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| CHRISTMAS AND ITALY: or, A Prefatory Essay, showing the Extreme Fitness of this Book for the Season | [1] |
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| [CHAPTER I.] |
| INTRODUCTORY. |
| A BLUE JAR FROM SICILY, AND A BRASS JAR FROM THE “ARABIAN NIGHTS;” AND WHAT CAME OUT OF EACH | [25] |
| |
| [CHAPTER II.] |
| SICILY, AND ITS MYTHOLOGY. |
| ISLAND OF SICILY, AND MOUNT ÆTNA.—STORIES OF TYPHŒUS, POLYPHEMUS, SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS, GLAUCUS AND SCYLLA,ALPHEUS AND ARETHUSA, THE SIRENS, AND THE RAPE OF PROSERPINE | [34] |
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| [CHAPTER III.] |
| GLANCES AT ANCIENT SICILIAN HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY. |
| VICISSITUDES OF SICILIAN GOVERNMENT.—GLANCES AT PHALARIS, STESICHORUS, EMPEDOCLES, HIERO I., SIMONIDES, EPICHARMUS,DIONYSIUS I., DAMON AND PYTHIAS, DAMOCLES, DIONYSIUS II., DION, PLATO, AGATHOCLES, HANNIBAL, HIERO II., THEOCRITUS,ARCHIMEDES, MARCELLUS, VERRES; AND PARTICULARS RELATING TO GELLIAS | [58] |
| |
| [CHAPTER IV.] |
| THEOCRITUS. |
| PASTORAL POETRY.—SPECIMENS OF THE STRENGTH AND COMIC HUMOUR OF THEOCRITUS.—THE PRIZE-FIGHT BETWEEN POLLUXAND AMYCUS.—THE SYRACUSAN GOSSIPS | [71] |
| |
| [CHAPTER V.] |
| THEOCRITUS.—(Concluded.) |
| SPECIMENS OF THE PATHOS AND PASTORAL OF THEOCRITUS.—THE CYCLOPS IN LOVE.—POETICAL FEELING AMONG UNEDUCATEDCLASSES IN THE SOUTH.—PASSAGES FROM THEOCRITUS’S FIRST IDYLL.—HIS VERSIFICATION AND MUSIC.—PASTORAL OF BION AND MOSCHUS | [88] |
| |
| [CHAPTER VI.] |
| NORMAN TIMES—LEGEND OF KING ROBERT. |
| HOW KING ROBERT OF SICILY WAS DISPOSSESSED OF HIS THRONE; AND WHO SAT UPON IT.—HIS WRATH, SUFFERINGS, AND REPENTANCE | [107] |
| |
| [CHAPTER VII.] |
| ITALIAN AND ENGLISH PASTORAL. |
| TASSO’S ERMINIA AMONG THE SHEPHERDS, AND ODE ON THE GOLDEN AGE.—GUARINI’S RETURN OF SPRING.—SHEPHERD’S VISION OFTHE HUNDRED MAIDENS IN SPENSER.—“SAD SHEPHERD” OF BEN JONSON | [123] |
| |
| [CHAPTER VIII.] |
| ENGLISH PASTORAL—(Continued); AND SCOTCH PASTORAL. |
| FLETCHER’S “FAITHFUL SHEPHERDESS.”—PROBABLE REASON OF ITS NON-SUCCESS.—“COMUS” AND “LYCIDAS.”—DR. JOHNSON’S“WORLD.”—BURNS AND ALLAN RAMSAY | [147] |
| |
| [CHAPTER IX.] |
| ENGLISH PASTORAL.—(Concluded.) |
| PASTORALS OF WILLIAM BROWNE.—PASTORAL MEN: CERVANTES, BOCCACCIO, CHAUCER, COWLEY, THOMSON, SHENSTONE, ETC. | [162] |
| |
| [CHAPTER X.] |
| RETURN TO SICILY AND MOUNT ÆTNA. |
| SUBJECT OF MOUNT ÆTNA RESUMED:—ITS BEAUTIES—ITS HORRORS—REASON WHY PEOPLE ENDURE THEM.—LOVE-STORY OF AN EARTHQUAKE | [177] |
| |
| [CHAPTER XI.] |
| BEES. |
| THE BEAUTIFUL NEVER TO BE THANKED TOO MUCH, OR TO BE SUFFICIENTLY EXPRESSED.—BEES AND THEIR ELEGANCE.—THEIRADVICE TO AN ITALIAN POET.—WAXEN TAPERS.—A BEE DRAMA.—MASSACRES OF DRONES.—HUMAN PROGRESSION | [198] |
| |
| [CHAPTER XII.] |
| MISCELLANEOUS FEELINGS RESPECTING SICILY, ITS MUSIC, ITS RELIGION, AND ITS MODERN POETRY. |
| DANTE’S EVENING.—AVE MARIA OF BYRON.—THE SICILIAN VESPERS.—NOTHING “INFERNAL” IN NATURE.—SICILIAN MARINER’SHYMN.—INVOCATION FROM COLERIDGE.—PAGAN AND ROMAN CATHOLIC WORSHIP.—LATIN AND ITALIAN COUPLET.—WINTER’S“RATTO DI PROSERPINA.”—A HINT ON ITALIAN AIRS.—BELLINI, MELI, THE MODERN THEOCRITUS | [211] |