Representative essays

Front matter

I

AMERICAN ORATIONS, to Illustrate American Political History. Edited, with Introductions, by Professor Alexander Johnston. Three vols., i6mo, $3.75 and $4.50.

BRITISH ORATIONS. Edited, with Introduction and Notes, by Professor Charles K. Adams. Three vols., i6mo, $3.75 and $4.50.

Preface

The present volume has been prepared for the purpose more particularly of meeting the requirements of students and teachers who were not in a position to use advantageously the full series of Essays presented in the set of " Prose Masterpieces from the Modern Essayists.'^

The purpose of the " Prose Masterpieces " was stated by the editor to be, to bring together such productions of the great modern writers of English prose as should not only present good specimens of English style, but should also be fairly characteristic of the methods of thought and manner of expression of the several writers.

The present selection comprises twelve out of the twenty papers given in the original set, those contributions having been omitted which seemed less likely to prove of interest for younger readers.

As in the larger series, only complete essays are given, in which the thoughts and arguments of the writers on the several subjects considered, find their full expression.

The editor believes that the selections presented, can safely

be recommended to students as specimens of effective literary

expression and of finished literary style.

G. H. P.

Contents

PAGE

The Mutability of Literature. By Washington Irving . . i

Imperfect Sympathies. By Charles Lamb 15