C H A M B E B. S ' rf . 



CYCLOPEDIA OF ENGLISH LITERATURE. 



A. SELECTION 1 OF THE CHOICEST PRODUCTIONS OF ENGLISH AUTHORS, FROM THH 



EARLIEST TO THE PRESENT TIME: CONNECTED BV A CRITICAL 



AND BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 



EDITED BY ROBERT CHAMBERS. 



ASSISTED BV ROBERT C ARKUTHER3 A \ J uTH.'R E.'.j'lN/lNT C " .NTLEMEX . 



Complete in two imperial octavo volu/ncs, of r. .">//; than fourteen 



hundred pages of double column Ictta'prc^x, and ^(c.u'ds of 



three hundred elegant illustrations. 



This valuable work has now become so general! ;t !;noa:i ami appreciated, that there nt-id 

 scarcely be any thing said in commendation, except to those who have iu-i yet seen it. 



The icork embraces about One Thousand Jiuih,irs, dtrtmotogicaily arranged and classed 

 <a Poets, Historians, Dramatists, Philosophfrs, J>Ie(e/'i!i.--ici::t:s, Dinnes, etc., with choice 

 selectionsfrom their writings, coiincfLcd b>_: a Biugrayhital, lii.^toric-il, ,i;i.l Critical JVarra- 

 live ; thus presenting a complete vie,- of English Literature, fn-m Hie iarlie.--t.to the present 

 time. Let the reader open where he will, he cunn.ittf.til infant muli.cr fur projit and delight, 

 which, for the most part, too, repeated perusals will only .--errs t,i nwlie. hi, a enjoy the more. 

 We have indeed infinite riches in a little room. .Yj an-, who u t.a.--!c far literature, 



should allow himself, for a trifling consideration, to be without a work which throws so 

 much light upon the progress of the English lanjtif;?e. The select i./ns arc ^c ;;?.} a mass 

 of valuable information in a condensed and elegant f 



EXTRACTS FROM COMMENDATORY NOTICES. 



From W. II. Prescott, Jln'Jwr of"Fc,- : i::-nnl .;./ A ;r,^ '-/;." u The p]:-.u of the \vcrk 

 is" very judicious. * * It will put the reader in the proper point of view, for survey- 

 ing tlu- whole ground over which h.- i; tivivi.'iiiiig. s ~ :r'uc.h readers c".;:not tail to 

 profit largely by the labors of the critic; who h is tl\e i .\\s\\\ ::irl ta<t,-- to separate what 

 is really be.iutiful and worthy of their study from '.vliar is su itis.' J 



"I concur in the foregoing opinion of Mr. Prescott." l.dicard J^rereff. 



" It will be a useful and popular work, indispensable to the library oi" a student ol 

 English literature." Francis Wayland. 



'We hail with peculiar pleasure the appearance of this work, and more especially 

 its republication in this country at a price which places it within the reach of a great 

 number of readers." North American Recieio. 



"This is the most valuable and magnificent contribution to a sound popular litera- 

 ture that this century has brought forth. It fills a place which was beibie a blank. 

 Without it, English literature, to almost all of our conn'ryn^n, (.-ducat ?d or unedu- 

 cated, is an imperfect, broken, disjointed mass. Much tlu.t is beautiful the moat 

 perfect and graceful portions, undoubtedly was already possessed ; but it wns not 

 a whole. Evei'y intelligent man, every inquiring mind, every scholar, iblt that the 

 foundation was missing. Chambers's Cyclcps;'i:i supplies this radical defect. It he- 

 gins with the beginning ; and, step by step, gives to every one who has the intellect or 

 taste to enjoy it a view of English literature in all its complete, beautiful, and perfect 

 proportions." Onondaya Democrat, JV. Y. 



" We hope that teachers will avail themselves of an early opportunity to obtain a 

 work so well calculated to impart useful knowledge, with the pleasures and ornaments 

 of the English classics. The work will undoubtedly find 'a place in our district and 

 other public libraries ; yet it should be the ' vade mecuin ' of every scholar." 

 Teachers' Jldi-ocatr, Syracuse, JV*. 1*. 



" The work is finely conceived to meet a popular want, is fuil of literary instruction, 

 and is variously embellished with engravings illustrative of English n::tifjuilics, his- 

 tory, and biography. Tte typography throughout is beautiful." Christian Reflector, 

 Boston. 



" The design has been well executed by the selection and concentration of some of 

 the best productions of English intellect, from the earliest Anglo-Saxon writers down 

 to those of the present day. No one can give a glance at the work without being 

 struck with its beauty and cheapness." Soston Courier. 



" We should be glad if any thing we can say would favor this design. The elegance 

 of the execution feasts the eye with beauty, and ihe whole is suited to rcii.ie and ele- 

 vate the taste. And we might ask, who can fail to go back to its l>"<:in:iinu, and trace 

 his mother-tongue from its rude infancy to its present maturity, i. -1: ^a;ice, and richness .' " 

 Christian Mirror, Portland. 



.* Ths Publishers of the AMERICAN Edition of this valuable v.-urk desire to st.ite t'nr t, ^-ii.lt s the 

 numerous pictorial illustrations in the English Edition, tliey have greatly enriched the work Ly the addition 

 of fine steel and mezzotint engravings of the heads of Shakspeare, AddUon, Byron ; a full length portrait 

 of Dr. Johnson, and a beautiful scenic representation of Oliver Goldsmiih and Dr. Johnson. These impor- 

 tant and elegant additions, together with superior pap^r and bin/iing, must eive this a decided preference 

 all oilier editions. 



