at life, ruled majestically over the poetical and religious life of England. The classical beauty of his verse was equally enjoyed by the connoisseur and the man of the people. All parties bowed in reverence to his genius. It is, therefore, striking that his tercentenary: the 300th anniversary of his birthday in 1908 was hardly taken any notice of by the England of to-day. Are we to learn from this fact that the Puritanic severity of manners which prevailed so long among the middle-classes is gradually giving way to wider morals? Scholars who must know believe that the poet Milton's moral force is such among the pious and devout, especially in North-America, that it can never pass away. For us Germans Milton is of historic importance, he influenced our literature of the 18th century. By whom and when was Paradise Lost first translated? What great similar poem was inspired by it? Does any one know what Gottsched, the champion of rules and reason in Germany: der deutsche Literaturpapst called the seraphic bard (as his admirers liked to call him) for writing this miraculous and supernatural piece of poetry? (den sehr affischen Klopfstock). Have you ever seen the monument in the middle of our market place? In whose memory has it been put up? (Händel) What has Händel to do with Milton? X. He has made of Samson a -? L.: say an "oratorio".

Sechste Stunde. What does the style of Milton's great Biblical epics betray? oder what had his style been brought about by? His epics have been called an historic document which sums up the struggle of the Civil War. Once more, he tells the story of Puritanism, where? Tell us what you know about the form of this fine literary achievement. What did Milton firmly believe with regard to his cause? What Did he live to see the glorious day of freedom? great historic event am I thinking of? When did Milton die?

Why can Milton be regarded as a typical Englishman? - What raises him above the national standard of renown? Did Milton's poetry live after him? Did he found a school of poetry? Where did the influence of the great moralist become visible? What Is Milton the poet still a vital force in England? did his tercentenary show to the observer of English life? Had Milton anything to do with our German literature?

Summary. The growing luxury at the court of the Stuarts and among the upper classes estranged the people from

a monarchy of divine right and finally led to the establishment of a Puritan Republic under Cromwell. Being taught by the frivolity of narrow-minded rulers, who tortured them, to see Satan's work in every kind of art, the Puritans closed the theatres when they had obtained the power in the State. Thus the Puritan rebellion marked a breach in the literary tradition of the country. Literature did not carry on Shakespeare. Milton, the greatest poet after him, used poetry to glorify the Puritan severity of manners. By the study of the classics and the Bible and by nobility of life the young scholar had trained himself to be a perfect man. The lyrical poems which he composed in rural seclusion prove him to be the artist who longs for wordly and heavenly joys alike. Social troubles make of the poet a political writer and Secretrary of State who defends the English people for having executed a wicked king. Deposed at the Restoration, he turns a poet again who takes vengeance: revenges himself on his offenders, the proud Royalists and Bishops, by writing in seraphic language religious poems in which he points out to a corrupt society that Evil is slavery: serfdom, bondage, a humiliation of human nature caused by man's own free will, and prophesies the final triumph of Good, i. e. Puritanism struggling for civil and religious liberty. Unfortunately, Milton did not live to see the Glorious Revolution1).

2. John Bunyan.

Die Schüler haben zu dieser Stunde die kurze Biographie über Bunyan und "Christian in the Hands of Giant Despair" in Herrig-Försters English Authors gelesen.

Milton expressed the Puritan spirit in poetry. Bunyan, too, expressed the Puritan spirit in his works. Did B. write poetry: verse as Milton did? What is the title of his great literary achievement? The full title of this popular book is:

1) Diese Ausführungen beruhen im wesentlichen auf dem Abschnitt,,Puritaner und Stuarts" in A. Schröer, Grundzüge und Haupttypen der Englischen Literaturgeschichte II, Leipzig. Göschen 1911, einem feinsinnigen Werke, das soviel des Wissenswerten über das Werden und Wesen des Inselvolkes bietet, daß man es für sich selber mit großem Nutzen beim Unterricht in der Prima verwenden kann.

=

"The Pilgrim's Progress from this world to that which is to come; delivered under the Similitude of a Dream wherein is discovered the manner of his setting out, his dangerous journey and safe arrival at the desired country." In modern English, the word "progress" means "advance, development", and it has no plural; sometimes progress with progresses in the plural is still used to denote a state journey, an official tour; the papers speak of royal progresses. The complete: detailed title of the poem tells you all about its contents. What do you know about it? Sch.: "It describes the journey of a pilgrim, called Christian, from the City of Destruction to the Heavenly Jerusalem." Where did Bunyan write this great allegory? - Why was he twice arrested: put in gaol, kept in prison the first time for a dozen years? What do you mean by "unlicensed" preaching? What was Bunyan's profession? These "itinerant"(?) = travelling Baptist preachers, who used to preach very much in the way the Salvation Army (founded by William Booth; pious men and women organized on the military model they wear dark blue uniforms for the purpose of reviving religion among the masses) does nowadays, were thought to be dangerous people. King Charles II. had observed that these popular preachers used their influence over the crowds to stir them up to rebel against the government and state church. After the Restoration the old laws against the Nonconformists had been revived. What about his life? Prof. Foerster doesn't tell us much of it. In addition to what you said let me tell you that he grew up at a village without attending a school and that until he was seventeen he worked in his father's shop. What has a tinker to do? he mends kettles and pans and other metal-work, he's a rough-and-ready worker. As a Roundhead soldier he was a bully: a brutal, violent young man who didn't mind cursing and lying: telling lies. When the army was disbanded, he married and, owing to his young wife, became a better man. He devoted all his days to preaching and writing religious tracts. In London, he sometimes addressed meetings of three thousand people. He met his death while performing an act of charity. He had set out in those days one travelled on horseback to reconcile a father to his son, they had quarrelled, were on bad terms, and on his way, he was overtaken by a thunderstorm, and he caught a bad cold, from which he died.

Bunyan, the unlearned preacher and man of the people, wrote the story of Puritanism struggling, almost defeated, but finally victorious, in one of the most popular of prose allegories. Almost up to our days The Pilgrim's Progress was the most widely known of all English books. Quotations from it were understood by everybody. Macaulay says of it that it is "the only work of its kind which possesses a strong human interest. Other allegories only amuse the fancy, the allegory of Bunyan has been read by many thousands with tears." It has been translated into over eighty languages. How then could Bunyan's book become so popular? Well, it suited, appealed to the Puritan temper of the majority of the nation, and then, its language was as plain and pictorial as that of the gospels, it fascinated even the simple-minded rustic: rude peasant. Bunyan was a born story-teller. His sources were the Bible and Spenser's Fairy Queen. But whilst Spenser's noble allegory had been written for the court and society, Bunyan's plain tale of Christian the Pilgrim caught the masses by its popular language. I have said already that it is the story of the Puritan cause, it is also the story of the author's own life and salvation. But it is infinitely more than that, what then is the deep spiritual meaning underlying this allegory? It describes the sufferings of a human soul striving for salvation. What does Saint Paul say to the Philippians? Ein jeglicher sei gesinnt, wie Jesus Christus auch war ... Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Christian teaches us to sacrifice self to God's will; life will show you what difficulties there are in gaining the victory over self. These difficulties and the way of overcoming them are brought home to the reader of Bunyan's allegory by Christian going through the Slough of Despond, fighting with the demons of the terrible Valley of the Shadow of Death, shunning the temptations of Vanity Fair, the fair held at the town of Vanity, and enduring many other hardships, until he gets to the gate of the Heavenly Jerusalem. Such men as Bunyan spread the Puritan ideas among the crowds, and thus Puritanism became a force which the temporary splendour of court poetry could not resist. Where are the plays of Dryden? Where is the charm of the Cavalier poets, who represented a lighter view of life? They have long been forgotten. Bunyan has survived them. Inhalt des zu lesenden Abschnittes aus The Pilgrim's Progress.

Giant Despair catches Christian and Hopeful on his grounds, and puts them in a dark dungeon, where they must lie for four days without eating and drinking or anybody to ask them how they do. Then, the giant, following the advice of his wicked wife, gives the poor prisoners such a drubbing that they are not able to help themselves and orders them to commit suicide. He would doubtless have killed them himself, if he had not fallen into one of his fits. Talking over the giant's counsel, Christian declares that he will choose strangling himself rather than continue living in this way. But Hopeful entreats him to be patient and endure a little longer, and so they go on living in their plight: sorry condition. When the furious giant tells them that it will be still worse with them, Christian is again for killing himself, but once more Hopeful asks him to exercise patience, reminding him of the sufferings which they have already undergone. On learning that the prisoners have not obeyed her husband's order, the Giant's wife wants him to show them the skulls and bones of their predecessors and tear them in pieces afterwards. The prisoners are shown the skeletons in the castle-yard, and on the way back to their den they are cruelly beaten. Now they begin to pray, and at daybreak Christian discovers that he has a key in his bosom that will open any lock in Doubting Castle. He takes it out, tries it at the dungeon door which flies open with ease. As he opens the castle gate, it makes such a noise that it wakes the giant, but he cannot run after the fugitives, his fits take him again. Getting to the stile'), they put up a notice telling those who should come after them, not to trespass on the grounds of Doubting Castle.

-You had to read the passage from the Pilgrim's Progress. What passage has Prof. Foerster chosen? - What happens to Christian? Who is with him? What is Hopeful meant to be? it is Christian's trust in God, his trust is in God who will deliver him from evil. Where does the cruel giant put them? - What's a dungeon? Say the French form of the word. It is a subterranean cell for prisoners, the "donjon" being the great tower in the innermost court of a castle, the Latin "domnio" from "dominus" is at its root. How long are they kept

1) S. Hausknecht, The English Student, Leipzig 1921,

Sketch XI u. Supplement 42.