In this provocative volume well-known poet and literary critic Donald Davie examines the dissenting voice in English literature, religion, and politics. Examining the works of writers such as Milton, Charles Blake, and George Eliot; pulpit-orators such as Robert Hall; scientists like Michael Faraday; and political activists such as Joseph Priestley, he considers such questions as: How did their voice develop after their death? And were these dissenters the religious bigots, political time-servers, and artistic philistines they are portrayed as?