History of English Literature from Beowulf to Swinburne

by Andrew Lang

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About this book

History of English Literature from Beowulf to Swinburne is by Andrew Lang. The preface says a preface to a book on the history of English literature is apt to be an apology, and that the volume does not pretend to be an encyclopædia of our literature. The preface adds that selection has been necessary, and that in the fields of philosophy and theology but a few names appear.

The text says nothing is known for certain, and only one short hymn has a good chance to be by the poet Cædmon. The text places Thomas Fuller, born (1608) at the village of Aldwinkle, in the same group as Jeremy Taylor and Sir Thomas Browne, and says his manner is quaint and his matter is full of learning from all quarters. The text says Ralph Cudworth (1617-1688) and Henry More (1614-1687), in verse and prose a mystic and a Platonist or Neo-platonist, are still dear to a fit though limited audience.

About the author

Andrew Lang

The Blue Fairy Book of 1889 did well enough for Longmans, Green to keep the series running for a quarter of a century, and Andrew Lang put his name to twenty-five volumes, The Yellow Fairy Book among them in 1894. Much of the labour was his wife's.