and the last scene of all represents him the weak slave of
  his mistress, a quack doctor, and a revivalist—­’which things
  are an allegory.’”

The quotation shows that Crabbe, neglected by the readers of poetry to-day, is still cherished by the psychologist and divine.  It is to the “graver mind” rather than to the “lighter heart” that he oftenest appeals.  Newman, to mention no small names, found Crabbe’s pathos and fidelity to Human Nature even more attractive to him in advanced years than in youth.  There is indeed much in common between Crabbe’s treatment of life and its problems, and Newman’s.  Both may be called “stern” portrayers of human nature, not only as intended in Byron’s famous line, but in Wordsworth’s use of the epithet when he invoked Duty as the “stern Daughter of the voice of God.”  A kindred lesson to that drawn by Canon Gore from The Gentleman Farmer is taught in the yet grimmer Tale of Edward Shore.  The story, as summarised by Jeffrey, is as follows: 

“The hero is a young man of aspiring genius and enthusiastic temper with an ardent love of virtue, but no settled principles either of conduct or opinion.  He first conceives an attachment for an amiable girl, who is captivated with his conversation; but, being too poor to marry, soon comes to spend more of his time in the family of an elderly sceptic of his acquaintance, who had recently married a young wife, and placed unbounded confidence in her virtue, and the honour of his friend.  In a moment of temptation they abuse this confidence.  The husband renounces him with dignified composure; and he falls at once from the romantic pride of his virtue.  He then seeks the company of the dissipated and gay, and ruins his health and fortune without regaining his tranquillity.  When in gaol and miserable, he is relieved by an unknown hand, and traces the benefaction to the friend whose former kindness he had so ill repaid.  This humiliation falls upon his proud spirit and shattered nerves with an overwhelming force, and his reason fails beneath it.  He is for some time a raving maniac, and then falls into a state of gay and compassionable imbecility, which is described with inimitable beauty in the close of this story.”

Jeffrey’s abstract is fairly accurate, save in one particular.  Edward Shore can hardly be said to feel an “ardent love of virtue.”  Rather is he perfectly confident of his respectability, and bitterly contemptuous of those who maintain the necessity of religion to control men’s unruly passions.  His own lofty conceptions of the dignity of human nature are sufficient for himself: 

  “’While reason guides me, I shall walk aright,
  Nor need a steadier hand, or stronger light;
  Nor this in dread of awful threats, design’d
  For the weak spirit and the grov’ling mind;
  But that, engaged by thoughts and views sublime,
  I wage free war with grossness and with crime.’ 
  Thus looked he proudly on the vulgar crew,
  Whom statutes govern, and whom fears subdue.”