British

Question 1

Seven Books of Histories Against the Pagans (418 CE) was written by?

Answer 1

Paulus Orosius (Born in 380 CE)
He was a fifth-century theologist.
Seven Books of Histories Against the Pagans (418 CE)
He said that 410 CE sack of Rome by Alaric I, King of the Goths (r. 394-410 CE) was not responsible for the Roman adoption of Christianity, which was believed by the Pagans

Question 2

The Ecclesiastical History of the English People was written by?

Answer 2

VENERABLE Bede
A Historian wrote the history of Religion in Britain.
The Ecclesiastical History of the English People (731 CE)
It tells us about the history of the conversion of English people to Christianity. It also mentions the conflict between the pre-Schism Roman Rite and Celtic Christianity

Question 3

King Alfred is known for?

Answer 3

Translated Pastoral Care of St. Gregory J into English. He also wrote the preface where he talks about the transition methods used as well as the intention behind the project.
Pastoral Care was the 6th Century Pope. To provide a manual to Priests. It also talks about the responsibilities of the clergy.
It was brought to England by Augustine of Canterbury in 597 CE
He also translated the first 50 psalms from Latin into English.
He also rendered the Soliloquies of St. Augustine of Hippo, who was a 5th-century theologian. He added materials from Fathers of the Church. It is about the nature of eternal life and the problems related to faith and reason.
His works inspired the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles as well.

Question 4

Versions of Bible

Answer 4

WYCLIFF
He is known to complete the first translations of the Bible which came from 1382 to 1395 CE. It was banned in 1409 because they were associated with the Lollards.
It came before the printing press but its manuscript circulated widely to many people.
WILLIAM TYNDALL
He translated the New Testament into English (1525 CE)
He was a contemporary of Martin Luther. His translation of the Bible was the first one to be printed in English. He also translated the Old Testament. His translations became the basis of the Great Bible
Myles COVERDALE adapted his translations in 1539 CE.
The Great Bible was the first authorised version of Bible issues by the Church of Egland during the reign of King Henry the VIII.
The Church of England also published Bishop’s Bible in 1568.

Question 5

King James Version was published in?

Answer 5

1611
King James Version (KJV) is also known as King James Bible (KJB) or Authorised Version.
The work started in 1604 and finished in 1611 when it published.
It includes 39 books from the Old Testament and 4 books for the Apocrypha and 27 books of the New Testament.

Question 6

Reginald Peacock wrote?

Answer 6

He wrote pedagogical books like The DONET, The Follower to the Donet, and The Rule of CHRISTIAN RELIGION.

Question 7

Utopia has a subtitle as?

Answer 7

Utopia: “A little, true book, both beneficial and enjoyable, about how things should be in the new island Utopia” is a work of fiction and satire about the social and political condition during 16th century England.
It was published in 1516.
It depicts a fictional island society having its own social, religious, and political customs. It resembles the life in the ministries.

Question 8

First Book of Utopia is about?

Answer 8

The first book is called DIALOGUE of COUNSEL and it talks about the kind of ALPHABETS and POETRY in UTOPIA. It also talks about some of the issues that Europe had including the TENDENCIES of KINGS to announce WARS and getting ECONOMICALLY WEAK as a country because of that. He says that the thieves shouldn’t be executed for their crimes as they might kill people to remove witnesses.

Question 9

Second Book of Utopia is about?

Answer 9

Book 2: Discourse of Utopia
The founder King Utopos DUG the CHANNEL so that no one can come from the mainland. It has 54 cities and 6000 households with 10 to 15 people. There is NO PRIVATE PROPERTY on the island. AGRICULTURE is the main occupation. Men and women do the SAME work. Everyone has to learn essential trades like CARPENTRY, MASONRY etc. Every house will have SLAVES. It will be a welfare state with free hospitals.

Question 10

About Novum Organum?

Answer 10

The title was inspired by Aristotle’s Organon which was about logic and syllogism.
The first part is called “On the Interpretation of Nature and the Empire of Man”
The second part is called “On the Interpretation of Nature, or the Reign of Man”
He says that the minister and interpreted of nature that knowledge and human power are synonymous. Man can only apply or withdraw natural bodies, nature internally performs the rest. Nature can only be commanded by obeying her. We have to obtain knowledge and power over nature for that. He talks about a new system of logic.

Question 11

About Advancement of Learning?

Answer 11

Of Proficience and Advancement of Learning DIVINE and HUMAN was published in 1605, and is written in the form of a LETTER to KING JAMES.
In this book, Bacon gives his philosophical and religious argument for advancing learning. In the second book, he analyses the state of science and explains what should be done in a better way for advancement. he divides human understanding into three parts: HISTORY, related to man’s faculty of MEMORY; POETRY, related to man’s faculty of IMAGINATION; and PHILOSOPHY, about man’s faculty of REASON. He also mentions the aspects with which each aspect can relate itself to the DIVINE, HUMAN and NATURAL. All these can be used to deduce different sciences.
He also divides History into
1. Divine history/History of religion
2. Human or Political history
3. Natural History
Poetry is divided into Narrative, Dramatic, and divine.
Philosophy is also divided into divine, natural and human.

Question 12

Bacon’s Essays (1597) full name?

Answer 12

Essayes. RELIGIOUS MEDITATIONS. PLACES of Perswasion and Disswasion. Seene and Allowed.
There were ten essays in the first volume.
The second edition appeared in 1612 with 38 essays with the title
Another one called Essayes or Counsels, Civill and Morall, was published in 1625 with 58 essays.

Question 13

Summary of Of Studies?

Answer 13

In this essay, Bacon talks about the importance of Studies and the role it plays in an individuals life. It is related to the best application of knowledge in practical life.
There are three purposes of study
Studying for gaining delight
Studying for ornamenting one’s life
And studying to improve one’s ability
He says that those who are learned and well-read can execute all the plans and properly manage their daily routine to live a healthy life. It is reading which makes a complete man who is a ready and exact man by conference and writing respectively.
He also gives the negative aspect of studying too much which can lead to human beings being lazy.

Question 14

Summary Of Truth?

Answer 14

In this essay, he talks about truth and lies.
He believes that people do not care about the truth in general. He talks about Pilate who was the governor of the Roman Empire. He, while conducting a session with Christ says, “what is the truth? Said Jesting Pilate, and would not stay for an answer.”
He also gives some reasons why people do not like the truth
1. Truth is difficult to acquire without hard work and people do not want to do that.
2. It shows the real self like a bright day. It is like a pearl that can be seen with the naked eye.
3. People lie to hide their reality and their personality.
4. The mixture of truth and lies make things more interesting.
5. It pleases everyone and if people start saying the truth it will end up in the society becoming lazy. He also talks about Christian morality at the end.

Question 15

Summary Of Revenge?

Answer 15

He talks about two kinds of revenge
Private revenge which he calls to be wild justice
And Public revenge which for him is fortunate on the foremost part.
He talks about the animalistic nature of revenge as it is against human nature which should be forgiving and compassionate to other human beings.
Avenging something is against the law as the primary wrong is always ignored by the law.
A mentor is the one who ignores the wrongs done to him as he always looks to the present and the future and not the past which cannot be changed.
It is only the sadists who would feel pleasure or honour in avenging someone. You cannot hate someone because they love themselves. Those who are bad are only like “thorns and briars which will only cut and scratch”. You should forgive them, and advance in life. We should be commended to forgive friends and as Job says ‘we are satisfied and happy to require all goods from God than why we aren’t happy to require all evil’? It is for God to consider them as evils and you should not avenge them.
A public act of revenge, on the other hand, creates examples for all to follow.

Question 16

Summary Of Marriage and Single Life?

Answer 16

In this essay, Bacon compares married life and single life and their merits and demerits.
He starts by saying:
“He that hath wife and children hath given hostages to fortunes”.
He believes that marriage makes things difficult and you cannot create a fortune after marriage. He says that most of the great things that happened to the world have been done by those who were unmarried or without any children. These unmarried people gave more importance to society than their own families.
On the other hand, married people care more about their family and worry about the financial situation by trying to make both ends meet. They try to give a comfortable life to their families.
Then there are those bachelors who care more about themselves even though they are alone.
Some married people consider their families to be expenses and not human beings. Then some greedy people believe in not having any children to save money.
Those who are single are free to do anything. Those who feel suffocated and want to lead a life to please themselves or with less seriousness should remain single.
He says: “Unmarried men are best friends, best masters, best servants; but not always best subjects”.
Those who marry are loyal as best friends as they know how to be loyal to their family. They are also great masters as they have done that to their families. But they are not good subjects as they don’t have any major subjects except for their family.
Bachelors are more charitable as they don’t have any expenses. The Generals create a negative image of marriage in front of the soldiers.
He says that married people with wives and children are kinder and softer and those who are single are cruel and hard-hearted.
Chaste women are often proud and forward and grave natured Husbands are most loving. A good wife is a combination of chastity and obedience. He says: “Wives are young men’s mistresses; companions for middle age; and old men’s nurses”
Bad husbands have very good wives. They are proud of their patience with their husbands. This husband would choose bad wives for themselves if they are given a choice as they will be similar to them in nature.

Question 17

Summary Of Regimen of Truth?

Answer 17

In this essay, he first starts with the section called The Wheel of Urine.
He says that a man should follow his observations to find out what is good for his health. All the rules are there to guide you, but you need to understands how things affect you individually. The strength that we have during our youth fades away due to the excesses we do. So we need to think about not doing those things as we cannot avoid being old. Especially after you turn fifty.
We need to examine our diet, sleep and exercise and discontinue anything that is not good for our health. However, if you are not comfortable with the change then go back to what you did earlier. We should consider things that are good for you rather than for everyone else.
He doesn’t want people to go back to smoking, but about things like food habits.
He advises people to take their urine sample to a physician to analyse your health.
He has a list of do’s and doesn’t
Do’s
Entertain hopes, mirth rather than joy, variety of delights, rather than surfeit of them; wonder and admiration, and therefore novelties; studies that fill the mind with splendid and illustrious objects, as histories, fables, and contemplations of nature.”
We should not seek joy but hopes and be balanced to mix sadness and happiness.
Don’t
We need to avoid being envious of anyone. We should not be anxious or fearful either.
He advises following some diet in certain seasons. As they are good for the health and doesn’t trouble us a lot.
Don’t use your physic too much as it is like a machine. Moderate your diet first. Don’t ignore the moles in the back. Fasting is not good for you. Chose the right doctor for yourself. As bad doctors don’t respect the condition of the patient.

Question 18

History of the World is written by?

Answer 18

Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618)
He was a poet, scholar and adventurer. He wrote his works in prison. His most important work is Discovery of Guiana
History of the World (1614) first edition.
There were Five Books.
The First, Intreating of the Beginning and First Ages of the Same, from the Creation Unto Abraham.
The Second, of the Times from the Birth of Abraham to the Destruction of the Temple of Solomon.
The Third, from the Destruction of Jerusalem to the Time of Philip of Macedon.
The Fourth, from the Reign of Philip of Macedon to the Establishing of that Kingdom in the Race of Macedon, to the Establishing of that Kingdom in the Race of Antigonus. Fra
The Fifth, from the Settled Rule of Alexander’s Successors in the East, Until the Romans (prevailing Over All) Made Conquest of Asia and Macedon

Question 19

John Fox has written?

Answer 19

Book of Martyrs

He came back to England to write his Book of Martyrs which was named Act and Monuments earlier.

Question 20

Who translated De Soto’s Travels in America.?

Answer 20

Richard Haklyut

Question 21

Books by Samuel Purchas?

Answer 21

He wrote ‘Purchas his Pilgrimage’, which Appeared in 1613.
His Purchas’s Pilgrimage came in 1625.
It mentions Cublai Can and his place at Xanadu. It is the place most known for marbles and stones with meadows, springs and rivers.
This work was an inspiration for Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem Kubla Khan.
inshed

Question 22

Who translated Plutarch’s Parallel Livers?

Answer 22

Thomas North

Question 23

Summary Of Reformation Touching Church Discipline in England?

Answer 23

Of Reformation Touching Church Discipline in England is a pamphlet published in 1641.
He uses the body as a metaphor to understand religion.
He believed that reformation is necessary for the structuring of the body to something perfect. The Gospel was refined to such a spiritual height and temper of purity, and knowledge of the creator that the body became purified by the affections of the regenerated soul. The purity created a direct connection between the soul and spiritual truth. There should not be any mediator such as church or liturgy, otherwise, the connection will be hampered.
We cannot comprehend the existence of God. Although he has a shape he is without a body. It will be corrupt to imagine any physical form for God. Reformation aims to remove such physical perceptions of God. It is the scriptures that make us understand the truth and not the liturgy. The Church fathers ridiculously wrestle with the scriptures.
He gives more emphasis on republicanism in government. The government shouldn’t be centralized but should partake in several virtues of each state.
In Book II, Milton discusses “Tale of the Wen”
He discusses the relationship between the body with its other aspects. The philosopher thinks of Wen to be a parasite in the story. Milton believes the same about the church government especially the Bishops who are interfering with the body.

Question 24

Areopagitica summary

Answer 24

Areopagitica: A Speech of Mr John Miton for the Liberty of Unlicensed Printing, to the Parlament of England.
It was published in 1644 as a prose polemic.
He opposes any kind of licensing and censorship in the work.
It was published when there was a civil war in the country.
The title is inspired from Areopagitikos (Greek: Ἀρεοπαγιτικός) which is a speech written by Greek orator Isocrates in the 4th century BCE. It is the name of a hill in Athens, which was used for tribunals. It was also the name of the council Isocrates hoped to restore.
Milton didn’t want to give a speech but write a pamphlet instead for the parliament. This act defied the prohibition of publication he argued against.
He argued against Parliament’s 1643 Ordinance for the Regulating of Printing, also known as the Licensing Order of 1643, in which Parliament wanted the authors to have a license approved by the government before their work could be published.
It was personal work for Milton as he was stopped from publishing his arguments in favour of divorce called, The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce published in 1643 as he was condemned by the Puritans.
He starts with defending the writing of the work itself. He praises England for removing Charles I, but also believes that people should be free to talk about their complaints to the parliament as it is a matter of civil liberty. For him, constructive criticism should always be welcomes instead of false flattery.
The parliament should obey the voice of reason and should be willing to repeal any Act for the sake of truth and upright judgment.
In the first section called Origins of Licensing System, he talks about Ancient Greece and Rome which didn’t have any licensing. Although they used to punish blasphemous writers and their books were burnt, it always happened after the publication and not before it. Work should be examined and condemned and not prohibited. It was the Catholics who introduced licensing. He said that because the parliament was dominated by the Protestants.
In the second section named Use of Books and reading, he discusses the purpose of reading. He emphasises the fact that it is necessary to publish all kinds of books for being learned.
God has given everyone reason, free will and conscience to judge whether an idea should be accepted or rejected. Hence, it should be left to the mind of the reader rather than the act of licensing.
The third section is named Usefulness of licensing order. In this section, he says that the licensing order won’t be able to stop scandalous, seditious works. As even the Bible was historically limited to readers for describing blasphemy and wickedness of people. Those who want to read the works will read it anyhow. It won’t stop any kind of social corruption. It will take a lot of time for licensing, which is impractical.
The last section is named Harmfulness of Licensing order. Here, he talks about how licensing is “a dishonour and derogation to the author, to the book, to the privilege and dignity of Learning”. Many writers will have good intentions but will be censored by the subjective judgement of the licensor. England should be open to truth and not monopolised by the government’s prejudice. There is more truth than we know till now. Licensing is a hindrance to God’s plans as it gives the licenser the power to silence anyone.
In the end, he argues that Status Quo works the best. Therefore, he not a libertarian. There has to be the printers name on the book. However, he wants the works that are blasphemous to be burnt.

Question 25

Religio Medici is written by?

Answer 25

Thomas Browne
His first work Religio Medici (The Religion of a Physician) was published in 1643 after the removal of certain passages which could have created controversy. He circulated the manuscript among many of his friends before its publication.
He also published an encyclopaedia named Psudoxia Epidemica, or Enquiries into Very many Received Tenets and commonly Presumed Truths. It is about false beliefs.

Question 26

Summary of Hydriotaphia?

Answer 26

Thomas Browne
Hydriotaphia, Urn Burial or Hydriotaphia, Urn Burial, or a Brief Discourse of the Sepulchral Urns lately found in Norfolk (1658)
It is about some Bronze age burials which were discovered in earthenware vessels found in Norfolk. It ended up becoming a literary meditation upon death and the funeral customs across the world.
It is dedicated to two friends, who were members of the East Anglian gentry.

Question 27

John Evelyn is known for?

Answer 27

Diary writing
He wrote his diary or memoir which started from his adult life from 1640 onwards, the time when he was a student till the time he died in 1706.
He didn’t write in his diary every day. His life gave an insight into the time during which he lived. It was written when there were no newspapers or magazines which could record the happenings of the time and place. Therefore, his work became important for many historians. It talks about art, culture and politics of the period which includes the execution of Charles I and the rise of Oliver Cromwell which ended in his death. He also covers the last plague and the Great Fire of London in 1966.

Question 28

Summary of Samuel Pepys’s Diary?

Answer 28

It is called The Diary of Samuel Pepys. (1825)
It was John Smith who did the hard work from 1819 to 1822 to finally publish the diary in two volumes in 1825. It was edited by Lord Braybrooke.
He became Chief Secretary to the Admiralty under Charles II as well as James II due to his hard work and patronage. His work became a reason for the professionalism of the navy.
The diary is the most important source of history of the Restoration period. It gives an eyewitness account of many important events such as the Great Plague of London, the Second Dutch War and the Great Fire of London.
He began writing his Dairy on the first of January, 1660 he recorded everything that happened in his life till ten years. It is more than a million words long. He also wrote about theatre and the court of his time. He also wrote about private matters such as his affair with many actresses. He wrote about his home and many socio-political events.

Question 29

Jeremy Collier is known for?

Answer 29

He wrote Short View of the Immorality and Profaneness of the English Stage (1698)
He attacked comedies that were popular during his time that included much Comedy of Manners and Sentimental Comedies. According to him, these works undermined public morality as they depicted the vices of the characters in a sympathetic way. His work was considered antitheatrical. He attacked William Wycherley, John Dryden, William Congreve and John Vanbrugh with his work. He believes that the plays of his time didn’t end with poetic justice. As the wicked characters were not punished enough and were victorious many times.

Question 30

About Spectator?

Answer 30

It was founded by Richard Steele and Joseph Addsion
It was a literary magazine that lasted from 1st March 1711 to 1712.
Each paper was 2500 words long and had 555 issues. They were collected in seven volumes. Later in 1714, It appeared thrice a week for six months. These issues were not connected to Steele. These were collected for its eighth volume.
Mr Spectator. As Steele states in The Spectator will aim “to enliven morality with wit, and to temper wit with morality”.
It became a part of every middle-class home read by thousands of people. It also wanted to increase the number of women to have an elevated life and conversation.

Question 31

What was the first journal by Richard Steele?

Answer 31

His first Journal was the Tatler which came in 1709. It appeared thrice a week on alternate days from Tuesday. He wrote in the journal using the pseudonym Isaac Bickerstaff and gave him a well-rounded character. He wanted to expose false arts of life to remove the disguise of cunning, vanity and affectation and to recommend simplicity of dress and behaviour.
He wrote the majority of essays in the journal which was also co-founded by Joseph Addison. He wrote 188 essays and Addison wrote 42 of the total 188 essays. 36 were written by both of them. It closed down as it was a Whig publication and was under attack by the Tori groups.

Question 32

About The Guardian?

Answer 32

The Guardian in 1713.
It was a short-lived newspaper which was published in London from 12th March to 1st October 1713.
It had essays by Joseph Addison, Thomas Tickell, Alexander Pope and Ambrose Philips
The Gentleman’s Magazine was a sequel to The Guardian by Richard Steele.

Question 33

About Coverley Papers

Answer 33

Addison is known for creating the character of Sir Roger de Coverley by combining his imagination with the real events that happened in the clubs during Addison’s life.
The third contributor of Coverley papers apart from Addison and Steele is Eustace Budgell who was born in 1685. All of them studied in Oxford together.
In his word, characters like him ‘represent considerable classes or sections of the community, and are, as a rule, men of strongly marked, opinions, prejudices and foibles, which furnish inexhaustible matter of comment to the Spectator himself, who delivers the judgments of reason and common-sense.

Question 34

Summary of Coverley Papers

Answer 34

Sir Roger de Coverley was a simple man with a high sense of honour and represented a country gentleman with his old-world reminiscences. He only conversed with people of his class or those who depended on him. His nature didn’t change much after falling in love many times.
As Steele mentions as the character is introduced in the chapter “Of the Club” he gained a lot of praise for explaining a passage in the Game Act.
Addison tries to teach moral lessons with each chapter and satirically depicts the people in the club. He was a whig who found food for mirth in Tory squire. He is now fifty-six years old and cheerful, gay and hearty; he is more beloved than esteemed because of his mirthful character.
Steele also introduces other characters of the Spectator Club,
A bachelor who is a member of the Inner Temple, who is well-read and can understand Aristotle and Longinus in a much better way.
Sir Andrew Freeport is a merchant of great eminence in London. He has a great notion about trade are noble and generous. He doesn’t believe in the dominance of other countries by using arms but by art and industry.
Another gentleman is Captain Sentry who has great courage and understanding but is modest. He has left the world of merit and is not a courtier or a soldier.
In the next chapter named Sir Roger at Home, Addison writes about receiving an invitation from him. He writes that Sir Roger is something of a humourist which distinguishes him from other men.
In the following chapters, we are introduced to his family, his ancestors, when he goes to church and his disappointment from love.
He has a great relationship with his servants and they are faithful to him. Although he talks to them all the time, he never gives anything that is used by him to them. He believes that they will think of him as a landlord if he gives them things.
He is a symbol of reason as he tells his clergymen to stay in the haunted house as his servants believed that the place has ghosts. He proves that there is no ghost in the house.
Eighteenth-century was filled with people who were pompous and borrowed money to show that they are rich. He believes that people who don’t have money should spend it accordingly and not feel any shame in being poor.
Country people go to London and behave like Londoners and fail to do so. They lose their simplicity and honesty.

Question 35

Modest Proposal Summary

Answer 35

Jonathan Swift
A Modest Proposal
For preventing the children of poor people from being a Burthen to Their Parents or Country, and For making them Beneficial to the Publick.
It is a satirical essay that was written and circulated anonymously in 1729.
It suggests that the poor Irish people can help their financial condition by selling their children as food to rich people. The narrator himself belongs to the aristocracy of Ireland and Swift uses irony to good effect in writing this essay. It uses hyperbole as a tool to mock the heartlessness of the authorities and the aristocrats towards the poor. He also targets the apathy of the British, as they make policies that favour the rich and not the Irish common citizens.

Question 36

What does Analogy criticise?

Answer 36

Samuel Butler
Analogy (1736)
It criticises John Locke’s theory of personal identity, which makes someone the same person from one time to another. Although there are physical and psychological changes that happen due to old age. He says that Personal identity is related to having the same consciousness and memory and not the same body or soul.

Question 37

About Dictionary by Samuel Johnson?

Answer 37

Dictionary of the English Language (1755)
He got 1500 guineas for writing this dictionary by a group of London booksellers. He took seven years to complete it. He didn’t take the help of anyone.

Question 38

Who wrote Idler?

Answer 38

The Idler was a series of essays published in a London weekly named Universal Chronicle between 1758 to 1760 CE.
It has 103 essays of which 91 were written by Samuel Johnson

Question 39

What was Rambler?

Answer 39

The Rambler was a series of short papers by Samuel Johnson.
It was published on Tuesday and Saturday from 1750 to 1752 CE and it had 208 articles. 
It had topics such as morality, literature, society, politics and religion. The readers were mostly from the middle class who were growing faster during the period. It focuses more on moral issues.

Question 40

Who wrote the Biography of Samuel Johnson?

Answer 40

James Boswell (1740-1795)
He was a Scottish biographer, diarist and lawyer
He was born in Edinburgh.
He wrote the Biography of his friend Samuel Johnson.
It is considered to be the greatest biography in the English language by many critics.

Question 41

The History of England (Sometimes referred to as The History of Great Britain was written by?

Answer 41

David Hume
It began “from the invasion of Julius Caesar to the Revolution of 1688” and went through over 100 editions. It was considered to be the standard history of England in 17th century.

Question 42

Other books by David Hume?

Answer 42

The Natural History of Religion, included in “Four Dissertations” (1757)
Sister Peg (1760) Hume claimed to have authored an anonymous political pamphlet. It satirizes the British Parliament due to whose failure Scottish militia was created in 1760.
My Own Life(1776)
It was written just before his death. It included new Essays and Treatises on different subjects.
It was published by Adam Smith. He was attacked for publishing the work.
Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion (1779) was published by his nephew named David Hume the Younger. It is a discussion between three fictional characters on the nature of God. Hume’s views were the most sceptical among the three.

Question 43

The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire was written by?

Answer 43

Edward Gibbon (1737-1794)
He was a historian and a member of parliament.
The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire was published in six volumes between 1776 and 1788
It criticised organized religion in its polemical criticism using irony. It uses strong words and the arguments are substantiated by using primary sources.

Question 44

Edmund Burke is known for?

Answer 44

Edmund Burke (1729 – 1797)
He was an Anglo-Irish politician and philosopher
He was born in Dublin and served as a Member of Parliament between 1766 and 1794 in the House of Commons with the Whig party when he moved to London in 1750.
A Vindication of Natural Society(1756)

Question 45

Summary of Vindication of Natural Society?

Answer 45

In this work, he criticises the British for their treatment of the American colonies.
He also wrote against their taxation in On American Taxation(1774) He also supported the rights of the colonies as they wanted to resist the authorities. However, he was not in favour of their independence. He supported Catholic emancipation and was against French Revolution. He is known for his support for the impeachment of Warren Hastings from East India Company as he supported the French Revolution.

Question 46

What does Edmund Burke wrote about in Reflections on the Revolution of France?

Answer 46

He expresses his views against the French revolution in his work Reflections on the Revolution of France (1790). According to him, it hampered the fabric of good society and institutions which are traditionally prevalent for a long time. They also persecuted the Catholic church. He became an important conservative figure in the Whig party.

Question 47

Which book by Burke talks about Aestheticism in England?

Answer 47

He also wrote A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of Sublime and Beautiful (1757)
It discusses the history of Aestheticism in England. It tried to separate what is sublime from what is considered to be beautiful.

Question 48

Who is known for Letter writing?

Answer 48

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (1689 – 1762) was an English aristocrat, letter writer, and poet.
She is remembered for her letters, particularly her letters from travels to the Ottoman Empire, as wife to the British ambassador to Turkey.
It is a secular work by a woman about the Muslim Orient as stated by Billie Melman.
It is the first kind of such work.
She is also known for advocating smallpox inoculation to Britain after she came back from Turkey.

Question 49

Summary of Public Opinion?

Answer 49

William Hazlitt (1778-1830)
In this essay, Hazlitt discusses the tendency of people to distance themselves when someone becomes a topic of controversy in the country. He says that gossips are represented as truth in society. People only accept information that is true to their own beliefs and doesn’t accept information that they don’t agree with although it is true. The public is also motivated and silenced due to their fear. Once rumours spread they cannot be controlled. He feels sad that his friends only remain loyal till the time their reputation is not in danger. When someone is dragged into a rumour, even his friends leave him. He blames the entire population for spreading misinformation. He also targets those who remain silent as it is not natural to allow silence. He finds this kind of environment illogical. He portrays his time to be unnatural and immoral. He wants the readers to question the definition of human nature and morality.

Question 50

Summary of On Reading Old Books?

Answer 50

He starts his essay by saying that he hates reading new books.
He talks about the importance of older writers. He feels that there is more chance of them writing works that are worth reading. These works are important for the individual growth of people. Although we can disagree with the content, there is more to learn from the formal and stylistic greatness of these works.
Old books can indeed be read as they have been in circulation since they were published till the current time. Hence, they are timeless. Those books that we don’t know about from the past are not good enough. He feels a sense of calmness in opening an old volume.
He feels that the “dust and smoke and noise of modern literature have nothing in common with the pure, silent ait of immortality.”
He didn’t say that there are no new books that are good, or old books that can’t be bad. But a large number of books have been published and it is a herculean task to select good ones from the chaff.
The books that we read form our personalities for our whole life. Hence, it is important to select the right works. They develop us as individuals like learning a bike or the first day at school. They don’t provide empty enjoyment. They are a huge part of our memories and constitute our very selves.
The first novel that we read, does not just give us the pleasure of imagination, but also the pleasure of memory. Re-reding such a book resembles dream-like time travel. We can be in between past and present by reading such a book again.
An old sage, who was not a wise man, wanted to be young again only if he could take back his experience with him. Hazlitt feels it is a mistake to introduce youth to adulthood or vice versa as the advantage of being young is to have no burden of experience over our shoulders.
However, reading an old book reminds us of what it was like when we did not experience enough. A good book is both an aesthetic masterpiece and good for thought. He remembers getting a copy of Paradise Lost and Reflections on the Revolution in France when he was 20. He felt attracted to the character of Satan.
We should all have a personal canon, although they may vary among us.

Question 51

Summary of On reading New Books?

Answer 51

It was published in The Monthly Magazine in 1827.
He targets those who have a fetish for the novelty of books ignoring their intrinsic quality. He believes that although we get pleasure in reading a new book for the first time. The spirit of enjoyment vanishes after a while when the work is not new. When we understand something thoroughly or execute something skilfully, we no longer feel a lot of pleasure from it.
He says, “No one reads the same book twice over with any satisfaction.”
Although he displays resistance, he also can be found to have the irrational appeal of novelty. Reading a book for a long time by many people makes a work deadened our curiosity and interest. We follow the things that people have already made up their minds for us and we are ready for a new work to read and criticize and pass an opinion on. We could have ideas in other’s heads.
He turns attention to revolutionary thoughts that can become prevalent by the reading of new books. The press can inspire revolution, but there is also a danger of replacing one kind of autocracy with another one.
However, he also says that he has a fear that “from an implicit faith and overstained homage to antiquity, we of the modern school have taken too strong a bias to what is new”
For him, the progress is suspended as the reader focuses more on the future which is immediate of the new work coming from the press. The press makes the work more consumerist and less revolutionary as the readers feel gratification that makes them disregards the past.

Question 52

Who is known for writing about Opium eating in his autobiography?

Answer 52

Thomas De Quincey
He is thought to be a person who had anger issues and didn’t care about people’s feelings. However, he is famous for his prose work. His autobiographical essay named Confession of an English Opium-Eater (1822) has made him a part of English Literary History.
The essay is about his dream of early life. He tells us in the first part named “To the Reader” about how he started taking opium so that he has less pain and anxiety. He could write his essay in both plain and elevated style.
Part 2 has many sections having a brief introduction and a section about his pleasures of Opium. It is about his positive experiences when he started taking opium. It is followed up, introduction to the Pains of Opium and the pains of opium where he suffers issues like insomnia, nightmares and horrific visions. He also had many physical problems due to opium eating.
His Reminiscences of English Lake Poets has chapters about Wordsworth and Coleridge.

Question 53

Essays of Elia was written by?

Answer 53

Charles Lamb (1775-1834)
He was an essayist, who is best known for his prose work named Essays of Elia.
It was published in 1823 in the booking form with a second volume named Last Essays of Elia, issued in 1833.
It first appeared in The London Magazine from 1820 to 1825.
He is the Elia of the essay. It is a character he acquired to reflect on his memories of childhood and youth.
He used the pseudonym Elia when he wrote essays on the South Sea House.

Question 54

Summary of Dream Children?

Answer 54

Dream-Children: A Reverie
It is one of the essays in Essays of Elia published in 1822.
In this essay, the writer imagines telling tales from his past to the little one’s name Alice and John. These stories belonged to their great-grandmother Field and her home. It also tells them about his courtship which was a rollercoaster ride between hope and despair.
Although Lamb was a bachelor throughout his life, he wanted to lead a family life. He imagined this situation of telling these stories to his children.
Alice is a name that was important in the life of Elgar. As his wife and friend both were named Alice.

Question 55

Summary of Essay on South Sea-Bank?

Answer 55

It was the first essay he wrote with the pseudonym Elia. The actual event when the bank was found to be fraudulent occurred in 1720 and Lamb was born in 1775. He fictionalizes the event by placing himself there and using his past as a banker in a bank to give the work an air of realism.
Elia describes the former house of trades having its portico and map of Panama in it. It was a building named South-Sea house. He explained that he worked there for forty years. There is a lot of dust on the building now. He also talks about his prosperity in England due to the bank job and the job at India House. It is a monument of scams and the origin of finances. It also had a library and various employees working in the bank at South-Sea.
Most of them were bachelors as the payment was not much. They were a bunch of odd fishes which alluded to Noah’ Ark. Evans worked as a cashier. He always feared that accounts would default.
Thomas Tame worked under Evans. He was like a nobleman with a dull mind. John Tipp gave accounting a lot of importance. Henry Man was the author of the bank who gave people a hard time.
He ends up by saying that it is possible that the way South-sea bank was a hoax, this story and its characters can also be a hoax.

Question 56

Summary of The Convalescent?

Answer 56

The Convalescent
It is about his sickness and how he recovered from that. He suffered from fever and the narrative is written by a sick man, a sick man has a much narrower are of thinking as the only concern for the person is to become healthy. Earlier he was worried about his friend in a lawsuit. But now he is indifferent to the decision. He has heard that his friend has lost the case, but he is forgetful of that because he just wants to be well.
A sick man cannot sympathise with anyone but himself. It is like a dream where the bed is the throne and he is the king and respected as one as well. He is dethroned when he recovers. He doesn’t sigh and has no pain. The relic of the sick man’s dream survives when he is visited by the doctor, but the doctor’s attitude towards a sick man changes after his recovery.
In the end, he refers to a letter from the editor of a magazine who wanted him to send an article or a periodical. He reveals that after his sickness he has become leaner.

Question 57

Summary of Poor Relations?

Answer 57

In this story, Lamb as Elia depicts the issues of family members due to their poverty. The eldest son gets all the money and others have to lead a life of depravity. The writer uses the voice of Elia, who is a rich heir to poke fun at poor relatives who have come for the dinner. They are ashamed because of their financial status. They are made to feel insignificant by Elia. They are not sure if they deserve to be there. However, they have no choice as they don’t have the money to afford such a meal. The rich have to share their meal with their poor friends out of courtesy.
The poor relatives first reject food as they can’t be upfront about their hunger, but end up eating the biggest slice. These relatives also share their most embarrassing memories.
Elia also talks about female relatives for even it is difficult to hide their issues and bad clothing. They feel too conscious about their appearance as they have to wear damaged clothes. A friend had to leave education to enter his father’s business. His life is sad and he suffered a fall in life.
In the end, it shows these people who are not in a good financial position in a sympathetic light. He remembers a poor uncle being insulted by his rich sister because of his poverty. He left a lot of money for his funeral but never owed anything to anyone in his life.

Question 58

Summary of Imperfect Sympathies?

Answer 58

The essay starts with a quote by Browne where he says that he has sympathies with everyone and everything. He is not touched with narrow prejudices and has no prejudice against French, Italian or Spaniards
Lamb calls out Browne’s statement to be mounted upon the airy stilts of abstraction. It is an abstract idea to think sympathetically for everyone as in real life we do have friends and enemies both. It is quite natural to feel the differences of mankind as we belong to different nationalities. He can be a friend of a worthy man but he cannot like everyone alike. He cannot like Scotchmen for instance although he tried to. He feels they don’t think in the right way. They are dogmatic and have no idea about humour or irony. Although he feels tenderness towards the blacks and they are mostly benign to him, he would not like to associate with them or share his meals with them.
About Jews, he says that, although he has no disrespect for the Jews, he doesn’t want to have any intercourse with them. He has many such old prejudices. He won’t like to see a church and a synagogue together in one place. He believes that the Jews only want money.
In the end, he believes that we should respect a worthy man, but cannot respect every worthy man. He would only like to associate with people who are most like him.

Question 59

Darwin wrote which book?

Answer 59

On the Origin of Species (or, more completely, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life), published on 24 November 1859
It is a scientific work that is thought to be the first one to propagate evolutionary biology. It introduced a theory that the populations evolve throughout the period using the process of natural selection.
His work became the most prominent text of the Victorian period as it sowed the seeds of doubt in the minds of the intellectual. Before this work, most of the world believed that the population has evolved due to a heavenly figure. They imagined an image of that heavenly figure according to the religion they believed in. However, after this work by Darwin, there was a lot of questions asked about the origin of human beings.

Question 60

Summary of Sartor Restarts?

Answer 60

In this book, Carlyle wrote about his early years of struggle and doubt which he considers to be his dark ages. He wandered in the “howling wilderness of infidelity” during these years. He got back his belief in God later in life. There was a moment of mystical illumination which he calls spiritual new birth, which brought back his faith and courage.

Question 61

Other works by Carlyle

Answer 61

His other works are French Revolution (1837); his lectures on Heroes and Hero-Worship; Past and Present (1843); the Letters and Speeches of Oliver Cromwell (1845); Latter-day Pamphlets (1850); the Life of John Sterling (1851); the History of Frederick the Great (1858-65).

Question 62

Sumamry of Hero as a Poet?

Answer 62

Hero as a Poet (1840)
He gave this lecture on May 12th, 1840 in a series of lectures called Heroes.
He believes progress is inevitable, but the passage of time doesn’t mean progress. It is only when people with heroic temperaments come in front and lead the masses that true progress comes to society.
In this lecture, he discusses the lives of Dante and Shakespeare. Earlier he said that the production of older ages should not be repeated in the new. Divinity and Prophet as heroes won’t happen again. Mankind cannot stoop to such a low level after so much advancement.
“if we do not now reckon a Great Man divine, it is that our notions of God, of the supreme unattainable Fountain of Splendour, Wisdom, and Heroism, are ever-rising higher….”
But we can consider poets to be poet-heroes. A hero can be Poet, Prophet, King-Priest
In the kind of world, he finds himself born into. He confesses that he has no notion of what a truly great man is. A poet who only sits down to make a stanza cannot make it worth much. He cannot sing the heroic warriors unless he is a warrior. In him, he fancies, there will be a Politician, the thinker, legislator, Philosopher or all of these together.
He chooses Dante and Shakespeare because they had a great life and not just because they wrote good poetry. It is only because they had such a life, they could write great poetry. They could fulfil many roles in life. They were like Goethe in their aptitude, which is quite necessary for being a great poet.
He like Dante because he could grow beyond his limitations to write his work. He was born in an upper-class family and was drugged down by the politics of Florence. He was a bright light in the darkness of the age. His greatness is even bigger because of the dark ages in which he wrote. He was sincere in his writing, which makes a mark of greatness.
As for Shakespeare, he has given us the Practice of body. Dante has given us the Faith or soul. Shakespeare worked when Renaissance was happening. He had the advantage over Dante in this aspect. He doesn’t agree with Macaulay when he says it is easy to write in the dark age than in a civilised age. Shakespeare wrote in an age that was different from Dante, it was more civilised. Shakespeare could have done much in terms of politics and public leadership as it can be seen by reading his works. He believes in the end, that Shakespeare was greater than Dante as he ‘fought truly and did conquer.”

Question 63

John Ruskin wrote?

Answer 63

His work Modern Painters 1843-1860) was published in five volumes to vindicate Turner as a great artist. For him, beauty and religion could not be separated. He tried to prove that all great art is praise. He also studied social ethics. It is an architecture that showed how healthy the nation is, more than anything else.
The Seven Lamps of Architecture (1849) and The Stones of Venice (1851-53)
He said that the best type of architecture can be produced by morally superior ages.
Unto This Last: Four Essays on the First Principles of Political Economy (serialised Cornhill Magazine 1860, book 1862) (Works 17)
He attacked the system of political economy during that period and protested against unrestricted competition and the law of ‘Devil-take-the-hindmost’.
He wrote his autobiography named Praterita.

Question 64

Matthew Arnold Books?

Answer 64

On Translating Homer (1861), The Study of Celtic Literature (1867), Essays in Criticism (1865 and 1888) and
In Culture and Anarchy (1869)

Question 65

Summary of Culture and Anarchy?

Answer 65

“He said that culture is the minister of the sweetness and light essential to the perfect character”
He targeted philistines, who are the middle class which has no interest in intellectualism. It is due to the growth of capitalism that such people have increased. People believe more in money than in religion or intellect. He wanted to remove dogmas related to Christianity to preserve the true spirit and to relate it to what was happening in science and progressive liberal thoughts. He wanted to bring certain fundamental principles of cultured and intellectual life to the countrymen.

Question 66

Which work talks about Aestheticism?

Answer 66

Walter Pater (1839-1894)
He was an essayist, literary critic and writer
Marius the Epicurean (1885) In this work he elaborates on his ideals of aesthetics and religious life in the form of Philosophical romance. It is set in Rome during the time of Marcus Aurelius. It is however shows the late 19th-century spiritual development of its main characters.
Imaginary Portraits (1887) is short philosophical fiction in the same mode.
Appreciations (1889) is a critical essay about English subjects. In Plato and Platonism which came in 1893, he talks about Plato and his extreme views about literature which neglected the logic and dialectics of philosophy.

Question 67

Oscar Wilde is known for?

Answer 67

The Soul of Man under Socialism (1891) is an essay in which he expresses his libertarian socialist views which criticises charity. It is about his conversion to anarchism after reading Peter Kropotkin’s writings.
He argues that most people spoil their lives under capitalism by unhealthy and exaggerated altruism. They don’t realise their true talents but waste their time to solve social issues which happen due to capitalism. The caring people give their time entirely to the emancipation of the public and to remove evils of society. Their remedies do not cure poverty in society, but instead, it is prolongated. The proper aim is to reconstruct society so that poverty becomes impossible.