An Historical Sketch of the Origin of English Prose Literature, and of Its Progress Till the Reign of James I

accomplished accordingly adorn afterwards allure antiquity Bacon barbarous Bible Boccacio Canterbury Canterbury Tales cardinals Caxton century character Chaucer chronicles church Cicero civil classic clergy college of cardinals composition contemporary countrymen cultivated curious dialect Edward the Confessor elegance eloquence eminent energy England ENGLISH PROSE erudite expression fancy fiction French genius Gower gratifying Greek grete Henry the eighth ignorance imperfect indebted intellectual invention John John of Salisbury king knowledge labour land Langlande Latin Latin language LAYAMON learning liberal literary lord MAGDALEN COLLEGE manner ment mind modern monasteries muse narratives neral ness noble original ornament Oxford peculiar period perusal philosophy poet poetic pope popular propriety provement racter reign Richard Robert of Gloucester Roger Ascham Roman Rome rude Sapience Saxon says scarcely scholastic singular sixth spirit studious style thorghe tion tongue translation treatises verse Warton whilst William Caxton wisdom writings yere