be considered
as even of second-rate importance, but concerning which general readers
may be curious, though their curiosity may not carry them so far as to
induce them to hunt up their works. A book of reference, such as this
book must be to most of those who shall use it, is bound to make mention
of writers whose names are of rare occurrence, but who had their parts,
though they may have been insignificant ones, in building up their
country's literature. Of the great writers, Professor Craik devotes but
little space to Shakspeare and Milton, because their works are in
everybody's hands; while from Chaucer and Spenser, Swift and Burke,
ample specimens are given, the author assuming that their writings are
but little read. Indeed, he declares that the great poets and other
writers even of the last generation have already faded from the view of
the most numerous class of the educated and reading public,--and that
scarcely anything is generally read except the publications of the day.
He correctly remarks that no true cultivation can be acquired by reading
nothing but the current literature. This, he says, "is the extreme case
of that entire ignorance of history, or of what had been done in the
world before we ourselves came into it, which has been affirmed, not
with more point than truth, to leave a person always a child." No doubt;
but we think the learned Professor overrates the extent of that neglect
of the literature of the past of which he complains,--for the editions
of the works of writers long dead, published in the last twenty years,
are numerous, and we know that books are not printed for people who do
not care for them. The number of readers of contemporary works is small,
if we compare those readers with the population of any given country;
but there are more readers now than could be found in any other age, not
only of the books of the day, but of the books of the past.

This work combines the history of English Literature with the history of
the English Language. The author's scheme of the course is, as described
by himself, extremely simple, and rests, not upon arbitrary, but upon
natural or real distinctions, giving us the only view of the subject
that can claim to be regarded as of a scientific character. This part of
his work will be found very valuable, as it popularizes a subject which
has few attractions for most readers.

The volumes are printed with great beauty, and do credit to the
Riverside Pr