Chapter I: Front Matter

Note: Images of the original pages are available through
Internet Archive. See
https://archive.org/details/englishlandslett02mitc

Project Gutenberg has the other three volumes of this work.
I: From Celt to Tudor
see https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/54168
III: Queen Anne and the Georges
see https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/37226
IV: The Later Georges to Victoria
see https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/54143

Transcriber's note:

Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_).

A carat character is used to denote superscription. A
single character following the carat is superscripted
(example: R^t).

ENGLISH LANDS LETTERS AND KINGS

From Elizabeth to Anne

* * * * * *

ENGLISH LANDS LETTERS AND KINGS

_By Donald G. Mitchell_

I. From Celt to Tudor II. From Elizabeth to Anne III. Queen Anne and the Georges

_Each one volume, 12mo, cloth, gilt top, $1.50_

* * * * * *

ENGLISH LANDS LETTERS AND KINGS

From Elizabeth to Anne

by

DONALD G. MITCHELL

New York Charles Scribner’s Sons MDCCCXCVI

Copyright, 1890, by Charles Scribner’S Sons

Trow’S Printing and Bookbinding Company, New York.

_PREFATORY LETTER._

[TO MRS. J. C. G. PIATT, OF UTICA SCHOOL, N. Y.]

MY DEAR JULIA,--_We have both known, in the past, a certain delightsome country home; you--in earliest childhood, and I--in latest youth-time: and I think we both relish those reminders--perhaps a Kodak view, or an autumn gentian plucked by the road-side, or actual glimpse of its woods, or brook, on some summer’s drive--which have brought back the old homestead, with its great stretch of undulating meadow--its elms--its shady lanes--its singing birds--its leisurely going big-eyed oxen--its long, tranquil days, when the large heart of June was pulsing in all the leaves and all the air:_

_Well, even so, and by these light tracings of Lands and Kings, and little whiffs of metric music, I seek to bring back to you, and to your pupils and associates (who have so kindly received previous and kindred reminders) the rich memories of that great current of English letters setting steadily forward amongst these British lands, and these sovereigns, from Elizabeth to Anne. But slight as these glimpses are, and as this synopsis may be, they will together serve, I hope, to fasten attention where I wish to fasten it, and to quicken appetite for those fuller and larger studies of English Literature and History, which shall make even these sketchy outlines valued--as one values little flowerets plucked from old fields--for bringing again to mind the summers of youth-time, and a world of summer days, with their birds and abounding bloom._

_Affectionately yours,
D. G. M._

_EDGEWOOD; MARCH, 1890._

_CONTENTS._

PAGE

CHAPTER I.

PRELIMINARY, 1

THE STUART LINE, 4

JAMES I., 6

WALTER RALEIGH, 11

NIGEL AND HARRISON, 19

A LONDON BRIDE, 23

BEN JONSON AGAIN, 26

AN ITALIAN REPORTER, 29

SHAKESPEARE AND THE GLOBE, 32

CHAPTER II.

GOSSON AND OTHER PURITANS, 42

KING JAMES’ BIBLE, 44

SHAKESPEARE, 56

SHAKESPEARE’S YOUTH, 61

FAMILY RELATIONS, 67

SHAKESPEARE IN LONDON, 73

WORK AND REPUTATION, 77

HIS THRIFT AND CLOSING YEARS, 81

CHAPTER III.

WEBSTER, FORD, AND OTHERS, 88

MASSINGER, BEAUMONT, AND FLETCHER, 93

KING JAMES AND FAMILY, 99

A NEW KING AND SOME LITERARY SURVIVORS, 105

WOTTON AND WALTON, 109

GEORGE HERBERT, 115

ROBERT HERRICK, 120

REVOLUTIONARY TIMES, 126

CHAPTER IV.

KING CHARLES AND HIS FRIENDS, 132

JEREMY TAYLOR, 135

A ROYALIST AND A PURITAN, 140

COWLEY AND WALLER, 144

JOHN MILTON, 150

MILTON’S MARRIAGE, 157

THE ROYAL TRAGEDY, 161

CHANGE OF KINGS, 167

LAST DAYS, 174

CHAPTER V.

CHARLES II. AND HIS FRIENDS, 182

ANDREW MARVELL, 189

AUTHOR OF HUDIBRAS, 193

SAMUEL PEPYS, 198

A SCIENTIST, 207

JOHN BUNYAN, 209

CHAPTER VI.

THREE GOOD PROSERS, 221

JOHN DRYDEN, 227

THE LONDON OF DRYDEN, 234

LATER POEMS AND PURPOSE, 240

JOHN LOCKE, 248

END OF THE KING AND OTHERS, 255

CHAPTER VII.

KINGS CHARLES, JAMES, AND WILLIAM, 261

SOME LITERARY FELLOWS, 268

A PAMPHLETEER, 272

OF QUEEN ANNE, 277

AN IRISH DRAGOON, 280

STEELE’S LITERARY QUALITIES, 285

JOSEPH ADDISON, 288

SIR ROGER DE COVERLEY, 291

CHAPTER VIII.

ROYAL GRIEFS AND FRIENDS, 301

BUILDERS AND STREETS, 306

JOHN GAY, 308

JONATHAN SWIFT, 312

SWIFT’S POLITICS, 324

HIS LONDON JOURNAL, 328

IN IRELAND AGAIN, 333

_ENGLISH LANDS, LETTERS, & KINGS._