INTRODUCTION

CONTENTS PAGE

A CENTURY OF ESSAYS

A PRINTER'S PROLOGUE

DAME PRUDENCE ON RICHES

OF PAINTING THE FACE

HAMLET'S ADVICE TO THE PLAYERS

OF ADVERSITY

OF TRAVEL

OF WISDOM FOR A MAN'S SELF

OF AMBITION

OF GARDENS

OF STUDIES

THE GOOD SCHOOLMASTER

ON DEATH

OF WINTER

HOW A GALLANT SHOULD BEHAVE HIMSELF IN A PLAY-HOUSE

OF MYSELF

THE GRAND ELIXIR

JACK LIZARD

A MEDITATION UPON A BROOMSTICK, ACCORDING TO THE STYLE AND MANNER OF THE HON. ROBERT BOYLE'S MEDITATIONS

PULPIT ELOQUENCE

THE ART OF POLITICAL LYING

A RURAL RIDE

THE MAN IN BLACK

OLD MAIDS AND BACHELORS

THE IMPORTANT TRIFLER

THE TRIFLER'S HOUSEHOLD

WESTMINSTER HALL

THE LITTLE BEAU

THE CLUB

THE MEETING OF THE CLUB

SIR ROGER AT HOME (1)

SIR ROGER AT HOME (2)

SIR ROGER AT HOME (3)

SIR ROGER AT HOME (4)

SIR ROGER AT CHURCH

SIR ROGER ON THE WIDOW

SIR ROGER IN THE HUNTING FIELD

SIR ROGER AT THE ASSIZES

GIPSIES

WITCHES

SIR ROGER AT THE PLAY

SIR ROGER AT SPRING-GARDEN

DEATH OF SIR ROGER

A STAGE-COACH JOURNEY

A JOURNEY FROM RICHMOND

A PRIZE FIGHT

GOOD TEMPER

THE EMPLOYMENTS OF A HOUSEWIFE IN THE COUNTRY

THE STAGE COACH

THE SCHOLAR'S COMPLAINT OF HIS OWN BASHFULNESS

THE MISERY OF A MODISH LADY IN SOLITUDE

THE HISTORY OF AN ADVENTURER IN LOTTERIES

CHRIST'S HOSPITAL FIVE AND THIRTY YEARS AGO

ALL FOOLS' DAY

WITCHES, AND OTHER NIGHT-FEARS

MY FIRST PLAY

DREAM-CHILDREN; A REVERIE

THE PRAISE OF CHIMNEY-SWEEPERS

A DISSERTATION UPON ROAST PIG

POOR RELATIONS

THE CHILD ANGEL A DREAM

OLD CHINA

POPULAR FALLACIES I THAT ENOUGH IS AS GOOD AS A FEAST

WHITSUN-EVE

ON GOING A JOURNEY

ON LIVING TO ONE'S-SELF[28]

OF PERSONS ONE WOULD WISH TO HAVE SEEN

ON A SUN-DIAL

OF THE FEELING OF IMMORTALITY IN YOUTH

A VISION

UPON EPITAPHS

JEEMS THE DOORKEEPER

ON LIFE

WALKING STEWART

ON THE KNOCKING AT THE GATE IN MACBETH

THE DAUGHTER OF LEBANON

GETTING UP ON COLD MORNINGS

THE OLD GENTLEMAN

THE OLD LADY

THE MAID-SERVANT[51]

CHARACTERISTICS

TUNBRIDGE TOYS

NIGHT WALKS

"A PENNY PLAIN AND TWOPENCE COLOURED"

THE JULY GRASS

WORN-OUT TYPES

BOOK-BUYING

THE WHOLE DUTY OF WOMAN

STEELE'S LETTERS

A DEFENCE OF NONSENSE

THE COLOUR OF LIFE

A FUNERAL

FIRES

THE LAST GLEEMAN

A BROTHER OF ST. FRANCIS

THE PILGRIMS' WAY

ON A GREAT WIND

Title: A Century of English Essays An Anthology Ranging from Caxton to R. L. Stevenson & the Writers of Our Own Time

Author: Various

Editor: Ernest Rhys and Lloyd Vaughan

Language: English

Transcriber's note:

A very small number of printer's errors have been corrected by reference to other editions.

Footnotes have been moved from the bottom of the original page to just below the referring paragraph, or in a few cases, to just after the referring sentence.

Author attribution lines have been regularized so that all appear one line below the essay to which they apply.

See also the detailed transcriber's note at the end of the work.

Everyman's Library

Edited by Ernest Rhys

ESSAYS

A Century of English Essays Chosen by Ernest Rhys and Lloyd Vaughan

* * * * *

This is No. 653 of Everyman's Library. The publishers will be pleased to send freely to all applicants a list of the published and projected volumes arranged under the following sections:

TRAVEL * SCIENCE * FICTION

THEOLOGY & PHILOSOPHY

HISTORY * CLASSICAL

FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

ESSAYS * ORATORY

POETRY & DRAMA

BIOGRAPHY

REFERENCE

ROMANCE

In four styles of binding: cloth, flat back, coloured top; leather, round corners, gilt top; library binding in cloth, & quarter pigskin.

    LONDON: J. M. DENT & SONS, Ltd.
    NEW YORK: E. P. DUTTON & CO.

* * * * *

[Illustration: Most current … For that they come home to men's business & bosoms.—Lord Bacon]

[Illustration: A CENTURY of ENGLISH ESSAYS: an ANTHOLOGY RANGING FROM
CAXTON TO R. L. STEVENSON & THE WRITERS OF OUR OWN TIME.

LONDON TORONTO & PARIS: J.M. DENT & SONS LTD. NEW YORK E.P. DUTTON AND
CO.]

First Issue of this Edition 1913
Reprinted 1915, 1916