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never　to　have　met　with　it；　and　treat　it　as　if　it　were　the　poet's　eccentricity。　　They　are　all　agog　to　worship　him；　and　when　they　have　made　an　image　of　him　in　their　own　likeness；　and　given　it　a　tin…pot　head　that　exactly　hits　their　taste；　they　break　into　noisy　lamentation　over　the　discovery　that　the　original　was　human；　and　had　feet　of　clay。　　They　deem　〃Mary　in　Heaven〃　so　admirable　that　they　could　find　it　in　their　hearts　to　regret　that　she　was　ever　on　earth。　　This　sort　of　admirers　constantly　refuses　to　bear　a　part　in　any　human　relationship；　they　ask　to　be　fawned　on；　or　trodden　on；　by　the　poet　while　he　is　in　life；　when　he　is　dead　they　make　of　him　a　candidate　for　godship；　and　heckle　him。　　It　is　a　misfortune　not　wholly　without　its　compensations　that　most　great　poets　are　dead　before　they　are　popular。

If　great　and　original　literary　artists　…　here　grouped　together　under　the　title　of　poets　…　will　not　enter　into　transactions　with　their　audience；　there　is　no　lack　of　authors　who　will。　　These　are　not　necessarily　charlatans；　they　may　have　by　nature　a　ready　sympathy　with　the　grossness　of　the　public　taste；　and　thus　take　pleasure　in　studying　to　gratify　it。　　But　man　loses　not　a　little　of　himself　in　crowds；　and　some　degradation　there　must　be　where　the　one　adapts　himself　to　the　many。　　The　British　public　is　not　seen　at　its　best　when　it　is　enjoying　a　holiday　in　a　foreign　country；　nor　when　it　is　making　excursions　into　the　realm　of　imaginative　literature：　those　who　cater　for　it　in　these　matters　must　either　study　its　tastes　or　share　them。　　Many　readers　bring　the　worst　of　themselves　to　a　novel；　they　want　lazy　relaxation；　or　support　for　their　nonsense；　or　escape　from　their　creditors；　or　a　free　field　for　emotions　that　they　dare　not　indulge　in　life。　　The　reward　of　an　author　who　meets　them　half…way　in　these　respects；　who　neither　puzzles　nor　distresses　them；　who　asks　nothing　from　them；　but　compliments　them　on　their　great　possessions　and　sends　them　away　rejoicing；　is　a　full　measure　of　acceptance；　and　editions　unto　seventy　times　seven。

The　evils　caused　by　the　influence　of　the　audience　on　the　writer　are　many。　　First　of　all　comes　a　fault　far　enough　removed　from　the　characteristic　vices　of　the　charlatan　…　to　wit；　sheer　timidity　and　weakness。　　There　is　a　kind　of　stage…fright　that　seizes　on　a　man　when　he　takes　pen　in　hand　to　address　an　unknown　body　of　hearers；　no　less　than　when　he　stands　up　to　deliver　himself　to　a　sea　of　expectant　faces。　　This　is　the　true　panic　fear；　that　walks　at　mid…　day；　and　unmans　those　whom　it　visits。　　Hence　come　reservations；　qualifications；　verbosity；　and　the　see…saw　of　a　wavering　courage；　which　apes　progress　and　purpose；　as　soldiers　mark　time　with　their　feet。　　The　writing　produced　under　these　auspices　is　of　no　greater　moment　than　the　incoherent　loquacity　of　a　nervous　patient。　　All　self…expression　is　a　challenge　thrown　down　to　the　world；　to　be　taken　up　by　whoso　will；　and　the　spirit　of　timidity；　when　it　touches　a　man；　suborns　him　with　the　reminder　that　he　holds　his　life　and　goods　by　the　sufferance　of　his　fellows。　　Thereupon　he　begins　to　doubt　whether　it　is　worth　while　to　court　a　verdict　of　so　grave　possibilities；　or　to　risk　offending　a　judge　…　whose　customary　geniality　is　merely　the　outcome　of　a　fixed　habit　of　inattention。　In　doubt　whether　to　speak　or　keep　silence；　he　takes　a　middle　course；　and　while　purporting　to　speak　for　himself；　is　careful　to　lay　stress　only　on　the　points　whereon　all　are　agreed；　to　enlarge　eloquently　on　the　doubtfulness　of　things；　and　to　give　to　words　the　very　least　meaning　that　they　will　carry。　　Such　a　procedure；　which　glides　over　essentials；　and　handles　truisms　or　trivialities　with　a　fervour　of　conviction；　has　its　functions　in　practice。　　It　will　win　for　a　politician　the　coveted　and　deserved　repute　of　a　〃safe〃　man　…　safe；　even　though　the　cause　perish。　　Pleaders　and　advocates　are　sometimes　driven　into　it；　because　to　use　vigorous；　clean；　crisp　English　in　addressing　an　ordinary　jury　or　committee　is　like　flourishing　a　sword　in　a　drawing…room：　　it　will　lose　the　case。　Where　the　weakest　are　to　be　convinced　speech　must　stoop：　　a　full　consideration　of　the　velleities　and　uncertainties；　a　little　bombast　to　elevate　the　feelings　without　committing　the　judgment；　some　vague　effusion　of　sentiment；　an　inapposite　blandness；　a　meaningless　rodomontade　…　these　are　the　by…ways　to　be　travelled　by　the　style　that　is　a　willing　slave　to　its　audience。　　The　like　is　true　of　those　documents　…　petitions；　resolutions；　congratulatory　addresses；　and　so　forth　…　that　are　written　to　be　signed　by　a　multitude　of　names。　Public　occasions　of　this　kind；　where　all　and　sundry　are　to　be　satisfied；　have　given　rise　to　a　new　parliamentary　dialect；　which　has　nothing　of　the　freshness　of　individual　emotion；　is　powerless　to　deal　with　realities；　and　lacks　all　resonance；　vitality；　and　nerve。　There　is　no　cure　for　this；　where　the　feelings　and　opinions　of　a　crowd　are　to　be　expressed。　　But　where　indecision　is　the　ruling　passion　of　the　individual；　he　may　cease　to　write。　　Popularity　was　never　yet　the　prize　of　those　whose　only　care　is　to　avoid　offence。

For　hardier　aspirants；　the　two　main　entrances　to　popular　favour　are　by　the　twin　gates　of　laughter　and　tears。　　Pathos　knits　the　soul　and　braces　the　nerves；　humour　purges　the　eyesight　and　vivifies　the　sympathies；　the　counterfeits　of　these　qualities　work　the　opposite　effects。　　It　is　comparatively　easy　to　appeal　to　passive　emotions；　to　play　upon　the　melting　mood　of　a　diffuse　sensibility；　or　to　encourage　the　narrow　mind　to　dispense　a　patron's　laughter　from　the　vantage…ground　of　its　own　small　preconceptions。　　Our　annual　crop　of　sentimentalists　and　mirth…makers　supplies　the　reading　public　with　food。　　Tragedy；　which　brings　the　naked　soul　face　to　face　with　the　austere　terrors　of　Fate；　Comedy；　which　turns　the　light　inward　and　dissipates　the　mists　of　self…affection　and　self…esteem；　have　long　since　given　way　on　the　public　stage　to　the　flattery　of　Melodrama；　under　many　names。　　In　the　books　he　reads　and　in　the　plays　he　sees　the　average　man　recognises　himself　in　the　hero；　and　vociferates　his　approbation。

The　sensibility　that　came　into　vogue　during　the　eighteenth　century　was　of　a　finer　grain　than　its　modern　counterpart。　　It　studied　delicacy；　and　sought　a　cultivated　enjoyment　in　evanescent　shades　of　feeling；　and　the　fantasies　of　unsubstantial　grief。　　The　real　Princess　of　Hans　Andersen's　story；　who　passed　a　miserable　night　because　there　was　a　small　bean　concealed　beneath　the　twenty　eider…　down　beds　on　which　she　slept；　might　stand　for　a　type　of　the　aristocracy　of　feeling　that　took　a　pride　in　these　ridiculous　susceptibilities。　　The　modern　sentimentalist　works　in　a　coarser　material。　　That　ancient；　subtle；　and　treacherous　affinity　among　the　emotions；　whereby　religious　exaltation　has　before　now　been　made　the　ally　of　the　unpurified　passions；　is　parodied　by　him　in　a　simpler　and　more　useful　device。　　By　alleging　a　moral　purpose　he　is　enabled　to　gratify　the　prurience　of　his　public　and　to　raise　them　in　their　own　muddy　conceit　at　one　and　the　same　time。　　The　plea　serves　well　with　those　artless　readers　who　have　been　accustomed　to　consider　the　moral　of　a　story　as　something　separable　from　imagination；　expression；　and　style　…　a　quality；　it　may　be；　inherent　in　the　plot；　or　a　kind　of　appendix；　exercising　a　retrospective　power　of　jurisdiction　and　absolution　over　the　extravagances　of　the　piece　to　which　it　is　affixed。　　Let　virtue　be　rewarded；　and　they　are　content　though　it　should　never　be　vitally　imagined　or　portrayed。　　If　their　eyes　were　opened　they　might　cry　with　Brutus　…　〃O　miserable　Virtue！　Thou　art　but　a　phrase；　and　I　have　followed　thee　as　though　thou　wert　a　reality。〃

It　is　in　quite　another　kind；　however；　that　the　modern　purveyor　of　sentiment　exercises　his　most　characteristic　talent。　　There　are　certain　real　and　deeply…rooted　feelings；　common　to　humanity；　concerning　which；　in　their　normal　operation；　a　grave　reticence　is　natural。　　They　are　universal　in　their　appeal；　men　would　be　ashamed　not　to　feel　them；　and　it　is　no　small　part　of　the　business　of　life　to　keep　them　under　strict　control。　　Here　is　the　sentimental　hucksters　most　valued　opportunity。　　He　tears　these　primary　instincts　from　the　wholesome　privacy　that　shelters　them　in　life；　and　cries　them　up　from　his　booth　in　the　market…place。　　The　elemental　forces　of　human　life；　which　beget　shyness　in　children；　and　touch　the　spirits　of　the　wise　to　solemn　acquiescence；　awaken　him　to　noisier　declamation。　　He　patronises　the　stern　laws　of　love　and　pity；　hawking　them　like　indulgences；　cheapening　and　commanding　them　like　the　medicines　of　a　mountebank。　　The　censure　of　his　critics　he　impudently　meets　by　pointing　to　his　wares：　　are　not　some　of　the　most　sacred　properties　of　humanity　…　sympathy　with　suffering；　family　affection；　filial　devotion；　and　the　rest　…　displayed　upon　his　stall？　　Not　thus　shall　he　evade　the　charges　brought　against　him。　　It　is　the　sensual　side　of　the　tender　emotions　that　he　exploits　for　the　comfort　of　the　million。　　All　the　intricacies　which　life　offers　to　the　will　and　the　intellect　he　lards　and　obliterates　by　the　timely　effusion　of　tearful　sentiment。　His　humanitarianism　is　a　more　popular；　as　it　is　an　easier；　ideal　than　humanity　…　it　asks　no　expense　of　thought。　　There　is　a　scanty　public　in　England　for　tragedy　or　for