CHAPTER II. Fryden. TAGE VII Family Education-Studies - Reading-Habits-Position-Character-Audience - The theatres re-opened and transformed-The new public and the new taste-Dra Merits of this drama-Characters of Antony and Don Sebastian-Otway-Life Dryden as a writer-Kind, scope, and limits of his mind-Clumsiness in flattery How literature in England is occupied with politics and religion-Political poems of Dryden, Absalom and Achitophel, The Medal-Religious poems, Religio Laici, The Hind and the Panther-Bitterness and virulence of these VIII. Rise of the art of writing-Difference between the stamp of mind of the artistic and Dryden's latter days-Wretchedness-Poverty-Wherein his work is incomplete 388 The Rebolution. .... The moral revolution of the seventeenth century--It advances side by side with Brutality of the people-Gin Riots-Corruption of the great--Political manners -Treachery under William III. and Anne-Venality under Walpole and Bute -Private manners-The roisterers-The atheists-Chesterfied's Letters-His polish and morality-Gay's Beggars' Opera-His elegance and satire........ 389 Principles of civilization in France and England-Conversation in France; how it ends in a revolution-Moral sense in England; how it ends in a reformation. 391 Religion-Visible signs-Its profound sentiment-Religion popular-Lifelike- The pulpit-Mediocrity and efficacy of preaching-Tillotson-His heaviness and solidity-Barrow-His abundance and minuteness-South-His harshness and energy-Comparison of French and English preachers...... Theology-Comparison of the French and English apologetics-Sherlock, Stil- The Constitution-Sentiment of right-Locke's Essay on Government Theory Parliamentary eloquence-Its energy and harshness-Lord Chatham-Junius-Fox Issue of the century's labors-Economic and moral transformation-Comparison of Reynolds' and Lely's portraits-Contrary doctrines and tendencies in France and England-Revolutionists and Conservatives-Judgment of Burke and the 40% 409 Addison and Swift in their epoch-Wherein they are alike and unlil e.. The man-Education and culture-Latin verses-Voyage in France and Italy- Letter from Italy to Lord Halifax-Remarks on Italy-Dialogues on Medals Campaign-Gentleness and kindness-Success and happiness.... III Gravity and rationality-Solid studies and exact observation-His knowledge of IV. The moralist-His essays are all moral-Against gross, sensual, or worldly life- This morality is practical, and yet commonplace and desultory-How it relies on reason and calculation-How it has for its end satisfaction in this world and happiness in the other-Speculative meanness of his religious conception- V. VI IV. The literary man-Harmony of morality and elegance-The style that suits men of Grave pleasantry - Humor - Serious and fertile imagination - Sir Roger de Swift's début--Character-Pride-Sensitiveness-His life in Sir William Tem- ple's house-At Lord Berkeley's-Political life-Influence-Failure-Private life-Lovemaking-Despair and insanity.... II. His wit-His power, and its limits-Prosaic and positive mind-Holding a posi- tion between vulgarity and genius-Why destructive.... III. The pamphleteer-How literature now concerns itself with politics-Difference of parties and pamphlets in France and England-Conditions of the literary pamph- let-Of the effective pamphlet-Special and practical pamphlets-The Ex- aminer-The Drapier's Letters-A Short Character of Thomas Earl of Wharton-An Argument against Abolishing Christianity-Political invective-Personal defamation-Incisive common sense-Grave irony...... Bickerstaff-Coarseness of his galantry-Cadenus and Vanessa-His prosaic and realistic poetry-The Grand Question Debated-Energy and sadness of his shorter poems-Verses on his own Death-His excesses.. The narrator and philosopher-A Tale of a Tub-His opinion on religion, science,philosophy and reason-How he maligns human intelligence-Gulliver's Travels-His opinion on society, government, rank, and professions-How he maligns human nature-Last pamphlets-Composition of his character and CHAPTER VI. The Nobelists. Characteristic of the English novel-How it differs from others. De Foe-His life-Energy, devotion, his share in politics-Spirit-Difference of old and modern realists-Works-Career-Aim-Robinson Crusoe-How this character is English-Inner enthusiasm-Obstinate will-Patience in work -Methodical common sense-Religious emotions-Final piety............. III. Circumstances which gave rise to the novels of the eighteenth century-All these novels are moral fictions and studies of character-Connection of the essay and the novel-Two principal notions in morality-How they produce two kinds Richardson-Condition and character-Connection of his perspicacity and his rigor IV. V. PAGE -Sir Charles Grandison-Incongruities of automatic and edifying heroes- -Tom Jones-Character of the squíre-Fielding's heroes-Amelia-Faults Smollett-Roderick Random-Peregrine Pickle-Comparison of Smollett and Le Sage-Conception of life-Harshness of his heroes-Coarseness of his pictures-Standing out of his characters-Humphrey Clinker..... VII. Sterne-Excessive study of human particularities-Sterne's character-Eccentricity -Sensibility-Obscenity-Why he depicts the diseases and degeneracies of human 46a 478 VIII. Goldsmith-Purification of the novel-Picture of citizen life, upright happiness, X. ....... .............. 1. II. IV. - Rule and realm of the classical spirit-Its characters, works, scope, and limits- of his style--Excellence of his portraits-Why they are superior--Translation of the Iliad-Change of taste during the past century.... Lucongruity of the English mind and the classical decorum-Prior-Gay--Ancien Changes in society-Rise of democracy-The French Revolution--Desire of getting un-Changes in the human mind-New notion of causes-German philos- ophy-Craving for the beyond..... Robert Burns-His country-Family-Youth-Wretchedness-His yearnings and efforts-Invectives against society and church-The Jolly Beggars —Attacks conventional cant-His idea of natural life-Ŏf moral life-Talent- Spontaneity-Style-Innovations-Success-Affectations-Studied letters and academic verse-Farmer's life-Employment in the Excise Disgust-Excesses III. Conservative rule in England-At first the Revolution affects the style only- Cowper-Sickly refinement-Despair-Madness-Retirement-The Task- IV. The Romantic school-Its pretensions-Its tentatives-The two ideas of modern -Faults of this school-Why it succeeded less in England than elsewhere Philosophy enters into literature-Wordsworth-Character-Condition-Life- Painting of the moral life in the vulgar life-Introduction of the colorless style and psychological divisions-Faults of this kind of literature-Loftiness of Wordsworth's sonnets-The Excursion- Austere beauty of this Protestant poetry-Shelley-Imprudences-Theories-Fancy-Pantheism-Ideal charac ters-Life-like scenery-General tendency of the new literature-Gradual The Man-Family-Impassioned character-Precocious loves-Life of excess- The poet-Reasons for writing-Manner of writing-How his poetry is personal -Classical taste-How this gift served him-Childe Harold-The hero-The His short poems-Oratorical manner-Melodramatic effects-Truth of his descrip- Scandal in England-Constraint and hypocrisy of manners-How and by what law VI. Position of Byron in his age-Disease of the age-Divine conceptions of happiness The past-The Saxon invasion-How it established the race and determined the character-The Norman Conquest-How it modified the character and estab- The Renaissance-How it manifested the national mind-The Reformation-How III. The modern age-How European ideas widened the national mould.. ..... V. The present-Concordances of observation and history-Sky-Soil-Products- Connection of the different elements of each talent-Importance of the imaginative Lucidity and intensity of imagination in Dickens-Boldness and vehemence of his fancy-How with him inanimate objects are personified and impassioned- Wherein his conception is akin to intuition-How he describes idiots and mad- The objects to which he directs his enthusiasm-His trivialities and minuteness- George Sand--Miss Ruth and Geneviève--A journey in a coach... Vehemence of the emotions which this kind of imagination must produce-His pathos-Stephen, the factory hand-His humor-Why he attains to buffoonery and caricature-Recklessness and nervous exaggeration of his gayety.. English novels are compelled to be moral-Wherein this constraint modifies the idea of love-Comparison of love in George Sand and Dickens-Pictures of the young girl and the wife-Wherein this constraint qualifies the idea of passion- Comparison of passions in Balzac and Dickens-Inconvenience of this foregone conclusion-How comic or odious masks are substituted for natural characters -Comparison of Pecksniff and Tartuffe-Why unity of action is absent in Two classes of characters-Natural and instinctive characters-Artificial and posi- tive characters-Preference of Dickens for the first-Aversion against the The hypocrite-Mr. Pecksniff-Wherein he is English-Comparison of Pecksniff and Tartuffe-The positive man-Mr. Gradgrind-The proud man-Mr. Dom- bey-Wherein these characters are English... III. Children-Wanting in French literature-Little Foas and David Copperfield- The ideal man according to Dickens-Wherein this conception corresponds to a public need-Opposition of culture and nature in England-Reassertion of sen sitiveness and instinct oppressed by conventionalism and rule-Success of 691 The Nobel continued.—Thackeray. Abundance and excellence of novels of manners in England-Superiority of Dickens The satirist-His moral intentions-His moral dissertations. 601 Superiority of Thackeray in bitter and serious satire-Serious irony-Literary snobs-Miss Blanche Amory-Serious caricature-Miss Hoggarty.. VIA. His levelling tendencies-A want of characters and society in England-Aversions |