WhenhewasinhisthirdyearamagazinewasfoundedatCambridge，thecontributionstowhichwereexclusivelybyundergraduates。
ErnestsentinanessayupontheGreekDrama，whichhehasdeclinedtoletmereproduceherewithouthisbeingallowedtore-editit。I
havethereforebeenunabletogiveitinitsoriginalform，butwhenprunedofitsredundancies(andthisisallthathasbeendonetoit)itrunsasfollows-
“IshallnotattemptwithinthelimitsatmydisposaltomakearesumeoftheriseandprogressoftheGreekdrama，butwillconfinemyselftoconsideringwhetherthereputationenjoyedbythethreechiefGreektragedians，AEschylus，SophoclesandEuripides，isonethatwillbepermanent，orwhethertheywillonedaybeheldtohavebeenoverrated。
“Why，Iaskmyself，doIseemuchthatIcaneasilyadmireinHomer，Thucydides，Herodotus，Demosthenes，Aristophanes，Theocritus，partsofLucretius，Horace’ssatiresandepistles，tosaynothingofotherancientwriters，andyetfindmyselfatoncerepelledbyeventhoseworksofAEschylus，SophoclesandEuripideswhicharemostgenerallyadmired。
“Withthefirst-namedwritersIaminthehandsofmenwhofeel，ifnotasIdo，stillasIcanunderstandtheirfeeling，andasIaminterestedtoseethattheyshouldhavefelt；withthesecondIhavesolittlesympathythatIcannotunderstandhowanyonecaneverhavetakenanyinterestinthemwhatever。Theirhighestflightstomearedull，pompousandartificialproductions，which，iftheyweretoappearnowforthefirsttime，would，Ishouldthink，eitherfalldeadorbeseverelyhandledbythecritics。IwishtoknowwhetheritisIwhoaminfaultinthismatter，orwhetherpartoftheblamemaynotrestwiththetragediansthemselves。
“HowfarIwonderdidtheAtheniansgenuinelylikethesepoets，andhowfarwastheapplausewhichwaslavisheduponthemduetofashionoraffectation？Howfar，infact，didadmirationfortheorthodoxtragedianstakethatplaceamongtheAthenianswhichgoingtochurchdoesamongourselves？
“Thisisaventuresomequestionconsideringtheverdictnowgenerallygivenforovertwothousandyears，norshouldIhavepermittedmyselftoaskitifithadnotbeensuggestedtomebyonewhosereputationstandsashigh，andhasbeensanctionedforaslongtimeasthoseofthetragediansthemselves，ImeanbyAristophanes。
“Numbers，weightofauthority，andtime，haveconspiredtoplaceAristophanesonashighaliterarypinnacleasanyancientwriter，withtheexceptionperhapsofHomer，buthemakesnosecretofheartilyhatingEuripidesandSophocles，andIstronglysuspectonlypraisesAEschylusthathemayrundowntheothertwowithgreaterimpunity。ForafterallthereisnosuchdifferencebetweenAEschylusandhissuccessorsaswillrendertheformerverygoodandthelatterverybad；andthethrustsatAEschyluswhichAristophanesputsintothemouthofEuripidesgohometoowelltohavebeenwrittenbyanadmirer。
“ItmaybeobservedthatwhileEuripidesaccusesAEschylusofbeing’pomp-bundle-worded，’whichIsupposemeansbombasticandgiventorodomontade，AEschylusretortsonEuripidesthatheisa’gossipgleaner，adescriberofbeggars，andarag-stitcher，’fromwhichitmaybeinferredthathewastruertothelifeofhisowntimesthanAEschyluswas。Ithappens，however，thatafaithfulrenderingofcontemporarylifeistheveryqualitywhichgivesitsmostpermanentinteresttoanyworkoffiction，whetherinliteratureorpainting，anditisanotunnaturalconsequencethatwhileonlysevenplaysbyAEschylus，andthesamenumberbySophocles，havecomedowntous，wehavenofewerthannineteenbyEuripides。
“This，however，isadigression；thequestionbeforeusiswhetherAristophanesreallylikedAEschylusoronlypretendedtodoso。ItmustberememberedthattheclaimsofAEschylus，SophoclesandEuripides，totheforemostplaceamongsttragedianswereheldtobeasincontrovertibleasthoseofDante，Petrarch，TassoandAriostotobethegreatestofItalianpoets，areheldamongtheItaliansofto-day。Ifwecanfancysomewitty，genialwriter，wewillsayinFlorence，findinghimselfboredbyallthepoetsIhavenamed，wecanyetbelievehewouldbeunwillingtoadmitthathedislikedthemwithoutexception。HewouldprefertothinkhecouldseesomethingatanyrateinDante，whomhecouldidealisemoreeasily，inasmuchashewasmoreremote；inordertocarryhiscountrymenthefartherwithhim，hewouldendeavourtomeetthemmorethanwasconsistentwithhisowninstincts。Withoutsomesuchpalliationasadmirationforone，atanyrate，ofthetragedians，itwouldbealmostasdangerousforAristophanestoattackthemasitwouldbeforanEnglishmannowtosaythathedidnotthinkverymuchoftheElizabethandramatists。YetwhichofusinhisheartlikesanyoftheElizabethandramatistsexceptShakespeare？AretheyinrealityanythingelsethanliteraryStruldbrugs？
“IconcludeuponthewholethatAristophanesdidnotlikeanyofthetragedians；yetnoonewilldenythatthiskeen，witty，outspokenwriterwasasgoodajudgeofliteraryvalue，andasabletoseeanybeautiesthatthetragicdramascontainedasnine-tenths，atanyrate，ofourselves。Hehad，moreover，theadvantageofthoroughlyunderstandingthestandpointfromwhichthetragediansexpectedtheirworktobejudged，andwhatwashisconclusion？Brieflyitwaslittleelsethanthis，thattheywereafraudorsomethingverylikeit。FormyownpartIcordiallyagreewithhim。IamfreetoconfessthatwiththeexceptionperhapsofsomeofthePsalmsofDavidIknownowritingswhichseemsolittletodeservetheirreputation。IdonotknowthatIshouldparticularlymindmysistersreadingthem，butIwilltakegoodcarenevertoreadthemmyself。”
ThislastbitaboutthePsalmswasawful，andtherewasagreatfightwiththeeditorastowhetherornoitshouldbeallowedtostand。Ernesthimselfwasfrightenedatit，buthehadonceheardsomeonesaythatthePsalmsweremanyofthemverypoor，andonlookingatthemmoreclosely，afterhehadbeentoldthis，hefoundthattherecouldhardlybetwoopinionsonthesubject。Sohecaughtuptheremarkandreproduceditashisown，concludingthatthesepsalmshadprobablyneverbeenwrittenbyDavidatall，buthadgotinamongtheothersbymistake。
Theessay，perhapsonaccountofthepassageaboutthePsalms，createdquiteasensation，andonthewholewaswellreceived。
Ernest’sfriendspraiseditmorehighlythanitdeserved，andhewashimselfveryproudofit，buthedarednotshowitatBattersby。Heknewalsothathewasnowattheendofhistether；thiswashisoneidea(Ifeelsurehehadcaughtmorethanhalfofitfromotherpeople)，andnowhehadnotanotherthinglefttowriteabout。Hefoundhimselfcursedwithasmallreputationwhichseemedtohimmuchbiggerthanitwas，andaconsciousnessthathecouldneverkeepitup。Beforemanydayswereoverhefelthisunfortunateessaytobeawhiteelephanttohim，whichhemustfeedbyhurryingintoallsortsoffranticattemptstocaphistriumph，and，asmaybeimagined，theseattemptswerefailures。
Hedidnotunderstandthatifhewaitedandlistenedandobserved，anotherideaofsomekindwouldprobablyoccurtohimsomeday，andthatthedevelopmentofthiswouldinitsturnsuggeststillfurtherones。Hedidnotyetknowthattheveryworstwayofgettingholdofideasistogohuntingexpresslyafterthem。Thewaytogetthemistostudysomethingofwhichoneisfond，andtonotedownwhatevercrossesone’smindinreferencetoit，eitherduringstudyorrelaxation，inalittlenote-bookkeptalwaysinthewaistcoatpocket。Ernesthascometoknowallaboutthisnow，butittookhimalongtimetofinditout，forthisisnotthekindofthingthatistaughtatschoolsanduniversities。
Noryetdidheknowthatideas，nolessthanthelivingbeingsinwhosemindstheyarise，mustbebegottenbyparentsnotveryunlikethemselves，themostoriginalstilldifferingbutslightlyfromtheparentsthathavegivenrisetothem。Lifeislikeafugue，everythingmustgrowoutofthesubjectandtheremustbenothingnew。Nor，again，didheseehowharditistosaywhereoneideaendsandanotherbegins，noryethowcloselythisisparalleledinthedifficultyofsayingwherealifebeginsorends，oranactionorindeedanything，therebeinganunityinspiteofinfinitemultitude，andaninfinitemultitudeinspiteofunity。Hethoughtthatideascameintocleverpeople’sheadsbyakindofspontaneousgermination，withoutparentageinthethoughtsofothersorthecourseofobservation；forasyethebelievedingenius，ofwhichhewellknewthathehadnone，ifitwasthefinefrenziedthinghethoughtitwas。
Notverylongbeforethishehadcomeofage，andTheobaldhadhandedhimoverhismoney，whichamountednowto5000pounds；itwasinvestedtobringin5poundspercentandgavehimthereforeanincomeof250poundsayear。Hedidnot，however，realisethefact(hecouldrealisenothingsoforeigntohisexperience)thathewasindependentofhisfathertillalongtimeafterwards；nordidTheobaldmakeanydifferenceinhismannertowardshim。Sostrongwastheholdwhichhabitandassociationheldoverbothfatherandson，thattheoneconsideredhehadasgoodarightasevertodictate，andtheotherthathehadaslittlerightasevertogainsay。
DuringhislastyearatCambridgeheoverworkedhimselfthroughthisveryblinddeferencetohisfather’swishes，fortherewasnoreasonwhyheshouldtakemorethanapolldegreeexceptthathisfatherlaidsuchstressuponhistakinghonours。Hebecamesoill，indeed，thatitwasdoubtfulhowfarhewouldbeabletogoinforhisdegreeatall；buthemanagedtodoso，andwhenthelistcameoutwasfoundtobeplacedhigherthaneitherheoranyoneelseexpected，beingamongthefirstthreeorfoursenioroptimes，andafewweekslater，inthelowerhalfofthesecondclassoftheClassicalTripos。Illashewaswhenhegothome，Theobaldmadehimgooveralltheexaminationpaperswithhim，andinfactreproduceasnearlyaspossibletherepliesthathehadsentin。Solittlekickhadheinhim，andsodeepwasthegrooveintowhichhehadgot，thatwhileathomehespentseveralhoursadayincontinuinghisclassicalandmathematicalstudiesasthoughhehadnotyettakenhisdegree。
ErnestreturnedtoCambridgefortheMaytermof1858，onthepleaofreadingforordination，withwhichhewasnowfacetoface，andmuchnearerthanheliked。Uptothistime，thoughnotreligiouslyinclined，hehadneverdoubtedthetruthofanythingthathadbeentoldhimaboutChristianity。Hehadneverseenanyonewhodoubted，norreadanythingthatraisedasuspicioninhismindastothehistoricalcharacterofthemiraclesrecordedintheOldandNewTestaments。
Itmustberememberedthattheyear1858wasthelastofatermduringwhichthepeaceoftheChurchofEnglandwassingularlyunbroken。Between1844，when“VestigesofCreation“appeared，and1859，when“EssaysandReviews“markedthecommencementofthatstormwhichrageduntilmanyyearsafterwards，therewasnotasinglebookpublishedinEnglandthatcausedseriouscommotionwithinthebosomoftheChurch。PerhapsBuckle’s“HistoryofCivilisation“andMill’s“Liberty“werethemostalarming，buttheyneitherofthemreachedthesubstratumofthereadingpublic，andErnestandhisfriendswereignorantoftheirveryexistence。TheEvangelicalmovement，withtheexceptiontowhichIshallrevertpresently，hadbecomealmostamatterofancienthistory。
Tractarianismhadsubsidedintoatenthday’swonder；itwasatwork，butitwasnotnoisy。The“Vestiges“wereforgottenbeforeErnestwentuptoCambridge；theCatholicaggressionscarehadlostitsterrors；Ritualismwasstillunknownbythegeneralprovincialpublic，andtheGorhamandHampdencontroversiesweredefunctsomeyearssince；Dissentwasnotspreading；theCrimeanwarwastheoneengrossingsubject，tobefollowedbytheIndianMutinyandtheFranco-Austrianwar。Thesegreateventsturnedmen’smindsfromspeculativesubjects，andtherewasnoenemytothefaithwhichcouldarouseevenalanguidinterest。AtnotimeprobablysincethebeginningofthecenturycouldanordinaryobserverhavedetectedlesssignofcomingdisturbancethanatthatofwhichIamwriting。
