Satire and satirists
In preparing for the press these Lectiires (first delivered a twelvemonth ago), no part of my task has been more agreeable than that which is now to be discharged, — the dedication of them to yourself. This slight compliment I offer to you, in acknowledgement of your qualities as a friend and a companion, to which I owe many pleasant hours spent in your society.
To dwell upon the talents, the taste, and the Literature, which you unite with these qualities, would be to do what your friends would find superfluous, and you disagreeable. Injustice to my judgment, I must, however, say, that I dedicate my book to one, whose capacity for criticising it, is only equalled by the natural kindliness which will make him criticise it charitably. I take the opportunity of making what remarks I think it necessary to address to good-natured readers of this performance, by way of preface. To treat of all Satire and all Satirists is a task which I never dreamed of performing within these limits, and my work is rather a collection of passages in the history of Satirical Literature than anything else. To those who have written the Satire Proper, my main attention has been given; and of the Satiric Drama and Satiric Fiction no adequate treatment has been attempted.
Content of the book:
--Horace and Juvenal.--Erasmus, Sir David Lindsay, and George Buchanan.--Early European satire. Boileau, Butler, Dryden.--Swift, Pope, Churchill.--Political satire and squibs. Burns.--Byron, Moore, etc. The present aspect of satirical literature
Publication date: 1854
Company: London: D. Bogue
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