ters? Yes, for he triumphed over the difficulty of writing poetry in the midst of a highly civilized society. A discussion of the relation of poetry to civilization.

§§ 18-20. Second topic: Milton's Latin poetry.

§§ 20–25. Third topic: Some striking characteristics of Milton's poetic methods. A description of the effect produced by the peculiar suggestiveness of the words he uses. Examples, L'Allegro and Il Penseroso.

§§ 25-30. Fourth topic: Milton's dramatic poetry. Like the Greek drama, it has much of the lyric character. The Greek drama and Samson Agonistes; Comus and the Italian Masques.

§§ 30-47. Fifth topic: Paradise Lost. Parallel between Milton and Dante. A discussion of Milton's superiority in the management of the agency of supernatural beings.

§§ 47-49. Sixth topic : The sonnets.

§§ 49--87. SECOND Division of THE ESSAY: MILTON'S CONDUCT AS A CITIZEN. THE CONDUCT OF HIS PARTY ASSOCIATES. $$ 4972. First topic: Milton's joining the party of the Parliament in 1642. §§ 49-51. Under the impressions derived from seventeenth and eighteenth century literature, many Englishmen fail to see that the Long Parliament was defending principles of government accepted by all England since 1688, and now struggling for recognition in the rest of the world. §§ 51-57. The rebellion of Parliament against Charles I. is therefore justified by a comparison, point by point, with the glorious Revolution dethroning James II. §§ 57-72. Admitting, then, the justice of Parliament's quarrel with the king, was their rebellion too strong a measure ? When are revolutions justified?

§§ 72-78. Second topic: Milton's association with the Regicides and Cromwell. §§ 72-75. The execution of Charles not so very different a measure from the deposition of James. But even if one disapproves of the regicide, one may admit the necessity of defending it at that time. §§ 75-78. Discussion of Cromwell's good government compared with Parliament's betrayal of trust on one side and the Stuart misgovernment on the other.

§§ 78-87. Third topic: Milton's contemporaries classified and described. §§ 79-84. The Puritans. § 84. The Heathens. § 85. The Royalists. § 86. Milton's own character compounded of many different strains.

§§ 87-92. THIRD DIVISION OF THE ESSAY: MILTON'S PROSEWRITINGS. His pamphlets devoted to the emancipation of human thought.

§§ 92 to End. CONCLUSION. A vision of Milton.

After a scheme of the thought has been made, in this or some other fashion equally good, the pupil should write a number of short essays, each of which should have for its object the reproduction in the pupil's own language, and on a smaller scale, of the ideas contained in one of the large divisions of the Life.

CRITICAL NOTE

UNDER this heading are gathered certain detailed suggestions as to the further study of Macaulay's Life of Johnson. Up to this point we have considered only a single part of our work—that pertaining to the understanding of the text. The pupil must not stop here, however, nor slacken his efforts. The pleasantest part of his task remains undone. We have yet to see (1) what we can gain from a study of Macaulay's style, (2) what we can gain by considering the truth, appropriateness, or suggestiveness of Macaulay's ideas, and (3) what progress we can make, after this introduction by Macaulay, in the study of Johnson's life and times and in the enjoyment of his works and those of his contemporaries. In such matters teacher and pupils must be left largely to their own devices, but a few hints may seasonably be given under the successive heads of Rhetorical Study, Suggestive Study, and Literary Study.

Rhetorical Study. Rhetorical work in the preparatory schools should have simply the aim of enabling pupils to write simply, clearly, and correctly. Minute precept, the philosophy and logic of expression, detailed analysis of style-all these are subjects for college work. To write simply, clearly, and correctly is all that can reasonably be asked of a sub-Freshman. Fluency, grace, beauty, power-all these may be inculcated later. Simplicity, clearness, and correctness are the essential qualities, and no one is a better teacher of them than Macaulay. Fine critics have found fault with his style, but they cannot deny that it has proved the most successful prose style of the century. Success means something. To receive wide and long continued approbation a style must have the very best of qualities. Macaulay is an excellent model.

The student has two things to do if he would get the most out of Macaulay's style. First, he must like it and learn the "tune ”

of it. That is the main thing. He should pick out the finest passages in the Life, read them aloud again and again, perhaps even memorize short parts of them, until he gets the "swing" of the style. Then he should choose from matters familiar to him a subject of the sort that Macaulay liked,' and try to treat it after the Macaulay fashion, reading his essay aloud with emphatic vigor to see if it has the proper ring. The process of imitation leads inevitably to analysis. Just how does Macaulay secure his results? he must ask himself, and that means that he and his classmates must go systematically to work to analyze Macaulay's style. The task is not a hard one. Long paragraphs, short sentences, balanced or parallel structure in sentences and paragraphs, a wide vocabulary of dignified and picturesque words-this is what his instructor will help him to find, and, having found the secret of the method, he will go on to apply it. He will choose particular typical sentences of Macaulay's and match them with similarly constructed sentences of his own on a different topic. If he can do that well, he has learned a lesson that will long stand him in good stead.

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Suggestive Study. It will be disappointing if the pupil reads Macaulay blindly, or imitates him blindly. Macaulay is famous for expressing clearly and vigorously ideas worth thinking of. The student must keep his mind open to ideas, full of curiosity. Not only will he be impressed by the main point of the essay— the vivid delineation of Johnson's character, not only will he be thrilled with sympathy and admiration, but he will find food for reflection on almost every page. Take a single illustration from the very first paragraph. That Augustan delicacy of taste," says Macaulay, speaking of English schoolboys. 'Classical writers who were quite unknown to the best scholars in the sixth form at Eton," he continues. Evidently some English boys may actually have a delicate taste in points of Latin usage at an age when most American boys are thankful if they can stumble through Virgil or Cicero. Evidently some English boys have really a wide range of Latin literature at their command. What makes the difference? Why are we ignorant where they are wise?

'Following the excellent method outlined by Mr. E. L. Miller. See the Suggestions to Teachers and Students in his edition of Southey's Life of Nelson in this series.

Are the tables turned in other fields of knowledge? What is there sound and good in our own education? Such chance questionings the instructor should deliberately encourage. Few boys know how to keep their minds active as they read. Even suggestions so random as those just indicated with regard to the English system of classical education might be the beginning, in a young student's mind, of an exceedingly profitable train of thought. It is obviously impossible, however, for any editor to indicate more than the general character of such suggestive study. The whole process must be left, for the most part, to the pupil himself, who, with the encouragement of the instructor, should, from time to time, try to sum up, not Macaulay's ideas, but the results of his own thinking on matters which his study of Macaulay has suggested.

Literary Study. Valuable as the two kinds of training just mentioned are, they should be wholly subordinate to the study of the Life as an introduction to a wider knowledge and enjoyment of English literature. Luckily, the book looks two ways, opening an easy avenue on the one hand to Macaulay, and on the other to Johnson. Both were interesting men, and both belonged to interesting periods of literature. To which author and to which group the student turns his attention, it makes little difference. The main thing is that he should read-read with zest, and read with appreciation. But here also the teacher and the pupil must be left to their own devices. With interest and earnestness one cannot, in this field, go far astrayparticularly in dealing with a book so full of references to the best known literary figures of the eighteenth century. Even if the student does nothing more than grow familiar with Boswell's Johnson and some of Macaulay's best essays, he has accomplished something that will contribute directly and in no small degree towards laying the foundations of a liberal education.