He did not remove
thither, but in 1833 he preached at Oxford his famous sermon on "National
Apostasy" which is credited with having started the so-called "Oxford
Movement."

This movement had its inception in the earnest desire on the part of many
prominent leaders of the Church of England, including John Newman, to
bring about a spiritual awakening in the Church. They looked askance at
the evangelistic methods of the Wesleyan leaders and turned to the other
extreme of high church ritualism. All England was profoundly stirred by a
series of "Tracts for the Times," written by Newman and his friends,
among them Keble. A disastrous result of the movement was the desertion
of Newman and a large number of others to the Church of Rome; but Keble
shrank from this final step and remained a high church Episcopalian.

Although a great part of his later life was occupied with religious
controversy, we would like to remember Keble as a consecrated Christian
poet and an humble parish pastor. For more than thirty years he labored
faithfully among his people, visiting from house to house. If it was
impossible for a candidate to attend confirmation instruction during the
day, Keble would go to his house at night, armed with cloak and lantern.
He gave each candidate a Bible, in which he had marked the passages that
were to be learned. These Bibles were highly prized, and some of them are
to be found in Hursley to this day. It was noticed that, whenever the
Vicar prepared to read and explain a passage of Scripture, he would first
bow his head and close his eyes while he asked for the guidance of the
Holy Spirit.

Keble's famous morni