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English Literature Of The 19th Century: Mrs. E. B. Browning Minor Poets Thomas Hood Owen Meredith Historical Literature Of The Early Victorian Period Henry Thomas Buckle Henry Hallam Sir Archibald Alison Henry Hart Milman John Lingard Read More Articles About: English Literature Of The 19th Century |
Sir Archibald Alison( Originally Published Early 1900's ) Sir Archibald Alison (1792-1867) was the son of a clergyman of the same name, whose "Essay on the Principles of Taste" was long admired. The son was educated at the University of Edinburgh, was called to the bar, and was appointed sheriff of Lanarkshire. He was a strong Tory and contributed to "Blackwood's Magazine" on a variety of subjects. After thirty years of preparation he published, from 1839 to 1859, a "History of Europe" from the commencement of the French Revolution to the accession of Napoleon III. It occupied altogether eighteen volumes, yet it proved popular. But the critics condemned it for its turgid and diffuse style, for the clumsy arrangement of the material, and the poor portraiture of characters. The author's partisan prejudices often prevented him from stating cases fairly, yet the work is not so inaccurate as it has sometimes been represented. The real trouble is that it is difficult to read, as both friends and foes of his principles have admitted. |