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A Literary History of the English People, from the Origins to the RenaissanceJusserand, J. J. (Jean Jules)

History

A Literary History of the English People, from the Origins to the Renaissance

Name: A Literary History of the English People, from the Origins to the Renaissance
Author: Jusserand, J. J. (Jean Jules)

Jusserand, J. J. (Jean Jules)

English literature -- History and criticism

I. Fusion of Races in France and in England.--First
  inhabitants--Celtic realms--The Celts in Britain--Similitude with
  the Celts of Gaul--Their religion--Their quick minds--Their gift
  of speech                                                            3

  II. Celtic Literature.--Irish stories--Wealth of that
  literature--Its characteristics--The dramatic
  gift--Inventiveness--Heroic deeds--Familiar dialogues--Love
  and woman--Welsh tales                                               9

  III. Roman Conquest.--Duration and results--First coming
  of the Germanic invader                                             18


CHAPTER II.

THE GERMANIC INVASION.

  The mother country of the Germanic invader--Tacitus--Germans
  and Scandinavians--The great invasions--Character of the Teutonic
  nations--Germanic kingdoms established in formerly Roman provinces.
    Jutes, Frisians, Angles, and Saxons--British resistance and
  defeat--Problem of the Celtic survival--Results of the Germanic
  invasions in England and France                                     21


CHAPTER III.

THE NATIONAL POETRY OF THE ANGLO-SAXONS.

  I. The Poetry of the North.--The Germanic period of
  English literature--Its characteristics--Anglo-Saxon poetry
  stands apart and does not submit to Celtic influence--Comparison
  with Scandinavian literature--The Eddas and Sagas; the "Corpus
  Poeticum Boreale"--The heroes; their tragical adventures--Their
  temper and sorrows                                                  36

  II. Anglo-Saxon Poems.--War-songs--Epic tales--Waldhere,
  Beowulf--Analysis of "Beowulf"--The ideal of happiness in
  "Beowulf"--Landscapes--Sad meditations--The idea of
  death--Northern snows                                               45


CHAPTER IV.

CHRISTIAN LITERATURE AND PROSE LITERATURE OF THE ANGLO-SAXONS.

  I. Conversion.--Arrival of Augustine--The new
  teaching--The imperial idea and the Christian idea--Beginnings
  of the new faith--Heathen survivals--Convents and
  schools--Religious kings and princes--Proselytism, St. Boniface     60

  II. Latin Culture.--Manuscripts--Alcuin, St. Boniface,
  Aldhelm, AEddi, Bede--Life and writings of Bede--His
  "Ecclesiastical History"--His sympathy for the national
  literature                                                          65

  III. Christian Poems.--The genius of the race remains
  nearly unchanged--Heroical adventures of the saints--Paraphrase
  of the Bible--Caedmon--Cynewulf--His sorrows and despair--"Dream
  of the Rood"--"Andreas"--Lugubrious sights--The idea of
  death--Dialogues--Various poems--The "Physiologus"--"Phoenix"       68

  IV. Prose--Alfred the Great.--Laws and charters--Alfred
  and the Danish invasions--The fight for civilisation--Translation
  of works by St. Gregory, Orosius (travels of Ohthere), Boethius
  (story of Orpheus)--Impulsion given to
  prose--Werferth--Anglo-Saxon Chronicles--Character of Alfred.       78

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A Literary History of the English People, from the Origins to the Renaissance

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