A LETTER BOOK

SELECTED WITH AN INTRODUCTION ON THE HISTORY AND ART OF LETTER-WRITING

BY

GEORGE SAINTSBURY

PREFACE

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

THE HISTORY AND ART OF LETTER WRITING

I

ANCIENT HISTORY

II

LETTERS IN ENGLISH—BEFORE 1700

III

THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY

IV

NINETEENTH CENTURY LETTERS. EARLY

V

NINETEENTH CENTURY LETTERS. LATER

VI

SOME SPECIAL KINDS OF LETTER

VII

CONCLUSION

APPENDIX TO INTRODUCTION

I

GREEK LETTERS.—SYNESIUS (c. 375-430)

Letter CVIII. (to his Brother)

Letter CXXIV

LATIN LETTERS.—PLINY (62-114)

Plinius to his Asinius Gallus—Health

LETTER OF THE "DARK" AGES

SIDONIUS APOLLINARIS (431?-482-4)

Book III. Letter III

Sidonius to his Ecdicius—Health

EARLY MEDIAEVAL LETTER (Twelfth Century)

FOOTNOTES:

ENGLISH LETTERS

THE PASTONS. Fifteenth Century

FOOTNOTES:

ROGER ASCHAM (1515-1568)

FOOTNOTES:

LADY MARY SIDNEY (?[81]-1586)

FOOTNOTES:

GEORGE CLIFFORD EARL OF CUMBERLAND (1558-1605)

FOOTNOTES:

JOHN DONNE (1573-1631)

FOOTNOTES:

JAMES HOWELL (1593-1666)

FOOTNOTES:

JOHN EVELYN (1620-1706)

FOOTNOTES:

DOROTHY OSBORNE (1627-1695)

FOOTNOTES:

JONATHAN SWIFT (1667-1745)

FOOTNOTES:

LADY MARY WORTLEY-MONTAGU (1689-1762)

FOOTNOTES:

PHILIP DORMER STANHOPE, EARL OF CHESTERFIELD (1694-1773)

GEORGE BALLARD (1706-1755)

FOOTNOTES:

THOMAS GRAY (1716-1771)

FOOTNOTES:

HORACE WALPOLE (1717-1797)

[AND W. M. THACKERAY].

FOOTNOTES:

TOBIAS GEORGE SMOLLETT (1721-1771)

WILLIAM COWPER (1731-1800)

FOOTNOTES:

SYDNEY SMITH (1771-1845)

FOOTNOTES:

SIR WALTER SCOTT (1771-1832)

SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE (1772-1834)

FOOTNOTES:

ROBERT SOUTHEY (1774-1843)

FOOTNOTES:

CHARLES LAMB (1775-1834)

FOOTNOTES:

GEORGE GORDON, LORD BYRON (1788-1824)

FOOTNOTES:

PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY (1792-1822)

JOHN KEATS (1795-1821)

THE CARLYLES—THOMAS (1795-1881) and JANE WELSH (1801-1866)

FOOTNOTES:

THOMAS BABINGTON MACAULAY (1800-1859)

FOOTNOTES:

THOMAS LOVELL BEDDOES (1803-1849)

ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING (1806-1861)

FOOTNOTES:

EDWARD FITZGERALD (1809-1883)

FOOTNOTES:

FRANCES ANNE KEMBLE (1809-1893)

FOOTNOTES:

WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY (1811-1863)

CHARLES DICKENS (1812-1870)

FOOTNOTES:

CHARLES KINGSLEY (1819-1875)

JOHN RUSKIN (1819-1900)

ROBERT LOUIS BALFOUR STEVENSON (1850-1894)

FOOTNOTES:

A Survey of Eighteenth Century Literature as a Place of Rest and Refreshment

Edited by the late J. W. HALES, M.A. Professor of English Literature, King's College, London

Transcriber's Notes