Chapter XII: Religious Orthodoxy and Opinions

Anglican orthodoxy and evangelical antipathies imbibed by Trollope in childhood--His personal objections to the Low Church Party for theological as well as social reasons--His characteristic revenge on Norman Macleod for extorting from him a _Good Words_ novel--_Rachel Ray_ a case of “vous l’avez voulu, George Dandin”--And instead of a story for evangelical readers a spun-out satire on evangelicalism--Its plot, characters, and incidents--_Nina Balatka_ regarded as a problem Jew story--_Linda Tressel_ to Bavarian Puritanism much as _Rachel Ray_ to English--_Miss Mackenzie_ another hit at the Low Church--Its characters and plot--_The Last Chronicle of Barset_ and _The Vicar of Bullhampton_--Their serious elements, as well as social photographs and occasional touches of satire against women, ever doing second thing before first and then doing the first wrong--Both novels illustrate Trollope’s views of the tragic volcano ever ready to break out from under the social crust 223

CHAPTER XIII

PEN AND PLATFORM POLITICS

Failures of literary men in the political world at the beginning of the nineteenth century--Trollope increases the number by going under at Beverley--“Not in, but in at the death”--_Ralph the Heir_--Its plots and politics--Trollope as editor of _The St. Paul’s Magazine_--_Phineas Finn_--Some remarks on Trollope’s _Palmerston_--In the heart of political society--The hero’s flirtations and fights in London--His final return to the old home and friends--_Phineas Redux_--Again in London--Charged with murder--Madame Goesler’s double triumph--Some probable caricatures--Trollope renews acquaintance with Planty Pal and his wife in _The Prime Minister_--The close of the political series comes with _The Duke’s Children_ 245

CHAPTER XIV

AMERICAN MISSIONS AND COLONIAL TOURS

Trollope’s third visit to America--That of 1868 about the Postal Treaty and Copyright Commission--Mr. and Mrs. Trollope’s Australian visit (1871) to their sheep-farming son--Family or personal features and influences in the colonial novels suggested by this journey--Trollope as colonial novelist compared with Charles Reade and Henry Kingsley--Why the colonial novels were preceded by _The Eustace Diamonds_--Rival South African travellers--Trollope follows Froude to the Cape--What he thought about the country’s present and future--How he found out Dr. Jameson and Miss Schreiner--John Blackwood, Trollope’s particular friend among publishers--Trollope, Blackwood’s pattern writer--_Julius Cæsar_--Anthony’s birthday present to John--The South African book--What the critics said--Well-timed and sells accordingly 269