Piers Plowman, the Prologue and first seven passus (text B).
Shakespeare, with a special study of the following Plays: Midsummer Night's Dream, King John, Much Ado about Nothing, Macbeth, Cymbeline.
Milton, with a special study of Paradise Lost.
These texts are to be studied (1) with reference to the forms of the language; (2) as examples of literature; and (3) in their relation to the history and thought of the period to which they belong.
After Milton no special texts are prescribed, but Candidates are expected to show an adequate knowledge of the chief authors.
II. History of the English Language.
Candidates will be examined in the Philology and History of the Language, in Gothic (the Gospel of St. Mark), and in Translation from Old English and Middle English authors not specially offered.
III. History of English Literature.
The Examination in the History of English Literature will not be limited to the prescribed texts. It will include the history of criticism and of style in prose and verse; for these subjects, Candidates are recommended to consult the following works:—
Sidney, Apology for Poetry.