OF

ENGLISH LITERATURE.

BY

TOMAS B. SHAW, M. A.

LDITED, WITH NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS,

BY WILLIAM SMITH, LL. D.,

AUTHOR OF BIBLE AND CLASSICAL DICTIONARIES,
AND CLASSICAL EXAMINER IN THE UNIVERSITY OF TONDON.

WITH

A SKETCH OF AMERICAN LITERATURE,

BY HENRY T. TUCKERMAN.

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PREFACE.

THE present work, which was originally published under the title of "Outlines of English Literature," has been entirely re-written with a special view to the requirements of Students, so as to make it, as far as space would allow, a complete History of English Literature. The Author devoted to its composition the labor of several years, sparing neither time nor pains to render it both instructive and interesting. In consequence of Mr. Shaw's lamented death the MS. was 1 laced in my hands to prepare it for publication as one of Mr. Murray's STUDENT'S MANUALS, for which purpose it scist me peculiarly well adapted. Through long familiarity with do subject, and great experience as a teacher, the Arth, know. how to seize the salient points in English lite ture, and to g ve prominen e to those writers and those subjects which ought to occupy the main attention of the Stude it. Considering the size of the book, the amount of information which it conveys is really remarkable, while the space devoted to the more inportant names, such as Dacon, Shakspeare, Milton, den, Addison, Sir Walter Scott, and others, is sufficient to in ress pon the Student a vivid idea of their lives and writings. The Author has certainly succeeded in his attempt "to render the work as little dryas readable, in short- as is consistent with accuracy and comprehensiveness."

As Editor, I have carefully revised the whole work, completed the concluding chapters left unfinished by the Author,

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