History of English Literature Volume 2 (of 3)

Title: History of English Literature Volume 2 (of 3)

Author: Hippolyte Taine

Translator: Henri Van Laun

Release date: February 11, 2020 [eBook #61382] Most recently updated: October 17, 2024

Language: English

Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/61382

Credits: Produced by Laura Natal Rodrigues at Free Literature (Images generously made available by The Internet Archive.)

#THE WORLD'S# GREAT CLASSICS

LIBRARY COMMITTEE

TIMOTHY DWIGHT, D.D. LLD. RICHARD HENRY STODDARD ARTHUR RICHMOND MARSH. A.B. PAVL VAN DYKE, D.D. ALBERT ELLERY BERGH

•ILLUSTRATED•WITH•NEARLY•TWO• •HUNDRED•PHOTOGRAVURES•ETCHINGS• •COLORED•PLATES•AND•FULL• •PAGE•PORTRAITS•OF•GREAT•AUTHORS•

CLARENCE COOK—ART EDITOR

•THE•COLONIAL•PRESS•

•NEW•YORK•MDCCCXCIX•

LONDON BRIDGE. After an etching by Edwin Edwards.

The artist has chosen for his masterly work the moment when the sun, long before toiling London is awake, rises amid vapors from the eastern horizon. The river reflects the dawn,

"All bright and glittering in the smokeless air."

In the placid stream are mirrored the shadows of the bridge; to the west of which appear the façades of Fishmonger's Hall, and Billingsgate market, radiant with morning. To appreciate the full charm and fidelity to nature of this etching one should read Wordsworth's sonnet written on Westminster bridge, beginning "Earth has not anything to show more fair," and ending with the words

"The river glideth at his own sweet will: Dear God! the very houses seem asleep; And all that mighty heart is lying still."

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

BOOK II—THE RENAISSANCE

(CONTINUED)

CHAPTER FIFTH The Christian Renaissance

SECTION I.—Decay of The Southern Civilizations 3 SECTION II.—Luther and the Reformation in Germany 7 SECTION III.—The Reformation in England 14 SECTION IV.—The Anglicans 34 SECTION V.—The Puritans 45 SECTION VI.—John Bunyan 58

CHAPTER SIXTH Milton

SECTION I.—Milton's Family and Education 72 SECTION II.—Milton's Unhappy Domestic Life 76 SECTION III.—Milton's Combative Energy 78 SECTION IV.—Milton's Personal Appearance 83 SECTION V.—Milton as a Prose Writer 84 SECTION VI.—Milton as a Poet 100

Part I.—The Roisterers

SECTION I.—The Excesses of Puritanism 132 SECTION II.—A Frenchman's View of the Manners of the Time 135 SECTION III.—Butler's Hudibras 137 SECTION IV.—Morals of the Court 140 SECTION V.—Method and Style of Hobbes 147 SECTION VI.—The Theatre 153 SECTION VII.—Dryden and the Drama 155 SECTION VIII.—Wycherley 157

PART II.—The Worldlings

SECTION I.—Court Life in Europe 168 SECTION II.—Dawn of the Classic Spirit 170 SECTION III.—Sir William Temple 173 SECTION IV.—Writers à la Mode 178 SECTION V.—Sir John Denham 185 SECTION VI.—Wycherley, Congreve, Vanbrugh, and Farquhar 188 SECTION VII.—Superficiality of English Comedy 195 SECTION VIII.—Natural Characters 198 SECTION IX.—Artificial Characters 202 SECTION X.—Sheridan.—Decadence of the Theatre 211

CHAPTER SECOND Dryden

SECTION I.—Dryden's Début 222 SECTION II.—Dryden's Family and Education 223 SECTION III.—Dramatic Theories of Dryden 226 SECTION IV.—The Style of Dryden's Plays 236 SECTION V.—His Merit as a Dramatist 242 SECTION VI.—His Prose Style 252 SECTION VII.—How Literature in England is Occupied with Politics and Religion 257 SECTION VIII.—Development of the Art of Writing 263 SECTION IX.—Dryden's Translations and Adaptations.—His Occasional Soul—Stirring Verses 265 SECTION X.—Misfortunes Of Dryden's Old Age 271

CHAPTER THIRD The Revolution

SECTION I.—The Moral Revolution 273 SECTION II.—Brutality Of The People.—Private Morals.—Chesterfield and Gay 273 SECTION III.—Principles of Civilization in France and England 281 SECTION IV.—Religion 286 SECTION V.—The Pulpit 292 SECTION VI.—Theology 300 SECTION VII.—The Constitution.—Locke's Theory of Government 305 SECTION VIII.—Parliamentary Orators 311 SECTION IX.—Doctrines of the French Revolution Contrasted with the Conservative Tendencies of the English People 320

CHAPTER FOURTH Addison

SECTION I.—The Significance of the Writings of Addison and Swift 327 SECTION II.—Addison's Character and Education 327 SECTION III.—Addison's Seriousness.—His Nobility of Character 333 SECTION IV.—The Morality of Addison's Essays 336 SECTION V.—How Addison made Morality Fashionable.—Characteristics of his Style 344 SECTION VI.—Addison's Gallantry.—His Humor.—Sir Roger de Coverley.—The Vision of Mirza 349