PAGE
Introduction vii
1. A Printer's Prologue
Wm. Caxton, Morte D'Arthur 1
2. Dame Prudence on Riches
Geoffrey Chaucer, Tale of Melibeus 4
3. Of Painting the Face
T.T., New Essays, 1614 8
4. Hamlet's Advice to the Players
Shakespeare, Hamlet 10
5. Of Adversity
Francis Bacon, Essays 11
6. Of Travel
" " " 12
7. Of Wisdom for a Man's Self
" " " 14
8. Of Ambition
" " " 15
9. Of Gardens
" " " 17
10. Of Studies
" " " 22
11. The Good Schoolmaster
Thomas Fuller, Holy and Profane States 24
12. On Death
Jeremy Taylor, Holy Living and Holy Dying 27
13. Of Winter
Thomas Dekker 30
14. How a Gallant should behave himself in a Play-house
Thomas Dekker, Gull's Horn Book 31
15. Of Myself
Abraham Cowley, Discourses 35
16. The Grand Elixir
Pope, The Guardian, No. 11 39
17. Jack Lizard
Steele, The Guardian, No. 24 43
18. A Meditation upon a Broomstick, According to the Style and
Manner of the Hon. Robert Boyle's Meditations
Swift, Prose Writings 47
19. Pulpit Eloquence
Swift, The Tatler, No. 66 48
20. The Art of Political Lying
Swift, The Examiner, No. 15 51
21. A Rural Ride
Wm. Cobbett, Rural Rides 56
22. The Man in Black (1)
Goldsmith, Citizen of the World, No. 25 58
23. " " " (2)
" " " " No. 26 61
24. Old Maids and Bachelors
" " " " No. 27 66
25. The Important Trifler
" " " " No. 53 69
26. The Trifler's Household
" " " " No. 54 72
27. Westminster Hall
" " " " No. 97 75
28. The Little Beau
" " " " No. 98 78
29. The Club
Steele, The Spectator 80
30. The Meeting of the Club
Addison " " 85
31. Sir Roger de Coverley at Home (1)
" " " 88
32. " " " " (2)
" " " 91
33. " " " " (3)
Steele " " 94
34. " " " " (4)
Addison " " 97
35. Sir Roger at Church
" " " 100
36. Sir Roger on the Widow
Steele " " 103
37. Sir Roger in the Hunting Field
Addison " " 107
38. Sir Roger at the Assizes
" " " 110
39. Gipsies
" " " 114
40. Witches
" " " 117
41. Sir Roger at Westminster Abbey
" " " 120
42. Sir Roger at the Play
" " " 123
43. Sir Roger at Spring-Garden
" " " 126
44. Death of Sir Roger
" " " 129
45. A Stage Coach Journey
Steele " " 131
46. A Journey from Richmond
" " " 135
47. A Prize Fight
" " " 139
48. Good Temper
" " " 144
49. The Employments of a Housewife in the Country
Samuel Johnson, The Rambler, No. 51 147
50. The Stage Coach
" " The Adventurer, No. 84 152
51. The Scholar's Complaint of His Own Bashfulness
Johnson, The Rambler, No. 157 156
52. The Misery of a Modish Lady in Solitude
Johnson, The Rambler, No. 42 160
53. The History of an Adventurer in Lotteries
Johnson, The Rambler, No. 181 164
54. Christ's Hospital Five and Thirty Years Ago
Lamb, Essays of Elia 168
55. All Fools' Day
" " 180
56. Witches, and Other Night-Fears
" " 184
57. My First Play
" " 190
58. Dream-Children; a Reverie
" " 194
59. The Praise of Chimney-Sweepers
" " 198
60. A Dissertation upon Roast Pig
" " 205
61. Poor Relations
" " 211
62. The Child Angel
" " 218
63. Old China
" " 220
64. Popular Fallacies (I)
" " 226
65. " " (II)
" " 227
66. " " (III)
" " 228
67. Whitsun-Eve
Mary Russell Mitford, Our Village 230
68. On Going a Journey
Hazlitt, Essays 234
69. On Living to One's-Self
" " 244
70. Of Persons One would wish to have seen
" " 257
71. On a Sun-Dial
" " 271
72. Of the Feeling of Immortality in Youth
Hazlitt, The New Monthly Magazine 280
73. A Vision
Coleridge, A Lay Sermon, 1817 292
74. Upon Epitaphs
Wordsworth 297
75. Jeems the Doorkeeper
John Brown, Rab and His Friends 311
76. On Life
Shelley, Essays 323
77. Walking Stewart
De Quincey, Notes of an Opium Eater 327
78. On the Knocking at the Gate in Macbeth
De Quincey, Collected Essays 340
79. The Daughter of Lebanon
" " " 345
80. Getting up on Cold Mornings
Leigh Hunt, Essays, Indicator, 1820 351
81. The Old Gentleman
" " " " 355
82. The Old Lady
" " " " 359
83. The Maid-Servant
" " " " 363
84. Characteristics
Carlyle, Miscellanies 366
85. Tunbridge Toys
Thackeray, Roundabout Papers 404
86. Night Walks
Dickens, The Uncommercial Traveller 410
87. "A Penny Plain and Twopence Coloured"
R. L. Stevenson, Memories and Portraits 419
88. July Grass
Richard Jefferies, Field and Hedgerow 425
89. Worn-out Types
Augustine Birrell, Obiter Dicta 428
90. Book-buying
" " " " 433
91. The Whole Duty of Woman
Edmund Gosse, The Realm, 1895 436
92. Steele's Letters
Austin Dobson, Eighteenth Century Vignettes 441
93. A Defence of Nonsense
G. K. Chesterton, The Defendant 446
94. The Colour of Life
Alice Meynell, The Colour of Life 450
95. A Funeral
E. V. Lucas, Character and Comedy 453
96. Fires
" " Fireside and Sunshine 456
97. The Last Gleeman
W. B. Yeats, The Celtic Twilight 462
98. A Brother of St. Francis
Grace Rhys, The Vineyard 467
99. The Pilgrim's Way
Edward Thomas, The South Country 469
100. On a Great Wind
H. Belloc, First and Last 471
A CENTURY OF ESSAYS
A PRINTER'S PROLOGUE
After that I had accomplished and finished divers histories, as well of contemplation as of other historical and worldly acts of great conquerors and princes, and also of certain books of ensamples and doctrine, many noble and divers gentlemen of this realm of England, came and demanded me, many and ofttimes, why that I did not cause to be imprinted the noble history of the Sancgreal, and of the most renowned Christian king, first and chief of the three best Christian and worthy, King Arthur, which ought most to be remembered among us Englishmen, before all other Christian kings; for it is notoriously known, through the universal world, that there be nine worthy and the best that ever were, that is, to wit, three Paynims, three Jews, and three Christian men. As for the Paynims, they were before the Incarnation of Christ, which were named, the first, Hector of Troy, of whom the history is common, both in ballad and in prose; the second, Alexander the Great; and the third, Julius Cæsar, Emperor of Rome, of which the histories be well known and had. And as for the three Jews, which also were before the Incarnation of our Lord, of whom the first was Duke Joshua, which brought the children of Israel into the land of behest; the second was David, King of Jerusalem; and the third Judas Maccabeus. Of these three, the Bible rehearseth all their noble histories and acts. And, since the said Incarnation, have been three noble Christian men, stalled and admitted through the universal world, into the number of the nine best and worthy: of whom was first, the noble Arthur, whose noble acts I purpose to write in this present book here following; the second was Charlemagne, or Charles the Great, of whom the history is had in many places, both in French and in English; and the third, and last, was Godfrey of Boulogne, of whose acts and life I made a book unto the excellent prince and king, of noble memory, King Edward the Fourth.
The said noble gentlemen instantly required me for to imprint the history of the said noble king and conqueror, King Arthur, and of his knights, with the history of the Sancgreal, and of the death and ending of the said Arthur, affirming that I ought rather to imprint his acts and noble feats, than of Godfrey of Boulogne, or any of the other eight, considering that he was a man born within this realm, and king and emperor of the same; and that there be in French divers and many noble volumes of his acts, and also of his knights. To whom I have answered, that divers men hold opinion that there was no such Arthur, and that all such books as be made of him be but feigned and fables, because that some chronicles make of him no mention, nor remember him nothing, nor of his knights. Whereto they answered, and one in especial said, that in him that should say or think that there was never such a king called Arthur, might well be aretted great folly and blindness; for he said there were many evidences to the contrary. First ye may see his sepulchre in the monastery of Glastonbury. And also in Policronicon, in the fifth book, the sixth chapter, and in the seventh book, the twenty-third chapter, where his body was buried, and after found, and translated into the said monastery. Ye shall see also in the History of Bochas, in his book De Casu Principum, part of his noble acts, and also of his fall. Also Galfridus, in his British book, recounteth his life. And in divers places of England, many remembrances be yet of him, and shall remain perpetually of him, and also of his knights. First, in the Abbey of Westminster, at St. Edward's shrine, remaineth the print of his seal in red wax closed in beryl, in which is written—"Patricius Arthurus Britanniæ, Galliæ, Germaniæ, Daciæ Imperator." Item in the castle of Dover ye may see Sir Gawaine's skull, and Cradok's mantle: at Winchester, the Round Table: in other places Sir Launcelot's sword, and many other things. Then all these things considered, there can no man reasonably gainsay but that there was a king of this land named Arthur: for in all the places, Christian and heathen, he is reputed and taken for one of the nine worthies, and the first of the three Christian men. And also he is more spoken beyond the sea, and more books made of his noble acts, than there be in England, as well in Dutch, Italian, Spanish, and Greek, as in French. And yet of record, remaineth in witness of him in Wales, in the town of Camelot, the great stones, and the marvellous works of iron lying under the ground, and royal vaults, which divers now living have seen. Wherefore it is a great marvel why that he is no more renowned in his own country, save only it accordeth to the word of God, which saith, that no man is accepted for a prophet in his own country. Then all things aforesaid alleged, I could not well deny but that there was such a noble king named Arthur, and reputed for one of the nine worthies, and first and chief of the Christian men. And many noble volumes be made of him and of his noble knights in French, which I have seen and read beyond the sea, which be not had in our maternal tongue. But in Welsh be many, and also in French, and some in English, but nowhere nigh all. Wherefore, such as have late been drawn out briefly into English, I have, after the simple cunning that God hath sent me, under the favour and correction of all noble lords and gentlemen enprised to imprint a book of the noble histories of the said King Arthur, and of certain of his knights after a copy unto me delivered; which copy Sir Thomas Malory did take out of certain books of French, and reduced it into English. And I, according to my copy, have down set it in print, to the intent that noble men may see and learn the noble acts of chivalry, the gentle and virtuous deeds that some knights used in those days, by which they came to honour, and how they that were vicious were punished, and oft put to shame and rebuke; humbly beseeching all noble lords and ladies, with all other estates of what state or degree they be of, that shall see and read in this present book and work, that they take the good and honest acts in their remembrance, and follow the same. Wherein they shall find many joyous and pleasant histories, and the noble and renowned acts of humanity, gentleness, and chivalry. For, herein may be seen noble chivalry, courtesy, humanity, friendliness, hardiness, love, friendship, cowardice, murder, hate, virtue, and sin. Do after the good, and leave the evil, and it shall bring you unto good fame and renown. And, for to pass the time, this book shall be pleasant to read in, but for to give faith and belief that all is true that is contained herein, ye be at your own liberty. But all is written for our doctrine, and for to beware that we fall not to vice nor sin, but to exercise and follow virtue, by the which we may come and attain to good fame and renown in this life, and after this short and transitory life to come unto everlasting bliss in heaven; the which He grant us that reigneth in heaven, the blessed Trinity. Amen.
William Caxton.