Quarterly Review, existing as an organ of the political Dissenters, and for as much play of mind as may suit its being that; we have the Times, existing as an organ of the common, satisfied, well-to-do Englishman, and for as much play of mind as may suit its being that.  And so on through all the various fractions, political and religious, of our society; every fraction has, as such, its organ of criticism, but the notion of combining all fractions in the common pleasure of a free disinterested play of mind meets with no favor.  Directly this play of mind wants to have more scope, and to forget the pressure of practical considerations a little, it is checked, it is made to feel the chain.  We saw this the other day in the extinction, so much to be regretted, of the Home and Foreign Review.[36] Perhaps in no organ of criticism in this country was there so much knowledge, so much play of mind; but these could not save it.  The Dublin Review subordinates play of mind to the practical business of English and Irish Catholicism, and lives.  It must needs be that men should act in sects and parties, that each of these sects and parties should have its organ, and should make this organ subserve the interests of its action; but it would be well, too, that there should be a criticism, not the minister of these interests, not their enemy, but absolutely and entirely independent of them.  No other criticism will ever attain any real authority or make any real way towards its end,—­the creating a current of true and fresh ideas.

It is because criticism has so little kept in the pure intellectual sphere, has so little detached itself from practice, has been so directly polemical and controversial, that it has so ill accomplished, in this country, its best spiritual work; which is to keep man from a self-satisfaction which is retarding and vulgarizing, to lead him towards perfection, by making his mind dwell upon what is excellent in itself, and the absolute beauty and fitness of things.  A polemical practical criticism makes men blind even to the ideal imperfection of their practice, makes them willingly assert its ideal perfection, in order the better to secure it against attack:  and clearly this is narrowing and baneful for them.  If they were reassured on the practical side, speculative considerations of ideal perfection they might be brought to entertain, and their spiritual horizon would thus gradually widen.  Sir Charles Adderley[37] says to the Warwickshire farmers:—­

“Talk of the improvement of breed!  Why, the race we ourselves represent, the men and women, the old Anglo-Saxon race, are the best breed in the whole world....  The absence of a too enervating climate, too unclouded skies, and a too luxurious nature, has produced so vigorous a race of people, and has rendered us so superior to all the world.”

Mr. Roebuck[38] says to the Sheffield cutlers:—­

“I look around me and ask what is the state of England?  Is not property safe?  Is not every man able to say what he likes?  Can you not walk from one end of England to the other in perfect security?  I ask you whether, the world over or in past history, there is anything like it?  Nothing.  I pray that our unrivalled happiness may last.”