The Oxford companion to english literature [antikvár]

PREFACE TO THE FOURTH EDITION The main work in preparing this new edition has been to bring the entries for the twentieth century up to date. Many new writers have become established since Harvey first wrote, and a few who were accorded only brief entries then are now recognized as major figures. New articles have been written for these and old ones have been expanded. The rest of the book has been revised with a very light hand. Here and there a minor gap has been fiiled, and as far as possible the latest or best editions of important works have been noted, as well as recent biographies or editions of correspondence. A few alterations in the text have been made where modern scholarship has thrown new light (in Old English or Shakespearian studies for example), but in the main the book is still the same companion that is familiarly known to so many readers simply as 'Harvey'. In order to make room for a new material a certain amount of weeding and pruning has been done: somé of the entries concerning common allusions seemed no longer significant-either the subject-matter had become too well known or it had passed out of currency-and these have been dropped: others that looked disproportionately long have been cut down. I cannot in the limited space mention by name all those who have helped and advised, but I want to thank the many readers who have written over the past twenty-five years and whose critical suggestions have contributed to the work of revision. I should alsó like to acknowledge the kindness of Professor Deb, formerly of the University of Allahabad, who supplied a detailed criticism of the entire book. My thanks are alsó due to the experts whom I consulted, in particular Mr. James D. Hart of the University of California for his survey of the articles concerned with American literature, and to Professor D. Grant for the revision of this section, to Professor C. R. Cheney for the revision of the article on the Calendar in the appendix, and alsó to Dr. J. Corson, Mr. John Heath-Stubbs, and many others, including the staff of the Bodleian Library. D. S. E. June ig6y