BY

HENRY REED.

LATE PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH LITERATURE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA.

IN TWO VOLUMES

3 GUILAVOL II

Free Library.

NEW YORK,

PHILADELPHIA:

PARRY & M M ILLAN,

SUCCESSORS TO A. HART, LATE CAREY & HART.

1857.
C

Reci

THE NEW YORK
PUBLIC LIBRARY

476980

ASTOR, LENOX AND
TILDEN FOUNDATIONS.

1909

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1857, by
WILLIAM B. REED,..:

in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.•

8780

CONTENTS.

LECTURES ON ENGLISH POETRY.

LECTURE, X.

BURNS, (WITH NOTICES OF JOHNSON'S LIVES OF THE POETS.)

Monotony of Pope's verse-The revival of a truer spirit of

Poetry Chatterton-Merit of Cowper-Dr. Johnson's lite-

rary dietatorship - His "Lives of the Poets"- Sir Egerton

Brydges's criticism on them-Cowper's judgment of them

-Johnson's, incapacity for poetical criticism-Johnson's

judgments on Cray-"London"-"Vanity of Human Wishes"

-Percy's "Reliques of Ancient English Poetry" — The

character of this poetry--Robert Burns- His boyhood-

Early trials-Mossgeil Farm The freshness of his poetry-

Its universality-Wordsworth's lines" The Mountain-Daisy"

"The Field-Mouse"-" Cotter's Saturday Night" -"Tam

O'Shanter" - Mary Campbell-Morality of Burns's poetry

-The Bard's Epitaph-Wordsworth's Lines to the Sons

of Burns.......
.Page 9

LECTURE XI.

CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE.

The present age not an unpoetical one-Five names worthy

of distinction-Samuel Rogers-The "Pleasures of Memory"

-Rogers's "Italy"- Galileo and Milton-Moore's Songs-

Irish patriotism-The true question respecting poetical com-

position-Lamb's lines on the "Old Familiar Faces"-Scott's

career of authorship-Scott the second in rank of Scottish

poets-His childhood at Sandy Knowe-His early reading-

His interview with Burns-Influence of the Story of the

Rebellion of 1745 on his genius-His love of natural scenery

-The minstrelsy of the Scottish border-Hallam's remark

on the Scottish ballads-Story of "Christie's Will"—""
'The

Lay of the Last Minstrel"- Scott's merit as a poet-In-

fluence of the French Revolution on his mind-" Marmion"

"The Lady of the Lake"-Decline of his poetical powers-

"Bonny Dundee"--" Battle of Otterburne"- His pilgrimage

to Italy..
............... Page 48

LECTURE XII..

COLERIDGE.

Advantage of connecting critical with historical considerations

--Spenser and his age--Spirit of the French Revolution-

Contrast between the American and the French Revolutions--

Its influence over thought and action-Coleridge's France"

-Nature of Lyrical poetry-Early developments of Cole-

ridge's geniuss philosophy-His critical papers-His

consciousness of his own poetical, endowment His boyhood

at Christ Church Hospital-Monody on Chatterton-His love

of nature-Ode on Dejection-Translations of Schiller's trage-

dies-"The Ancient Mariner"—" Christabel"- Its metrical

beauty-His epitaph....................................
............ Page 88

LECTURE XIII.

SOUTHEY, (WITH NOTICE OF CHARLES LAMB.)

Charles Lamb, the friend of Coleridge and Southey-" The

Old Familiar Faces"-"Elia"- Robert Southey-Character

of his prose-His complete poetical works-His mental de-

rangement-Personal interest of his poems-Satirical power

"Wat Tyler"-" Joan of Arc"-The product of imagination

is often truth" Madoc"-" Roderic”. -"Thalaba". -"The

Curse of Kehama"- Scriptural character of "Thalaaba”—

Keble's "Christian Year"- Story of "Thalaba and Oneiza"

-Southey's Odes-"The Retreat from Moscow"-" The Tale

of Paraguay"-His playful poetry-Ode on the Portrait of

Bishop Heber..........

.............Page 127

LECTURE XIV.

BYRON.

A catholic taste in literature - Difficulties of a course of

critical lectures-Southey and Byron-The spirit of criticism

the spirit of charity-Rogers's plea for Byron's memory-

Popularity of his poetry -"English Bards and Scotch

Reviewers". "Childe Harold"- His love of external nature

-Formation of his literary character-Admiration for Pope-

Success of "Childe Harold"- His Oriental tales - Literature

of the last century-Story of Byron's marriage - Noctes

Ambrosianæ - Contrast between the "Corsair" and the

"Prisoner of Chillon". "The Dream"- Materialism in his

poetry- Manfred -Venice -The Dying Gladiator - Strains

for liberty- Beauty of womanly humanity-"Sardanapalus"

-Byron's selfishness-His infidelity.....

....Page 163

LECTURE XV.

WORDSWORTH.

Difficulties in the way of a proper appreciation of contem-

porary genius-Candour rare in criticism-Controversy in

regard to Wordsworth's school of poetry-Comparative criti-

cism between the poetry of Wordsworth and Byron-Cor-

respondence of Wordsworth's life with the spirit of true

poetry-Continuity of his moral life-Recollections of his

childhood-His love of nature and of man-His sympathy

with the French Revolution-His seclusion-Communion

with his brother-poets-Aim of his career of authorship-