The Project Gutenberg eBook, Brief History of English and American
Literature, by Henry A. Beers, et al

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Title: Brief History of English and American Literature

Author: Henry A. Beers

Release Date: April 15, 2007 [eBook #21090]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)

***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BRIEF HISTORY OF ENGLISH AND
AMERICAN LITERATURE***

E-text prepared by Al Haines

Transcriber's note:

The volume from which this e-book was prepared contains two of
Beers' books, "An Outline Sketch of English Literature" and
"An Outline Sketch of American Literature," which start on
pages 7 and 317, respectively.

Page numbers in this book are indicated by numbers enclosed in
curly braces, e.g. {99}, to facilitate use of the index. They
have been located where page breaks occurred in the original
book. For its Index, a page number has been placed only at the
start of that section.

BRIEF HISTORY OF ENGLISH AND AMERICAN LITERATURE

by

HENRY A. BEERS

Introduction and Supplementary Chapters on
the Religious and Theological Literature
of Great Britain and the United States

by

John Fletcher Hurst

New York: Eaton & Mains
Cincinnati: Jennings & Pye

Copyright, 1886, 1887, by
Phillips & Hunt
New York
Copyright, 1897, by
Eaton & Mains
New York

{3}

INTRODUCTION.

At the request of the publishers the undersigned has prepared this
Introduction and two Supplementary Chapters on the Religious and
Theological Literature of Great Britain and the United States. To the
preacher in his preparation for the pulpit, and also to the general
reader and student of religious history, the pursuit of the study of
literature is a necessity. The sermon itself is a part of literature,
must have its literary finish and proportions, and should give ample
proof of a familiarity with the masterpieces of the English tongue.

The world of letters presents to even the casual reader a rich and
varied profusion of fascinating and luscious fruit. But to the earnest
student who explores with thorough research and sympathetic mind the
intellectual products o