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My Widowed Sister,
WHO, FOR THE SAKE OF THE LIVING, HAS NOBLY BORNE HER SORROW FOR THE DEAD,
CONTENTS.
INTRODUCTORY NOTICE.....
............Page XV
LECTURE I.-INTRODUCTORY.
PRINCIPLES OF LITERATURE.
Object, to assist and guide students-Necessity of systematic study
-Judicious criticism-True aims and principles of literature-
Choice of books-Its difficulties-Aim of this course of lectures
to remove them-All books not literature-Accurate definition
of literature-Its universality-Izaak Walton-Addison —
Charles Lamb-Lord Bacon-Clarendon-Arnold-Spenser and
Shakspeare-Southey and Wordsworth-Belles-lettres not li-
terature-Literature not an easy, patrician pleasure-Its danger
as to practical life-Its influence on character-De Quincey's
definition-Knowledge and power-Influence on female charac-
ter-True position of woman-' -Tennyson's Princess-Novel-
reading-Taste, an incorrect term-Henry Taylor-Cowper-
Miss Wordsworth-Coleridge's philosophy..........
LECTURE II.
APPLICATION OF LITERARY PRINCIPLES.
Narrow and exclusive lines of reading to be avoided-Catholicity
of taste-Charles Lamb's idea of books-Ruskin-Habits of
reading comprehensive-Ancient Literature- Foreign Lan-
guages-Different eras of letters-English essay-writing-
Macaulay-Southey-Scott and Washington Irving-Archdea-
con Hare-Lord Bacon's Essays-Poetic taste-Influence of
25
individual pursuits-Friends in Council-Serious and gay books
-English humour-Southey's ballad-Necessity of intellectual
discipline Disadvantage of courses of reading-Books not
insulated things--Authors who guide-Southey's Doctor-Elia
-Coleridge-Divisions of Prose and Poetry-Henry Taylor's
Notes from Books-Poetry not a mere luxury of the mind-
Arnold's habits of study and taste-The practical and poetical
element of Anglo-Saxon character-The Bible-Mosaic Poetry
-Inadequacy of language-Lockhart's character of Scott-Ar-
nold's character of Scipio-Tragic poetry-Poetry for children
-Robinson Crusoe and the Arabian Nights-Wordsworth's Odo
o Duty-Character of Washington.......... ............................................... Page 54
LECTURE III.
THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.
Medium of ideas often forgotten-Witchery of English words—
Analysis of good style difficult-The power of words-Our duty
to the English language-Lord Bacon's idea of Latin-Milton-
Hume's expostulation with Gibbon-Daniel's Lament-Exten
sion of English language-French dominion in America-Lan-
dor's Penn and Peterborough-Duty of protecting and guarding
language-Degeneracy of language and morals-Age of Charles
II.-Language part of character-Arnold's Lectures on Modern
History-Use of disproportionate words-Origin of the English
language in the North-Classical and romantic languages-
Saxon element of our language-Its superiority-The Bible
idiom-Structure of sentences-Prepositions at the end of most
vigorous sentences-Composite sentences, and the Latin element
-Alliteration-Grandeur of sentences in old writers-Modern
short sentences-Junius-Macaulay-No peculiar poetic diction
-Doctor Franklin's rules-Shakspeare's matchless words-
Wordsworth's sonnet-Byron-Landor-Coleridge's Christabel
"The Song in the Mind"-Hood-The Bridge of Sighs....... 85
LECTURE IV.
EARLY ENGLISH LITERATURE.
Early English prose and poetry-Sir John Mandeville-Sir Tho-
mas More's Life of Edward the Fifth-Chaucer's Tales-At-
tempted paraphrases-Chaucer Modernized-Conflict of Nor-
man and Saxon elements-Gower-Reign of Edward the Third-
Continental wars-Petrarch-Boccacio-Froissart-The church
-Wyclif-Arts and Architecture-Statutes in English-Chau-
cer resumed-His humour and pathos-Sense of natural beauty
-The Temple of Fame-Chaucer and Mr. Babbage-The flower
and the leaf-Canterbury Tales-Chaucer's high moral tone-
Wordsworth's stanza-Poet's corner and Chaucer's tomb-The
death of a Language-English minstrelsy-Percy's Reliques
-Sir Walter Scott-Wilson-Christian hymns and chaunts—
Conversion of King Edwin-Martial ballads-Lockhart-
Spanish ballads-Ticknor's great work-Edom of Gordon-
Dramatic power of the ballad-The Two Brothers-Contrast of
early and late English poetry....................
LECTURE V.
LITERATURE OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY.
...Page 121
Pawn of letters a false illustration-Intellectual gloom from Ed-
ward III. to Henry VIII.-Chaucer to Spenser-Caxton and
the art of printing-Civil wars-Wyatt and Surrey-The son-
net naturalized in English poetry-Blank verse-Henry VIII.
-Edward VI.-Landor's Sonnet-Sternhold and Hopkins-
Bishop Latimer-Goodwin Sands and Tenterden Steeple-
"Bloody Mary "-Sackville-" The Mirror of Magistrates "-
His career-Age of Elizabeth-Contrasts of her life-The
Church as an independent English power-Shakspeare-His
journey to London-Final formation of the English language
"The well of English undefiled"-The Reformation-Sir
Philip Sydney-The Bishop's Bible-Richard Hooker-Spen-
ser and Shakspeare-Wilson's Criticism - Sir Walter Raleigh
-Shakspeare's Prose.........
LECTURE VI.
LITERATURE OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY, WITH INCIDENTAL
SUGGESTIONS ON SUNDAY READING.
Hooker's Ecclesiastical Polity-Progress of English literature-
Sir Walter Raleigh's History of the World-Bacon's Essays--~
Milton-Comus-Hymn on the Nativity-Suggestions as to