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Moloch； and England propitiated these obscene and cruel idols with the
blood of her best and brightest children。 Crime succeeded to crime； and
disgrace to disgrace； until the race； accursed of God and man； was a
second time driven forth to wander on the face of the earth and to be a by…
word and a shaking of the head to the nations。〃 In three sentences here are
six allusions to Scripture。 In that same essay； in the paragraphs on the
Puritans； the allusions are a multitude。 They are not even quoted。 They are
taken for granted。 In his Essay on Machiavelli； though the subject does not
suggest it； he falls into Scriptural phrases over and over。 Listen to this； 〃A
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time was at hand when all the seven vials of the Apocalypse were to be
poured forth and shaken out over those pleasant countries〃； or this； 〃All
the curses pronounced of old against Tyre seemed to have fallen on Venice。
Her merchants already stood afar off lamenting for their great city〃； or this；
〃In the energetic language of the prophet； Machiavelli was mad for the
sight of his eyes which he saw。〃
And if Macaulay is baffling in the abundance of material； surely John
Ruskin is worse。 Carlyle's English style ran into excess of roughness；
Macaulay's ran into excess of balance and delicacy。 John Ruskin's
continued to be the smoothest； easiest style in our English literature。 He
also was a Hebraic spirit； but of the gentler type。 Mr。 Chapman calls him
the Elisha to Carlyle's； Elijah； a capital comparison。＇1＇ Ruskin is one of
the few writers who have told us what formed their style。 In the first
chapter of Praeterita he pays tribute to his mother。 He himself chose to
read Walter Scott and Pope's Homer； but he says： 〃My mother forced me
by steady daily toil to learn long chapters of the Bible by heart； as well as
to read it； every syllable aloud； hard names and all； from Genesis to the
Apocalypse about once a year； and to that discipline patient； accurate；
and resoluteI owe not only a knowledge of the Book which I find
occasionally serviceable； but much of my general power of taking pains
and the best part of my taste in literature。〃 He thinks reading Scott might
have led to other novels of a poorer sort。 Reading Pope might have led to
Johnson's or Gibbon's English； but 〃it was impossible to write entirely
superficial and formal English〃 while he knew 〃by heart the thirty… second
of Deuteronomy； the fifteenth of I Corinthians； the One hundred and
nineteenth Psalm； or the Sermon on the Mount。〃 In the second chapter of
Praeterita he is even more explicit。 〃I have next with deeper gratitude to
chronicle what I owed to my mother for the resolute persistent lessons
which so exercised me in the Scripture； as to make every word of them
familiar in my ear as habitual music； yet in that familiarity reverenced as
transcending all thought and ordering all conduct。〃 He tells how his
mother drilled him。 As soon as he could read she began a course of Bible
work with him。 They read alternate verses from the Genesis to the
Revelation； names and all。 Daily he had to commit verses of the Scripture。
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He hated the One hundred and nineteenth Psalm most； but he lived to
cherish it most。 In his old Bible he found the list of twenty…six chapters
taught by his mother。
＇1＇ English Literature in Account with Religion。
Not only was Ruskin well trained in the Bible； but he was a great
teacher of it。 In his preface to the Crown of Wild Olives he answers his
critics by saying he has used the Book for some forty years。 〃My endeavor
has been uniformly to make men read it more deeply than they do； trust it；
not in their own favorite verses only； but in the sum of it all； treat it not as
a fetish or a talisman which they are to be saved by daily repetition of； but
as a Captain's order； to be held and obeyed at their peril。〃 In the
introduction to the Seven Lamps of Architecture he urges that we are in no
danger of too much use of the Bible。 〃We use it most reverently when
most habitually。〃 Many of Ruskin's most striking titles come straight out
of the Scripture。 Crown of Wild Olives； Seven Lamps； Unto this Lastall
these are suggested by the Bible。
It is almost superfluous to speak of Robert Louis Stevenson。 John
Kelman has written a whole book on the religion of Stevenson； and it is
available for all readers。 He was raised by Cummy； his nurse； whose
library was chiefly the Bible； the shorter catechism； and the Life of Robert
Murray McCheyne。 He said that the fifty…eighth chapter of Isaiah was his
special chapter； because it so repudiated cant and demanded a self…denying
beneficence。 He loved Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress； but 〃the Bible most
stood him in hand。〃 Every great story or essay shows its influence。 He was
not critical with it； he did not understand it； he did not interpret it fairly；
but he felt it。 His Dr。 Jekyll and Mr。 Hyde is only his way of putting into
modern speech Paul's old distinction between the two men who abide in
each of us。 They told him he ought not to work in Samoa； and he replied
that he could not otherwise be true to the great Book by which he and all
men who meant to do great work must live。 Over the shoulder of our
beloved Robert Louis Stevenson you can see the great characters of
Scripture pressing him forward to his best work。
Not so much can be said of Swinburne。 There was a strong infusion of
acid in his nature； which no influence entirely destroyed。 He is apt to live
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as a literary critic and essayist； though he supposed himself chiefly a poet。
His own thought of poetry can be seen in his protest in behalf of Meredith。
When he had been accused of writing on a subject on which he had no
conviction to express （〃Modern Love〃）； Swinburne denied that poets
ought to preach anyway。 〃There are pulpits enough for all prea