Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1870-09-16
LITERARY NOTES.

'te EEglish Language, compiled upon al g orr
g.nal - pan which We have heard debated, but
never saw carried into execution before lie be-
gins with authors Of the present time and goes
backward to Chaucer, thus reversing the usual
order. Whether the advantages of TINS plan Will
c1uu,eIbalance its obvious inconveniences, We
leave for practical teachers 70 decide. II Mr.
Hunts plan hal lei him to sketch our language
aud literature from Shakespeare, say, backward
70 the author of Piers Plouglm4H, and Robert
Of Brunuc, and the earliest English versions Of
Scripture, and the literature generally Of the
fourteenth and last half Of the thirteenth cen
fury, and still backward, if he chose, to
thu: earliest English which we generally
seen more and better reasons foI this
reversal ofthe customary historical arrangement
Such manual for the grounding Of advanced
students in the beginnings Of the English tongue
has been meiiia,el By more thsn one college IN
struc,or in this department. Yet, granting that
this inversion Ct the chryi illogical order may be
lest :gr the c.sss-room-a thing are by no
means sure of-vhy cannot tie instructor make
and pursue his own order. even with tie com
mon manuals.
There are two ways o: studying the Erglish
language and literature One Of them uses lee
iures-Occupies Itself in realing about the diHe-
rent authors and their writings the other Is
engaged with the literature Itself, selecting such
authors as are specially characteristic Of the
several periods. and from their works such pro
ductions as have largest present interest or ex-
smplify most happily the growth AID changes
Of the language. or the " form and pressure 50
Of the time that gave them birth. 1t may not
be totally fruitless employment, to read ex-
tended disquisitions On works and languages Of
which one has never seen one original specimen.
but it would be great mistake to imagine thst
by this means one could come to know either the
language or the thought aud feeling ershrined
in it To kaolr about thing is a very different
matter from knoving Il. The only real knowl-
sdge Is obtained at first hand.
These two methods can OF course be used in
combination. II 50, which shall come first?
Shall We 20 straight to some masterpiece Of Eng
lish literature and make an original study of it,
or shall We seek general Introduction to It's au
thor and his age This question would be differ
emily answered ty different teachers. But why
shou'd we not apply here our general principle,
that tie hing should come before the Ms5ru Of /
Il, If only this original Investigation can be /
conducted under the guidance Of a competent |
instructor, we should have no hesitation in pre-
ferriDg it. 1t woad then be, III fact, a blend .
Ing Of the ,wo methods. Even chemical expert /
ments are not to be conducted at random.
What we protest against is the not infrequent
proceeding, Of reading historical sketches Of
literature, and gathering mass Of iudicestei
-ec;s aud notions IN reference TO the authors and
productions Of period. in the fond delusion that
his brings one acquainted with the traits aod
thoughts and feelings Of that period. To read
anole volumes about Milton and Shakespeare
nd Hooker aud Spenser and Chaucer and Lang
aIie, viii not suffice. The only wsy to know
hese great lights of great literature is to study
heir works, if not as vholes, then IN specimens
This personal, face g f2ce intercourse is indis-
oensable
This view Of TIE matter, re are glad to note,
5 finding general acceptance among instruo-
ors. Reeds Lectures, admirable as they are
4 their way, axe less likely than ten years q 20
o he adopted SIS the sole textbook IN this branch
I used at all, they viii be supplemented by such
elections as those of cleveland and Chambers,
r the Fire Centuries Of English Language
nd Literature Of the TEuchnitz collection. .
haE's History q English Literature has late I
= had its usefulness as q class-book more than
Dubbed, By the addition ola collection Of Choice s
pesimsas from the chief English writerr, inclnd-
lg Wicliffe. CHANGER, Cover, Vaudeville. the
uthor Of Piers P'ougimaH, and few pages 5
-om still earlier writers. It IS juiioiousy com
lied, but mistakes, We venture to think, in mod
ming the spelling, capitalization &c Of all ez-
,pt tie very earliest authors We prefer to see
ie writers Of the 17th century in the carb
ley actually wore. Only think Of Hook :
and Bacon and George Herbert in
odern bob-taled coat and tights Even 50
ouzrrous appear the stately ideas and antiqr .
ctioa and peculiarly constructed periods Of tho
age,when tricked cut in the dis mise
Webs;erian spelling, and reformed, as n can
his, ETC. according to the canOns laid down BY
hn Wilson So revamped, the Ensli Oh Of that
nGrstas time is neither this nor tn r If hos
nsed TO oe its proper self without eoo7Dinr the
alec; Of to-day. For Peyalar U ,e. = NAV not
unTise to modeFaise the or biography and
Ter pecalierit-e2 d tie printed exits Of Shakes
are anu Nixon sad the Bible Of 1911; bet their
lue to lie siudaas Of the FDglisb speesb il. in ?
.. 'Say very seriously imraired.
The important features Of tie original or NJ :,
s. early, editions are, fo- tie most part. re-
ned IN the excerpts gwen in Prof Days Intro :.
'iicH 20 The Sfusy Of English Liie,ai,re
'riSnsr & CO... This TorE gives selections u u
N a much less number Of writer. than sb,e
tic authors and extrs ITS are wall ,sl,o- >
sr al introduction of only ten pages. the
len' IS set at work n on parallel specimens = =
he frar sAiei Ensf sh versions Of the Bible, :
grfsa' me space r ON 1880 to l6il. In these n
'ea At a glance the progress the language p
made fre@ period when printing was u'
QaAnSSh 70 The beginning of the 18th cen 10
: such pflo .ogical notes are added as will u
''e 'ae stude 1t, with the help Of the glossary III
ne end Of ii ; volume, to understand both the &c
ds and Their Construction. The general char 81
eristcs Of ths language al this period are also -
icated under Il separate heading Then fol- nj
: IN order p'-sssges from Piers Pioughnga, !o
John Vaudeville, Chsucer. Soenser. Hooker, IN
Aksspea-e. Milton, Addison, Pope, Cowper,
lnyson. and Longteliow /; each furnished with
n Introduction ana annotgtions as the real co
dent will appreciate -Four hundred and ca
,nty-fve pages are taken up in this way, the a
naming hundred being occupied with brief wo
cussions on the formation and growth Of the an
gusge, its orthography, derivation, etc. The be
cimen from Chsucer is reprinted from TYR a c
tits edition of 1898, which certainly leaves yer
'ething to be desired, though infinitely to be
TERED to any conceivable modernization. Nor sur
thought it worth while to copy from Hsr- s ,l
N manuscript for his book. Hooker appears ner
n the London edition of 1876. Shakespeare,, the
ius Cesar IS copy of that of 1928. The Chs
nsOa fgonf'es Of Milton is reproduced sc- Ing Ing
ing 10 DisnOp newton edition, 60 that we did
e the punctuation. capitali1ing and spelling ''
be middle of the 18th century instead Of tbs, pre-
he seventh decsie Of the 18th Addison ia nv.