In  the  quai-ter  of  a  century  lietween  the  death  of
Byron  (1824)  and  tlie  death  of  Wordsworth  (1850),
the  .stream  of  English  Literature,  that  had  passed
the  rapids,  broadened  and  flowed  on  with  less
grandeur  of  imjiatient  force.  The  number  of  writei's
began  greatly  to  multiply,  and  the  liest  of  them  still
faithfully  expressed,  each  in  his  own  w-ay,  the  higliest
aspirations  of  the  time.  It  was  during  these  years
that  the  two  writer.s  who  next  took  foremost  place
among  the  poets  of  their  day — Alfred  Tennyson  and
Robert  Browniing — first  won  recognition.  Tenny-
son's "  In  Memoriani,"  and  Bi'owning's  "  Christmas
Eve  and  Easter  Day,"  both  ajipeared  in  the  year
of  Wordswortli's  death.
Wlten  Wordsworth,  in  1821,  was  visiting  Sir
George  Beaumont,  at  Coleorton,  he  found  his  old
friend  busy  over  the  building  of  a  church  on  his
estate.  That  led  to  many  conversations  on  church
history,  and  of  these  came  the  design  of  the  series
of  "  Ecclesiastical  Sonnets,"  tracing  the  course  of
English  religion.  The  third  book  of  the  series
opened  with  a  sonnet  describing  a  real  dream  of  his
beloved  daughter  Dora,  which  caused  a  dread  that,  in
the  next  sonnet,  he  likened  to  such  dread  as  belonged
to  any  thought  of  tlie  decay  of  England  : —


A    DREAM.
I  saw  the  figure  of  a  lovely  Maid

Seated  alone  beneath  a  darksome  tree.
Whoso  fondly-overhanging  canopy

Set  off  her  brightness  with  a  pleasing  shade.
No  Spirit  was  she ;  that  my  heart  betrayed.
For  she  was  one  I  loved  exceedingly ;

But  while  I  gazed  in  tender  reverie

(Or  was  it  sleep  that  with  my  Fancy  played ':)

The  bright  corporeal  presence — fomi  and  face —

Eemaining  still  distinct  grew  thin  and  rare.
