ligious poetry; his influence and example are evident in the works of Crashaw, Donne, Herbert, Waller or any of those whose devout lyrics were admired in later times. Chaucer had, it is true, shown in the poem called his "A, B, C," in honor of the Blessed Virgin, how much the English tongue was capable of in this direction, but the language was now greatly altered; and Chaucer, though admired, was looked upon as no subject for direct imitation.

PROSE WRITERS,

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Sir Philip Sidney (1554-1586) was the most conspicuous courtier of Elizabeth's famous court; for he was handsome, skillful in all manly games, an accomplished scholar and a generous, noble-hearted man. At the battle, or skirmish rather, of Zutphen, in Holland, in October, 1586, having given a portion of his armor to a fellow officer, he was wounded in the thigh by a musket ball. As he lay dying, they brought to him a cup of water. lifted the cup to his lips, he caught the wistful wounded soldier near by, and exclaimed: him. His need is greater than mine.'" He wrote "Arcadia,” a prose romance; "Defense of Poesy," and some beautiful sonnets.

Just as he

glance of a

Give it to

Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618) was a navigator, soldier, politician, historian and poet. His spirit of adventure led him to France and to the Low Countries, and later to America. Here he discovered Virginia, which he thus called in honor of the queen. With the accession of James I. his misfortunes began. He was unjustly charged with treason, was tried and sentenced to the Tower, where he was imprisoned for thirteen years. During his imprisonment he wrote his "History of the World," and by that work won literary fame. After his

release from prison one of his exploits enraged the Spaniards, Raleigh was seized upon his return to England, and executed under the old sentence of fifteen years' standing. When he was brought to the block, he lifted the axe of the executioner and ran his fingers along the keen edge, smiling as he said: "This is a sharp medicine, but it will cure all diseases."

Robert Burton (1576-1640) is the learned author of "The Anatomy of Melancholy," a medley of curious quotations and pleasing anecdotes. Dr. Johnson said of it that it was the only book that ever took him out of bed two hours sooner than he wished to rise.

John Lyly (1563-1601) won his reputation by a work styled "Euphues; the Anatomy of Wit." His writings exhibit genius, though strongly tinctured with affectation, with which he infected the language of conversation and even of literature. A specimen of euphuism may be found in the language of Sir Piercie Shafton in Scott's novel, “The Monastery,"

Nicholas Sander (1527-1581) was at one time Regius Professor of Canon Law in the University of Oxford. After his ordination, official duties caused him to visit Trent, Louvain and various places in Spain. In 1579, he was sent as Papal Nuncio to Ireland, where he was starved to death in 1581. His principal work was "The Rise and Growth of the Anglican Schism.".

OTHER AUTHORS OF THIS AGE.

NON-DRAMATIC POETS.

Michael Drayton (1553-1631) is best known by his work entitled "Polyolbion." This is a poetical ramble over England and Wales and is unique in literature. The poet

in thirty thousand lines describes enthusiastically, but with painful accuracy, the rivers, mountains and forests of his country, giving also detailed accounts of local legends and antiquities.

George Herbert (1583-1632) was known as "Holy George Herbert." He spent his short life in the discharge of his professional duties and the composition of two religious works: "The Parson," in which he describes the duties of a pastor, and "The Church," a series of poems distinguished for energy of thought, conciseness of diction and spiritual unction.

Thomas Sackville (1536-1608), Earl of Dorset, was one of the judicial tribunal that pronounced the doom of Mary Stuart; and the Parliament, after having confirmed the sentence, commissioned him to bear the sad news to the unfortunate queen. His principal works are, his tragedy, "Gorboduc," and a poem entitled "Mirror for Magistrates."

DRAMATIC POETS.

Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593) is the greatest English dramatist that preceded Shakespeare. He is a poet of unbridled passion and despair. His chief works are, "Tamburlaine, the Great," the "Jew of Malta," the "Tragical History of Dr. Faustus" and "Edward the Second." The impression is general that. Shakespeare was indebted to the "Jew of Malta " for his " Merchant of Venice;" but there is no resemblance whatever between the two plays either in plot or character. Barabas, the Jew, is a horrible monstrosity, while Shylock never ceases to be a man.

Francis Beaumont (1586-1616) and John Fletcher (1576-1625) were popular writers in their time. They formed a literary partnership, which was continued for ten years. They wrote thirty-seven plays, ten of which were tragedies; but all without exception. contain coarse and obscene passages. In rank they probably deserve a place next to Marlowe.

Philip Massinger (1584-1640) wrote many plays, of which eighteen have survived. One only, "A New Way to Pay Old Debts," containing the famous character of Sir Giles Overreach, still keeps the stage. At the close of a life of poverty, he died in obscurity, and in the notice of his death the parish register names him, " Philip Massinger, a stranger."

CHAPTER III.

CIVIL WAR PERIOD (1625-1700).

This was a period of fierce political and religious controversy. It witnessed the trial and execution of Charles I., the wars of the Cavaliers and Roundheads, the rise and fall of the Commonwealth and Protectorate, the Restoration of the Stuarts and the great Revolution of 1688 which resulted in the banishment of James II. and the enthronement of William and Mary. The entire century was one of change and transition, hence it was not favorable to authorship.

The union of Scotland and England was peacefully accomplished when James VI. of Scotland became James I. of England. This first Stuart king had few qualities of a ruler; he was obstinate, conceited, pedantic, weak, meanlooking in person, ungainly in manners and so timorous as to shudder at a drawn sword. The Catholics naturally expected toleration from Mary Stuart's son, but they were persecuted more bitterly than ever. In his reign the Church of England branched into the "High Church party" and the "Puritan party." The Puritan influence, stimulated by the persecutions of James I., although it was distasteful to a majority of the people, became more and more aggressive. In 1576, the influence was barely strong enough to compel the building of Blackfriars theater outside of the city walls; in 1643 it was strong enough to close every theater in the kingdom, and to bury in temporary oblivion our best and noblest literature.

Charles I. succeeded to a kingdom divided against itself; Parliament and the king were still in conflict. At