Chapter XXII: Introduction: Explains the Plan of the Book, and gives some Hints

on the Study of Literature.

THE DAWN OF ENGLISH LITERATURE.

THE ELIZABETHAN ERA.

THE SUCCESSORS OF THE ELIZABETHANS.

THE LITERATURE OF THE RESTORATION.

THE WITS OF QUEEN ANNE’S TIME.

OUR FIRST GREAT NOVELISTS.

JOHNSON AND HIS CONTEMPORARIES.

THE NEW ERA IN POETRY.

SIR WALTER SCOTT AND THE PROSE LITERATURE OF THE EARLY PART OF THE
NINETEENTH CENTURY.

OUR OWN TIMES.

PERIODICALS, REVIEWS, AND ENCYCLOPÆDIAS.

“We can warmly commend this excellent manual. Mr. Nicoll is a fair and sensible critic himself, and knows how to use with skill and judgment the opinions of other critics. His book has many competitors to contend with, but will be found to hold its own with the best of them.”—_St. James’s Gazette._

“Mr. Nicoll’s facts are commendably accurate, and his style is perfectly devoid of pretentiousness, tawdriness, and mannerism, for which relief in the present day an author always deserves much thanks from his critics.”—_Saturday Review._

“Mr. Nicoll has performed his task with great tact, much literary skill, and with great critical insight. No better book could be put into the hands of one who wishes to know something of our great writers, but who has not time to read their works himself; and no better guide to the man of leisure who desires to know the best works of our best writers and to study these in a thorough manner. Mr. Nicoll’s literary estimates are judicious, wise, and just in an eminent degree.”—_Edinburgh Daily Review._

“Mr. Nicoll’s well-arranged volume will be of service to the student and interesting to the general reader. Biography and history are combined with criticism, so that the men are seen as well as their works.... The copious and careful table of chronology gives a distinct value to the book as a work of reference. The volume is without pretension, and deserves praise for simplicity of purpose, as well as for careful workmanship.”—_Spectator._

_Second and Cheap Edition._

WITH EIGHT PORTRAITS, 464 pp., crown 8vo., cloth, price 3s. 6d.; gilt edges, 4s.

=Great Movements and those who= Achieved Them. By HENRY J. NICOLL,
Author of “Landmarks of English Literature,” etc.

“A useful book.... Such work ... should always find its reward in an age too busy or too careless to search out for itself the sources of the great streams of modern civilization.”—_Times._

“An excellent series of biographies.... It has the merit of bespeaking our sympathies, not as books of this class are rather apt to do, on the ground of mere success, but rather on the higher plea of adherence to a lofty standard of duty.”—_Daily News._

“Immense benefit might be done by adopting it as a prize book for young people in the upper classes of most sorts of schools.”—_School Board Chronicle._

Crown 8vo., 576 pp., cloth, price 6s. 6d.; gilt edges, 7s.

=Woman’s Work and Worth in Girlhood,= Maidenhood, and Wifehood.
With Hints on Self-Culture and Chapters on the Higher Education and
Employment of Women. By W. H. DAVENPORT ADAMS.

“It is a small thing to say that it is excellent, and it is only justice to add that this all-important subject is dealt with in a style at once masterly, erudite, charming.”—_Social Notes._

“As an aid and incitement to self-culture in girls, and pure and unexceptionable in tone, this book may be very thoroughly recommended, and deserves a wide circulation.”—_English-woman’s Review._

“It is a noble record of the work of woman ... and one of the very best books which can be placed in the hands of a girl.”—_Scholastic World._

WITH FIVE WOOD-CUTS, ILLUSTRATING “THE HAND OF GOOD FORTUNE,” ETC.

Crown 8vo., 304 pp., cloth, price 3s. 6d.

=Your Luck’s in Your Hand; or, The= Science of Modern Palmistry,
chiefly according to the Systems of D’Arpentigny and Desbarrolles,
with some Account of the Gipsies. By A. R. CRAIG, M.A., Author of
“The Philosophy of Training,” etc. Third Edition.

CHAP.

1. PALMISTRY AS A SCIENCE.
2. ANCIENT PALMISTRY.
3. THE MODERN SCIENCE AND ITS HIGH PRIEST.
4. SIGNS ATTACHED TO THE PALM OF THE HAND.
5. THE THUMB.
6. HARD AND SOFT HANDS.
7. THE HAND IN CHILDREN.
8. SPATULED HAND.
9. THE ENGLISH HAND.
10. THE NORTH AMERICAN HAND.
11. THE ARTIST HAND.
12. THE USEFUL HAND.
13. CHINESE HANDS.
14. THE HAND OF THE PHILOSOPHER.
15. THE HAND PSYCHICAL.
16. MIXED HANDS.
17. THE FEMALE HAND.
18. M. DESBARROLLES AND THE ADVANCED SCHOOL.
19. PALMISTRY IN RELATION TO THE FUTURE.
20. THE THREE WORLDS OF CHIROMANCY.
21. THE MOUNTS AND LINES.
22. THE LINE OF THE HEAD.
23. THE LINE OF LIFE—OF SATURN—OF THE LIVER—OF VENUS.
24. THE LINE OF THE SUN.
25. THE RASCETTE.
26. THE SEVEN CAPITAL SINS.
27. POWER OF INTERPRETATION.
28. THE ASTRAL FLUID.
29. THE CHILDREN OF THE RULING PLANETS: THEIR CHARACTERS.
30. READINGS OF THE HANDS OF CELEBRATED MEN AND WOMEN.
31. M. D’ARPENTIGNY AND THE GIPSIES—MR. BORROW’S RESEARCHES.
32. GIPSY CHIROMANTS.
33. THE HAND AS AFFECTED BY MARRIAGE.
34. CONCLUSION.

“The glove-makers ought to present the author with a service of gold plate. He will be a rash man who lets anybody see his bare hands after this. We are anxious to find a lost pair of gloves before we go out for a breath of fresh air after such an exhausting study as this book has furnished us.”—_Sheffield and Rotherham Independent._

“Palmistry, chiromancy, and their kindred studies, may be mystical, indeed, but never unworthy. There is more in them than the mass imagine, and to those who care to wade into them. Mr. Craig will prove himself a capital guide.”—_Manchester Weekly Post._

“The illustrations are curious. Those whose care to study the matter of hands, fortunate or unfortunate, will find abundant materials here.”—_Literary World._

“It is certainly a ‘handy book,’ for hands of every class are so carefully described that all the signs of the palms may be readily ‘got up’ by those who wish to deal in this simplest of the dark sciences.”—_Publishers’ Circular._

“The work is of surpassing interest.”—_Aberdeen Journal._

“Gives the fullest rules for interpreting the lines and marks on the hands, fingers, and wrists, as well as the points of character indicated by their shape. We can imagine this little book, which is illustrated by five diagrams, being a source of a large amount of amusement.”—_Bookseller._

=Manuals of Self-Culture for Young= Men and Women.

1. =The Secret of Success.= See page 10.
2. =Plain Living and High Thinking.= See page 12.
3. =Woman’s Work and Worth.= See page 7.
4. =Hood’s Guide to English Versification.= See page 23.
5. =Landmarks of English Literature.= See page 7.

_Dedicated, by express permission, to Sir FREDERICK LEIGHTON, P.R.A._

PRINTED IN BROWN INK, WITH TWELVE FLORAL ILLUSTRATIONS, AND THE BINDING DESIGNED BY “LUKE LIMNER,” F.S.A.

Imperial 16mo., cloth, bevelled boards, interleaved, 432 pages, price 4s. 6d. gilt edges.

=The Birthday-Book of Art and Artists.= Compiled and Edited by
ESTELLE DAVENPORT ADAMS, Editor of “Rose Leaves,” “Flower and
Leaf,” etc.

“Mrs. Adams’ pleasant _Birthday Book_ you eagerly will
con.”—_Punch._

“Birthday books we have seen in abundance, but this bears away the
palm.”—_Guernsey Mail._

“Estelle Davenport Adams has bestowed infinite trouble on her
‘Birthday Book of Art and Artists,’ which is quite an artistic
encyclopædia on a small scale.”—_Graphic._

“Few of the infinite variety of birthday books have been planned
more ingeniously, or to more useful purpose, than this, which ought
to secure a large share of the popularity lavished on these pretty
manuals.”—_Glasgow Herald._

“A handy little book for those persons who take note of birthdays,
either for the giving or taking of presents.”—_Athenæum._

“Altogether it is a birthday book to be coveted.”—_Scotsman._

“The book may really be very useful, and concludes with an
excellent index.”—_Saturday Review._

“Mrs. Davenport Adams has combined in miniature something of a
catalogue of art, a biographical dictionary of artists, and a
dictionary of artistic criticism, and has thereby done a thing
which may be of some service.”—_World._

“Quite a dictionary of dates as to the birthdays of eminent
artists, for, besides those whose names are allotted to the days of
the year, there is a supplementary list. The quotations are well
made. The book itself is a work of art.”—_Sword and Trowel._

120 pp., small crown 8vo., boards, price 1s.; or bound in cloth, 1s. 6d.

=Self-Help for Women: A Guide to= Business. With Practical
Directions for Establishing and Conducting Remunerative Trades and
Business Occupations suitable for Women and Girls. By A WOMAN OF
BUSINESS.

1. CELEBRATED WOMEN OF BUSINESS.
2. SELECTING A BUSINESS.
3. CONDUCTING A BUSINESS.
4. THE BERLIN-WOOL BUSINESS.
5. THE BOOT AND SHOE TRADE.
6. CONFECTIONERY BUSINESS.
(_With Confectioners’ Receipts._)
7. CORSET-MAKING BUSINESS.
8. THE DRESS-MAKING BUSINESS.
9. THE FANCY TRADE.
10. FISH AND GAME TRADE.
11. GLASS AND CHINA BUSINESS.
12. THE JEWELLERY TRADE.
13. LADIES’ UNDERCLOTHING AND BABY LINEN WAREHOUSE.
14. THE MUSIC TRADE.
15. SERVANTS’ REGISTRY BUSINESS.
16. SHEFFIELD AND BIRMINGHAM GOODS TRADE.
17. STATIONERY AND BOOKSELLING.
18. THE TOY TRADE.
19. MISCELLANEOUS TRADES.
20. HOTEL MANAGING.
21. THE LADY HOUSEKEEPER AND THE LADY HELP.
22. HOME OCCUPATIONS.
23. THE PLEASURES OF WORK.

“The writer is evidently well informed, and her shrewd, practical
hints cannot fail to be of value to an increasing class of the
community, the women who are left to fight their own way in the
world.”—_Echo._

“This volume will be useful and cheering to many a woman thrown
upon her own resources, by showing her what other women have done,
and enabling her to discover in what direction she can best make
use of her abilities.”—_Bristol Mercury._

“Before going into any trade or profession women should consult
this little work.”—_Sheffield Independent._

“Claims our most marked attention.”—_Punch._

“A shilling laid out in the purchase of this little book will
prove a far better investment than the waste of postage stamps in
replying to letters.”—_Stationer._

“This is not a trumpery talk about business suitable for women, but
a serious production, in which specific trades and occupations are
dealt with in an intelligent and candid manner.”—_Manchester Weekly
Post._

“To those who find it needful to leave home and to enter upon
the struggles of the world, the little book which ‘A Woman of
Business’ has prepared will be found at once a guide and an
encouragement.”—_Manchester Courier._

“It fully fulfils its object in clearly showing the variety of
businesses and lucrative employment which women may follow, as well
as giving useful information as to how to start.”—_Weldon’s Ladies’
Journal._

“A volume which every woman who is at a loss to know how she may
earn honourable livelihood should purchase.”—_Dundee Courier._

WITH EIGHT ILLUSTRATIONS ON TONED PAPER.

Fifth Edition, small crown 8vo., 384 pp., cloth, price 3s. 6d; gilt edges, 4s.

=The Secret of Success; or, How to= Get on in the World. With some
Remarks upon True and False Success, and the Art of making the Best
Use of Life. Interspersed with Numerous Examples and Anecdotes. By
W. H. DAVENPORT ADAMS, Author of “Plain Living and High Thinking,”
etc.

“Mr. Adams’s work is in some respects more practical than Mr.
Smiles’s. He takes the illustrations more from the world of
business and commerce, and their application is unmistakable....
There is much originality and power displayed in the manner in
which he impresses his advice on his readers.”—_Aberdeen Journal._

“There is a healthy, honest ring in its advice, and a wise
discrimination between true and false success.... Many a story of
success and failure helps to point its moral.”—_Bradford Observer._

“The field which Mr. Adams traverses is so rich, extensive, and
interesting, that his book is calculated to impart much sound
moral philosophy of a kind and in a form that will be appreciated
by a large number of readers.... The book is otherwise a mine of
anecdote relating to men who have not only got on in the world, but
whose names are illustrious as benefactors to their kind.”—_Dundee
Advertiser._

WITH TWO COLOURED PLATES AND EIGHT PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS.

Third edition, small crown 8vo., 400 pp., cloth, price 3s. 6d.; gilt edges, 4s.

=Our Redcoats and Bluejackets: War= Pictures on Land and Sea.
Forming a Continuous Narrative of the Naval and Military History
of England from the year 1793 to the Present Time, including the
Afghan and Zulu Campaigns, Interspersed with Anecdotes and Accounts
of Personal Service. By HENRY STEWART, Author of “The Ocean Wave,”
etc. With a Chronological List of England’s Naval and Military
Engagements.

“A capital collection of graphic sketches of plucky and brilliant
achievements afloat and ashore, and has, moreover, the advantage of
being a succinct narrative of historical events. It is, in fact,
the naval and military history of England told in a series of
effective tableaux.”—_World._

“It is not a mere collection of scraps and anecdotes about our
soldiers and sailors, but a history of their principal achievements
since the beginning of the war in 1793. The book has charms for
others than lads.”—_Scotsman._

“Besides being a work of thrilling interest as a mere story-book,
it will also be most valuable as a historical work for the young,
who are far more likely to remember such interesting historical
pictures than the dry lists of dates and battles which they find in
their school-books.... Possesses such a genuine interest as no work
of fiction could surpass.”—_Aberdeen Journal._

* * * * *

“_Among the multitude of publishers who issue books suitable for presents, Mr. Hogg holds a high place. A catalogue of his publications, samples of which lie before us, contains a number of useful and interesting works eminently suitable for presentation to young people of both sexes, and they contain as much reading at as low a price as any books in the market._”—PALL MALL GAZETTE.

WITH UPWARDS OF 300 ENGRAVINGS BY BEWICK AND OTHERS.

FIFTH AND CHEAP EDITION.

Large crown 8vo., 520 pp., cloth, price 3s. 6d.; gilt edges, 4s.

=The Parlour Menagerie=: Wherein are exhibited, in a Descriptive
and Anecdotical form, the Habits, Resources, and Mysterious
Instincts of the more Interesting Portions of the Animal
Creation. Dedicated by permission to the Right Hon. the Baroness
Burdett-Coutts (President) and the Members of the Ladies’ Committee
of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

_Specimen of the 66 Wood Engravings by Thomas Bewick in the
“Parlour Menagerie.”_]

From Professor OWEN, C.B., F.R.S., &c.

(Director, Natural History Dep., British Museum).

To the Editor of the _Parlour Menagerie_.

“The early love of Nature, especially as manifested by the Habits
and Instincts of Animals to which you refer, in your own case, is
so common to a healthy boy’s nature, that the _Parlour Menagerie_,
a work so singularly full of interesting examples culled from so
wide a range of Zoology, and so fully and beautifully illustrated
cannot fail to be a favourite with the rising generation—and
many succeeding ones—of Juvenile Naturalists. When I recall the
‘Description of 300 Animals’ (including the Cockatrice and all
Pliny’s monsters) which fed my early appetite for Natural History,
I can congratulate my grandchildren on being provided with so much
more wholesome food through your persevering and discriminating
labours.—RICHARD OWEN.”

From the Right Hon. JOHN BRIGHT, M.P.

To the Editor, _Parlour Menagerie_.

“I doubt not the _Parlour Menagerie_ will prove very interesting,
as indeed it has already been found to be by those of my family
who have read it. I hope one of the effects of our better public
education will be to create among our population a more humane
disposition towards what we call the inferior animals. Much may be
done by impressing on the minds of children the duty of kindness in
their treatment of animals, and I hope this will not be neglected
by the teachers of our schools.... I feel sure what you have done
will bear good fruit.—JOHN BRIGHT.”

“The _Parlour Menagerie_ is well named. Full as an egg of
information and most agreeable reading and engravings, where before
was there such a menagerie?”—_Animal World._

“We have never seen a better collection of anecdotes and
descriptions of animals than this, and it has the great advantage
of numerous and admirable woodcuts. Pictorial illustrations form
an important and valuable addition to any such collection. Those
in the book before us are of remarkable excellence.... We highly
commend the spirit which pervades the book, a spirit intensely
alien to cruelty of every kind. On the whole, it is one of the
very best of its kind, and we warrant both its usefulness and
acceptability.”—_Literary World._

“_Mr. Hogg is, without question, a specialist in the art of catering for the literary tastes of the young._”—SHROPSHIRE GUARDIAN.

WITH EIGHT ILLUSTRATIONS ON TONED PAPER.

Second edition, small crown 8vo., 352 pp., cloth, price 3s. 6d.; gilt edges, 4s.

=Boys and their Ways: A Book for and= about Boys. By ONE WHO KNOWS
THEM.

CONTENTS.

Chaps. 1. The Boy at Home.—2. The Boy at School.—3. The Boy in
the Playground.—4. The Boy in his Leisure Hours.—5. Bad Boys.—6.
Friendships of Boys.—7. The Boy in the Country.—8. How and What to
Read.—9. Boyhood of Famous Men.—10. The Ideal Boy.

“The table of contents gives such a bill of fare as will render
the boy into whose hands this book falls eager to enjoy the feast
prepared for him. We venture to predict for this charming book a
popularity equal to ‘Self-Help.’... No better gift could be put
into a boy’s hands, and it will become a standard work for the
school library.”—_Scholastic World._

“Who the author of the book is, has been kept a secret, and
the anonymity we regret, because the work is one with which
no writer need be ashamed to identify his name and stake his
reputation.”—_Edinburgh Daily Review._

“It is a boy’s book of the best style.”—_Aberdeen Journal._

WITH EIGHT PORTRAITS ON TONED PAPER.

_Dedicated by permission to the Rt. Hon. W. E. GLADSTONE, M.P., &c._

Third edition, small crown 8vo., 384 pp., cloth, price 3s. 6d.; gilt edges, 4s.

=Plain Living and High Thinking; or=, Practical Self-Culture:
Moral, Mental, and Physical. By W. H. DAVENPORT ADAMS, Author of
“The Secret of Success,” etc.