in the personality of man" (p. 5); (2) that what we moderns
call Physical Science, Music, and the Novel, all had their origin at
practically the same time, about the middle of the seventeenth century (p. 9);
and (3) "that the increase of personalities thus going on has brought about
such complexities of relation that the older forms of expression
were inadequate to them; and that the resulting necessity
has developed the wonderfully free and elastic form of the modern novel
out of the more rigid Greek drama, through the transition form
of the Elizabethan drama" (p. 10). In fulfilment of his second purpose,
the author gives a detailed study of several of the novels of George Eliot,
whom he takes to be the greatest modern English novelist. Even this
brief synopsis of the book must indicate its broad and stimulating character,
in which respect it is a worthy successor of `The Science of English Verse'.
Despite the limitations induced by failing life, which necessitated
the cutting down of the course of lectures from twenty to twelve,**
I know of few more life-giving books; and I venture to assert
that it cannot safely be overlooked by any careful student of the subject.

--
* Mrs. Lanier informs me that `The English Novel' will soon
be issued in an amended form and with a new sub-title,
`Studies in the Development of Personality', which indicates precisely
what Mr. Lanier intended to attempt, and relieves the book
of its seeming incompleteness as to scope.
** `Spann'.
--

Among other prose works I may mention Lanier's early extravaganza,
`Three Waterfalls'; `Bob', a happy account of a pet mocking-bird,
worthy of being placed beside Dr. Brown's `Rab and his Friends';