als, Christians. But most assuredly this is not the case; the
religion of this great Poet--in all his poetry published previous to
"The Excursion"--is but the "Religion of the Woods."

In "The Excursion," his religion is brought forward--prominently and
conspicuously--in many elaborate dialogues between Priest, Pedlar, Poet,
and Solitary. And a very high religion it often is; but is it
Christianity? No--it is not. There are glimpses given of some of the
Christian doctrines; just as if the various philosophical disquisitions,
in which the Poem abounds, would be imperfect without some allusion to
the Christian creed. The interlocutors--eloquent as they all are--say
but little on that theme; nor do they show--if we except the
Priest--much interest in it--any solicitude; they may all, for anything
that appears to the contrary, be deists.

Now, perhaps, it may be said that Wordsworth was deterred from entering
on such a theme by the awe of his spirit. But there is no appearance of
this having been the case in any one single passage in the whole poem.
Nor could it have been the case with such a man--a man privileged, by
the power God has bestowed upon him, to speak unto all the nations of
the earth, on all themes, however high and holy, which the children of
men can feel and understand. Christianity, during almost all their
disquisitions, lay in the way of all the speakers, as they kept
journeying among the hills,

"On man, on nature, and on human life,
Musing in Solitude!"

But they, one and all, either did not perceive it, or, perceiving it,
looked upon it with a cold and indifferent regard, and passed by into
the poetry breathing from the dewy woods, or lowering from the cloudy
skies. Their talk is of "Palmyra central, in the desert," rather than of
Jerusalem. On the mythology of the Heathen much beautiful poetry is
bestowed, but none on the theology of the Christian.

Yet there is no subject too high for Wordsworth's muse. In the preface
to "The Excursion," he says daringly--we fear too daringly,--

"Urania, I shall need
Thy guidance, or a greater muse, if such
Descend to earth, or dwell in highest heaven!
For I must tread on shadowy ground, must sink
Deep--and aloft ascending, breathe in worlds
To which the heaven of heavens is but a veil.
All strength--all terror--single or in bands,
That ever was put forth in personal form,
Jehovah with his thunder, a