“A gracious spirit o’er this earth presides,
And in the heart of man; invisibly
It comes to works of unreproved delight
And tendency benign; directing those
Who care not, know not, think not, what they do.”
Prelude, v, ad f.
But if the tendency of things is to good, why should the usual be in such strong contrast with “the natural”? Here again we may turn to Wordsworth. After pointing to the harmony of the visible world, and declaring his faith that “every flower enjoys the air it breathes,” he goes on—
“If this belief from heaven be sent,
If this be Nature’s holy plan,
Have I not reason to lament,