160 ON THE LITERARY HISTORY OP PARNELL^S ' HERMIT^ 



that eats the bread of sorrow and drinks the water of 

 affliction. 



There is a subtler problem which the story leaves un- 

 touched. It deals only with the surface of things. 

 Beautiful as it is, it embodies the judgment of a primitive 

 people who see only the concrete aspects of life. With 

 them the blessings of God take visible shape in worldly 

 possessions, in flocks and herds, in gold and silver, in men- 

 servants and maidservants. The real touchstone, how- 

 ever, is internal, and not external, 



" He that has light within his own clear breast 

 May sit i' the centre and enjoy bright day ; 

 But he that hides a dark soul and foul thoughts 

 Benighted walks under the mid-day sun ; 

 Himself is his own dungeon. 



Into this sphere of thought the old fabulist enters not. 

 He is content to give dramatic force to that which Pope 

 has expressed in didactic form : — 



" All Nature is but art unknown to thee ; 

 All chance, direction which thou canst not see ; 

 All discord, harmony not understood ; 

 All partial e^il, universal good ; 

 And spite of pride, in erring reason's spite, 

 One truth is clear, whatever is is right. 



