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actual world but which now becomes in his hands more sharp and distinct in its outline, more brilliant in its colour, more vital, moral and spiritual in its expression. When this product of his intellect is given to the world, the people who see it, are not shocked at it, for they find nothing extravagantly strange in it, but are pleased to perceive what was, and is, familiar to them, has now become in- vested with a charm and beauty which thrills them with a heavenly pleasure and awakens in them an ardour to emulate its virtue. This effect is common to all ideal production of mighty minds whether they are prose wrtitings or poems, music, paintings or sculptures.
Still, of all, the effect produced by language is stronger and more permanent, since it appeals directly to intellect and imagina- tion, while that of music, painting and sculpture reaches them only indirectly. To the power and influence exercised from time imme- morial by language over the destinies of nations, the Tolkapiam, the Sacred Kural, the Silappadhikaram, the Iliad, the Mahabharata and others are a standing testimony even to-day.
In English literature, leaving aside the immense good ren- dered by the immortal works of such master poets as Shakespeare, Milton, Shelly and others, when we come to take into account the numerous benefits that accrued first to the English people and next through them to humanity at large, from the prose writings of liter- ary men no name stands higher in our estimation than that of Jo- seph Addison. Before the time of our author the English people were somewhat coarse in their tastes, rude in manners and want- ing in refinement. Their age was so badly artificial that in it even the greatness of a poem like Paradise Lost was not recognized. In such an age Addison came and “spoke with the true tone of a mor- alist, yet with a moderation and judgement that disarmed criticism, and brought the lessons home to the hearts of men. His humour is of the subtlest and most delicate kind; his wit is keen, but kept in check by a noble temper and perfect sanity of judgement.” Again it is to Addison that we are indebted "for enforcing true cannon of taste in literature, life and art, and for establishing a more correct standard writer who, in a remarkable way, fulfilled the function of a true literary artist. Even while he was in the modst of a people with little refinement, he did not allow his mind to be tainted by
