CHAPTER SEVENTH The Poets
Section I.--The Domination of the Classical Spirit Section II.--Alexander Pope.--His Education and Mode of Life Section III.--Eloisa to Abelard.--The Rape of the Lock.--The Dunciad Section IV.--Pope's Descriptive Talent.--His Didactic Poems Section V.--The Poets Prior, Gay, and Thomson Section VI.--The Beginnings of the Modern Age
## BOOK IV.--MODERN LIFE
CHAPTER FIRST Ideas and Productions
Section I.--Rise of Democracy Section II.--Robert Burns Section III.--Conservative rule in England.--Cowper's Poetry Section IV.--The Romantic School Section V.--Philosophy Enters into Literature.--Wordsworth.--Shelley
CHAPTER SECOND Lord Byron
Section I.--His Life and Character Section II.--The Style of Byron's Poetry Section III.--Byron's Short Poems Section IV.--Manfred Section V.--What Byron's Contemporaries Thought of Him.--His Morals Section VI.--The Malady of the Age
CHAPTER THIRD The Past and Present
_Part I.--The Past_ Section I.--The Saxon Invasion--The Norman Conquest Section II.--Formative Periods Section III.--The Broadening of Ideas
_Part II.--The Present_ Section I.--Effects of the Saxon Invasion and the Norman Conquest Section II.--English Commerce and Industry Section III.--Agriculture Section IV.--English Society.--Philosophy.--Religion Section V.--What Forces Have Produced the Present Civilization
## BOOK V.--MODERN AUTHORS
Introductory Note
CHAPTER FIRST The Novel.--Dickens
_Part I.--The Author_ Section I.--Importance of the Imaginative Faculty Section II.--Boldness of Dickens's Imagination Section III.--His Trivialities.--His Minuteness Section IV.--His Emotions.--His Pathos.--His Humor
_Part II.--The Public_ Section I.--The Morality of English Novels
_Part III.--The Characters_ Section I.--Dickens's Love for Natural Characters Section II.--The Hypocrite.--The Positive Man.--The Proud Man Section III.--Children Section IV.--The Ideal Man
CHAPTER SECOND The Novel (Continued)--Thackeray
Comparison between Dickens and Thackeray
_Part I.--The Satirist_
Section I.--The English Satirist Section II.--The English Temperament Section III.--Superiority of Thackeray as a Satirist.--Literary Snobs Section IV.--Resemblance of Thackeray to Swift Section V.--Thackeray's Misanthropy Section VI.--His Characters
_Part II.--The Artist_
Section I.--The Art of Thackeray Section II.--Portrait of Henry Esmond.--Historical Talent Section III.--Literature the Definition of Man
CHAPTER THIRD Criticism and History--Macaulay
Section I.--His Position in England Section II.--Essays Section III.--His Critical Method Section IV.--His Love of Political Liberty Section V.--Characteristics of Macaulay's Style Section VI.--His Rudeness and Humor Section VII.--Estimate of Macaulay's Work Section VIII.--Comparison of Macaulay with French Historians