all the evidence for the prosecution, before the defense began. The Lords retired to their own House to consider the question. The division showed which way the inclination of the tribunal leaned. A majority of near three to one decided in favor of the course for which Hastings contended.

When the court sat again, Mr. Fox, assisted by Mr. Grey, opened the charge respecting Cheyte Sing, and several days were spent in reading papers and hearing witnesses. The next article was that relating to the Princesses of Oude. The conduct of this part of the case was intrusted to Sheridan. The curiosity of the

public to hear him was unbounded. His sparkling and highly finished declamation lasted two days, but the hall was crowded to suffocation during the whole time. It was said that fifty guineas had been paid for a single ticket.

June was now far advanced. The session could not last much longer, and the progress which had been made in the impeachment was not very satisfactory. There were twenty charges. On two only of these had even the case for the prosecution been heard, and it was now a year since Hastings had been admitted to bail.

The interest taken by the public in the trial was great when the court began to sit, and rose to the height when Sheridan spoke on the charge relating to the Begums. From that time the excitement went down fast. The spectacle had lost the attraction of novelty. The great displays of rhetoric were over.

WRITTEN EXERCISES

Write a biographical sketch of the following authors, one or more selections from whose works we have read:

1. JOHN LOTHROP MOTLEY. 2. CHARLES DICKENS. 3. WILLIAM HICKLING PRESCOTT. 4. JAMES FENIMORE COOPER.

ADDITIONAL PROSE SELECTIONS FOR STUDY

Bulwer's Siege of Granada; Wirt's Blind Preacher; Dickens's Death of Little Paul Dombey (Dombey and Son, chap. xvi.), The Tempest (David Copperfield, chap. lv.), Death of Little Nell (Old Curiosity Shop, chaps. lxxi., lxxii.); Motley's Abdication of Charles V. (Dutch Republic, vol. i.), Sir Philip Sidney (United Netherlands, vols. i. and ii.), Battle of Ivry (Netherlands, vol. iii.); Prescott's Battle of Lepanto (Philip II.), Last Triumph of the Inca (Conquest of Peru); Bancroft's description of the battle of Bunker Hill; Cooper's Battle between the Ariel and the Alacrity (Pilot).

CHAPTER VI

OUTLINE COURSE OF STUDY IN ENGLISH LITERATURE

"It is better to have a thorough acquaintance with one writer's works, than a superficial knowledge of the writings of many authors."— ARTHUR GILMAN.

"There is a growing conviction that much time is wasted in the class room by attempting to learn about too many authors." —TRUMAN J. BACKUS.

"The number of authors is of very little consequence in comparison with the thoroughness and completeness of the work done." — H. H. MORGAN.

GENERAL PLAN OF STUDY

AFTER the pupil has been drilled by the study of a number of simple prose and poetical selections, and is prepared to enter upon the study of an author in detail, some general plan should be adopted by the teacher in order properly to balance his work. In mapping out a proposed course of study, we submit the following general plan:

I. A course of study based upon the study of the texts of a few representative authors.

II. Collateral study.

III. Manual study.

IV. Essays on general topics.
V. Essays on special topics.
VI. Supplementary reading.

In addition to the preceding seventeen representative authors, the following classic writers may be studied as circumstances may permit. The relative order in which they may be taken up depends in a great measure upon the age and capabilities of the class. It has not been deemed advisable to consider in the book the lives of these authors, nor are any extended selections given, chiefly from lack of space.

There are several reasons why these authors have been chosen as the basis of a systematic course of instruction in English literature.

First, they are American and British classic authors.

Secondly, they represent every period in the history of our literature.

Thirdly, they are the most suitable and profitable for class-room purposes.

The order in which these authors have been arranged is somewhat arbitrary. It is generally admitted that the less difficult standard authors should be studied first. Beginning with Longfellow, Irving, and Whittier, the student is better prepared to appreciate the worth of Burns, Addison, and Goldsmith. Milton and. Shakespeare will remain closed books to him who has not been well drilled in the less difficult authors.

It is not, of course, necessary that the order of our "Representative Authors," or any other particular order, should be rigidly followed. The arrangement in this book is such that the several authors may be taken up in any order that may be deemed best. The all-important point is to have a certain number of centers to work from, certain number of foundation stones to our building, a certain number of pegs on which to hang up our literary work.

The keynote to the whole is :

a

Study systematically the texts of a few standard authors; that is, study authors, what they have written, and not about them.

All the rest of our work should be made subordinate to this.

In connection with the regular work on the representative authors, some time may, now and then, be given to reading certain selections from authors whose writings cannot be studied in detail in the present course. For instance, we cannot afford to devote much time to Dry