of true Souls departed!

Their architecture, belfries, land-carucates? Yes,--and that is
but a small item of the matter. Does it never give thee pause,
this other strange item of it, that men then had a _soul,_--not
by hearsay alone, and as a figure of speech; but as a truth that
they knew, and practically went upon! Verily it was another
world then. Their Missals have become incredible, a sheer
platitude, sayest thou? Yes, a most poor platitude; and even,
if thou wilt, an idolatry and blasphemy, should any one persuade
_thee_ to believe them, to pretend praying by them. But yet it
is pity we had lost tidings of our souls:--actually we shall
have to go in quest of them again, or worse in all ways will
befall! A certain degree of soul, as Ben Jonson reminds us, is
indispensable to keep the very body from destruction of the
frightfullest sort; to 'save us,' says he, 'the expense of
_salt.'_ Ben has known men who had soul enough to keep their
body and five senses from becoming carrion, and save salt:--men,
and also Nations. You may look in Manchester Hunger-mobs and
Corn-law Commons Houses, and various other quarters, and
say whether either soul or else salt is not somewhat wanted
at present!--

Another world, truly: and this present poor distressed world
might get some profit by looking wisely into it, instead of
foolishly. But at lowest, O dilettante friend, let us know
always that it was a world, and not a void infinite of grey haze
with fantasms swimming in it. These old St. Edmundsbury walls, I
say, were not peopled with fantasms; but with men of flesh and
blood, made altogether as we are. Had thou and I then been, who