PREFACE TO THE FIRST VOLUME IN this initial volume of a History of English Literature it has been sought to depict for readers of general culture rather than of special attainment the development of this literature through centuries of vicissitude, from the primitive period when it is almost synonymous with poetry to the period when, in every department, it begins to challenge a place among the great literatures of the world. The writer upon whom such a task devolves encounters the obstacles, on a first view mutually exclusive, of impenetrable obscurity and unmanageable light. Many passages in the record have perished, and the gaps thus cr. ated are ill supplied by speculation and conjecture. But, on the other hand, since the investigation of early English literature has employed the scholars of America, Germany, and France hardly less than those of Britain, it has become difficult to keep pace with the progress of actual discovery, or to survey the operations of so great a host of labourers in a field so extensive, much of whose service takes the form of contribution to periodical literature. The writer has done his utmost towards this end, and has received. invaluable assistance, yet he feels that his work would have better corresponded to his wish if various important accessions to the knowledge of his subject had not fallen under his observation too late to be turned to account. One reflection has strongly impressed itself upon the writer's mind during the prosecution of his labours: that the study of the literary history of a nation will generally be profitable in proportion to the student's acquaintance with the history of the nation itself, including that of its institutions, political and social. In the case of a history of early literature treating, as in this instance, of a period anterior to the attainment of a fixed standard of language, some degree of philological information also is essential, comprising such subjects as dialectical variations, pronunciation, and prosody. To have enlarged upon this department of study would have defeated the design of this work as a popular history. It has therefore been intentionally kept in the background, and the reader is recommended to seek his information elsewhere. In this he will be assisted by a bibliography to be appended to a subsequent volume. History, including parallels with the literary movements of other nations, stands in a different category. A due infusion of the historical element adds warmth and colour to narrative, and is therefore accordant with the ideal of a popular history. Such an infusion has been attempted here as far as considerations of space and proportion have permi ted. Regard for the interests of the reader of the present day has also enforced an extensive modernisation of obsolete spelling. Objectors should remember that it is impossible to say what precise orthography an ancient author would have employed, and that in the majority of instances he would himself have followed no uniform rule. It remains to offer the writer's special acknowledgments to Mr. Alfred W. Pollard, of the British Museum, for friendly and zealous aid, not merely in those branches of the subject in which he is a recognised authority, but throughout the entire course of the work; as also to Mr. A. H. Bullen and Mrs. Sydney Pawling for valuable assistance in the pictorial illustration which forms so important a feature of the undertaking. RICHARD GARNETT. TABLE OF CONTENTS Duality of English Speech-The Celt, the Roman, and the Saxon-Christianity and Anglo- Saxon Literature - Pope Gregory the Great Pre-Christian Literature-Widsith— Beowulf-Composition and Analysis of the Poem-Anglo-Saxon Metre-Caedmon-Poems ascribed to Caedmon-Cynewulf-Anglo-Saxon Lyric-Education-Aldhelm-Beda- Latin Influence on Anglo-Saxon Literature-Danish and Scandinavian Influences-Ruin of Literature and Learning-Alfred the Great-Victories over the Danes-Alfred as a Man of Letters-His Translations-Boethius-His Prose and Verse-Ecclesiastical Influences on Literature in the Tenth Century-Aelfric-The Danish Conquest―The Saxon Chron- EARLY ENGLISH LITERATURE TO "PIERS PLOWMAN" Effects of the Norman Conquest-Anglo-Saxon Dialects-Ethical and Religious Writings- The Ormulum-Layamon's Brut—Character and History of the Book--Layamon's Metre and Dialect-Popular Poetry-The Ancren Riwle-The Ayenbite of Inwit--Cursor Mundi— Richard Rolle-The Fourteenth Century-Langland-Piers Plowman-Metre and Chaucer's Family History and Life-His Position in English Literature-His Character— Early Writings-Romaunt of the Rose-The House of Fame-The Canterbury Tales- Language and Metre-Plan of the Tales-Chaucer as a Painter of Social Types- Humour and Morality-Troylus and Cryseide-Legend of Good Women-Minor Works— Significance of Chaucer-Supposititious Poems-Aids to the Study of Chaucer Chaucer and his Contemporaries-Gower-Speculum Meditantis-Vox Clamantis-Confessio Amantis-Gower and Chaucer -Lydgate-His Merits as a Descriptive Poet - Hoccleve- His Life and Character-Mandeville-Problems of his Book-His Identity-His Mendacity and Plagiarism—Merits of his Style-Minor Prose Writers Pp. 174-203 The Bible and Literature-History of the English Bible-Wycliffe-His Early Life- Wycliffe as Reformer-His Version of the Scriptures-Nicholas of Hereford—John Purvey-Comparison of Wycliffe's and Purvey's Versions--Wycliffe's Theological Writings-The Religious Drama-The Miracle Play-The Sacred Drama on the Stage -The Mysteries-The Chester Mysteries-The York Mysteries-The Towneley Mysteries Literary Characteristics of the Miracle Play-Beneficial Effects of the Invention of Printing-Intellectual Sterility of the Age-Decline of Originality-Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester-Bishop Pecock-John Capgrave-Sir John Fortescue-The Paston Letters-History of the Paston Family-Characteristics of the Letters-Malory-The Morte d'Arthur-Caxton and Malory-Caxton-His Life and Career as a Printer-His Publications and Translations-Caxton as Author and Critic THE LITERATURE OF SCOTLAND-THE BALLAD Slow Progress of Scottish Literature-Thomas the Rhymer-John Barbour-The Bruce- -Andrew Wyntoun-James the First—The Kingis Quair-Authorship of the Poem-Blind Harry-The Wallace Epic-Henryson-Testament of Cresseid-Fables-The Ballad-A Little Geste of Robin Hood-The Percy Ballads-Historical and Legendary Ballads-The Erasmus-Sir Thomas More-His Life and Character-Utopia-Minor Works-John Colet- Lord Berners' Froissart-Sir Thomas Elyot-Bishop Gardiner-Thomas Wilson- Ascham-The Schoolmaster-Toxophilus-The Translation of the Bible-Tyndale-His Chief Writings-Coverdale - Cranmer - Latimer-Skelton - Barclay-The Ship of Fools-Wyatt-The Earl of Surrey-Comparison of Surrey and Wyatt-Sternhold's Version of the Psalms-Dunbar-The Golden Targe-The Lament of the Makers—Gavin Douglas-Translation of Virgil-Sir David Lyndsay-John Heywood-Cavendish's Life |