CHAPTER 1.
Hartley opens his Chaucer-A discussion about Chaucer's Eng.
lish--Mr. Bell's edition-Dryden's imitation of Chaucer's
tales—Chaucer in the fields—His love of Spring, of flowers,
and of early rising--The cheerful character of his poetry—
His residence in cities-Edmund Spenser-The leading
facts of his life-A great Christian poet-Variety of his
powers-One reason for reading the “Faerie Queene”—
Why that poem is considered tedious-Religious literature
-Mr. Craik's Spenser and his poetry-Extracts from the
work-Spenser as a rural poet—The Shepherd's Calendar
-Pope's definition of pastoral poetry-Dr. Johnson's
definition-His Lives of the Poets—Hartley expresses his
dislike of the eclogue-Cites the opinion of James Mont-
gomery—The old pastoral obsolete—Modern poets, their
gains and losses
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CHAPTER II.
A drive through Exmoor Forest Shakspeare's dramas deficient
in rural passages-Extracts from his plays—His love of
inature subordinate to higher feelings—His description of
natural objects--His female characters-Collins's opinion of
them, and Sir Walter Scott's—Men of genius not often good
critics—Michael Drayton, his poetry and his fame-A sonnet
-His copiousness contrasted with the fertility of Spenser
--Remarks of Professor Wilson .....