| PAGE |
| CHRISTMAS AND ITALY: or, A Prefatory Essay, showing the Extreme Fitness of this Book for the Season | 1 |
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| CHAPTER I. |
| INTRODUCTORY. |
| A BLUE JAR FROM SICILY, AND A BRASS JAR FROM THE “ARABIAN NIGHTS;” AND WHAT CAME OUT OF EACH | 25 |
|
| CHAPTER II. |
| SICILY, AND ITS MYTHOLOGY. |
| ISLAND OF SICILY, AND MOUNT ÆTNA.—STORIES OF TYPHŒUS, POLYPHEMUS, SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS, GLAUCUS AND SCYLLA, ALPHEUS AND ARETHUSA, THE SIRENS, AND THE RAPE OF PROSERPINE | 34 |
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| CHAPTER III. |
| GLANCES AT ANCIENT SICILIAN HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY. |
| VICISSITUDES OF SICILIAN GOVERNMENT.—GLANCES AT PHALARIS, STESICHORUS, EMPEDOCLES, HIERO I., SIMONIDES, EPICHARMUS, DIONYSIUS I., DAMON AND PYTHIAS, DAMOCLES, DIONYSIUS II., DION, PLATO, AGATHOCLES, HANNIBAL, HIERO II., THEOCRITUS, ARCHIMEDES, MARCELLUS, VERRES; AND PARTICULARS RELATING TO GELLIAS | 58 |
|
| CHAPTER IV. |
| THEOCRITUS. |
| PASTORAL POETRY.—SPECIMENS OF THE STRENGTH AND COMIC HUMOUR OF THEOCRITUS.—THE PRIZE-FIGHT BETWEEN POLLUX AND AMYCUS.—THE SYRACUSAN GOSSIPS | 71 |
|
| CHAPTER V. |
| THEOCRITUS.—(Concluded.) |
| SPECIMENS OF THE PATHOS AND PASTORAL OF THEOCRITUS.—THE CYCLOPS IN LOVE.—POETICAL FEELING AMONG UNEDUCATED CLASSES IN THE SOUTH.—PASSAGES FROM THEOCRITUS’S FIRST IDYLL.—HIS VERSIFICATION AND MUSIC.—PASTORAL OF BION AND MOSCHUS | 88 |
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| CHAPTER VI. |
| NORMAN TIMES—LEGEND OF KING ROBERT. |
| HOW KING ROBERT OF SICILY WAS DISPOSSESSED OF HIS THRONE; AND WHO SAT UPON IT.—HIS WRATH, SUFFERINGS, AND REPENTANCE | 107 |
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| CHAPTER VII. |
| ITALIAN AND ENGLISH PASTORAL. |
| TASSO’S ERMINIA AMONG THE SHEPHERDS, AND ODE ON THE GOLDEN AGE.—GUARINI’S RETURN OF SPRING.—SHEPHERD’S VISION OF THE HUNDRED MAIDENS IN SPENSER.—“SAD SHEPHERD” OF BEN JONSON | 123 |
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| CHAPTER VIII. |
| ENGLISH PASTORAL—(Continued); AND SCOTCH PASTORAL. |
| FLETCHER’S “FAITHFUL SHEPHERDESS.”—PROBABLE REASON OF ITS NON-SUCCESS.—“COMUS” AND “LYCIDAS.”—DR. JOHNSON’S “WORLD.”—BURNS AND ALLAN RAMSAY | 147 |
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| CHAPTER IX. |
| ENGLISH PASTORAL.—(Concluded.) |
| PASTORALS OF WILLIAM BROWNE.—PASTORAL MEN: CERVANTES, BOCCACCIO, CHAUCER, COWLEY, THOMSON, SHENSTONE, ETC. | 162 |
|
| CHAPTER X. |
| RETURN TO SICILY AND MOUNT ÆTNA. |
| SUBJECT OF MOUNT ÆTNA RESUMED:—ITS BEAUTIES—ITS HORRORS—REASON WHY PEOPLE ENDURE THEM.—LOVE-STORY OF AN EARTHQUAKE | 177 |
|
| CHAPTER XI. |
| BEES. |
| THE BEAUTIFUL NEVER TO BE THANKED TOO MUCH, OR TO BE SUFFICIENTLY EXPRESSED.—BEES AND THEIR ELEGANCE.—THEIR ADVICE TO AN ITALIAN POET.—WAXEN TAPERS.—A BEE DRAMA.—MASSACRES OF DRONES.—HUMAN PROGRESSION | 198 |
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| CHAPTER XII. |
| MISCELLANEOUS FEELINGS RESPECTING SICILY, ITS MUSIC, ITS RELIGION, AND ITS MODERN POETRY. |
| DANTE’S EVENING.—AVE MARIA OF BYRON.—THE SICILIAN VESPERS.—NOTHING “INFERNAL” IN NATURE.—SICILIAN MARINER’S HYMN.—INVOCATION FROM COLERIDGE.—PAGAN AND ROMAN CATHOLIC WORSHIP.—LATIN AND ITALIAN COUPLET.—WINTER’S “RATTO DI PROSERPINA.”—A HINT ON ITALIAN AIRS.—BELLINI, MELI, THE MODERN THEOCRITUS | 211 |
