Century readings for a course in English literature

Front matter

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Class ___1^Ai Book ^C&

CENTURY READINGS

Prefatory Note

Century Readings was compiled to meet the needs of students in the general and comprehensive course in English literature now offered in most American colleges. Since the book is the result of some years of experience with such a course in the University of Wisconsin, the contents may best be explained by reference to the practice of that institution.

The course entitled General Survey of English Literature occupies three class periods a week. During two of these periods the students meet in small groups, of about twerty persons each, for the intimate discussion of a piece of literature previously assigned for study. At the third meeting, four or five such groups join to attend a lecture treating the relevant period of English literature.

Most of the pieces assigned for study are found in Century Readings. The editors have tried, in general, to provide selections that are complete in themselves. The book undertakes not to supply short passages from all English writers, but rather to offer significant and substantial examples of the work of the more important authors. Plays and novels, however, although several appear among the assignments of the course, are iioi included in this book, for it is thought that these can be effectively studied only as wholes, and the inclusion of them would have extended the present compilation unduly.

The lectures undertake to explain the relation of the particular works studied to the complete achievements of the authors, and to the proper periods of literary history. This undertaking is made possible through each student's having before him in the lecture-room the Student's Handbook of the Facts of English Literature, issued by the same publishers, — a brief manual containing merely the unembellished facts of literary history and biography arranged in tabular form. These tables serve the double purpose of conveying names and dates in an accurate and orderly form, and of leaving the lecturer free for his proper function of literary and historical interpretation.

No effort has been spared to secure the accuracy of the texts presented. Unless there were cogent reasons for preserving the original spelling and punctuation, modern usage has been followed. Omissions are indicated by asterisks ; changes or insertions, by square brackets. Only the author's original notes are given at the foot of the page.

The editors are indebted to numerous predecessors for help both in determining the various texts and in elucidating them. They wish particularly to acknowledge their obligations to the Houghton Mifflin Company and Professor R. E. N. Dodge for permission to use the latter's Cambridge edition of Spenser. Thanks are offered also to other colleagues for kindly interest in the undertaking and for assistance in proofreading.

The revised edition contains in the selections added from the works of recent authors a large amount of copyright material for the use of which the editors are greatly indebted to the publishers and authors concerned. They wish, in particular, to make the following acknowledgments :

D. Appleton & Co., for " Emancipation : Black and White " by T. H. Huxley. Brentano's, for " The Case for the Critic-Dramatist " by George Bernard Shaw. Lord Burghclere, for "Aftermath."

Country Life, for " The Defenders " by John Drinkwater ; " The Wykhamist " by Nora Griffiths ; and " Canadians " by W. H. Ogilvie.

Cambridge University Press, for " All the Hills and Vales Along " by Charles Hamilton Sorley.

Duffield & Co.. for " The Death of Ailill " by Francis Ledwidge.

E. P. Dutton & Co., for " The Spires of Oxford " by Winifred M. Letts.

PREFATORY NOTE

The Fortnightly Review, for " The First Battle of Ypres " by Margaret L. Woods.

Harper & Bros., for *' With the Marseilles Pilots " by Joseph Conrad, and " The Contemporary Novel " by H. G. Wells. ,

The Harrovian, for " A Harrow Grave in Flanders " by Lord Crewe.

Henry Holt & Co., for " All that's Past " and " Miss Loo " by Walter de la Mare.

Houghton Mifflin Co., for " For the Fallen " by Laurence Binyon.

Mitchell Kennerley, for selections from " The Note Books " by Samuel Butler, and "The South Country" by Hilaire Belloc.

John Lane Co., for " The Old Village, Grantchester " and " The Soldier " by Rupert Brooke; "The Return of the Barbarian" and "The Wife of Flanders" by G. K. Chesterton ; " Thirty Bob a Week " by John Davidson ; " A Shropshire Lad " by A. E. Housitian-; "Clifton Chapel," "Drake's Drum" and " Vitai Lampada" by Sir Henry Newbolt; "Revenge for Rheims " by Stephen Phillips ; " Wordsworth's Grave " by Sir William Watson.

The Macmillan Co., for " The Earth Breath " by " A. E." ; " His Father," " The Question," and "Rafning" by Wilfred Wilson Gibson; "The Island of Skyros " and "Sea- Fever " by John Masefield ; " Into the Twilight," " The Lake Isle of Innisf ree," " Red Hanrahan's Song about Ireland," and " Song from the Land of Heart's Desire," by William Butler Yeats.

The Poetry Review, for " The Airman " by Gregg Goddard.

G. P. Putnam's Sons, for " Soldier, Soldier " by Maurice Hewlett.

Grant Richard's, for " Socks " by Jessie Pope.

Chas. Scribner's Sons, for " The Lost Dog " by John Galsworthy ; " Parted," " The Lady Poverty," and "The Shepherdess," by Alice Meynell.

Sidgwick & Jackson, for " A Legend of Ypres " by Elinor Jenkins ; " Form Fours " by Frank Sidgwick, and " A Girl's Song " by Katharine Tynan.

The Spectator, for " Master and Pupil " by O. M., and " England's Dead " by Frank Taylor.

Fred. A. Stokes, for " Kilmeny," " The Search-Lights " and " Wireless " by Alfred Noyes.

The Westminster Gazette, for " Many Sisters to Many Brothers " by Rose Macaulay, and " Non-Combatant " by Cicely Hamilton.

The London Times, for " How Sleep the Brave " by Walter de la Mare ; " Into Battle " by Julian Grenf ell ; " The Old Way " by Ronald A. Hopwood ; and " Sailor, What of the Debt We Owe You?" by Viscount Stuart.

GEOFFREY CHAUCER (c. I34O-I4OO) . . ^^^^

The Canterbury Tales: The Prologue' .' .' .' '. [ [ ] " ." .'.[[] 4

The Nun's Priest's Tale 12

SIR THOMAS MALORY (c. I4OO-I471) . . ••...-

The Nut-Brown Maid (c. 1500) ..." ^^

English and Scottish Popular Ballads ..'.'. ^i

Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne '...., « ,0

Robin Hood's Death and Burial %

The Battle of Otterburn '.'.'.'.'.'.'. 11.

Captain Car or Edom o Gordon »->, . 1-

Kemp Owyne %

The Daemon Lover ■;«

Sir Patrick" Spens ..'.....' 40

Thomas Rymer .".".".''' '^o

Bonny Barbara Allan ..."..'.' ^1

The Twa Sisters li

The Cruel Brother ....'..'. C2

Edward c?

SIR THOMAS WYATT (lS03?-IS42) e^

The Lover for Shame-Fastness, etc . '. . 54

The Lover Compareth his State to a Ship . . '. 54

The Lover having dreamed of Enjoying of his Love [ ] C4

A Renouncing of Love ,' ] ce

The Lover Beseecheth his Mistress not to Forget * ce

An Earnest Suit to his Unkind Mistress .......' 55

The Lover Complaineth the Unkindness of his Love 1:5

Of the Mean and Sure Estate - ] 56

HENRY HOWARD, EARL OF SURREY (l5I7?-I574) eg

Description of Spring eg

Complaint of a Lover Rebuked ^g

Description and Praise of his Love Geraldine eg

Complaint of the Lover Disdained 5^

A Complaint by Night of the Lover not Beloved 59

Vow to Love Faithfully gg

Complaint of the Absence of Her Lover 5g

A Praise of his Love ^ . . . . 60

Description of the Restless State of a Lover 60

The Means to Attain Happy Life 61

Of the Death of Sir T[homas] W[yatt] ( s.

Virgil's ^neid. Book II t'X

THOMAS SACKVILLE, LORD BUCKHURST (IS36-1608) ■ 6,J

ROGER ASCHAM (1SI5-I568) -ji

The Schoolmaster, Book I 71

JOHN LYLY (l5S4?-l6o6) yQ

Euphues and his England 76

Apelles' Song „ 80

PAGE

Spring's Welcome go

Sappho's Song °o

Song (From Gallathea) 80

IR PHILIP SIDNEY (1554-I586) •• 81

An Apology for Poetry oi

Astrophel and Stella - °7

Song: The Nightingale 90

Love is Dead 90

Dorus to Pamela 90

A Ditty 90

I^akluyt's Voyages 9^

Dedicatory Epistle 9i

■ The Last Fight of the Revenge .... 92

Linchoten's Testimony . 95

The Loss of Sir Humprey Gilbert 95

A Report of Virginia . 98

Raleigh's Discovery of Guiana 98

Sir Francis Drake at San Domingo 100

Drake in California i<^i

EDMUND SPENSER (l5S2-I599) . . . . _ IO4

The Shepheardes Calendar. Fcbruarie 104

October 107

The Faerie Queene, Canto I 109

Canto II 117 Amoretti • • • 123

Prothalamion 130

Llizabethan Lyrics I33

GEORGE GASCOIGNE (l525?-I577)

A Strange Passion of a Lover . . . . . . . 133

SIR EDWARD DYER (lSSO?-l6o7) .

My Mind to Me a Kingdom Is I34

SIR WALTER RALEIGH (lS52?-l6l8)

The Silent Lover 134

His Pilgrimage 134

A Vision upon this Conceit of the Faery Queen 135

The Conclusion 135

GEORGE PEELE (l558?-I597 ?)

Song from The Arraignment of Paris 135

Harvestmen A-Singing - . . . 136

ROBERT GREENE (lS6o?-l592)

Song from The Farewell to Folly 136

Philomela's Ode 136

Song from Menaphon ^ 136

Song from Menaphon 137

The Shepherd's Wife's Song 137

ROBERT SOUTHWELL (l56l?-I595)

The Burning Babe .138

SAMUEL DANIEL (1562-1619)

Sonnets from Delia . . ' . 138

MICHAEL DRAYTON (1563-1631)

Sonnets from Idea 139

To the Virginian Voyage .140

To the Cambro-Britons and their Harp .141

CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE ( 1 564-1593)

Hero and Leander, The First Sestiad 142

Venus and Adonis 145

Songs from the Plays 155

PAC|,E

England's Helicon (1600)

Phyllida and Corydon jry

As It Fell upon a Day . . . ! iS?

To Colin Clout '. i^y

Happy Shepherds, Sit and See ! ! 158

The Shepherd's Commendation of his Nymph i'c;8

The Herdman's Happy Life 159

A Nymph's Disdain of Love 150

Rosalind's Madrigal 159

Seventeenth Century Lyrics -. . i|6o

THOMAS CAMPION (d. 1619)

Chance and Change ino

Basia i((>

A Renunciation i(.u

Sic Transit 16;

BEN jONSON (i573?-i637)

Song to Celia 161:

Song: To Celia 161

To Heaven 161

The Triumph of Charis 162

An Epitaph on Salathiel Pavy 162

Epitaph on Elizabeth L. H JO2

To the Memory of My Beloved, Master William Shakspere 162

A Pindaric Ode 163

Song (' Go and catch a falling star,') 1165

The Indifferent '165'

The Canonization 166

The Dream 166

Love's Deity 166

The Funeral ,167

The Computation [167 .

Forget 167

Death 167

A Hymn to God the Father 168

JOHN FLETCHER (1S79-1625)

Love's Emblems ,i68

Song to Bacchus .^ i68

Beauty Clear and Fair . 169

Weep No More (69

Aspatia's Song 69

FRANCIS BEAUMONT (IS84-1616)

On the Life of Man 69

Lines on the Tombs in Westminster 169

GEORGE WITHER (1588-I667)

The Lover's Resolution ,169

When We are upon the Seas 170

The Prayer of Old Age 170

WILLIAM BROWNE (159I-1643)

Britannia's Pastorals, Book II, Song I I7*3

Book II, Song V ^71 On the Countess Dowager of Pembroke 17.J

EGBERT HERRICK (159I-1674)

Corinna's Going A-Maying '172

Upon Julia's Clothes 173

To the Virgins i,73

To Daffodils ^73

To Music '73.

An Ode for Ben Jonson 174

A Thanksgiving to God for his House 174

PAGE

Grace for a Child i74

His Prayer for Absolution I75

GEORGE HERBERT (lS93-l633)

Virtue ^75

Love ^75

The Collar . • I7S

The Quip ^75

The World ^70

The Pulley • i7o

THOMAS CAREW (i598?-i639?) ^

Song (' Ask me no more ')..... i7o

Song ('Would you know what's soft?') . ■ I77

The Protestation ^77

Persuasions to Joy: A Song • I77

Ingrateful Beauty Threatened I77

An Epitaph ^77

SIR WILLIAM DAVENANT (1606-1668)

Song ('The lark now leaves his wat'ry nest,') 170

Praise and Prayer . , ., • 178

EDMUND WALLER (1606-1687)

The Story of Phoebus and Daphne Applied 178

To Phyllis 178

On a Girdle 178

Go, Lovely Rose! I79

SIR JOHN SUCKLING (1609-1622)

A Doubt of Martyrdom I79

The Constant Lover I79

Why so Pale and Wan? 179

RICHARD CRASHAW (l6l3?-l649)

In the Holy Nativity of our Lord God 180

SIR JOHN DENHAM (161S-1669) ...

Cooper's Hill l8l

On Mr. Abraham Cowley's Death and Burial 182 s

RICHARD LOVELACE (1618-1658)

To Lucasta, Going to the Wars 182

To Althea, From Prison 182

The Rose 183

To Lucasta 183

ABRAHAM COWLEY (1618-1677)

The Swallow • 183

The Wish 183

ANDREW MARVEL (162I-1678)

The Garden 184

To his Coy Mistress 185

HENRY VAUGHAN (1622-169S)

The Retreat 185

The World 185

Departed Friends 186

Essays: I — Of Truth 187

V — Of Adversity i88

VH — Of Parents and Children 189

Vni — Of Marriage and Single Life 189

X — Of Love 190

XH — Of Boldness 191

XVH — Of Superstition 192

XXHI — Of Wisdom for a Man's Self 192

XXV — Of Dispatch 193

XXVI — Of Seeming Wise 194

XXVIII — Of Expens^i 194

XXXII — Of Discourse , 195

PAGE

XXXIV — Of Riches 196

XLII — Of Youth and Age I97

XLVII — Of Negotiatmg 198

L — Of Studies I99

SIR THOMAS BROWNE (1605-1682) 20O

Hydriotaphia, Urnburial 209

The Complete Angler 212

The Life of Sir Francis Drake 217

The Faith and Patience of the Saints 221

On Shakspere 236

L'AlIegro 237

II Penseroso 238

Lycidas "... 240

Sonnets: When the Assault Was Intended to the City 242

To a Virtuous Young Lady • . 242

On the Detraction which followed upon my Writing Certain Treatises . 242

On the Same 243

To the Lord General Cromwell, May, 1652 243

On the Late Massacre in Piedmont 243

On his Blindness 243

To Cyriack Skinner 244

On his Deceased Wife 244

Paradise Lost, Book I 244

Book II " 254

JOHN DRYDEN (163I-I700) 266

Heroic Stanzas 266

Astraea Redux 267

Absalom and Achitophel 268

The Hind and the Panther 270

Alexander's Feast, or The Power of ]\Iusic 274

The True Born Englishman 28^.