world a new and larger, less dogmatic faith. The third
most striking change, the social, appeared in a great im-
provement in the material comfort of the people. More
and better schools grew up; cities became cleaner, bet-
ter lighted; steam and electricity promoted intercourse
of men and nations. This development, like the reli-
gious, may be almost wholly attributed to science. Urged
on by its inquiring spirit, culture spread amazingly;
four of the six English universities were established in
the nineteenth century; study was for the first time
put on an accurate, "historical" basis; the cheapness
of paper now put books, magazines, and newspapers
within the reach of all; and the "general reader"
sprang into being. Yet, at the same time, the commer-
cialism which the new mechanical interests inspired
grew out of all proportion. The prosperity of the peo-
ple was also its curse, for it brought about a narrow
eagerness for mere luxury and a consequent lowness
of artistic and moral ideals; it came perilously near
making man into a machine. Of this the best evidence
is the atrocious architecture of the years from 1850
to 1875 and the absorption of the majority of men in
mere money-making business. If Macaulay reflects the
progress and success of his times, Carlyle and Ruskin,
it must not be forgotten, are strong in disgust at the
way such success was attained; their cry is for spir-
itual as well as material progress.

This age of diversity and scientific inquiry had two
chief literary expressions -- both in prose: (1) The
novel, which reached its maturity in Victorian days, an-
alyzed and expressed far more than any other kind of
writing the complexity of a very various life. Equally
significant has been the perfecting of the short story,

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