Produced by Thierry Alberto, Juliet Sutherland, Martin Pettit and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net ENGLISH LITERATURE AND SOCIETY IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY FORD LECTURES, 1903 _By_ LESLIE STEPHEN [Illustration] LONDON _DUCKWORTH and CO._ 3 HENRIETTA STREET, W.C. 1904 TO HERBERT FISHER NEW COLLEGE, OXFORD My Dear Herbert,--I had prepared these Lectures for delivery, when a serious breakdown of health made it utterly impossible for me to appear in person. The University was then good enough to allow me to employ a deputy; and you kindly undertook to read the Lectures for me. I have every reason to believe that they lost nothing by the change. I need only explain that, although they had to be read in six sections, and are here divided into five chapters, no other change worth noticing has been made. Other changes probably ought to have been made, but my health has been unequal to the task of serious correction. The publication has been delayed from the same cause. Meanwhile, I wish to express my gratitude for your services. I doubt, too, whether I should have ventured to republish them, had it not been for your assertion that they have some interest. I would adopt the good old form of dedicating them to you, were it not that I can find no precedent for a dedication by an uncle to a nephew--uncles having, I fancy, certain opinions as to the light in which they are generally regarded by nephews. I will not say what that is, nor mention another reason which has its weight. I will only say that, though this is not a dedication, it is meant to express a very warm sense of gratitude due to you upon many grounds. --Your affectionate LESLIE STEPHEN. _November 1903_. PUBLISHERS' NOTE Owing to the ill-health of Sir Leslie Stephen the proofs have been passed for press by Mr. H. Fisher, Fellow of New College, who read the Lectures at Oxford on behalf of the Author. ENGLISH LITERATURE AND SOCIETY IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY I