Let me say at once that the criticism to be found. in this book pretends to no special originality. I shall state frankly what I think upon matters poetical, and if the thought be not always new, it will not be less serviceable to the reader. In borrowing, knowingly, the authority will be acknowledged; but the light I have myself gained from much reading will no doubt be often reflected unconsciously.

The earliest literature is poetical, and our first English poet was Cadmon the cowherd, who flourished about A.D. 670. The simple story of the way in which the gift of song came to him in his old age is related by the Venerable Bede, to whom we are indebted for an invaluable chronicle, mixed up with much that is beautiful and grotesque in legend, of the seventh century of Anglo-Saxon history. From this early date no poet of mark made his voice heard until the middle of the fourteenth century, when Langland gained a high reputation by his "Vision of Piers the Plowman," a religious poem, "which wrought so strongly in men's minds that its influence was almost as great as Wyclif's in the revolt which had now begun against Latin Christianity." That poem, popular though it was at the time, had not vitality enough to give it a sustained life; and the same. may be said of the three poems of Gower, or rather of the one poem, the "Confessio

* Stopford Brooke.

William Langland, about 1332.

John Gower, 1330-1408.

Amantis," which the old poet wrote in English, his "Speculum Meditantis" having been written in French, and his "Vox Clamantis" in Latin. This English poem, in Mrs. Barrett Browning's judgment, "proves an abundant fancy, a full head, and a full heart, and neither ineloquent ;" and she "considers that the poet has been much undervalued." Mr. Hallam's judgment of Gower is more in harmony with the general opinion. He observes that, though not, like Chaucer, a poet of nature's growth, Gower had some effect in rendering the language less rude, and adds, "If he never rises, he never sinks low; he is always sensible, polished, perspicuous, and not prosaic in the worst sense of the word."

Geoffrey Chaucer, 1340-1400.

Gower calls Chaucer his "disciple," and it is possible, though not certain, that the author of the "Canterbury Tales " took some suggestions from his contemporary; but Chaucer's superiority to the "moral Gower" is immeasurable. The one is a respectable versifier; the other ranks with the noblest of English poets-with the greatest poets of the world. There is no gracious gift of song which Chaucer does not possess, unless it be that of lyrical utterance. Imagination, fancy, humour, pathos, dramatic skill, exquisite felicity of expression,-these are his gifts, and to him is assigned with justice the honourable title "Father of English Poetry." The attempt has been made unsuccessfully, by Dryden and others, to modernize Chaucer; and even Wordsworth, with

his delicate sense of poetical simplicity and contempt for adventitious ornament, has not succeeded in this dainty task. Chaucer must be admired in his ancient dress or not at all, and there is nothing in his archaic language that need daunt a studious reader. Like all great poets, he had a fine ear for rhythm, and when once the easy art of reading Chaucer is acquired, the music of his verse will fall as gratefully on the ear as the lovely melody of Spenser or of Shelley. There never was a more joyous poet or one more full of animal spirits. These sometimes led him astray, to his deep after regret; but Chaucer's grossness is less hurtful than the more refined immorality of later poets, and his tender affection for the simplest objects in nature marks a gentle, and in some respects a guileless, spirit. The dew and freshness of morning rest upon his song. He had faith in himself, faith in the world, faith in God; and, while knowing well the secrets of sorrow, lived, as such a man well might, in an atmosphere of mirth. This great artist and poet, although he drew from the wells of French and Italian romance, was English to the backbone. In the earlier days of his poetical career the influence of the Troubadours and of Boccaccio is evident in his verse; but just as Shakespeare, two hundred years later, chose his plots from foreign sources, and placed his scenes on foreign ground, without lessening thereby the English character of his poetry, so was it with Chaucer. His writings served to fix the language, and his "Canterbury

Tales" is as genuine a product of England's soil as her oaks and elms.

The poetry of Chaucer does not fall within the plan of this volume; but before opening our study with the age of Elizabeth, it is well to remember, not only that the well of English undefiled had sent forth its refreshing waters two centuries before, but that many lesser springs of poetry had from time to time given freshness to our literature. Chaucer died in 1400, and lies buried, as is meet, in the famous Abbey which has since received so many of his noble brotherhood. Between that period and the sixteenth century there is nothing in English verse likely to detain the young reader, unless he care more for what is quaint than for what is poetically good. The only name, perhaps, worthy of mention here is that of John Skeltonwho is, however, insufferably coarse, 1460 P-1529. and deserving of more attention as a humorist than as a poet. Skelton's position and acquirements made him well known in his lifetime. From him the future king, Henry VIII., received his education, and that he was deeply learned is proved by the high praise bestowed on him by Erasmus. How far Skelton's buffoonery influenced the youthful prince can only be guessed at. His faults were common to the age, but the ability he possessed was as uncommon then as it is now, and it is impossible to believe it was wholly used for good. His writings, popular in his own day, are dead to the modern reader,

John Skelton,

He

and no republication can revive their fame.* wrote one simple poem-" The Book of Philip Sparrow "-in which a girl is supposed to mourn the loss of her pet, that will surely please any reader. Mr. Minto observes that the "tender bits" in this poem remind one of Swift's "Journal to Stella," and "are written in exactly the same strain of fondling affection." † This is true; and there are other indications which will remind those familiar with the writings of Skelton and Swift that these clerical humorists and verse-makers had much in common.

Sir Thomas Wyatt, 1503-1542.

Earl of Surrey, 1517 P-1547:

With Sir Thomas Wyatt and his friend the Earl of Surrey a new era arose, which, though scarcely brilliant at the commencement, was destined to become one of unexampled literary splendour. Wyatt and Surrey, friends in life and in art, belong to the reign of Henry VIII., but their poems were published just before the accession of Elizabeth, and the influence of their poetry extended far into her reign. Like Chaucer, Wyatt had visited Italy, and, like him, both poets warmed themselves at the fire of Italian literature. The debt they owed to Petrarch they repaid in sonnets, and were the first to naturalize that difficult form of verse on English soil.

This was no mean

* An edition of Skelton's works, in two volumes, edited by Mr. Dyce, appeared in 1843.

"Characteristics of English poets from Chaucer to Shirley," by William Minto, M.A., p. 114 (Blackwood).