Edited by

JOHN DENNIS.

“Fortunatus et ille, Deos qui novit agrestes,
Panaque Sylvanumque senem Nymphasque sorores !"

LONDON:
EDWARD MOXON & CO., DOVER STREET.

1865.

270. f 14.

.

CONTENTS.

PAGE

1

Prologue

CHAPTER I.

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

CHAPTER II.

A drive through Exmoor Forest—Shakspeare's dramas deficient

in rural passages--Extracts from his plays—His love of

nature 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

31

Summer pleasures at Lynton-Eclogues piscatory and pastoral

-Gay's burlesques--Southey's remarks upon them-

William Browne and his Britannia's Pastorals-Ben

Jonson's eulogistic lines-And Drayton's-Browne's style,

its defects and beauties-His love of rural scenes-Extracts

-His ambition as a poet-Posthumous renown- Ben

Jonson-His enjoyment of country life--To Penshurst-

To Sir Robert Wroth—Extracts—Herrick's Hesperides

-His philosophy and his love-making-His love songs

-Extracts of rural passages-His dislike of the country

--Modern style of his poetry–His portrait

66

CHAPTER IV.

Society necessary to the literary man-A word about Southey

-Milton and Dryden-Milton and Jeremy Taylor-Milton

not appreciated in his own age, and not sufficiently appre-

ciated in ours—His descriptions of nature--Dr. Johnson's

statement regarding them—And Mr. Keightley's-- -Was

Milton's knowledge of natural objects derived from books or

observation ?-Illustrations from other poets-What is a

plagiarist ? ---L'Allegro and Il Penseroso-Lycidas-John-

son's criticism criticised

91

CHAPTER V.

Pope's Pastorals Mr. Ruskin's two orders of poets-In the

fields—Thomson and Shelley—A catalogue of poets-

Blair's Grave-Somervile-Shenstone's Pastoral Ballad

Gray upon Shenstone—Thomas Aird-Gray's Elegy–His

diction condemned by Talbot—The friendship between

Gray and West-West's Ode to May-Collins not one of

the minor poets—Thomas Warton—The Hamlet-Warton's

ignorance of rural life.....

121

PAGE

Wordsworth upon Thomson--Fallacy of his argument-

Thomson as a rural poet—Comparison between Thomson

and Cowper-Sunshine in England-Anatomy of Melan.

choly-A snow scene-Winter within doors and without-

Thomson and Cowper should be read at the same time-

Extracts—Field sports - Town and country life—The evils

of the latter—The agricultural labourer-Government

education—The author of Friends in Council-The worth

of poetry-A ghost laid

155

CHAPTER VII.

A lesson from the Lyn-Poets of the second order prone to

melancholy—The greatest poets eminently sane and cheer-

ful-William Cowper--His life and poetry–His eminence

as a rural poet—Earl Stanhope on Cowper-Character of

his poetry—Reasons why it is so popular, The Task-

Extracts—Southey's opinion of the poem-Something

about genius-The fame of poets more secure than the

fame of warriors or statesmen-Poets prophesy their own

immortality-Cowper's views on the subject—The delight

of poets in their work—The law of compensation-

Southey's Life of Cowper–His honesty as a biographer ... 186

CHAPTER VIII.

Excursions in Devonshire-Praise of the country-Foreign and

home travel-Cowper's blank verse-Are field sports law-

ful ?—Cowper's gentleness of disposition--His letters

Hugh Miller's visit to Olney-Cowper a vigorous writer

Professor Wilson on Cowper's satires--Cowper's regard

for dress

205

CHAPTER IX.

Sensational literature—The poetry of Wordsworth—Mr.

Matthew Arnold on the difference between ancient and
modern poetry-A discussion of his argument-Words-
worth's theories injurious to his poetry–His sonnets—Mr.
Henry Taylor on Wordsworth—Wordsworth's descriptions
of nature-His greatness and his weakness—The fathers of
the modern pastoral—Wordsworth’s pastorals—His pathos