The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1877-12-13
ENGLISH LlTERATURE.
Lectures Delivered Be-
forea clas9inSEnglish;
literature, at wor-- 3
a. thington, by the
Editor Of the
Advance.
LECTUFE III.

We come now to consider the most
brilliant era Of English Literature,
known as the Elizabethan Era. IT, is
a fact, noted III the history of all ma
tons, that literature and art have their
eliminating periods, eras in which.there
is a conjunction of brilliant human lu-
minaries. This fact has led to the say
ing that great men come in groups
The same is said of misfortunes and of
blessings. In fact, the law of culmina-
ton is universal and some writer will
yet win a name by writing u brilliant
essay on the history and operation of
this law. The three most conspicuous
eras Of the kind in history are known
as
l. The Age of Pericles, in Greece, in
which Eschylus, Sophocles and Euripi-
DIES lived and gave the classic drama to
the world. In this period also, sculp-
ture eliminated with Philias at the
head.
2. The Augustan Age, in Rome, when
a host of brilliant poets, writer's and
orators arose, among whom was Virgil:
8. The EliZabethan Age, in England,
when Spencer, Sidney, Raleigh. Shak-
speare, Bacon, and a whole Galaxy of
great men crowded into the literary
heavens,
4. The corresponding age, in Chris
tian Rome, was that of Leo and, in
France, that of Louis XIV.
Between the age of Chaucer, who
wrote in the Nth century, and the age
OF Elizabeth, there was another of those
long periods of two centuries, during
which many poets and prose writers
arose, of whose works the popular mind
knows little or nothing. They are f;,-
miliar only to scholars and students of
literature, yet their works had Il mark.
ed effect upon our literature and they
all combined to produce I; SpenSer and
a Shakespeare For a great poet is not
produced without the help Of many 9th
er poets and writer's.
TYNDALE.
One of these we must dwell upon a
moment, tor the work which he accom-.
plished, together with his forerunner
Wycliffe, had more to do with crystal.
lizing and fixing the language than any
other literary factor. Iallude to VIM
Tyndale, the translator of our English
Bible. For, although the translation
was revised under King James and bears
his name, yet the English Bible which
we use is, i'll language and idiom, the
work of VIM. Tyndale. Once in print
it became the companion Of the people
and the depository Of the common Ian
guage.
VIM. Tyndale appeared during thu
stormy pei iod Of tile Reformation, ant
devoted his life to this translation, his
great desire and purpose being to give
the common people Il Bible which the,
could read instead of leaving the SACRED
word locked up in the tomb of the deat
langt ages to lie doled out to the peopl,
distorted by the theology OF The priests
This h. accomplished amid fiery trial
and prosecutions which eliminated II
a martyrs crown. lie was finally driver
to Antwerp, (Be|gium, and was at las
caught. strtnglcd and burned by TIN
servants Of the Ronish Church. Thu
has tie Bible fought it's way through
barbarism and priestcraft and been es
tablisled by the blood Of martyrs. /
must yet pass through many IL conflic
! with an Old and barbarOus Theology
and then come forth the pure. free, I'm
! distorted spiritual Word of God. lie
| ME recommend to You the history of on
English Bible. have never read a 70
nance with more interest than [ hav
read this history.
| EDMUND sPENsER.
We shall find time this evening t
dwell upon only four of the great name
of the EliZabethan era, reserving til
greatest of all, Shakespeare, for subse
quent lecture. And first in order O
time, is the name of Edmund Speuser
who was born in 1858. He was one o
the courtiers! and favorites of the Vii
gin Queen, as Elizabeth is called in his
tory, and lie wrote his greatest work
The Faery Queen. to celebrate her viz
tues and her reign. Two of his mos
beautiful characters, it Is said, repre-
sent the queen. He was disappointed
as i cOurtier, rs he has shown himsel
in one of his most famous passages
The Queen honored him with the elf
of Il large estate in Ireland, and it
said that this gift was procured for hin
by his enemies, who took this metho
to get him away from court. But TIL
banishment resulted in Immortality, 70
while living upon his estate he wrot
The Faery Queen and fixed his nam
forever in English literature. So wit
many 4 great man. They are wronged
or banished,' or imprisoned, and Co
makes this their opportunity for great
ness and eternal fame.
SO it was with Joseph and Bunyan.-
And 80, let us lelieve, it. will be with al
of us when we are Wronged, the yer
WRONG will be our opportunity for som
great triumph.
THE FAERY QUEEN,
Is an Allegory, which, like the Can
terbury Tales, was left unfinished. |
is Il POetical Romance. in which more,
virtues or excellencies are: personifie,
| and do heroic Or. charitable Deeds
The stanZa in which, it is written wa
derived from the Italian, an. eight-lilie,
stanza. originally, but Spenser adde,
what is known, DIS an Alexal.driue,
line composed Of twelve i;mbics,, thu
giving to each stanZa Il longer and NOR
sweeping close, and furnishing Il base
seemingly. upon which the stanza rests
This is called thB Spe,,serian Sta,zi, all,
I was afterwards p0pul;.rized l,y, Byron j
his immortal Childe Harold, where tn
stanza is seel, ut it's fullest and best, an,
4 beyond which no spoetneed ever hope t
i carry it, Byrolthis filled itfuH. putt
+ to- itall that it wilE hold. 49,: ,nf,t;'',t~,,
Sponsors poetry is remarkable. chief
for ,cllivalryf of sentiment and wealt
Of description, lie came Just; at IL,
close Of the Age Of, Chiyalry, When til
form which it gave to society, lid lie
parted, but all the Beautiful and lglo1rj