Lovable, romantic, enthusiastic, glorying in life and its possibilities despite the fact that for many years he was face to face with death, he transfused much of himself into all that he wrote. His early work was chiefly cast in the form of essays,literary criticism, and comment on life and its values. Later he became a teller of tales, and added more to the stock of English romantic fiction than any man since Scott. But the man was the same, whether as essayist or novelist,scrupulously exact in his craftsmanship, always an artist, and conceiving highly of his art, and always putting into his books the same qualities that made the man himself so beloved.

The best moderately priced edition of Stevenson is the Biographical (Scribner's); his Letters in four volumes give interesting biographical information. The two volume Life by Balfour (Scribner's) is excellent.

SWINBURNE (1837-1909)

The life of the last of the great Victorian poets was one of almost pure devotion to literature. Born of a wealthy and aristocratic family, he was educated at Eton and Oxford, but left the university in 1860 without a degree. Almost immediately he published two poetic dramas on the Elizabethan model, The Queen Mother and Rosamond. Atalanta in Calydon (1865) is as distinctly Greek in inspiration. Poems and Ballads of the following year made Swinburne one of the most talked about men in England. Its eroticism, coupled with its metrical novelty, gave it a startling vogue, and when Buchanan, in his famous article "The Fleshly School of Poetry," in 1871, included Swinburne in his attack on Rossetti no better advertising could have been devised. The revolutionary ideas of Swinburne's time affected him as the French Revolution had affected the poets of the older romantic school, and The Song of Italy (1867) and Songs Before Sunrise (1871) gave full expression to his republicanism. The latter volume was composed under the influence of Victor Hugo, whom Swinburne came to regard as the greatest poet of modern Europe. Poetical drama continued to engage his attention, until his plays numbered eleven. His best dramatic work was done in the trilogy dealing with Mary, Queen of Scots-Chastelard (1865), Bothwell (1874), and Mary Stuart (1881). Romantic epic was represented by Tristram of Lyonesse (1882) and The Tale of Balen (1896); the former ranks with the best modern versions of Arthurian material, and the free handling of its heroic couplet gave an entirely new idea of what that conventionalized form was capable of in the way of richness and variety. Of pure lyrics Swinburne produced many volumes during the later years of his life. On the technical side English poetry has had no greater artist than he. There is no

metrical form of which he is not master, and his use of new meters revealed possibilities hitherto undreamed.

In addition to this large and varied output of poetry Swinburne was a prolific writer of prose criticism. He is an impressionistic critic, so strongly swayed by enthusiasms and aversions that he is not a safe guide, but there is scarcely one of his essays which has not fine things in it. His prose style displays the same characteristics as does his poetry: it is diffuse and overwrought, but its torrential eloquence is impressive.

The standard edition of poetry and prose is in eleven volumes (Harpers). A good selection of lyrics is that by W. M. Payne (Belles Lettres Series, D. C. Heath and Co.). An authoritative biography is lacking, but G. E. Woodberry's Swinburne (Macmillan) is a good critical study. The chapter on Swinburne in Stedman's Victorian Poets is excellent.

MEREDITH (1828-1909)

George Meredith was born at Portsmouth in 1828. When he was twenty-one he contributed his first poem to an English magazine; in the years immediately following he did a good deal of journalistic writing. In 1851 appeared his first volume of verse, containing Love in the Valley, Five years later The Shaving of Shagpat marked his appearance in the world of fiction, although these romantic tales, suggested by the Arabian Nights, are very different from Meredith's later and better known work. His first novel to attract wide attention was The Ordeal of Richard Fever l (1859); here he struck into and developed the vein of realism and psychological analysis that was destined to prove so rich. In 1862 came a second volume of poems, and then through many years, a series of novels, of which Beauchamp's Career (1874-75), The Egoist (1879), and Diana of the Crossways (1885), are perhaps the most significant. Towards the end of his life Meredith turned again to poetry, and wrote much that won the enthusiastic praise of the few, although he never rivalled Tennyson or Browning in popularity.

Meredith was unquestionably one of the most gifted of all the Victorians. Whether writing in verse or prose he shows the same qualities-great intellectual power, a fine sense of form, a rich imagination, and a piercing analytical sense. And yet he never caught the ear of the great public. He was perhaps too subtle in his analysis; his diction at times is obscure if not willfully perverse. But in his simplest poems he is so obviously a master of his craft that even the casual reader can appreciate and enjoy the beauty that is sometimes elusive.

Meredith's novels are published by Scribner's; his poems (2 vols., 1912) are issued by the same firm.

IN LATE ANGLO-SAXON (Circa 1050) 1. On frymde was Word, and þæt Word was mid Gode, and God wæs þæt Word.

2. þæt was on fruman mid Gode.

3. Ealle þing wæron geworhte ðurh hyne; and nan þing næs geworht butan him.

4. pæt was lif þe on him geworht wæs; and þæt lif wæs manna leoht.

5. And þæt leoht lyht on dystrum; and þystro þæt ne genamon.

6. Mann was from Gode asend, þæs nama was Iohannes.

7. Des com to gewitnesse, þæt he gewitnesse cydde be dam leohte, þæt ealle menn þurh hyne gelyfdon.

8. Næs he leoht, ac pæt he gewitnesse forð bære be þam leohte.

9. Soo leoht wæs þæt onlyht ælcne cumendne man on þisne middaneard.

10. He was on middanearde, and middaneard was geworht þurh hine, and middaneard hine ne gecneow.

11. To his agenum he com, and hig hyne ne underfengon.

12. Soolice swa hwylce swa hyne underfengon, he sealde him anweald þæt hi wæron Godes bearn, þam de gelyfab on his naman:

13. þa ne synt acennede of blodum, ne of flæsces willan, ne of weres willan, ac hig synt of Gode acennede.

14. And þæt Word was flæsc geworden, and eardode on us, and we gesawon hys wuldor, swylce ancennedes wuldor of Fæder, þæt was ful mid gyfe and soðfastnysse.

IN TYNDALE'S BIBLE (1534)

1. In the beginnynge was the worde, and the worde was with God: and the worde was God.

2. The same was in the beginnynge with God. 3. All thinges were made by it, and without it was made nothing that was made.

4. In it was lyfe, and the lyfe was the lyght of men,

5. And the lyght shyneth in the darcknes, but the darcknes comprehended it not.

6. There was a man sent from God, whose name was Iohn.

7. The same cam as a witness of the lyght, that all men through him myght beleve.

IN WYCLIF'S BIBLE (Circa 1385)

1. In the bygynnynge was the worde, that is, Goddis sone, and the worde was at God, and God was the worde.

2. This was in the bigynnynge at God.

3. Alle thingis ben made by hym, and withouten hym is made nouzt, that thing that is made. 4. In hym was lijf, and the lijf was the lizte of

men.

5. And the lizte schyneth in dirkenessis, and dirkenessis comprehenden, or taken, not it.

6. A man was sente fro God, to whom the name was Ioon.

7. This man came into witnessynge, that he schulde bere witnessynge of the list, that alle men schulde bileue by hym.

8. He was not the lizt, but that he schulde bere witnessynge of the lizt.

9. It was verrey lizte the whiche lizteneth eche man comynge into this worlde.

10. He was in the worlde, and the worlde was made by hym, and the worlde knew hym not.

11. He came into his owne thingis, and his receyueden hym not.

12. Forsothe how many euer receyueden nym, he zaue to hem power for to be made the sones of God, to hem that bileueden in his name;

13. The whiche not of bloodis, nether of wille of fleysche, nether of wille of man, but ben borne of God.

14. And the worde, that is Goddis sone, is made fleysche, or man, and hath dwellide in vs, and we haue seen the glorie of hym, the glorie as of the one bigoten of the fadir, the sone ful of grace and treuthe.

IN THE AUTHORIZED VERSION (1611) 1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2. The same was in the beginning with God. 3. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. 4. In him was life; and the life was the light of

men.

5. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

6. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

7. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

8. He was not that lyght: but to beare witnes of the lyght.

9. That was a true lyght, which lyghteth all men that come into the worlde.

10. He was in the worlde, and the worlde was made by him: and yet the worlde knewe him not. 11. He cam amonge his (awne) and his awne receaved him not.

12. But as meny as receaved him, to them he gave power to be the sonnes of God in that they beleved on his name:

13. which were borne, not of bloude nor of the will of the flesshe, nor yet of the will of man: but of God.

14. And the worde was made flesshe and dwelt amonge us, and we sawe the glory of it, as the glory of the only begotten sonne of the father, which worde was full of grace and verite.

8. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

9. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man, that cometh into the world.

10. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

11. He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

12. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to then. that believe on his name:

13. Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Forth he fared at the fated moment, sturdy Scyld to the shelter of God. Then they bore him over to ocean's billow, loving clansmen, as late he charged them, while wielded words the winsome Scyld, the leader belovéd who long had ruled. In the roadstead rocked a ring-dight vessel, ice-flecked, outbound, atheling's barge: there laid they down their darling lord

on the breast of the boat, the breaker-of-rings,' 35 by the mast the mighty one. Many a treasure fetched from far was freighted with him. No ship have I known so nobly dight with weapons of war and weeds of battle, with breastplate and blade: on his bosom lay

a heapéd hoard that hence should go

far o'er the flood with him floating away.
No less these loaded the lordly gifts,
thanes' huge treasure, than those had done
who in former time forth had sent him
sole on the seas, a suckling child.

no hero 'neath heaven,-who harbored that freight!

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a master mead-house, mightier far

than ever was seen by the sons of earth, and within it, then, to old and young

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1 King or chieftain of a comitatus: he breaks off gold from the spiral rings-often worn on the arm and so rewards his followers.

The poet's favorite figure of litotes or understatement. He means that the treasure which they sent out with the dead king far exceeded what came with him in the boat that brought him, a helpless child to their shores.

he would all allot that the Lord had sent him, save only the land and the lives of his men. Wide, I heard, was the work commanded, for many a tribe this mid-earth round,

to fashion the folkstead. It fell, as he ordered.

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An "earl" was the freeman, the warrior in a chosen band; though not yet indicating specific rank, the word carried a general idea of nobility.

4 Sea.

Hrothgar. as appears from the omitted lines. is Scyld's great-grandson.]

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clear song of the singer. He sang who knew 3

how the Almighty made the earth,

fairest fields enfolded by water,

set, triumphant, sun and moon

for a light to lighten the land-dwellers, and braided bright the breast of earth with limbs and leaves, made life for all of mortal beings that breathe and move.

So lived the clansmen in cheer and revel a winsome life, till one began

to fashion evils, that fiend of hell.

4

Grendel this monster grim was called, march-riever mighty, in moorland living, in fen and fastness; fief of the giants the hapless wight a while had kept since the Creator his exile doomed. On kin of Cain was the killing avenged by sovran God for slaughtered Abel. Ill fared his feud, and far was he driven, for the slaughter's sake, from sight of men. Of Cain awoke all that woful breed, Etins and elves and evil-spirits, as well as the giants that warred with God weary while: but their wage was paid them!

II

Went he forth to find at fall of night that haughty house, and heed wherever

the Ring-Danes, outrevelled, to rest had gone. Found within it the atheling band asleep after feasting and fearless of sorrow, of human hardship. Unhallowed wight, grim and greedy, he grasped betimes, wrathful, reckless, from resting-places, thirty of the thanes, and thence he rushed fain of his fell spoil, faring homeward, laden with slaughter, his lair to seek. Then at the dawning, as day was breaking, the might of Grendel to men was known; then after wassail was wail uplifted, loud moan in the morn. The mighty chief, atheling excellent, unblithe sat,

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to deal with any of Daneland's earls, make pact of peace, or compound for gold: still less did the wise men ween to get great fee for the feud from his fiendish hands. But the evil one ambushed old and young, death-shadow dark, and dogged them still, lured, and lurked in the livelong night of misty moorlands: men may say not where the haunts of these Hell-Runes 8 be. Such heaping of horrors the hater of men, lonely roamer, wrought unceasing, harassings heavy. O'er Heorot he lorded, gold-bright hall, in gloomy nights;

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and ne'er could the prince" approach his throne, —'twas judgment of God, or have joy in his hall. Sore was the sorrow to Scyldings'-friend, heart-rending misery. Many nobles

sat assembled, and searched out counsel how it were best for bold-hearted men against harassing terror to try their hand. Whiles they vowed in their heathen fanes altar-offerings, asked with words 10

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that the slayer-of-souls would succor give them for the pain of their people. Their practice this, their heathen hope; 'twas Hell they thought of in mood of their mind. Almighty they knew not, 180 Doomsman of Deeds and dreadful Lord, nor Heaven's-Helmet heeded they ever, Wielder-of-Wonder.-Woe for that man who in harm and hatred hales his soul to fiery embraces;-nor favor nor change awaits he ever. But well for him that after death-day may draw to his Lord, and friendship find in the Father's arms!