The Project Gutenberg eBook, Studies in Early Victorian Literature, by
Frederic Harrison

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Title: Studies in Early Victorian Literature

Author: Frederic Harrison

Release Date: May 12, 2006 [eBook #18384]

Language: English

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

***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STUDIES IN EARLY VICTORIAN
LITERATURE***

E-text prepared by Al Haines

STUDIES IN EARLY VICTORIAN LITERATURE

by

FREDERIC HARRISON

Edward Arnold
London ------ New York
37 Bedford Street ------ 70 Fifth Avenue
1895
All rights reserved

NOTE

The following essays appeared in the _Forum_ of New York, and
simultaneously in London, during the years 1894-95. They have been
carefully revised and partly re-written, after due consideration of
various suggestions and criticisms both in England and in America. The
aim of the writer was to attempt a mature estimate of the permanent
influence and artistic achievement of some of the principal prose
writers in the earlier half of the reign of our Queen. The work of
living authors has not been touched upon, nor any book of poetry,
philosophy, or science.

CONTENTS

I. CHARACTERISTICS OF VICTORIAN LITERATURE
II. THOMAS CARLYLE
III. LORD MACAULAY
IV. BENJAMIN DISRAELI
V. WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY
VI. CHARLES DICKENS
VII. CHARLOTTE BRONTE
VIII. CHARLES KINGSLEY
IX. ANTHONY TROLLOPE
X. GEORGE ELIOT

CHARACTERISTICS OF VICTORIAN LITERATURE

That which in England is conveniently described as the Victorian Age of
literature has a character of its own, at once brilliant, diverse, and
complex. It is an age peculiarly difficult to label in a phrase; but
its copious and versatile gifts will make it memorable in the history
of modern civilisation. The Victorian Age, it is true, has no
Shakespeare or Milton, no Bacon or Hume, no Fielding or Scott--no
supreme master in poetry, philosophy, or romance, whose work is
incorporated with the thought of the world, who is destined to form
epochs and to endure for centuries. Its genius is more scientific than
literary, more historical than dramatic, greater in discovery than i