The Best of the World's Classics, Restricted to Prose, Vol. IV (of X)—Great Britain and Ireland II
Of Companions and Flatterers. by Steele The Story-Teller and His Art. by Steele Sir Roger and the Widow. by Steele The Coverley Family Portraits. by Steele On Certain Symptoms of Greatness. by Steele How to Be Happy tho Married. by Steele Of the Shortness of Human Life. by Bolingbroke Rules for the Study of History. by Bolingbroke An Ancient English Country Seat. by Pope His Compliments to Lady Mary. by Pope How to Make an Epic Poem. by Pope On Happiness in the Matrimonial State. by Montagu Inoculation for the Smallpox. by Montagu Of Good Manners, Dress and the World. by Chesterfield Of Attentions to Ladies. by Chesterfield Tom the Hero Enters the Stage; Partridge Sees Garrick at the Play. by Fielding from "Tom Jones" Mr. Adams in a Political Light. by Fielding from "Joseph Andrews" On Publishing His "Dictionary." by Johnson from the "Dictionary" Pope and Dryden Compared. by Johnson from the "Lives of the Poets" Letter to Chesterfield on the Completion of the "Dictionary." by Johnson from Boswell's "Life" On the Advantages of Living in a Garret. by Johnson The Character of Queen Elizabeth; The Defeat of the Armada. by Hume from the "History of England" The First Principles of Government. by Hume The Starling in Captivity; To Moulines with Maria. by Sterne from "The Sentimental Journey" The Death of LeFevre; Passages from the Romance of My Uncle Toby and the Widow. by Sterne from "Tristram Shandy" Warwick Castle. by Gray To His Friend Mason on the Death of Mason's Mother. by Gray On His Own Writings. by Gray His Friendship for Bonstetten. by Gray Hogarth. by Walpole from the "Anecdotes of Painting in England" The War in America. by Walpole The Death of George II. by Walpole The Chimney Swallow. by White from "The Natural History of Selborne" Of Ambition Misdirected. by Smith from the "Theory of Moral Sentiments" The Advantages of a Division of Labor. by Smith from "The Wealth of Nations" Professional Soldiers in Free Countries. by Blackstone from the "Commentaries" The Ambitions of the Vicar's Family. by Goldsmith from "The Vicar of Wakefield" Sagacity in Insects. by Goldsmith from "The Bee" A Chinaman's View of London. by Goldsmith from the "Citizen of the World" The Principles of Good Taste. by Burke from "The Sublime and Beautiful" A Letter to a Noble Lord. by Burke On the Death of His Son. by Burke Marie Antoinette. by Burke from the "Reflections on the Revolution in France" Of Keeping One's Self Employed. by Cowper Of Johnson's Treatment of Milton. by Cowper On the Publication of His Books. by Cowper The Romance of His Youth; The Inception and Completion of the "Decline and Fall;" The Fall of Zenobia; Alaric's Entry into Rome; The Death of Hosein; The Causes of the Destruction of the City of Rome. by Gibbon from "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire"
E-text prepared by Joseph R. Hauser, Sankar Viswanathan, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team
"The Best of the World's Classics, Restricted to Prose, Vol. IV (of X)—Great...." is a collection of classic prose works edited by Henry Cabot Lodge, likely written in the early 20th century. This volume focuses specifically on notable literary figures from Great Britain and Ireland from the period of 1672 to 1800, presenting selections from renowned authors such as Sir Richard Steele, Lord Bolingbroke, and Alexander Pope. The anthology showcases excerpts that reflect the thoughts, manners, and cultural issues of the time, appealing to readers interested in literature's rich historical context. The opening portion introduces the volume and outlines the content, beginning with a piece by Sir Richard Steele titled "Of Companions and Flatterers." Steele reflects on the nature of friendships, the pitfalls of flattery, and the complexities of human interactions. He provides insights into the cultural and social behaviors of his day, noting that true companionship lies with those who neither excessively flatter nor criticize. The subsequent pieces promise to delve deeper into various themes related to society, love, and human behavior, through the eyes of prominent 17th and 18th-century writers, setting the stage for a rich exploration of classic literature. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Reading ease score: 58.4 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read.
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