Macpherson's
Literary
Talent.
Cambridge History of English Literature - 1908 - v10
'
Queen Anne's reign a period of transition in English Dramatic
History. Cibber, Steele and Rowe. Sentimental Comedy in
England and on the Continent. French Classical and Native
influences upon English Eighteenth Century Drama. Law's In-
vective. New developments: Pantomime and Ballad Opera: John
Rich. The Beggar's Opera. Mrs Centlivre. Young, Hughes and
Thomson. Lillo and Prose Domestic Tragedy: George Barnwell.
Lillo's Morality. Fatal Curiosity. Other works by Lillo. His
influence upon French and German Dramatic Literature. Diderot
and Lessing. Edward Moore's Gamester. Voltaire and the
English Drama. English versions of his Plays. Voltaire and
Shakespeare. Fielding and Burlesque. Stage Political Satire
and the Licensing Act of 1737. The Novel and the Theatre.
Garrick and Shakespeare. Other Plays of the Garrick Era.
Whitehead. Home's Douglas. Foote's Comic Mimicry. His
Farces. Townley and Murphy. George Colman the Elder: The
Jealous Wife and The Clandestine Marriage. Kelly. The Re-
action against Sentimental Comedy
67
## p. ix (#19) ##############################################
Contents
ix
CHAPTER V
THOMSON AND NATURAL DESCRIPTION IN POETRY
By A. HAMILTON THOMPSON, M. A. , F. S. A. , St John's College
PAGB
:
Relations of Thomson's Poetry to the tendencies of the age. His
life and literary career. The Seasons. Influence of Milton.
Thomson's interest in Nature. Nature pictures in The Seasons,
and the Human Element in these pictures. Thomson's objective
attitude towards Nature. His frequent vagueness of Description,
and striking Incidental Digressions. Patriotic Reflections:
Britannia and Liberty. The Castle of Indolence, its points of
contact with Spenser, and the commonplace character of its Alle-
gory. Thomson's Dramatic Work, from Sophonisba to Corio-
lanus. Influence of Thomson on the younger generation of
poets. Somervile's Chace and other Poems. Jago's Edge-Hill.
Lyttelton's Dialogues of the Dead and other Writings .
93
CHAPTER VI
GRAY
By the late Rey. DUNCAN C. TOVEY, M. A. , Trinity College
Gray's family and life. His friends at Eton and Cambridge. His
vacations at Burnham. His continental tour with Horace
Walpole. Their quarrel. Gray's return and Correspondence
with West. The Agrippina Fragment. Lyrics written at Stoke.
Gray again in residence at Peterhouse. Reconciliation with
Walpole. An Elegy in a Country Churchyard. Characteristics
of the Elegy. The Progress of Poesy; Vicissitude and The
Bard. Studies from the Norse. Gray quits Peterhouse for
Pembroke. Researches in the British Museum and tour in
Yorkshire and Derbyshire. Gray appointed Professor of Modern
History. The Installation Ode. Visit to the Lake country.
Gray and Bonstetten. Gray's death. His Letters, their value
and their charm. Friendship with Mason : projected joint History
of English Poetry. Concluding summary
116
## p. x (#20) ###############################################
х
Contents
CHAPTER VII
YOUNG, COLLINS AND LESSER POETS OF THE
AGE OF JOHNSON
By GEORGE SAINTSBURY, M. A. , LL. D. , D. Litt. , F. B. A. ,
Professor of Rhetorie- and English Literature in-the-
University of Edinburgh
9
PAGE
Reasons of the relative familiarity of readers with this group of
English Verse-writers. Young's life and literary career. Night
Thoughts and its long-enduring popularity. His other Writings:
The Complaint. Collins's Odes and Eclogues. Contrast between
his individual inspiration and the influences of his age. How
Sleep the Brave and The Ode to Evening. Dyer's Grongar Hill.
Matthew Green. Blair's Grave. Conscious or half-conscious
Burlesque Verse; John Armstrong. His Art of Preserving
Health. Glover's Ballad Admiral Hosier's Ghost. Mannerisms
in his Blank Verse. Shenstone's Poetical Works and their charac-
teristics. His Schoolmistress and Miscellaneous Poems. Attrac-
tiveness and shortcomings of his Verse. Akenside's Pleasures of
Imagination. Smart's A Song to David. Beattie's Minstrel.
His treatment of the Spenserian Stanza. Falconer's Shipwreck.
Concluding remarks
138
CHAPTER VIII
JOHNSON AND BOSWELL
By DAVID NICHOL SMITH, M. A. , Goldsmiths' Reader
in English, University of Oxford
Boswell's Johnson the Johnson familiarly known to us. His personality
and his Works. Johnson's early life: Lichfield, Oxford and
Birmingham. His first writings and his Translation of A Voyage
to Abyssinia. Foreshadowings of Johnson's style. His school at
Edial and migration to London. Irene and its subsequent pro-
duction on the Stage. His work on The Gentleman's Magazine
his real start as a man of letters. Reports of Debates in Parliament.
Other Contributions to the Magazine. The Life of Savage.
Greater Schemes. Johnson's Earlier Verse. London and The
Vanity of Human Wishes. The Rambler and the Revival of the
Periodical Essay. Openly didactic purpose of The Rambler ;
success of the Collected Edition. A Dictionary of the English
Language; new features of its design; distinctive merits of the
work: the Definitions. Lesser work. Dedications. Journalistic
projects and labours. The Idler. Rasselas and its lesson.
Johnson's Edition of Shakespeare: value of its Text and Notes.
Political Pamphlets. A Journey to the Western Islands of
Scotland. The Lives of the Poets: their original plan and
distinctive features. Equipoise of biography and criticism.
Influence of personal feeling. Johnson's last years and death.
## p. xi (#21) ##############################################
Contents
xi
PAGE
His literary growth, and advance in ease of style. The weight
of his words carried by the strength of his thought. Ill success
of his Parodists. Effect of Johnson's death. Mrs Piozzi's Anec-
dotes and Sir John Hawkins's Life. Boswell's earlier experiences
and Writings. An Account of Corsica. His later life and
labours. His death, and his posthumously published Letters.
His Life of Johnson, with the Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides,
his enduring title to fame
157
CHAPTER IX
OLIVER GOLDSMITH
By HENRY AUSTIN DOBSON, LL. D.
Goldsmith's early life and the uncertainties surrounding it. Child-
hood at Lissoy and schooldays at Elphin. The Old House,
a New Inn. College life at Trinity, Dublin. Goldsmith, B. A.
Wanderings at home and abroad. Sojourn at Leyden. Medical
and literary efforts in London: the parting of the ways. Con-
tributions to The Monthly Review. Translation of Marteilhe's
Memoirs. An Enquiry into the Present State of Polite Learning
in Europe and its Reception. The Bee, and its Verse and Prose.
Contributions to The British Magazine and The Public Ledger,
the Chinese Letters (reprinted as The Citizen of the World).
Goldsmith in Wine Office Court; his friendship with Johnson.
The History of England in Letters. The Traveller and its success.
The Vicar of Wakefield: the History of the Book. More Com-
pilation. The Good-Natur'd Man. The Temple and Islington.
The Deserted Village. The Haunch of Venison. She Stoops to
Conquer. Closing years and death. Goldsmith's personality and
literary genius .
195
CHAPTER X
THE LITERARY INFLUENCE OF THE MIDDLE AGES
By W. P. KER, M. A. , F. B. A. , Fellow of All Souls College,
Oxford, Professor of English Literature, University
College, London
Limited Influence of the Middle Ages upon Modern Literature. In-
fluence of Architecture. The Literary Gothic Terror or Wonder.
Dryden's, Pope's and Addison's estimates of Medieval Poetic
masterpieces. Temple and The Death-Song of Ragnar. Northern
Studies: Hickes's Thesaurus. Percy's Five Runic Pieces. Trans-
lations from the Icelandic: Gray. The Movement in favour of
Ballads and Border Songs. Ossian and Macpherson. Literary
career of Macpherson. Gaelic Elements in Fingal and Temora.
Macpherson's Literary Talent. Percy's Reliques. Their direct
influence upon Modern Poetry. Chatterton and his indebtedness
to Spenser. The Rowley Imposture. The Wartons. Thomas
Warton the Younger and his Poems. His History of English
Poetry. Hurd. Tyrwhitt, the Restorer of Chaucer
217
## p. xii (#22) #############################################
xii
Contents
CHAPTER XI
PAGB
LETTER-WRITERS
I
By HENRY B. WHEATLEY, F. S. A.
Horace Walpole as "the Prince of Letter-Writers. His personal
character vindicated. His earlier life. Strawberry Hill. His
Letters and their qualities. Mann and other Correspondents.
Walpole as a Critic. His Anecdotes of Painting in England,
Castle of Otranto and Historic Doubts on Richard III. Chester-
field. His personality and public services. His wit. His genius
for friendship. His Letters to his Son and to his Godson. Their
actual nature. Fanny Burney (Mme d'Arblay): her Early Diary,
and her Diary and Letters. Mrs Elizabeth Montagu as a literary
hostess. Garrick and his Correspondents. Sir Joshua Reynolds's
Discourses. Hannah More as a Letter-Writer in youth and
middle age. Gilbert White's Natural History and Antiquities
of Selborne
242
II. THE WARWICKSHIRE COTERIE
By the Ven. W. H. HUTTON, B. D. , Archdeacon of North-
ampton, Canon of Peterborough and Fellow of St John's
College, Oxford
The Warwickshire Circle and its connecting Links. Somerville. Lady
Luxborough and the Literary Society at Barrels: Shenstone. The
Correspondence between the Countesses of Hertford and Pomfret.
Jago. Richard Graves and his literary work. The Spiritual
Quixote and Columella. Literature at Bath .
271
CHAPTER XII
HISTORIANS
I. HUME AND MODERN HISTORIANS
By the Rev. WILLIAM Hunt, D. Litt. , Trinity College,
Oxford
Cause of late development of good Historical Writing. Rymer's
Foedera. Ockley's History of the Saracens. The Scottish School,
influences on its character. David Hume: Influences on his
Historical work. Hume's History of England: its character and
literary style; its Toryism. William Robertson and his Histories;
their value. His literary style. Robert Henry's History of Eng-
land. Historical works of Sir David Dalrymple (Lord Hailes).
Sir John Dalrymple’s Memoirs of Great Britain, etc. Watson's
Philip II. Horace Walpole’s Historic Doubts. William Guthrie.
Lord Lyttelton's Henry II. Archibald Bower's History of the
Popes. Smollett's Compleat History and Continuation. Oliver
Goldsmith's History of England. Leland's History of Ireland.
Orme's Military Transactions in Indostan. William Russell's
Modern Europe. Adam Ferguson's History of Civil Society.
Delolme's Constitution of England .
279
## p. xiii (#23) ############################################
Contents
xiii
CHAPTER XIII
HISTORIANS
II. GIBBON
By Sir A. W. WARD, Litt. D. , F. B. A. , Master of Peterhouse
PAGE
Gibbon's mind a type of the Literary mind. Completeness of his
Historical achievement. Lord Sheffield's Memoirs. Gibbon's
earlier life. His residence at Lausanne. Essai sur l'Étude de
la Littérature. Militia experience. Choice of a Theme. The
original conception of The Decline and Fall. Gibbon establishes
himself in London and enters Parliament. Publication of Vol. 1 of
The Decline and Fall. Attacks and Criticisms. Gibbon's return
to Lausanne. Publication of the concluding Volumes. Other
Historical Writings. Gibbon's death. Estimate of The Decline
and Fall: greatness of the Theme and adequacy of the treatment.
Substantial accuracy. Lucidity of style. Faults and shortcomings
of the work. Middleton's Life of Cicero. Adam Ferguson's
Progress and Termination of the Roman Republic. Mitford's
History of Greece. Whitaker's History of Manchester
297
CHAPTER XIV
PHILOSOPHERS
By W. R. SORLEY, Litt. D. , F. B. A. , Fellow of King's College,
Knightbridge Professor of Moral Philosophy
I. DAVID HUME
Hume's literary ambition. His life and literary career. His post-
humous Autobiography. His disclaimer of his earliest and greatest
work, A Treatise of Human Nature. Hume’s ‘New Medium. '
His analysis of 'Philosophical Relations. The Problem of Cauga-
tion. Hume's Theory of Belief. His sceptical solution. His
Theological Writings: 'Of Miracles'; Dialogues Concerning
Natural Religion. Political and Economical Essays
II. ADAM SMITH
Life and Writings. The Theory of Moral Sentiments. The Wealth
of Nations. Its relation to Sir James Steuart's Inquiry into the
Principles of Political Economy. Adam Smith's Scientific Treat-
ment of Economic Facts. The System of Natural Liberty: Free
Trade.
321
335
III. OTHER PHILOSOPHICAL WRITERS
David Hartley. Abraham Tucker. Richard Price and Joseph Priestley.
Paley and his Theological Utilitarianism. Reid, Campbell and
Beattie. The Principles of 'Common Sense' .
341
## p. xiv (#24) #############################################
xiv
Contents
CHAPTER XV
DIVINES
By the Ven. Archdeacon W. H. HUTTON, B. D.
PAGR
General character of the English Theological Literature of the Period.
Its abhorrence of Enthusiasm. Earlier Writers distinguished by
power or outspokenness: Samuel Johnson. Atterbury and his
career. Smalridge. The Convocation Controversy: Wake. Hoadly
and the Bangorian Controversy. The later Nonjurors: the
Wagstaffes; Deacon; Henry Dodwell; Bonwicke. Robert Forbes.
Bingham. Thomas Sherlock. Butler, Wilson and Waterland:
A Review of the Doctrine of the Eucharist. Butler's Analogy.
Herring and Secker. The Methodist Movement: Whitefield.
James Hervey. Fletcher of Madeley. John and Charles Wesley. 350
:
CHAPTER XVI
THE LITERATURE OF DISSENT (1660—1760)
By W. A. SHAW, Litt. D. Vict, Public Record Office
The Historical Evolution of Dissent reflected in its Literature. The
principle of Liberty of Conscience and the struggle for Toleration.
The Literature of Dissent from Defoe to Watts. Michaijah
Towgood. Controversial Literature on Church Polity and Dogma.
The 'Happy Union,' and the Disruption between Independents
and Presbyterians. The spread of Arianism and the First Socinian
Controversy. The Arian Controversy proper: Peirce and Hallett.
The Salters' Hall Synod and the question of Subscription: John
Taylor and Samuel Bourn. The Free Thought effect of the
Unitarian Movement. Conservative contributions by Dissenters
to the Deistic Controversy. The Nonconformist Academy System,
Hymns and Devotional Literature
Appendix. List of Nonconformist Academies .
370
384
## p. xv (#25) ##############################################
Contents
ху
CHAPTER XVII
POLITICAL LITERATURE (1755-1775)
By C. W. PREVITÉ-ORTON, M. A. , Fellow of St John's
College
PAGE
Revival of Controversy after the death of Henry Pelham. The
Monitor. John Shebbeare and Arthur Murphy. Accession of
George Ill: Loyal Tory Pamphleteers. Smollett and The Briton.
Wilkes and The North Briton. Wilkes's literary triumph.
Antipathy to the Scots. Churchill: his earlier life. His begin-
nings as a Satirist. The Rosciad. Night. The Prophecy of
Famine. The Epistle to William Hogarth. The Duellist.
Gotham.
Queen Anne's reign a period of transition in English Dramatic
History. Cibber, Steele and Rowe. Sentimental Comedy in
England and on the Continent. French Classical and Native
influences upon English Eighteenth Century Drama. Law's In-
vective. New developments: Pantomime and Ballad Opera: John
Rich. The Beggar's Opera. Mrs Centlivre. Young, Hughes and
Thomson. Lillo and Prose Domestic Tragedy: George Barnwell.
Lillo's Morality. Fatal Curiosity. Other works by Lillo. His
influence upon French and German Dramatic Literature. Diderot
and Lessing. Edward Moore's Gamester. Voltaire and the
English Drama. English versions of his Plays. Voltaire and
Shakespeare. Fielding and Burlesque. Stage Political Satire
and the Licensing Act of 1737. The Novel and the Theatre.
Garrick and Shakespeare. Other Plays of the Garrick Era.
Whitehead. Home's Douglas. Foote's Comic Mimicry. His
Farces. Townley and Murphy. George Colman the Elder: The
Jealous Wife and The Clandestine Marriage. Kelly. The Re-
action against Sentimental Comedy
67
## p. ix (#19) ##############################################
Contents
ix
CHAPTER V
THOMSON AND NATURAL DESCRIPTION IN POETRY
By A. HAMILTON THOMPSON, M. A. , F. S. A. , St John's College
PAGB
:
Relations of Thomson's Poetry to the tendencies of the age. His
life and literary career. The Seasons. Influence of Milton.
Thomson's interest in Nature. Nature pictures in The Seasons,
and the Human Element in these pictures. Thomson's objective
attitude towards Nature. His frequent vagueness of Description,
and striking Incidental Digressions. Patriotic Reflections:
Britannia and Liberty. The Castle of Indolence, its points of
contact with Spenser, and the commonplace character of its Alle-
gory. Thomson's Dramatic Work, from Sophonisba to Corio-
lanus. Influence of Thomson on the younger generation of
poets. Somervile's Chace and other Poems. Jago's Edge-Hill.
Lyttelton's Dialogues of the Dead and other Writings .
93
CHAPTER VI
GRAY
By the late Rey. DUNCAN C. TOVEY, M. A. , Trinity College
Gray's family and life. His friends at Eton and Cambridge. His
vacations at Burnham. His continental tour with Horace
Walpole. Their quarrel. Gray's return and Correspondence
with West. The Agrippina Fragment. Lyrics written at Stoke.
Gray again in residence at Peterhouse. Reconciliation with
Walpole. An Elegy in a Country Churchyard. Characteristics
of the Elegy. The Progress of Poesy; Vicissitude and The
Bard. Studies from the Norse. Gray quits Peterhouse for
Pembroke. Researches in the British Museum and tour in
Yorkshire and Derbyshire. Gray appointed Professor of Modern
History. The Installation Ode. Visit to the Lake country.
Gray and Bonstetten. Gray's death. His Letters, their value
and their charm. Friendship with Mason : projected joint History
of English Poetry. Concluding summary
116
## p. x (#20) ###############################################
х
Contents
CHAPTER VII
YOUNG, COLLINS AND LESSER POETS OF THE
AGE OF JOHNSON
By GEORGE SAINTSBURY, M. A. , LL. D. , D. Litt. , F. B. A. ,
Professor of Rhetorie- and English Literature in-the-
University of Edinburgh
9
PAGE
Reasons of the relative familiarity of readers with this group of
English Verse-writers. Young's life and literary career. Night
Thoughts and its long-enduring popularity. His other Writings:
The Complaint. Collins's Odes and Eclogues. Contrast between
his individual inspiration and the influences of his age. How
Sleep the Brave and The Ode to Evening. Dyer's Grongar Hill.
Matthew Green. Blair's Grave. Conscious or half-conscious
Burlesque Verse; John Armstrong. His Art of Preserving
Health. Glover's Ballad Admiral Hosier's Ghost. Mannerisms
in his Blank Verse. Shenstone's Poetical Works and their charac-
teristics. His Schoolmistress and Miscellaneous Poems. Attrac-
tiveness and shortcomings of his Verse. Akenside's Pleasures of
Imagination. Smart's A Song to David. Beattie's Minstrel.
His treatment of the Spenserian Stanza. Falconer's Shipwreck.
Concluding remarks
138
CHAPTER VIII
JOHNSON AND BOSWELL
By DAVID NICHOL SMITH, M. A. , Goldsmiths' Reader
in English, University of Oxford
Boswell's Johnson the Johnson familiarly known to us. His personality
and his Works. Johnson's early life: Lichfield, Oxford and
Birmingham. His first writings and his Translation of A Voyage
to Abyssinia. Foreshadowings of Johnson's style. His school at
Edial and migration to London. Irene and its subsequent pro-
duction on the Stage. His work on The Gentleman's Magazine
his real start as a man of letters. Reports of Debates in Parliament.
Other Contributions to the Magazine. The Life of Savage.
Greater Schemes. Johnson's Earlier Verse. London and The
Vanity of Human Wishes. The Rambler and the Revival of the
Periodical Essay. Openly didactic purpose of The Rambler ;
success of the Collected Edition. A Dictionary of the English
Language; new features of its design; distinctive merits of the
work: the Definitions. Lesser work. Dedications. Journalistic
projects and labours. The Idler. Rasselas and its lesson.
Johnson's Edition of Shakespeare: value of its Text and Notes.
Political Pamphlets. A Journey to the Western Islands of
Scotland. The Lives of the Poets: their original plan and
distinctive features. Equipoise of biography and criticism.
Influence of personal feeling. Johnson's last years and death.
## p. xi (#21) ##############################################
Contents
xi
PAGE
His literary growth, and advance in ease of style. The weight
of his words carried by the strength of his thought. Ill success
of his Parodists. Effect of Johnson's death. Mrs Piozzi's Anec-
dotes and Sir John Hawkins's Life. Boswell's earlier experiences
and Writings. An Account of Corsica. His later life and
labours. His death, and his posthumously published Letters.
His Life of Johnson, with the Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides,
his enduring title to fame
157
CHAPTER IX
OLIVER GOLDSMITH
By HENRY AUSTIN DOBSON, LL. D.
Goldsmith's early life and the uncertainties surrounding it. Child-
hood at Lissoy and schooldays at Elphin. The Old House,
a New Inn. College life at Trinity, Dublin. Goldsmith, B. A.
Wanderings at home and abroad. Sojourn at Leyden. Medical
and literary efforts in London: the parting of the ways. Con-
tributions to The Monthly Review. Translation of Marteilhe's
Memoirs. An Enquiry into the Present State of Polite Learning
in Europe and its Reception. The Bee, and its Verse and Prose.
Contributions to The British Magazine and The Public Ledger,
the Chinese Letters (reprinted as The Citizen of the World).
Goldsmith in Wine Office Court; his friendship with Johnson.
The History of England in Letters. The Traveller and its success.
The Vicar of Wakefield: the History of the Book. More Com-
pilation. The Good-Natur'd Man. The Temple and Islington.
The Deserted Village. The Haunch of Venison. She Stoops to
Conquer. Closing years and death. Goldsmith's personality and
literary genius .
195
CHAPTER X
THE LITERARY INFLUENCE OF THE MIDDLE AGES
By W. P. KER, M. A. , F. B. A. , Fellow of All Souls College,
Oxford, Professor of English Literature, University
College, London
Limited Influence of the Middle Ages upon Modern Literature. In-
fluence of Architecture. The Literary Gothic Terror or Wonder.
Dryden's, Pope's and Addison's estimates of Medieval Poetic
masterpieces. Temple and The Death-Song of Ragnar. Northern
Studies: Hickes's Thesaurus. Percy's Five Runic Pieces. Trans-
lations from the Icelandic: Gray. The Movement in favour of
Ballads and Border Songs. Ossian and Macpherson. Literary
career of Macpherson. Gaelic Elements in Fingal and Temora.
Macpherson's Literary Talent. Percy's Reliques. Their direct
influence upon Modern Poetry. Chatterton and his indebtedness
to Spenser. The Rowley Imposture. The Wartons. Thomas
Warton the Younger and his Poems. His History of English
Poetry. Hurd. Tyrwhitt, the Restorer of Chaucer
217
## p. xii (#22) #############################################
xii
Contents
CHAPTER XI
PAGB
LETTER-WRITERS
I
By HENRY B. WHEATLEY, F. S. A.
Horace Walpole as "the Prince of Letter-Writers. His personal
character vindicated. His earlier life. Strawberry Hill. His
Letters and their qualities. Mann and other Correspondents.
Walpole as a Critic. His Anecdotes of Painting in England,
Castle of Otranto and Historic Doubts on Richard III. Chester-
field. His personality and public services. His wit. His genius
for friendship. His Letters to his Son and to his Godson. Their
actual nature. Fanny Burney (Mme d'Arblay): her Early Diary,
and her Diary and Letters. Mrs Elizabeth Montagu as a literary
hostess. Garrick and his Correspondents. Sir Joshua Reynolds's
Discourses. Hannah More as a Letter-Writer in youth and
middle age. Gilbert White's Natural History and Antiquities
of Selborne
242
II. THE WARWICKSHIRE COTERIE
By the Ven. W. H. HUTTON, B. D. , Archdeacon of North-
ampton, Canon of Peterborough and Fellow of St John's
College, Oxford
The Warwickshire Circle and its connecting Links. Somerville. Lady
Luxborough and the Literary Society at Barrels: Shenstone. The
Correspondence between the Countesses of Hertford and Pomfret.
Jago. Richard Graves and his literary work. The Spiritual
Quixote and Columella. Literature at Bath .
271
CHAPTER XII
HISTORIANS
I. HUME AND MODERN HISTORIANS
By the Rev. WILLIAM Hunt, D. Litt. , Trinity College,
Oxford
Cause of late development of good Historical Writing. Rymer's
Foedera. Ockley's History of the Saracens. The Scottish School,
influences on its character. David Hume: Influences on his
Historical work. Hume's History of England: its character and
literary style; its Toryism. William Robertson and his Histories;
their value. His literary style. Robert Henry's History of Eng-
land. Historical works of Sir David Dalrymple (Lord Hailes).
Sir John Dalrymple’s Memoirs of Great Britain, etc. Watson's
Philip II. Horace Walpole’s Historic Doubts. William Guthrie.
Lord Lyttelton's Henry II. Archibald Bower's History of the
Popes. Smollett's Compleat History and Continuation. Oliver
Goldsmith's History of England. Leland's History of Ireland.
Orme's Military Transactions in Indostan. William Russell's
Modern Europe. Adam Ferguson's History of Civil Society.
Delolme's Constitution of England .
279
## p. xiii (#23) ############################################
Contents
xiii
CHAPTER XIII
HISTORIANS
II. GIBBON
By Sir A. W. WARD, Litt. D. , F. B. A. , Master of Peterhouse
PAGE
Gibbon's mind a type of the Literary mind. Completeness of his
Historical achievement. Lord Sheffield's Memoirs. Gibbon's
earlier life. His residence at Lausanne. Essai sur l'Étude de
la Littérature. Militia experience. Choice of a Theme. The
original conception of The Decline and Fall. Gibbon establishes
himself in London and enters Parliament. Publication of Vol. 1 of
The Decline and Fall. Attacks and Criticisms. Gibbon's return
to Lausanne. Publication of the concluding Volumes. Other
Historical Writings. Gibbon's death. Estimate of The Decline
and Fall: greatness of the Theme and adequacy of the treatment.
Substantial accuracy. Lucidity of style. Faults and shortcomings
of the work. Middleton's Life of Cicero. Adam Ferguson's
Progress and Termination of the Roman Republic. Mitford's
History of Greece. Whitaker's History of Manchester
297
CHAPTER XIV
PHILOSOPHERS
By W. R. SORLEY, Litt. D. , F. B. A. , Fellow of King's College,
Knightbridge Professor of Moral Philosophy
I. DAVID HUME
Hume's literary ambition. His life and literary career. His post-
humous Autobiography. His disclaimer of his earliest and greatest
work, A Treatise of Human Nature. Hume’s ‘New Medium. '
His analysis of 'Philosophical Relations. The Problem of Cauga-
tion. Hume's Theory of Belief. His sceptical solution. His
Theological Writings: 'Of Miracles'; Dialogues Concerning
Natural Religion. Political and Economical Essays
II. ADAM SMITH
Life and Writings. The Theory of Moral Sentiments. The Wealth
of Nations. Its relation to Sir James Steuart's Inquiry into the
Principles of Political Economy. Adam Smith's Scientific Treat-
ment of Economic Facts. The System of Natural Liberty: Free
Trade.
321
335
III. OTHER PHILOSOPHICAL WRITERS
David Hartley. Abraham Tucker. Richard Price and Joseph Priestley.
Paley and his Theological Utilitarianism. Reid, Campbell and
Beattie. The Principles of 'Common Sense' .
341
## p. xiv (#24) #############################################
xiv
Contents
CHAPTER XV
DIVINES
By the Ven. Archdeacon W. H. HUTTON, B. D.
PAGR
General character of the English Theological Literature of the Period.
Its abhorrence of Enthusiasm. Earlier Writers distinguished by
power or outspokenness: Samuel Johnson. Atterbury and his
career. Smalridge. The Convocation Controversy: Wake. Hoadly
and the Bangorian Controversy. The later Nonjurors: the
Wagstaffes; Deacon; Henry Dodwell; Bonwicke. Robert Forbes.
Bingham. Thomas Sherlock. Butler, Wilson and Waterland:
A Review of the Doctrine of the Eucharist. Butler's Analogy.
Herring and Secker. The Methodist Movement: Whitefield.
James Hervey. Fletcher of Madeley. John and Charles Wesley. 350
:
CHAPTER XVI
THE LITERATURE OF DISSENT (1660—1760)
By W. A. SHAW, Litt. D. Vict, Public Record Office
The Historical Evolution of Dissent reflected in its Literature. The
principle of Liberty of Conscience and the struggle for Toleration.
The Literature of Dissent from Defoe to Watts. Michaijah
Towgood. Controversial Literature on Church Polity and Dogma.
The 'Happy Union,' and the Disruption between Independents
and Presbyterians. The spread of Arianism and the First Socinian
Controversy. The Arian Controversy proper: Peirce and Hallett.
The Salters' Hall Synod and the question of Subscription: John
Taylor and Samuel Bourn. The Free Thought effect of the
Unitarian Movement. Conservative contributions by Dissenters
to the Deistic Controversy. The Nonconformist Academy System,
Hymns and Devotional Literature
Appendix. List of Nonconformist Academies .
370
384
## p. xv (#25) ##############################################
Contents
ху
CHAPTER XVII
POLITICAL LITERATURE (1755-1775)
By C. W. PREVITÉ-ORTON, M. A. , Fellow of St John's
College
PAGE
Revival of Controversy after the death of Henry Pelham. The
Monitor. John Shebbeare and Arthur Murphy. Accession of
George Ill: Loyal Tory Pamphleteers. Smollett and The Briton.
Wilkes and The North Briton. Wilkes's literary triumph.
Antipathy to the Scots. Churchill: his earlier life. His begin-
nings as a Satirist. The Rosciad. Night. The Prophecy of
Famine. The Epistle to William Hogarth. The Duellist.
Gotham.
