Edited by

JOHN DENNIS.

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

THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY 34040

ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS. 1897.

LONDON:

RICHARD BARRETT, PRINTER, MARK LANE.

Prologue

CONTENTS.

PAGE

1

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

6

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

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