Originally published in German in 1878, this history of English literature provides an overview of the major writers and movements in English literary history from the Middle Ages to the late Victorian era. The authors pay close attention to the ways in which English literature has reflected the historical and cultural contexts in which it was produced. A classic work of literary scholarship. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.