evolution, till then admitted only by a few advanced philosophical 

 biologists, the universal creed of men of science." Merely as a book 

 of travel and incident The Voyage of the Beagle is full of charm and 

 entertainment. The "Beagle" was afterwards used by the Japanese 

 as a training-ship. 



THE ESSAYS OF ELI A, by 

 CHARLES LAMB. 



" Lamb's place in literature, " it has been well said, "is unique 

 and unchallengeable. As a personality he is more intimately known 

 to us than any other figure in literature, unless it is Samuel Johnson. 

 . . . It is the wondrous blending of opposites that has made 

 Lamb one of the most dearly loved among English men of 

 letters." 



" The Essays of Elia" writes Mr. Saintsbury, " elude definition, 

 not merely as almost all works of genius do, but by virtue of some- 

 thing essentially clever and tricksy in their own nature. . . . The ■ 

 style of Lamb is as indefinable as it is inimitable. . . . One 

 thing he has always, and that is charm." 



EAST LYNNE, by MRS. HENRY WOOD. 



East Lynne is the most popular of all Mrs. Wood's novels. 

 It has had an unexampled success, and brought its author 

 fame and fortune. It is full of incident and excitement. When 

 General Gordon was in China he got hold of a copy in the 

 regimental library, and was fascinated. " He used to come riding in 

 from a long distance, at some risk, to get hold of the volumes as 

 they were to be had." Over 700,000 copies of East Lynne have 

 been sold. 



THE PICKWICK PAPERS, by 



CHARLES DICKENS. 



It was The Pickwick Papers which first brought an amazing 

 popularity to Dickens. " For its kind, its extent, and the absence 

 of everything unreal or factitious in the causes that contributed to it," 

 fays John Foster, "it is unexampled in literature." " Every class, 

 the high equally with the low, were attracted by The Pickwick 

 Papers. The charm of its gaiety and good humour, its inexhaustible 

 fun, its riotous overflow of animal spirits, its brightness and keenness 

 of observation, and above all, the incomparable ease of its many 

 varieties of enjoyment, fascinated everybody." It was not till Sam 

 Weller appeared — for the story was published in parts — that this 

 success was reached. Carlyle told a story of a solemn clergyman 

 who, having administered ghostly consolation to a sick person, 

 was staggered when he got out of the room to hear the invalid 

 exclaim : " Well, thank God, Pickwick will be out in ten days, 

 any way ! " 



