In the late thirties and early forties the allegorists, the chief of whom were Samuel Wilberforce and William Adams, were busy and effective.

The future bishop's _Agathos_ (before 1840) is a very spirited and well-written adaptation of the "whole armour of God" theme so often re-allegorised: and Adams's _Shadow of the Cross_ is only the best of several good stories--of a rather more feminine type, but graceful, sound enough in a general way, and combining the manners of Spenser and Bunyan with no despicable skill.

If, however, the Tractarian fiction-writers had confined themselves to allegory there would be no necessity to do more than glance at them, for allegory, on the obvious Biblical suggestion, has been a constant instrument of combined religious instruction and pastime.

But they went much further afield.
Sometimes the excursions were half satirical, as in the really amusing _Owlet of Owlstone Edge_ and _The Curate of Cumberworth and the Vicar of Roost_ of Francis Paget, attacking, the slovenly neglect and supineness which, quite as much as unsound doctrine, was the _bete noire_ of the early Anglo-Catholics.

William Gresley and others wrote stories mostly for the young.