The student's handbook of British and American literature, with selections from the writings of the most distinguished authors

Front matter

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THE STUDENT’S HANDBOOK

Preface To The Eighth Edition

In presenting to the public the eighth edition of Jenkins’ Handbook, we are glad to thank the friends that have hitherto encouraged our efforts. Father Jenkins, had his life been spared, would rejoice in the result of his labors. Whilst he was president of this college, being charged with a class of English literature, he felt the necessity of preparing a safe text-book for Catholic students, and he generously put his own hand to the work. Fie had not completed his task when he was called to his reward, in 1869. - The care of pre¬ paring his MS. for publication was committed to the present editor, who, hampered by other duties, delayed the first edition till 1876. Since that time we have tried, in successive editions, to keep the work up to date. Our object being rather to form the student’s taste than to give a list of writers, authors whose works are for the most part scientific are necessarily excluded. All that is needed in a text-book like ours is to call attention to the masterpieces of English literature, with a bit of biography and criticism of their authors. As the professor will enlarge upon the matter of the text, and point out more fully the merits of each author, the student’s curiosity will naturally lead him to the

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Preface

writers themselves. By inserting minor sketches at the end of each period, we may seem in some measure to have departed from our plan; but the difference of treatment with regard to these authors will, we think, but prove our rule.

In ^conclusion, we wish to acknowledge our in¬ debtedness for assistance or counsel to Fairfax J. McLaughlin, Esq., to the late Rt. Rev. J. A. Cor¬ coran, D. D., to the Very Rev. A. F. Hewit, C. S. P., as well as to some of our co-laborers in this college.

G. E. Viger.

St. Charles’ College, Ellicott City, Md.,

Table Of Contents

PAGE

Preface, . iii

Table of Contents, . v

Chronological Table of contemporaneous rulers

AND WRITERS,. x iii

Table of Classified Languages, . X xi

Part I. British Literature

FIRST PERIOD.

The most ancient inhabitants of Britain,.

The primitive Saxons,....

Invasion of Britain by the Saxons,.

Origin of the English language,.

Subdivision of the Old Saxon Period,.

Arrival of St. Augustine in England,.

Speech of an Anglo-Saxon thane,.

The Lord’s Prayer in Saxon,.

Characteristics of Anglo-Saxon Poetry,.

Learning of the Anglo-Saxons,.

The most distinguished men of this period,..

Literature of Ireland,...

St. Gildas the Wise,.

Caedmon,.

St. Aldlielm,...

Venerable Bede,.

Alcuin,...

Alfred the Great, ...

Anglo-Saxon literature after Alfred; iElfric, the Gramma¬ rian; the Last Years of the Period,.

Lost writings; what remains; general characteristics .of the Period,.%.

18 21 24 j v

GO GO

VI

Contents

SECOND PERIOD.

Semi-Saxon, os Transition Period, 10GG-1250.

PAGE

section the first The Augustan Age,. 103

Robert Southwell,. 103

Edmund Spenser,. 109

Thomas Sackville,. 115

The early drama and dramatists,. 118

William Shakespeare, . 120

Francis Bacon, Viscount St. Albans,. 136

Ben Jonson,. 141

Translation of the Bible, .,. 146

Annals of the Four Masters, . 146

Other Writers—Nicholas Sander, . 147

Edmund Campion, Sir Philip Sidney, Christopher Marlowe, Richard Hooker,.. . 148

CONTENTS.

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PAGE

Robert Parsons, Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher, Sir Walter Raleigh, William Camden, Michael Drayton,

Henry Constable,. 149

George Herbert, Robert Burton, Philip Massinger,. 150

SECTION THE SECOND. Transition Period,. 150

Richard Crashaw,. 151

Abraham Cowley,. 153

John Milton,. 158

Samuel Butler,. 171

John Bunyan,. 176

John Drydon, . 177

Other Writers—Habington, Sir Kenelm Digby, James Shir¬ ley, . 186

Jeremy Taylor, Sir William Davenant, Sir John Denham,

Robert Herrick, Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon,.... 187 Sir Thomas Browne, Isaak Walton, Thomas Otway, Ed¬ mund Waller,. 188

SECTION THE THIRD. The Classical Age

Joseph Addison,.

Sir Richard Steele,...

Daniel Defoe,...

Alexander Pope, .

Jonathan Swift,.

James Thomson,.

William Collins,.

Edward Young,..

Thomas Gray,.

Letters of Junius,.

Oliver Goldsmith,.

David Hume,.

Samuel Johnson,.

William Robertson,.

Edward Gibbon,.

Robert Burns,.

Edmund Burke,.

William Cowper, ..

CONTENTS.

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TAGE

Other Writers—Gilbert Burnett, Robert South, Thomas Par¬ nell, John Gay, Richard Bentley,. 281

Henry Fielding, Allan Ramsay, William Shenstone, Samuel Richardson, Laurence Sterne, Mark Akenside, Thomas

Chatterton,. 282

Tobias G. Smollett, Aiban Butler, Richard Challoner,. 283

Horace Walpole,. 284