CHAPTER

I CHARACTER AND CAREER

PAGE

. 1

Arnold's Main Task-Biographical Sources-His

Father and Mother-Influence of Natural Sur-

roundings-Education-Attitude toward Oxford

-Poetic Ambition-Secretary to Lord Lans-

downe-Reading the Classics-Marriage and

Domestic Temper-Trials of an Inspector of

Schools-Poetry Composed under Difficulties-

Secret of His Melancholy and His Serenity-His

Religious Temper-Habit of Self-Discipline-

Cultivation of Purposefulness and Gaiety-Key-

notes of Literary Work-Compensations in His

Avocation-Friends in France: Sainte-Beuve,

Renan, Scherer-Inculcating Intelligence-Fruits

of Oxford Professorship-Appetite for Fame

and Influence-Acquaintance with English Ce-

lebrities - Disraeli's Encouragement - Attitude

toward Contemporary Men of Letters in Eng-

land-Success of Culture and Anarchy-In

Charge of an Italian Prince-Death of Three

Sons-Criticism of Church, Theology and Re-

ligion-Miscellaneous Political Essays and Re-

turn to Literature-First Visit to America-De-

fects and Virtues of American Life-Growing

Old-Official Business in Germany-Becomes a

Grandfather and Revisits America-Death.

II POEMS OF THE PERSONAL LIFE

Arnold Compares Himself with Tennyson and

Browning-The Main Movement of Mind in

His Time-His Personal Reflections of the

Time-Spirit-Conflict of Reason and Tradition,

Emotion and Intelligence-Disillusion about

Love and Human Relationships: "Switzerland,"

"Faded Leaves"-The Center of His Being:

"The Buried Life"-Religious Disillusion: "The

Grand Chartreuse," "Dover Beach," "Empedocles

on Etna"-Disillusion about Poetical Powers:

"Austerity of Poetry," "Growing Old," "De-

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CHAPTER

CONTENTS-Continued

spondency," "The Progress of Poesy"-Center
of Indifference-Enduring Life: "Resignation"
-Immorality of Nature: "To a Preacher"-
Consolations of Nature: "Thyrsis," "Scholar
Gipsy"-Lessons
of Nature: "A Summer
Night," "Quiet Work"-The Law for Man:
"Morality," "East London," "The Better Part”—
The Sources of Moral Energy: "Rugby Chapel."

III POEMS OF THE EXTERNAL WORLD

Conception of the True Poet: "Resignation"—

"Empedocles" Condemned-Classical Doctrine

on the Choice of Poetical Subjects-Classical

Intention in the Long Poems-Counter-claims

of Reason and Passion in "Tristram and Iseult"

-Classical Balance in "Sohrab and Rustum"-

Arnold on "Balder Dead;" Defects of the Sub-

ject-Sophocles and "Merope"-"The Forsaken

Merman."

IV LITERARY CRITICISM

Persistence of Arnold's Critical Force-General

Ideas-The Point of View: Literary Cosmo-

politanism-Definitions of Criticism-Defects of

of Existing English Organs of Opinion-Liter-

ary Influence of Academies-The French Acad-

emy-Obstacles and Helps in Human Nature to

Establishment of Standards-Conscience in In-

tellectual Matters-Provinciality of English Lit-

erature - Adequacy of the Greeks - Arnold's

Classicism-Poetry as Criticism of Life-Art

and Morals-Poetry as Religion-The Grand

Style-Judicial Criticism-Impressionistic Criti-

cism-Historical Criticism—Arnold's Authorita-

tiveness-His Taste Challenged-The Touch-

stone Method-His Limitations as Historical

Critic-His Distrust of the Historical Method-

His Ultimate Object as Critic-Variety of His

Subjects-Devotion to the Abiding-His Esthetic

Stimulus-His Stimulus to Intellectual Curiosity

-His Moral Stimulus.

CHAPTER

V EDUCATION

-

Statesmanlike Outlook-The Political Urgency

of Educational Reform-Arnold's Contributions

to the Solution of Educational Problems-The

English System Compared with the Systems of

France and Germany-Arnold's Proposals for

the Improvement of Educational Machinery—

Compulsory Elementary Education — English

Laissez-faire-Arminius on the Prussian Sys-

tem-Supervision-Dangers of Individual Initi-

ative-Advantages of Public Secondary Schools

-The Idea of a University-English, French

and German Universities Compared-Dangers in

American Institutions-The Warfare of the Sci-

ences and the Humanities-Huxley-Herbert

Spencer as the Goliath of Science-His Revision

of Educational Values-Arnold on the Choice of

Studies-Plato on Educational Values-Breadth

of Arnold's Humanism-His Regard for the

Results of Science-Inefficacy of Science in the

Spheres of Conduct and Beauty-The Darwin-

ian Ape and the Study of Greek-The Abiding

Value of Letters.

VI POLITICS AND SOCIETY

Relation of Arnold's Political and Social

Thought-His Political Independence-His In-

*ternal Equilibrium-Criticism of Whigs and

Tories-His Mediation Between Carlyle and J.

S. Mill "Numbers"-Equality and Rights-

"Democracy"-The Virtues of an Aristocracy-

Escape from Democratic Vulgarity by State Ac-

tion-The State in France and Germany: Their

Superior Organization of Institutions-Arnold's

Master Thought in Politics-Meaning of Civili-

zation or Culture-A Social Gospel-Enemies of

Culture-English Faith in Machinery-Doing as

One Likes Meaning of the State-Inadequacy

of All the Classes-The Barbarians-The Philis-

tines-The Populace-The Saving Remnant-

Genius and Humanity-The Dæmonic-Disci-

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225

CHAPTER

CONTENTS—Continued

pline Carlyle's John Bull Unsatisfactory-In-

adequacy of the Puritan Ideal of Perfection-

Hebraism and Hellenism.

VII RELIGION

Arnold a Friend to Religion-Adverse Com-

ments-His Reluctance to Enter the Field of

Religious Controversy-His Conviction that a

Revolution Had Been Accomplished-Signs of

the Revolution-His Belief in a National Church

-Recasting Religion-A Verifiable Basis for

the Bible-His Literary Approach-Rejects the

God of Miracles-Rejects the God of Meta-

physics-Sets up the God of Experience-Prot-

estant and Catholic Miracles-Christian and

Pagan Miracles-Protestant and Catholic The-

ological Doctrine-The Mass and the Three

Lords Shaftesbury-The Law of Man's Being-

Arnold's Psychology: the Doctrine of the Two

Selves-God_Defined-Religion Defined-Con-

duct Three-Fourths of Life-Illustrations of

Morality Touched with Emotion-Value of Old

Testament Desiccation of Judaism — Method

and Secret of Jesus-Divinity of Christ-Power

of Jesus Founded on Human Nature-Paul and

the Theologians-The Worth of a Religious

Teacher-Paul a Great Realistic Moralist-His

Religion Psychologically Sound-Resurrection

Spiritually Interpreted-Immortality.

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