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-PROSE. 6. The Living Language freely used-Translations from the Scriptures.-
7. Original Composition-Homilies-Miscellaneous Works-The Saxon Chronicle.—
8. King Alfred-His Works-His Character..
CHAPTER III.
THE NORMAN TIMES.
A. D. 1066-A. D. 1307.
Page 37
SECTION FIRST: LITERATURE IN THE LATIN TONGUE.
INTRODUCTION TO THE PERIOD. 1. Distribution of Races and Kingdoms.-2. Literary
Character of the Times.-THE REGULAR LATIN LITERATURE. 3. Learning in the
Eleventh Century--Lanfranc-Anselm.-4. Philosophy and Physical Science in the
Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries-Hales and Duns Scotus-Roger Bacon.-5. His-
torians-William of Malmesbury-Geoffrey of Monmouth-Girald du Barri-Mat-
thew Paris.-6. Success in Poetry-Joseph of Exeter-Geoffrey de Vinsauf-Nigel
Wircker's Ass.-THE IRREGULAR LATIN LITERATURE. 7. Latin Pasquinades-The
Priest Golias-Walter Mapes.-8. Collections of Tales in Latin-Gervase of Tilbury-
The Seven Sages-The Gesta Romanorum-Nature of the Stories.-9. Uses of the
Collections of Tales-Reading in Monasteries-Manuals for Preachers-Morals an-
nexed in the Gesta-Specimens.-10. Use of the Latin Stories by the Poets-Chival-
rous Romances taken from them-Chaucer and Gower-Shakspeare and Sir Walter
Scott-Miscellaneous Instances.. Page 47
SECTION SECOND:
CHAPTER IV.
LITERATURE IN THE NORMAN-FRENCH AND
SAXON-ENGLISH TONGUES.
NORMAN-FRENCH. 1. The Two Languages of France-Poetry of the Normans-The
Fabliaux and Chivalrous Romances.-2. Anglo-Norman Romances from English
History-The Legend of Havelok-Growth of Fictitious Embellishments-Transla-
tions into English.-3. Anglo-Norman Romances of the Round Table-Outline of
their Story.-4. Authors and Translators of Anglo-Norman Romances-Chiefly Eng-
lishmen-Borron-Gast-Mapes.-SAXON-ENGLISH. 5. Decay of the Anglo-Saxon
Tongue-The Saxon Chronicle.-6. Extant Relics of Semi-Saxon English Verse-
Historical Works partly from the French-Approach to the English Tongue-The
Brut of Layamon-Robert of Gloucester-Robert Mannyng.-7. Other Metrical
Relics of Semi-Saxon and Early English Verse-The Ormulum-The Owl and the
Nightingale-Michael of Kildare-The Ancient English Drama....
CHAPTER V.
Page 59
THE LITERATURE OF ENGLAND IN THE FOURTEENTH
CENTURY.
A. D. 1307-A. D. 1399.
INTRODUCTION. 1. Social and Literary Character of the Period,-LITERATURE FROM
1807 TO 1350, 2. Occam's Philosophy-Ecclesiastics - English Poems.-PROSE FROM
1350 TO 1399. 8. Ecclesiastical Reforms-John Wycliffe-His Translation of the Bible
-Mandeville-Trevisa-Chaucer.-POETRY FROM 1350 To 1399. 4. Minor Poets-
The Visions of Pierce Plowman-Character of their Inventions-Chivalrous Ro-
mances-5. John Gower-His Works-Illustrations of the Confessio Amantis.-6.
Geoffrey Chaucer-His Life-His Studies and Literary Character.-7. Chaucer's Met-
rical Translations -His smaller Original Poems-The Flower and the Leaf--8. Chau-
cer's Canterbury Tales--Their Plan-The Prologue-Description of the Pilgrims.-
9. The Stories told by the Pilgrims-Their diversified Character, Poetical and Mo-
ral.
Page 70
CHAPTER VI.
ENGLISH LITERATURE IN THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY, AND
SCOTTISH IN THE FOURTEENTH AND FIFTEENTH.
A. D. 1399—A. D. 1509; AND A. D. 1306—A. D. 1513.
ENGLAND. 1. Poetry-John Lydgate-His Storie of Thebes.-2. Lydgate's Minor
Poems-Character of his Opinions and Feelings-Relapse into Monasticism-Speci-
mens.-3. Stephen Hawes Analysis of his Pastime of Pleasure.-4. The Latest
Metrical Romances-The Earliest Ballads-Chevy Chase-Robin Hood.-5. Prose-
Literary Dearth-Patrons of Learning-Hardyng-William Caxton-His Printing-
Press and its Fruits.-SCOTLAND. 6. Retrospect-Michael Scot-Thomas the
Rhymer.-7. The Fourteenth Century-John of Fordun-Wyntoun's Chronicle--
The Bruce of John Barbour-Its Literary Merit-Its Language.-8. The Fifteenth
Century-The King's Quair-Blind Harry the Minstrel-Brilliancy of Scottish
Poetry late in the Century-Henryson-His Testament of Cressida-Gawain Doug-
las-His Works.-9. William Dunbar-His Genius and Poetical Works-Scottish
Prose still wanting-Universities founded-Printing in Edinburgh...
Page 84
PART SECOND.
THE ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF THE ENGLISH
LANGUAGE.
CHAPTER I.
THE ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD.
A. D. 449-A. D. 1066.
INTRODUCTION OF THE CONSTITUENT ELEMENTS OF THE
1. The Families of European Tongues-The Celtic, Gothic, and Classical-The Anglo-
Saxon a Germanic Tongue of the Gothic Stock.-2. Founders of the Anglo-Saxon
Race in England-Jutes, Saxons, Angles-The Old Frisic Dialect.--3. History of the
Anglo-Saxon Tongue-Prevalence of the Dialect of the West Saxons-Two Leading
Dialects-The Saxon-The Anglian or Northumbrian.-4. What Dialect of Anglo-Sax-
on passed into the Standard English Tongue?-5. Close Resemblance of the Anglo-
Saxon Tongue to the English--Illustrated by Examples.-6. 7. Alfred's Tale of Or-
pheus and Eurydice-Literal Translation and Notes.-8. Cædmon's Destruction of
Pharaoh-Translated with Notes.. Page 98
CHAPTER II.
THE SEMI-SAXON PERIOD.
A. D. 1066-A. D. 1250.
TRANSITION OF THE SAXON TONGUE INTO THE ENGLISH.
1. Character of the Language in this Stage-Duration of the Period.-2. The kinds of
Corruptions-Illustrated by Examples.-3. Extract from the Saxon Chronicle Trans-
lated and Analyzed.-4. Layamon's Brut-Analysis of its Language-Comparison
with Language of the Chronicle.-5. Extract from Layamon Translated and Ana-
Page 113
lyzed...
THE OLD ENGLISH PERIOD.
A. D. 1250-A. D. 1500.
FORMATION OF THE STRUCTURE OF THE ENGLISH TONGUE.
1. Principle of the Change-Inflections deserted-Substitutes to be found-The First
Step already exemplified.-2. Stages of the Re-Construction-Early English-Middle
English. EARLY ENGLISH.-3. Character of the Early English-Specimens.-4. Ex-
tract from the Owl and the Nightingale.-5. Extract from the Legend of Thomas
Becket. MIDDLE ENGLISH.-6. Character of the Middle English-the Main Features
of the Modern Tongue established-Changes in Grammar-Changes in Vocabulary-
Specimens Chaucer.-7. Extracts from Prologue to the Canterbury Tales.-8. Ex-
tracts from the Knight's Tale.-9. Specimen of Chaucer's Prose.-10. Language in
the Early Part of the Fifteenth Century-Extract from Lydgate's Churl and Bird.-
11. Language in the Latter Part of the Fifteenth Century-Its Character-The Struc-
ture of the English Tongue substantially Completed-Extract from The Paston Let-
ters. THE LANGUAGE OF SCOTLAND.-12. A Gothic Dialect in North-Eastern Coun-
ties-An Anglo-Saxor. Dialect in Southern Counties-Changes as in England.-13.
The Scottish Tongue in the Fourteenth Century-Extract from Barbour's Bruce.-
14. Great Changes in the Fifteenth Century-Extract from Dunbar's Thistle and
Rose..
Page 121
THE SOURCES OF THE MODERN ENGLISH TONGUE; AND
THEIR COMPARATIVE IMPORTANCE.
1. Two points-The Grammar-The Vocabulary-Doctrine as to each.-GRAMMAR. 2.
English Grammar in Substance Anglo-Saxon-Enumeration of Particulars.-8. Gen-
eral Doctrine-Our Deviations in Verbs few-The chief of them-Our Deviations in
Nouns and their Allies many-Description of them-Consequences.-4. Position of
Modern English among European Tongues-Leading Facts common to the History
of all-Comparison of the Gothic Tongues with the Classical-Comparison of the
English Tongue with both.-VOCABULARY. 5. Glossarial Elements to be Weighed
not Numbered--The Principal Words of the English Tongue--Anglo-Saxon-Seven
Classes of Words from Saxon Roots.-6. Words from Latin Roots-Periods of Intro-
duction-Kinds and Uses.-7. Words from French Roots-Periods of Introduction-
Kinds and Uses.-8. Words from Greek Roots.-9. Words from Tongues yielding few.
-10. Estimate, by Number, of Saxon Words Lost-Remarks.--11. Estimate of the
number of Saxon Words retained-Proportion as tested by the Dictionaries-Propor-
tion as tested by Specimens from Popular Writers..
Page 141
PART THIRD.
THE LITERATURE OF MODERN TIMES.
A. D. 1509-A. D. 1852.
THE AGE OF THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION.
A. D. 1509-A. D. 1558.
SECTION FIRST: SCHOLASTIC AND ECCLESIASTICAL LITERATURE IN
ENGLAND.
INTRODUCTION. 1. Impulses affecting Literature-Checks impeding it-The_Reforma
tion-State Affairs--Classical Learning. 2. Influence of the Age on the Literature
of the Next-Its Social Importance. CLASSICAL LEARNING. 3. Benefits of Printing
-Greek and Latin Studies-Eminent Names-THEOLOGY. 4. Translations of the
Holy Scriptures-Tyndale's Life and Labours-Coverdale-Rogers-Cranmer-
Reigns of Edward the Sixth and Mary-Increase of Printers. 5. Original English
Writings in Theology-Their General Character-Ridley-Cranmer-Tyndale's Con-
troversial Treatises-Latimer's Sermons-Character of Latimer's Oratory. Page 158
SECTION SECOND: MISCELLANEOUS LITERATURE IN ENGLAND;
AND LITERATURE ECCLESIASTICAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
IN SCOTLAND.
MISCELLANEOUS PROSE IN ENGLAND. 1. Secondary Importance of the Works-Sir
Thomas More-His Style-His Historical Writings-His Tracts and Letters.-2.
Roger Ascham-His Style-His Toxophilus-His Schoolmaster-Prosody-Female
Education-Wilson's Logic and Rhetoric.-ENGLISH POETRY. 3. Poetical Aspect
and Relations of the Age-Its Earliest Poetry-Satires-Barklay-Skelton's Works.
4. Lord Surrey-His Literary Influence-Its Causes-His Italian Studies-His Son-
nets-Introduction of Blank Verse-His Supposed Influence on English Versification.
-5. Wyatt-Translations of the Psalms-The Mirror of Magistrates-Its Influence
-Its Plan and Authors-Sackville's Induction and Complaint of Buckingham.-
-INFANCY OF THE ENGLISH DRAMA. 6. Retrospect-The English Drama in the
Middle Ages-Its Religious Cast-The_Miracle-Plays-The Moral-Plays.-7. The
Drama in the Sixteenth Century-Its Beginnings-Skelton-Bishop Bale's Moral
Plays-Heywood's Interludes.-8. Appearance of Tragedy and Comedy-Udall's
Comedy of Roister Doister-The Tragedy of Gorboduc, by Sackville and Norton.-
LITERATURE IN SCOTLAND. 9. Literary Character of the Period-Obstacles-State
of the Language.-10. Scottish Poetry-Sir David Lindsay--His Satirical Play-Its
Design and Effects-His other Poems.-11. First Appearance of Original Scottish
Prose-Translations-The Complaint of Scotland-Pitscottie-State of Learning-
Boece-John Major.-12. John Knox-George Buchanan's Latin Works-Other
Latinists-Melville-Scottish Universities-Schools... Page 170
THE AGE OF SPENSER, SHAKSPEARE, BACON, AND MILTON.
A. D. 1558-A. D. 1660. ·
SECTION FIRST: GENERAL VIEW OF THE PERIOD.
INTRODUCTION. 1. The Early Years of Elizabeth's Reign-Summary of their Litera-
ture.-2. Literary Greatness of the next Eighty Years-Division into Four Eras.-
REIGN OF ELIZABETH FROM 1580. 3. Social Character of the Time-Its Religious
Aspect-Effects on Literature.-4. Minor Elizabethan Writers-Their Literary Im-
portance-The Three Great Names.-5. The Poetry of Spenser and Shakspeare-
The Eloquence of Hooker.-REIGN OF JAMES. 6. Its Social and Literary Character
-Distinguished Names-Bacon-Theologians-Poets.-THE TWO FOLLOWING ERAS.
7. Political and Ecclesiastical Changes-Effects on Thinking-Effects on Poetry-
Milton's Youth.-8. Moral Aspect of the Time-Effects on Literature.-REIGN OF
CHARLES. 9. Literary Events-Poetry-Eloquence-Theologians-Erudition.-THE
COMMONWEALTH AND PROTECTORATE. 10. Literary Events-Poetry Checked-
Modern Symptoms-Philosophy-Hobbes-Theology-Hall, Taylor, and Baxter.-
11. Eloquence-Milton's Prose Works-Modern Symptoms-Style of the Old Eng-
lish Prose Writers.... Page 196
A. D. 1558-A. D. 1660.
SECTION SECOND: THE SCHOLASTIC AND ECCLESIASTICAL
LITERATURE.
ERUDITION, CLASSICAL AND ECCLESIASTICAL. 1. General State of Ecclesiastica
Learning-Eminent Names-Raynolds--Andrewes Usher Classical Studies -
Camden and Selden-Latin Prose and Verse.-TRANSLATIONS OF THE HOLY BIBLE.
2. The Geneva Bible-Whittingham-The Bishops' Bible-Parker.-3. King James's
Bible-Its History-The Translators-Its Universal Reception.-ORIGINAL THEOLO-
GICAL WRITINGS. 4. The Elizabethan Period-Hooker's Ecclesiastical Polity-
Reign of James--Sermons of Bishop Andrewes-Sermons of Donne.-5. Reign of
Charles-Hall and Taylor compared-6. Bishop Hall-His Sermons-His other
Works.-7. Jeremy Taylor-His Treatises-His Sermons-Character of his Elo-
quence.-8. The Commonwealth and Protectorate-Controversial Writings-The
Puritans-Richard Baxter-His Life and Works.. Page 214
SECTION THIRD: THE MISCELLANEOUS PROSE LITERATURE.
SEMI-THEOLOGICAL WRITERS. 1. Fuller's Works-Cudworth-Henry More.-PHILO-
SOPHICAL WRITERS. 2. Lord Bacon-The Design of his Philosophy-His Two
Problems-His Chief Works.-3. Hobbes-His Political and Social Theories-His
Ethics-His Psychology-His Style.-HISTORICAL WRITERS. 4. Social and Political
Theories Antiquaries-Historians-Raleigh-Milton's History of England-His
Historical and Polemical Tracts-His Style.-MISCELLANEOUS WRITERS. 5. Writers
of Voyages and Travels-Literary Critics--Sir Philip Sidney's Defence of Poesy-
Romances and Novels-Sidney's Arcadia-Short Novels-Greene-Lyly--Pam-
phlets-Controversy on the Stage-Martin Mar-Prelate-Smectymnuus.--6. Essays
describing Characters-Didactic Essays-Bacon--Selden--Burton-Browne-Cow-
ley....
Page 233
SECTION FOURTH: THE DRAMATIC POETRY.
INTRODUCTION. 1. The Drama a Species of Poetry-Recitation of Narrative Poems and
Plays-Effects of Recitation on the Character of the Works-Relations of Prose and
Verse to Poetry.-2. The Regular and Irregular Schools of Dramatic Art-The
French Rules-The Unities of Time and Place-Their Principle-Their Effects.-3.
The Unity of Action-Its Principle-Its Relations to the Other Unities-The Union
of Tragedy and Comedy.-SHAKSPEARE AND THE OLD ENGLISH DRAMA. 4. Its
Four Stages.--5. The First Stage-Shakspeare's Predecessors and Earliest Works-
Marlowe Greene.-6. Shakspeare's Earliest Histories and Comedies-Character of
the Early Comedies.-7. The Second Stage-Shakspeare's Later Histories-His best
Comedies.-8. The Third Stage-Shakspeare's Great Tragedies-His Latest Works
9. Estimate of Shakspeare's Genius.-MINOR DRAMATIC POETS. 10. Shakspeare's
Contemporaries-Their Genius-Their Morality.-11. Beaumont and Fletcher.-12.
Ben Jonson.-13. Minor Dramatists-Middleton-Webster+Heywood-Dekker,
14. The Fourth Stage of the Drama-Massinger-Ford-Shirley-Moral_Declen-
sion.
CHAPTER VII.
Page 251
SECTION FIFTH: THE NON-DRAMATIC POETRY.
SPENSER'S POETRY. 1. His Genius-His Minor Poems.--2. Spenser's Faerie Queene-
Its Design.-3. Allegories of the Faerie Queene-Its Poetical Character.-4. The Sto