It really makes me beleive we are devolving

A large difference between now and then is the level of education of the authors. Most everything we read from then was written by people that were from rather wealthy, connected in high places families who sent their kids to a university. Compare what they wrote to what a commoner of that era wrote, if they could read or write at all, and the differences are just as prevalent as today. Modern wealthy peoples who attend upper echelon universities are often quite eloquent authors comparable to those in the past. Plus, languages evolve over time, usually to facilitate speed of communication in lieu of flowery prose. Where the masses generally prefer a quick transfer of information over a tome to slog through, no matter how interestingly worded. I love the writing you point out from that era for pleasure reading, yet would find it tiresome when simply seeking information, such as in a news report of events, science papers, a doctor's diagnoses, etc. Sincere apologies if this view comes across as contrarian in nature, I merely see the same 'society is decaying' complaints from the beginning of written history through today. Every generation has those who view the next generation as 'devolving' and yet here we are with a literacy rate to shame the 18th century, all while communicating with people around the planet whose mother tongue is not English. Which is another reason prose has it's place and 'stripped down' everyday language is common -- ease and clarity of communication between all peoples with widely varying English vocabularies. In short: many of the authors from that era viewed the commoners of their time as 'devolving' illiterates who couldn't string together a sentence worth reading or hearing. Exactly the same as today and long previous to their time.

..in Britain..