The minor prose deals with a variety of subjects. There are argumentative, philosophical, historical, biographical, and theological prose works; but only the fine presentation of nature and life in The Complete Angler interests the general reader of to-day, although the grandeur of Milton's Areopagitica, the humor of Thomas Fuller, the stately rhythmical prose of Sir Thomas Browne, and the imagery and variety of Jeremy Taylor deserve more readers.

Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress is the masterpiece of Puritan prose, written in the simple, direct language of the 1611 version of the Bible. The book is a prose epic of the journey of the Puritan Christian from the City of Destruction to the New Jerusalem.

The Cavalier poets wrote much lyrical verse, mostly in lighter vein, but the religious poets strike a deeper note. The work of these minor poets is often a reflection of the Elizabethan lyrics of Donne and Jonson.

John Milton, who has the creative power of the Elizabethans, is the only great poet of the period. His greatest poems are L'Allegro, Il Penseroso, Lycidas, Comus, and Paradise Lost. In sublimity of subject matter and cast of mind, in nobility of ideals, in expression of the. conflict between good and evil, he is the fittest representative of the Puritan spirit in literature.

REFERENCES FOR FUTURE STUDY

HISTORICAL

Read the chapters on this period in Gardiner,1 Walker, Cheney, Lingard, or Green. For the social life, see Traill, IV. The monumental history of this time has been written in eighteen volumes by Samuel Rawson Gardiner. His Oliver Cromwell, I vol., is excellent, as is also Frederick Harrison's Oliver Cromwell.

1 For full titles, see list on p. 50.

LITERARY

The Cambridge History of English Literature, Vol. VII.
Courthope's History of English Poetry, Vol. III.

Masterman's The Age of Milton.

Saintsbury's A History of Elizabethan Literature (comes down to 1660).

Dowden's Puritan and Anglican Studies in Literature.

Dictionary of National Biography (for lives of minor writers).

Froude's John Bunyan.

Brown's John Bunyan, his Life, Times, and Works.

Macaulay's Life of Bunyan in Encyclopedia Britannica or in his Essays.

Macaulay's Essay on Southey's Edition of the Pilgrim's Progress. Masson's The Life of John Milton, Narrated in Connection with the Political, Ecclesiastical, and Literary History of his Time (6 vols.). Masson's Poetical Works of John Milton, 3 vols., contains excellent introductions and notes, and is the standard edition.

Woodhull's The Epic of Paradise Lost.

Macaulay's Essay on Milton.

Lowell's Milton (in Among My Books).

Addison's criticisms on Milton, beginning in number 267 of The Spectator, are suggestive.

SUGGESTED READINGS

WITH QUESTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

Prose. The student will obtain a fair idea of the prose of this age by reading Milton's Areopagitica, Cassell's National Library (15 cents), or Temple Classics (45 cents); Craik,1 II., 471–475; the selections from Thomas Hobbes, Craik, II., 214–221; from Thomas Fuller, Craik, II., 377-387; from Sir Thomas Browne, Craik, II., 318-335; from Jeremy Taylor, Craik, II., 529-542; and from Izaak Walton, Craik, II., 343349. Manly, II., has selections from all these writers; the Oxford Treasury and Century, from all but Hobbes. The student who has the time will wish to read The Complete Angler entire (Cassell's National Library, 15 cents; or Temple Classics, 45 cents).

Compare (a) the sentences, (b) general style, and (c) worth of the

1 For full titles, see p. 6.

subject matter of these authors; then, to note the development of English prose, in treatment of subject as well as in form, compare these works with those of (1) Wycliffe and Mandeville in the fourteenth century, (2) Malory in the fifteenth, and (3) Tyndale, Lyly, Sidney, Hooker, and Bacon (e.g. essay Of Study, 1597), in the sixteenth.

in his style,

Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress should be read entire (Everyman's Library, 35 cents; Cassell's National Library, 15 cents; Temple Classics, 45 cents). Selections may be found in Craik, III., 148–166; Manly, II., 139–143; Oxford Treasury, 83-85; Century, 225-235. In what does the secret of Bunyan's popularity consist or in his subject matter, or in both? What is specially noteworthy about his style? Point out some definite ways in which his style was affected by another great work. Suppose that Bunyan had held the social service ideals of the twentieth century, how might his idea of saving souls have been modified?

Lyrical Poetry. Specimens of the best work of Herrick, Carew, Suckling, Lovelace, Herbert, Vaughan, and Crashaw may be found in Ward, II.; Bronson, II.; Oxford Treasury, III.; Manly, I.; and Century.

What is the typical subject matter of the Cavalier poets? What subject do Herbert, Vaughan, and Crashaw choose? Which lyric of each of these poets pleases you most? What difference do you note between these lyrics and those of the Elizabethan age? What Elizabethan lyrists had most influence on these poets? What are some of the special defects of the lyrists of this age?

John Milton. — L'Allegro, Il Penseroso, Comus, Lycidas (American Book Company's Eclectic English Classics, 20 cents), and Paradise Lost, Books I. and II. (same series), should be read. These poems, including his excellent Sonnets, may also be found in Cassell's National Library, Everyman's Library, and the Temple Classics. Selections are given in Ward, II., 306-379; Bronson, II., 334-423; Oxford Treasury, III., 34-70; Manly, I., and Century, passim.

Which is the greatest of his minor poems? Why? Is the keynote of Comus in accord with Puritan ideals? Are there qualities in Lycidas that justify calling it "the high-water mark" of English lyrical poetry? Which poem has most powerfully affected theological thought? Which do you think is oftenest read to-day? Why? What are the most striking characteristics of Milton's poetry? Contrast Milton's greatness, limitations, and ideals of life, with Shakespeare's.

CHAPTER VI

FROM THE RESTORATION, 1660, TO THE PUBLICATION OF PAMELA, 1740

History of the Period. This chapter opens with the Restoration of Charles II. (1660–1685) in 1660 and ends before the appearance, in 1740, of a new literary creation, Richardson's Pamela, the novel of domestic life and character. This period is often called the age of Dryden and Pope, the two chief poets of the time. When Oliver Cromwell died, the restoration of the monarchy was inevitable. The protest against the Puritanic view of life (p. 223) had become strong. Reaction always results when excessive restraint in any direction is removed.

During his exile, Charles had lived much in France and had become accustomed to the dissolute habits of the French court. The court of Charles II. was the most corrupt ever known in England. The Puritan virtues were laughed to scorn by the ribald courtiers who attended Charles II. John Evelyn (1620-1706) and Samuel Pepys (1633-1703) left diaries, which give interesting pictures of the times. The one by Pepys is especially vivid.

In 1663 Samuel Butler (1612-1680) published a famous satire, entitled Hudibras. Its object was to ridicule everything that savored of Puritanism. This satire became extremely popular in court circles, and was the favorite reading of the king.

Charles II. excluded all but Episcopalians from holding

office, either in towns or in Parliament.
sanctioned the Episcopal prayer book
were allowed to preach. In order to
keep England's friendship and to be
able to look to her for assistance in
time of war, Louis XIV. of France
paid Charles II. £100,000 a year
to act as a French agent. In this
capacity, Charles II. began war
against Holland. From a position
of commanding importance under
Cromwell, England had become a
third-rate power, a tail to a French
kite.

Only those who

SAMUEL BUTLER

James II. (1685-1688), who succeeded his brother, Charles II., undertook to suspend laws and to govern like a despot. He was driven out in the bloodless revolution of 1688 by his son-in-law, William (1689–1702), and his daughter Mary. William of Orange, who thus became king of England, was a prince of Holland. This revolution led to the Bill of Rights (1689), the "third pillar of the British Constitution," the two previous being Magna Charta and the Petition of Right. The foundations were now firmly laid for a strictly constitutional monarchy in England. From this time the king has been less important, sometimes only a mere figure-head.

This revolution, coupled with the increasing rivalry of France in trade and colonial expansion, altered the foreign policy of England. Holland was the head of the European coalition against France; and William III. was influential in having England join it. For the larger part of the eighteenth century there was intermittent war with France.