Chapter I: Front Matter

#THE WORLD'S# GREAT CLASSICS

LIBRARY COMM1TTEE

Timothy Dwight, D.D. LLD. Richard Henry Stoddard Arthur Richmond Marsh. A.B. Paul van Dyke, D.D. Albert Ellery Bergh

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Clarence Cook--Art Editor.

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HISTORY OF ENGLISH LITERATURE

HIPPOLYTE ADOLPHE TAINE

TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH BY HENRY VAN LAUN

WITH A SPECIAL INTRODUCTION BY

J. SCOTT CLARK, A. M.

PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AT NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

REVISED EDITION

VOLUME III

CONTENTS

BOOK III.--THE CLASSIC AGE (_Continued_)

CHAPTER SEVENTH The Poets

Section I.--The Domination of the Classical Spirit Section II.--Alexander Pope.--His Education and Mode of Life Section III.--Eloisa to Abelard.--The Rape of the Lock.--The Dunciad Section IV.--Pope's Descriptive Talent.--His Didactic Poems Section V.--The Poets Prior, Gay, and Thomson Section VI.--The Beginnings of the Modern Age

BOOK IV.--MODERN LIFE

CHAPTER FIRST Ideas and Productions

Section I.--Rise of Democracy Section II.--Robert Burns Section III.--Conservative rule in England.--Cowper's Poetry Section IV.--The Romantic School Section V.--Philosophy Enters into Literature.--Wordsworth.--Shelley

CHAPTER SECOND Lord Byron

Section I.--His Life and Character Section II.--The Style of Byron's Poetry Section III.--Byron's Short Poems Section IV.--Manfred Section V.--What Byron's Contemporaries Thought of Him.--His Morals Section VI.--The Malady of the Age

CHAPTER THIRD The Past and Present

_Part I.--The Past_ Section I.--The Saxon Invasion--The Norman Conquest Section II.--Formative Periods Section III.--The Broadening of Ideas

_Part II.--The Present_ Section I.--Effects of the Saxon Invasion and the Norman Conquest Section II.--English Commerce and Industry Section III.--Agriculture Section IV.--English Society.--Philosophy.--Religion Section V.--What Forces Have Produced the Present Civilization

BOOK V.--MODERN AUTHORS Introductory Note

CHAPTER FIRST The Novel.--Dickens

_Part I.--The Author_ Section I.--Importance of the Imaginative Faculty Section II.--Boldness of Dickens's Imagination Section III.--His Trivialities.--His Minuteness Section IV.--His Emotions.--His Pathos.--His Humor

_Part II.--The Public_ Section I.--The Morality of English Novels

_Part III.--The Characters_ Section I.--Dickens's Love for Natural Characters Section II.--The Hypocrite.--The Positive Man.--The Proud Man Section III.--Children Section IV.--The Ideal Man

CHAPTER SECOND The Novel (Continued)--Thackeray

Comparison between Dickens and Thackeray

_Part I.--The Satirist_

Section I.--The English Satirist Section II.--The English Temperament Section III.--Superiority of Thackeray as a Satirist.--Literary Snobs Section IV.--Resemblance of Thackeray to Swift Section V.--Thackeray's Misanthropy Section VI.--His Characters

_Part II.--The Artist_

Section I.--The Art of Thackeray Section II.--Portrait of Henry Esmond.--Historical Talent Section III.--Literature the Definition of Man

CHAPTER THIRD Criticism and History--Macaulay

Section I.--His Position in England Section II.--Essays Section III.--His Critical Method Section IV.--His Love of Political Liberty Section V.--Characteristics of Macaulay's Style Section VI.--His Rudeness and Humor Section VII.--Estimate of Macaulay's Work Section VIII.--Comparison of Macaulay with French Historians

CHAPTER FOURTH Philosophy and History--Carlyle

_Part I.--Style and Mind_

Section I.--Carlyle's Obscurity and Crudeness Section II.--The Humor of Carlyle Section III.--Perception of the Real and the Sublime Section IV.--His Passion for Actuality Section V.--His Mode of Thought

_Part II.--Vocation_

Section I.--The Appearance and Development of Original Minds Section II.--Characteristics of the German Form of Mind Section III.--German Aptitude for General Ideas Section IV.--Faults of the German Form of Thought Section V.--How Ideas are Reshaped Section VI.--Growth of German Ideas in England

_Part III.--Philosophy, Morality, and Criticism_

Section I.--Carlyle's Metaphysics Section II.--His Transposition of German Metaphysics into English Puritanism Section III.--Conception of God and Duty Section IV.--Conception of Christianity Section V.--Carlyle's Criticism Section VI.--The Future of Criticism

_Part IV.--Conception of History_

Section I.--Great Men Section II.--Wherein Carlyle is Original Section III.--In what Genuine History Consists Section IV.--Carlyle's History of Cromwell Section V.--His History of the French Revolution Section VI.--His Opinion of Modern England Section VII.--The Dangers of Enthusiasm.--Comparison of Carlyle and Macaulay

CHAPTER FIFTH Philosophy--Stuart Mill

Section I.--Lack of General Ideas Section II.--Why Metaphysics are Lacking Section III.--Mill's Philosophical Method

_Part I.--Experience_

Section I--The Object of Logic Section II.--Discussion of Ideas Section III.--The Two Corner-stones of Logic Section IV.--Theory of Definitions Section V.--Theory of Proof Section VI.--Theory of Axioms Section VII.--Theory of Induction Section VIII.--Applications of the Theory of Induction Section IX.--The Province and Method of Deduction Section X.--Comparison of the Methods of Induction and Deduction Section XI.--Limits of Our Knowledge

_Part II.--Abstraction_

Section I.--Agreement of this Philosophy with the English Mind Section II.--The Nature of Abstraction Section III.--Definitions Explain the Abstract Generating Elements of Things Section IV.--The Basis of Proof in Syllogism is an Abstract Law Section V.--Axioms are Relations between Abstract Truths Section VI.--The Methods of Induction Section VII.--Experience and Abstraction Section VIII.--Idea and Limits of Metaphysics Section IX.--A Morning in Oxford

CHAPTER SIXTH Poetry--Tennyson

Section I.--His Talent and Work Section II.--Portraits of Women Section III.--Wherein Tennyson is at One with Nature Section IV.--In Memoriam.--The Princess Section V.--The Idylls of the King Section VI.--Comparison of English and French Society

ILLUSTRATIONS

ROBERT BURNS Photogravure from a painting THE CASTLE OF CHILLON Photogravure from an etching PAGE FROM THE LETTERS OF ST. JEROME Fac-simile example of Printing and Engraving in the Fifteenth Century PAGE FROM THE PRAYER-BOOK OF JUANA OF CASTILE Fac-simile example of Book Illumination in the Sixteenth Century CHRIST CROWNED WITH THORNS Fac-simile example of Printing and Engraving in the Sixteenth Century