The Works of Henry Hallam. Introduction to The Literature of Europe in the Fifteenth, Sixteenth, and Seventeenth Centuries. Vol.I. only

The Works of Henry Hallam. Introduction to The Literature of Europe in the Fifteenth, Sixteenth, and Seventeenth Centuries. Vol.I. only

Author: Hallam, Henry (9 July 1777 – 21 January 1859)

8vo.(5.5" x 8.5")c1883. Hallam, Henry. London, New York. Ward, Lock & Co. Full brown publishers cloth over beveled boards with large filigree round design centered to upper board, rear in blindstamp only. Spine with gilt series/author towards head, gilt sub-title towards center, gilt publisher's colohon and name at foot. Library stamp towards foot of spine. Top edge gilt, yellow endpapers, bookplate and large library stamp to front pastedown, sticker remnants to first free endpaper, small library stamps to reverse of title page and elsewhere in text. Penciled checkmarks to table of contents. Text in two columns after preface. Head and foot of spine ruffled with small closed tears, head frayed with loss. Appears to be a scholarly work.

From Wiki: Henry Hallam FRS FRSE FSA FRAS (9 July 1777 – 21 January 1859) was an English historian. Educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford, he practised as a barrister on the Oxford circuit for some years before turning to history. His major works were View of the State of Europe during the Middle Ages (1818), The Constitutional History of England (1827), and Introduction to the Literature of Europe, in the Fifteenth, Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries (1837). Although he took no part in politics himself, he was well acquainted with the band of authors and politicians who led the Whig party. In an 1828 review of Constitutional History, Robert Southey claimed that the work was biased in favour of the Whigs.The 4-volume Introduction to the Literature of Europe in the Fifteenth, Sixteenth, and Seventeenth Centuries (1837–1839) continues a topic broached in the View of the Middle Ages. In the first chapter Hallam sketches the state of literature in Europe down to the end of the 14th century: the extinction of ancient learning which followed the fall of the Roman empire and the rise of Christianity; the preservation of the Latin language in the services of the church; and the revival of letters after the 7th century. For the first century and a half of his period he is mainly occupied with a review of classical learning, taking short decennial periods and noticing works which they produced. For the period 1520–1550 there are separate chapters on ancient literature, theology, science, speculative philosophy and jurisprudence, the literature of taste and other miscellaneous literature; and the subdivisions of subjects is carried further in later periods. Thus poetry, the drama and polite literature form the subjects of separate chapters. An author may be mentioned in many chapters: William Shakespeare, Hugo Grotius, Francis Bacon and Thomas Hobbes appear in half a dozen different places. The plan excluded biographical history. It is an account of the books which would make a complete library of the period, arranged according to date of publication and subject. Hallam was a fellow of the Royal Society, and a trustee of the British Museum. In 1830 he received the gold medal for history founded by George IV.