English Literature Its History and Its Significance for the Life of the English Speaking World by William J. Long StyledbyLimpidSoft Contents PREFACE 1 OVERVIEW 6 CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION—THE MEANING OFLITERATURE 10 CHAPTER II. THE ANGLO-SAXON OR OLD- ENGLISHPERIOD(450-1050) 20 OUR FIRST POETRY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 ANGLO-SAXON LIFE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 CHRISTIAN WRITERS OF THE ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 DECLINE OF NORTHUMBRIAN LITERATURE. . 52 BIBLIOGRAPHY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 CHAPTER III. THE ANGLO-NORMAN PERIOD (1066-1350) 60 HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . 60 LITERATURE OF THE NORMAN PERIOD . . . . 64 CHAPTERIV.THEAGEOFCHAUCER(1350-1400) 83 THE NEW NATIONAL LIFE AND LITERATURE 83 CHAUCER’S CONTEMPORARIES . . . . . . . . . 98 2 BIBLIOGRAPHY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 CHAPTER V. THE REVIVAL OF LEARNING (1400- 1550) 107 HISTORY OF THE PERIOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 LITERATURE OF THE REVIVAL . . . . . . . . . 111 BIBLIOGRAPHY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 CHAPTERVI.THEAGEOFELIZABETH(1550-1620) 118 HISTORY OF THE PERIOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 THE NON-DRAMATIC POETS OF THE ELIZA- BETHAN AGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 THE FIRST ENGLISH DRAMATISTS . . . . . . . 136 PERIODS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DRAMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE (1564-1593) . . . . . . 154 SHAKESPEARE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 THE PROSE WRITERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 BIBLIOGRAPHY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 CHAPTERVII.THEPURITANAGE(1620-1660) 208 HISTORICAL SUMMARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 LITERATURE OF THE PURITAN PERIOD . . . . 213 PROSE WRITERS OF THE PURITAN PERIOD . 244 MINOR PROSE WRITERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252 BIBLIOGRAPHY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259 CHAPTER VIII. PERIOD OF THE RESTORATION (1660-1700) 262 THE AGE OF FRENCH INFLUENCE . . . . . . . 262 CHAPTER IX. EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY LITERA- TURE(1700-1800) 286 AUGUSTAN OR CLASSIC AGE . . . . . . . . . . . 286 THE REVIVAL OF ROMANTIC POETRY . . . . . 334 BIBLIOGRAPHY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389 3 CHAPTER X. THE AGE OF ROMANTICISM (1800- 1850) 393 THESECONDCREATIVEPERIODOFENGLISH LITERATURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393 THE POETS OF ROMANTICISM . . . . . . . . . . 400 PROSE WRITERS OF THE ROMANTIC PERIOD 451 BIBLIOGRAPHY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 471 CHAPTERXI.THEVICTORIANAGE(1850-1900) 476 THE MODERN PERIOD OF PROGRESS AND UNREST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 476 THE POETS OF THE VICTORIAN AGE . . . . . 481 THE NOVELISTS OF THE VICTORIAN AGE . . 510 ESSAYISTS OF THE VICTORIAN AGE . . . . . . 542 APPENDIX 585 GENERAL BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . 585 CHRONOLOGY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 591 4 The present document was derived from text provided by Project Gutenberg (document 10609) which was made avail- ablefreeofcharge. Thisdocumentisalsofreeofcharge. 5 TO MYFRIEND CHT INGRATITUDEFOR HISCONTINUEDHELPINTHE PREPARATIONOF THISBOOK 6 PREFACE THIS BOOK, WHICH presentsthewholesplendidhistoryof EnglishliteraturefromAnglo-Saxontimestothecloseof the Victorian Era, has three specific aims. The first is to cre- ateortoencourageineverystudentthedesiretoreadthebest books,andtoknowliteratureitselfratherthanwhathasbeen written about literature. The second is to interpret literature bothpersonallyandhistorically, thatis,toshowhowagreat bookgenerallyreflectsnotonlytheauthor’slifeandthought but also the spirit of the age and the ideals of the nation’s history. The third aim is to show, by a study of each succes- sive period, how our literature has steadily developed from its first simple songs and stories to its present complexity in proseandpoetry. To carry out these aims we have introduced the following features: (1) A brief, accurate summary of historical events and so- cialconditionsineachperiod,andaconsiderationoftheide- alswhichstirredthewholenation,asinthedaysofElizabeth, beforetheyfoundexpressioninliterature. (2)Astudyofthevariousliteraryepochsinturn,showing what each gained from the epoch preceding, and how each aidedinthedevelopmentofanationalliterature. (3)Areadablebiographyofeveryimportantwriter, show- inghowhelivedandworked,howhemetsuccessorfailure, 1 PREFACE howheinfluencedhisage,andhowhisageinfluencedhim. (4)Astudyandanalysisofeveryauthor’sbestworks,and ofmanyofthebooksrequiredforcollege-entranceexamina- tions. (5) Selections enough–especially from earlier writers, and from writers not likely to be found in the home or school library–to indicate the spirit of each author’s work; and di- rections as to the best works to read, and where such works maybefoundininexpensiveeditions. (6) A frank, untechnical discussion of each great writer’s work as a whole, and a critical estimate of his relative place andinfluenceinourliterature. (7) A series of helps to students and teachers at the end ofeachchapter,includingsummaries,selectionsforreading, bibliographies, a list of suggestive questions, and a chrono- logicaltableofimportanteventsinthehistoryandliterature ofeachperiod. (8) Throughout this book we have remembered Roger As- cham’s suggestion, made over three centuries ago and still pertinent,that"’tisapoorwaytomakeachildlovestudyby beginning with the things which he naturally dislikes." We have laid emphasis upon the delights of literature; we have treated books not as mere instruments of research–which is the danger in most of our studies–but rather as instruments ofenjoymentandofinspiration;andbymakingourstudyas attractive as possible we have sought to encourage the stu- denttoreadwidelyforhimself,tochoosethebestbooks,and toformhisownjudgmentaboutwhatourfirstAnglo-Saxon writerscalled"thethingsworthytoberemembered." To those who may use this book in their homes or in their class rooms, the writer ventures to offer one or two friendly suggestions out of his own experience as a teacher of young people. First,theamountofspaceheregiventodifferentpe- riods and authors is not an index of the relative amount of 2 PREFACE time to be spent upon the different subjects. Thus, to tell the story of Spenser’s life and ideals requires as much space as totellthestoryofTennyson;buttheaverageclasswillspend its time more pleasantly and profitably with the latter poet than with the former. Second, many authors who are and ought to be included in this history need not be studied in the class room. A text-book is not a catechism but a store- house, in which one finds what he wants, and some good things beside. Few classes will find time to study Blake or Newman, for instance; but in nearly every class there will be found one or two students who are attracted by the mys- ticism of Blake or by the profound spirituality of Newman. Suchstudentsshouldbeencouragedtofollowtheirownspir- its,andtosharewiththeirclassmatesthejoyoftheirdiscov- eries. Andtheyshouldfindintheirtext-bookthematerialfor theirownstudyandreading. Athirdsuggestionrelatestothemethodofteachinglitera- ture;andhereitmightbewelltoconsiderthewordofagreat poet,–that if you would know where the ripest cherries are, asktheboysandtheblackbirds. Itissurprisinghowmucha youngpersonwillgetoutoftheMerchantofVenice,andsome- howarriveatShakespeare’sopinionofShylockandPortia,if wedonotbotherhimtoomuchwithnotesandcriticaldirec- tions as to what he ought to seek and find. Turn a child and adonkeylooseinthesamefield,andthechildheadsstraight for the beautiful spots where brooks are running and birds singing, while the donkey turns as naturally to weeds and thistles. Inourstudyofliteraturewehaveperhapstoomuch sympathy with the latter, and we even insist that the child come back from his own quest of the ideal to join us in our critical companionship. In reading many text-books of late, andinvisitingmanyclassrooms,thewriterhasreceivedthe impressionthatwelaytoomuchstressonsecond-handcriti- cism,passeddownfrombooktobook;andwesetourpupils to searching for figures of speech and elements of style, as if the great books of the world were subject to chemical anal- 3 PREFACE ysis. This seems to be a mistake, for two reasons: first, the average young person has no natural interest in such mat- ters; and second, he is unable to appreciate them. He feels unconsciouslywithChaucer: Andasforme,thoughthatmywitbelytë, OnbookësfortoredeImedelytë. Indeed, many mature persons (including the writer of this history) are often unable to explain at first the charm or the styleofanauthorwhopleasesthem;andthemoreprofound theimpressionmadebyabook,themoredifficultitistogive expression to our thought and feeling. To read and enjoy goodbooksiswithus,aswithChaucer,themainthing;toan- alyzetheauthor’sstyleorexplainourownenjoymentseems of secondary and small importance. However that may be, we state frankly our own conviction that the detailed study and analysis of a few standard works–which is the only lit- erary pabulum given to many young people in our schools– bears the same relation to true literature that theology bears toreligion,orpsychologytofriendship. Oneisamoreorless unwelcomementaldiscipline;theotheristhejoyoflife. Thewriterventurestosuggest,therefore,that,sincelitera- ture is our subject, we begin and end with good books; and that we stand aside while the great writers speak their own message to our pupils. In studying each successive period, let the student begin by reading the best that the age pro- duced; let him feel in his own way the power and mystery of Beowulf, the broad charity of Shakespeare, the sublimity of Milton, the romantic enthusiasm of Scott; and then, when his own taste is pleased and satisfied, a new one will arise,– to know something about the author, the times in which he lived, and finally of criticism, which, in its simplicity, is the discovery that the men and women of other ages were very muchlikeourselves,lovingaswelove,bearingthesamebur- dens,andfollowingthesameideals: 4