V.

III. Noble instincts in Germany-The individual-The family-The

state—Religion—The Edda—Tragi-heroic conception of the world

and of mankind

36

IV. Noble instincts in England-Warrior and chieftain-Husband and

wife-The poem of Beowulf-Barbarian society and the barbarian

hero

Pagan poems-Kind and force of sentiments-Bent of mind and
speech-Force of impression; harshness of expression

VI. Christian poems-Wherein the Saxons are predisposed to Chris-

tianity-How converted-Their view of Christianity-Hymns of

Cadmon-Funeral hymn-Poem of Judith-Paraphrase of the

Bible

VII. Why Latin culture took no hold on the Saxons-Reasons drawn
from the Saxon conquest-Bede, Alcuin, Alfred-Translations-
Chronicles-Compilations-Impotence of Latin writers- Rea-
sons drawn from the Saxon character-Adhelm-Alcuin-Latin
verse-Poetic dialogues—Bad taste of the Latin writers

VIII. Contrast of German and Latin races-Character of the Saxon race-

Its endurance under the Norman conquest

CHAPTER II.

I.

II.

V.

PAGE.

THE NORMANS.

42

48

Formation and character of Feudalism

67

The Norman invasion; character of the Normans-Contrast with

the Saxons-The Normans are French-How they became so—

Their taste and architecture-Their spirit of inquiry and their

literature Chivalry and amusement-Their tactics and their suc-

67

cess

III. Bent of the French genius-Two principal characteristics; clear

and consecutive ideas-Psychological form of French genius-

Prosaic histories; lack of color and passion, ease and discursive-

ness-Natural logic and clearness, soberness, grace and delicacy,

refinement and cynicism-Order and charm-The nature of the

beauty and of the ideas which the French have introduced

IV. The Normans in England-Their position and their tyranny-They

implant their literature and language-They forget the same-

Learn English by degrees-Gradually English becomes gallicized 81

They translate French works into English-Opinion of Sir John

Mandeville-Layamon, Robert of Gloucester, Robert de Brunne

-They imitate in English the French literature-Moral manuals,

chansons, fabliaux, Gestes-Brightness, frivolity, and futility of

this French literature-Barbarity and ignorance of the feudal civili-

zation-Geste of Richard Coeur de Lion, and voyages of Sir John

Mandeville-Poorness of the literature introduced and implanted

in England-Why it has not endured on the Continent or in En-

gland

85

51

58

65

1333

73

VI. The Saxons in England-Endurance of the Saxon nation, and forma-

tion of the English constitution-Endurance of the Saxon charac-

ter, and formation of the English character

VII.-IX. Comparison of the ideal herɔ in France and England-Fabliaux

of Reynard, and ballads of Robin Hood-How the Saxon charac-

ter makes way for and supports political liberty-Comparison of

the condition of the Commons in France and England-Theory

of the English constitution, by Sir John Fortescue-How the

Saxon constitution makes way for and supports political liberty-

Situation of the Church, and precursors of the Reformation in

England-Piers Plowman and Wycliffe-How the Saxon charac-

ter and the situation of the Norman Church made way for religious

reform-Incompleteness and importance of the national literature

-Why it has not endured

I.

II.

V.

PAGE.

CHAPTER III.

THE NEW TONGUE.

Chaucer-His education-His political and social life-Wherein his

talent was serviceable-He paints the second feudal society

How the middle age degenerated-Decline of the serious element

in manners, books, and works of art-Need of excitement-

Analogies of architecture and literature

III. Wherein Chaucer belongs to the middle age-Romantic and orna-

mental poems-Le Roman de la Rose-Troilus and Cressida—

Canterbury Tales-Order of description and events-The House

of Fame-Fantastic dreams and visions-Love poems-Troilus

and Cressida - Exaggerated development of love in the middle

age-Why the mind took this path-Mystic love-The Flower

and the Leaf-Sensual love-Troilus and Cressida

IV. Wherein Chaucer is French-Satirical and jovial poems-Canterbury

Tales-The Wife of Bath and marriage—The mendicant friar and

religion-Buffoonery, waggery, and coarseness in the middle age 136

Wherein Chaucer was English and original-Idea of character and

individual-Van Eyck and Chaucer contemporary-Prologue to

Canterbury Tales-Portraits of the franklin, monk, miller, citizen,

knight, squire, prioress, the good clerk-Connection of events

and characters-General idea—Importance of the same-Chaucer

a precursor of the Reformation-He halts by the way-Tedious-

ness and Childishness-Causes of this feebleness-His prose, and

scholastic notion-How he is isolated in his age

143

VI. Connection of philosophy and poetry-How general notions failed
under the scholastic philosophy-Why poetry failed-Comparison
of civilization and decadence in the middle age, and in Spain-
Extinction of the English literature - Translators - Rhyming
chroniclers-Didactic poets-Compilers of moralities-Gower-
Occleve-Lydgate-Analogy of taste in costumes, buildings, and

97

102

119

120

121

I.

sance

I.

II.

literature-Sad notion of fate, and human misery-Hawes-Barc-
lay-Skelton-Elements of the Reformation and of the Renais-

. 150

BOOK II. THE RENAISSANCE.

CHAPTER I.

THE PAGAN RENAISSANCE.

§ 1. MANNERS OF THE TIME.

Idea which men had formed of the world, since the dissolution of

the old society-How and why human inventiveness reappears-

The form of the spirit of the Renaissance-The representation of

objects is imitative, characteristic, and complete .

159

II. Why the ideal changes-Improvement of the state of man in Europe

-In England-Peace-Industry-Commerce-Pasturage-Agri-

culture-Growth of public wealth-Buildings and furniture-The

palace, meals and habits-Court pageantries-Celebrations under

Elizabeth-Masques under James I.

III. Manners of the people - Pageants-Theatres-Village feasts-

Pagan development

PAGE.

Iv. Models-The ancients-Translation and study of classical authors

-Sympathy for the manners and mythology of the ancients-The

moderns-Taste for Italian writings and ideas-Poetry and paint-

ing in Italy were pagan-The ideal is the strong and happy man,

limited by the present life

§ 2. POETRY.

The English Renaissance is the Renaissance of the Saxon genius
The forerunners-The Earl of Surrey-His feudal and chivalrous
life-His English individual character-His serious and melan-
choly poems-His conception of inward love

III. His style-His masters, Petrarch and Virgil-His progress, power,
precocious perfection-Birth of art-Weaknesses, imitation, re-
search-Art incomplete

IV. Growth and completion of art-Euphues and fashion-Style and

spirit of the Renaissance-Copiousness and irregularity-How

manners, style, and spirit correspond-Sir Philip Sidney—His

education, life, character-His learning, gravity, generosity, for-

cible expression-The Arcadia-Exaggeration and mannerism of

sentiments and style-Defence of Poesie-Eloquenc nd energy

-His sonnets-Wherein the body and the passions of the Ren-

aissance differ from those of the moderns-Sensual love-Mys-

tical love

161

168

170

175

175

180

182

V.

Pastoral poetry-The great number of poets-Spirit and force of the

poetry-State of mind which produces it-Love of the country

-Reappearance of the ancient gods-Enthusiasm for beauty-

Picture of ingenuous and happy love-Shakespeare, Jonson,

Fletcher, Drayton, Marlowe, Warner, Breton, Lodge, Greene-

How the transformation of the people transforms art

vi. Ideal poetry-Spenser—His life—His character—His platonism—

His Hymns of love and beauty-Copiousness of his imagina-

tion-How far it was suited for the epic-Wherein it was allied

to the "faërie"-His tentatives-Shepherd's Calendar-His short

poems-His masterpiece-The Faërie Queene-His epic is alle-

gorical and yet life-like-It embraces Christian chivalry and the

Pagan Olympus-How it combines these

VII. The Faerie Queene-Impossible events-How they appear natural

-Belphœbe and Chrysogone—Fairy and gigantic pictures and land-

scapes-Why they must be so-The cave of Mammon, and the

gardens of Acrasia-How Spenser composes-Wherein the art

of the Renaissance is complete

203

I.

V.

.

PAGE.

§ 3. PROSE.

Limit of the poetry-Changes in society and manners-How the

return to nature becomes an appeal to the senses-Corresponding

changes in poetry-How agreeableness replaces energy-How

prettiness replaces the beautiful-Refinements-Carew, Suckling,

Herrick Affectation Quarles, Herbert, Babington, Donne,

Cowley-Beginning of the classic style, and drawing-room life. 226

II. How poetry passes into prose-Connection of science and art-In

Italy In England-How the triumph of nature develops the ex-

ercise of the natural reason-
on-Scholars, historians, speakers, com-

pilers, politicians, antiquaries, philosophers, theologians-The

abundance of talent, and the rarity of fine works-Superfluous-

ness, punctiliousness, and pedantry of the style-Originality, pre-

cision, energy, and richness of the style-How, unlike the class-

ical writers, they represent the individual, not the idea

III. Robert Burton-His life and character-Vastness and confusion of

his acquirements-His subject, the Anatomy of Melancholy-

Scholastic divisions-Medley of moral and medical science

IV. Sir Thomas Browne-His talent-His imagination is that of a

North-man-Hydriotaphia, Religio Medici-His ideas, curiosity,

and doubts belong to the age of the Renaissance-Pseudodoxia-

Effects of this activity and this direction of the public mind

Francis Bacon-His talent-His originality-Concentration and
brightness of his style-Comparisons and aphorisms—The Es-
says-His style not argumentative, but intuitive-His practical
good sense-Turning-point of his philosophy-The object of sci-
ence is the amelioration of the condition of man-New Atlantis
-The idea is in accordance with the state of affairs and the spirit

232

237

194

211

241

I.

II.

V.

I.

of the times-It completes the Renaissance—It introduces a new

method-The Organum-Where Bacon stopped-Limits of the

spirit of the age-How the conception of the world, which had

been poetic, became mechanical- How the Renaissance ended

in the establishment of positive science

CHAPTER II.

.

THE THEATRE.

The public-The stage

256

Manners of the sixteenth century-Violent and complete expansion

of nature

III. English manners-Expansion of the energetic and gloomy character 262

IV. The poets-General harmony between the character of a poet and

that of his age-Nash, Decker, Kyd, Peele, Lodge, Greene-

Their condition and life-Marlowe-His life-His works-Tam-

burlaine The Jew of Malta-Edward II.-Faustus-His con-

ception of man

Formation of this drama—The process and character of this art-
Imitative sympathy, which depicts by expressive examples-Con-
trast of classical and Germanic art-Psychological construction
and proper sphere of these two arts

VI. Male characters-Furious passions-Tragical events-Exaggerated

characters-The Duke of Milan by Massinger-Ford's Anna-

bella-Webster's Duchess of Malfi and Vittoria Corombona - 284

VII. Female characters-Germanic idea of love and marriage-Euphrasia,

Bianca, Arethusa, Ordella, Aspasia, Amoret, in Beaumont and

Fletcher-Penthea in Ford--Agreement of the moral and phys-

ical type.

PAGE.

CHAPTER III.

--

BEN JONSON.

The masters of the school, in the school and in their age-Jonson-

His mood-Character Education- First efforts - Struggles-

Poverty-Sickness-Death

244

253

267

279

293

306

II. Learning-Classical tastes-Didactic characters

309

Good manage-
ment of his plots-Freedom and precision of his style-Vigor of
his will and passion
III. Dramas-Cataline and Sejanus-How he was able to depict the per-
sonages and the passions of the Roman decadence

IV. Comedies-His reformation and theory of the theatre- Satirical

Comedies-Volpone-Why these comedies are serious and war-

like-How they depict the passions of the Renaissance-His

farces-The Silent Woman-Why these comedies are energetic

and rude-How they conform with the tastes of the Renaissance 320

315