And high heroic harmony of dreams.
Nothing too high, too low, too great, too small,
But with heaven's golden light they touched it all.
The reader may perhaps find some monotony in the recurrence of familiar situations, types of character, and periods of history in several of the above fragments. It is explained by the fact that the author was in constant search of one all-sufficient subject for the ideal drama which ever haunted her thoughts, and that she tried one after another, laying by each as another more perfect realisation of her aim presented itself. She sought her subjects always in the same region of historical romance, partly from her own passion for, and minute acquaintance with, history; partly because the distant and obscure gave greater scope to her fancy, and allowed those glimpses of the supernatural which had such a charm for her. But her aim was ever to portray some strong human feeling, some situation which should develop unwonted emotion and tragic action of an exceptional yet not un-
214
