Prose writers of the Later Victorian Period

There were two great prose writers in the later Victorian period - Newman and Pater.
Newman was the central figure of the Oxford movement.
Pater was an aesthete. He inspired the leaders of the Aesthetic movement.

A) Newman and the Oxford Movement

The Oxford movement was an attempt to recover a lost tradition.
England had become a Protestant country in the 16th C under the reign of Elizabeth.
Her own Church, called the Anglican Church became independent of the control of the Pope at Rome.
Before that England was a Catholic country.
The Anglican church insisted on simplicity.
It did not encourage elaborate ceremonies.
It had become too much rational. They had no faith in rituals and old traditions.
In the 18th century in England, religion was attacked by philosophers and scientists.
The protagonists of the Oxford Movement tried to show that Middle Ages had qualities, that the moderns lacked.
The Medieval and the early church were pious and genius. Later all this disappeared.
Therefore they made an attempt to restore all those virtues.
The Oxford Movement made an attempt to emphasize the importance of traditional religion and old values.
They tried it with symbolism.
They opposed the doctrines of liberalism of the Early Victorian Age.
They attempted to resume the Medieval tradition.
The 18th century had crushed the supremacy of intellect.
The aesthetic aspect had a wide appeal.
Even those who were not in support of the movement had sympathy.
A long time back the germs of Oxford Movement could be seen in Wordsworth Ecclesiastical Sketches in 1822.

Others who were involved in this movement were, E. B. Pusey and John Henry Newman.
In fact, this movement was called Oxford Movement, because the main supporters were from Oxford.
Later the movement got its name - The Tractarian Movement; they wrote pamphlets.
To explain their points, they wrote pamphlets called, 'Tractiler' for the times. (1835-1841)
E. B. Pussey (1800-1882) originated 'Pusseyism'. This came nearest to Rome. But did not merge into Romanticism.
Pussey was a colleague of Keble.

Newman was the genius of the Oxford Movement. He joined the movement later. But he became very popular.
Newman was the one who went against Protestantism. He supported the Roman church.
Fraud called him the, 'indicating number'.
Newman dreamt of a free and powerful church.
He aspired to return to the spirit of the Middle Ages.
The Anglicanism did not fare well. So he had to leave it. These lacked Catholicity.
Universality and the Principle of authority, he could find only in Rome.
In 1845, he was converted to Roman Catholicism.
In 1879, he was made a cardinal.
Newman was a great writer of prose and verse.
His greatest contribution to English prose is his 'Apologia'.
Here he gave reasons for his conversion.
It is a refined prose. His style reflects his character.
Another characteristic of Newman was his wide range.
He could express himself in any manner.
His art of prose is natural.

Pater belonged to the group of Arnold and Ruskin.
He followed a new line of criticism.
He was also the leader of the Aesthetics and Decedants of the Later part of the 19th C.
Pater was an Epicurean, a worshipper of Beauty.
But he did not attach the most importance to the moral and ethical side.
He was interested in the phases of history.
He thus tried to trace the history and laid stress on artistic value.
His works - studies in the History of the Rennaissance (1873), Maurius the Epicurean has most of his philosophy. It spiritualises his search for pleasure.
Greek studies reflect his philosophy.
It spiritualise his search for pleasure.
His aestheticism lies in the fact, that, the knowledge of the past gives joy and understanding of the human soul
As a critic, Pater stands eminent.
His studies are short on appreciation of the judgement.
He opened that 'Say what you have to say, what you have a will to say, in the simplest.
According to Pater, romantic spirits are curiosity and a love for beauty.
The classical spirit is - 'A Comely order'.
He believed that all good art was romantic in its day.
But then, his attitude is more of a recluse who has no part to play in the world.