"The Pilgrim's Progress," by John Bunyan: Pt. i., 1678; pt. ii., 1684. This is supposed to be a dream, and to allegorize the life of a Christian, from his conversion to his death. His doubts are giants, his sins a pack, his Bible a chart, his minister Evangelist, his conversion a flight from the City of Destruction, his struggle with besetting sins a fight with Apollyon, his death a toilsome passage over a deep stream, and so on. The second part is Christiana and her family led by Greatheart through the same road, to join Christian, who had gone before.

Robinson Crusoe, a tale by Daniel Defoe. Robinson Crusoe ran away from home, and went to sea. Being wrecked, he led for many years a solitary existence on an uninhabited island of the tropics, and relieved the weariness of life by numberless contrivances. At length he met a human being, a young Indian, whom he saved from death on a Friday. He called him his "man Friday," and made him his companion and servant. Defoe founded this story on the adventures of Alexander Selkirk, sailing master of the "Cinque Ports Galley," who was left by Captain Stradling on the desolate island of Juan Fernandez for four years and four months (1704-1709), when he was rescued by Captain Woodes Rogers and brought to England.

"The Vicar of Wakefield," a novel, by Oliver Goldsmith, 1766. Dr. Primrose, a simple-minded, pious clergyman, with six children. He begins life with a good fortune, a handsome house, and wealthy friends, but is reduced to utter poverty without any fault of his own, and, being reduced like Job, like Job he is restored. First he loses his fortune through the rascality of the merchant who held it. His next great sorrow was the elopement of his eldest daughter, Olivia, with Squire Thornhill. His third was the entire destruction by fire of his house, furniture, and books, together with the savings which he had laid by for his daughters' marriage portions. His fourth was being incarcerated in the county jail by Squire Thornhill for rent, his wife and family being driven out of house and home. His fifth was the announcement that his daughter Olivia "was dead," and that his daughter Sophia had been abducted. His sixth was the imprisonment of his eldest son, George, for sending a challenge to Squire Thornhill. His cup of sorrow was now full, and comfort was at hand: (1) Olivia was not really dead, but was said to be so in order to get the vicar to submit to the squire, and thus obtain his release. (2) His daughter Sophia had been rescued by Mr. Burchell (Sir William Thornhill), who asked her hand in marriage. (3) His son George was liberated from prison, and married Miss Wilmott, an heiress. (4) Olivia's marriage to the squire, which was said to have been informal, was shown to be legal and binding. (5) The old vicar was released, reestablished in his vicarage, and recovered a part of his fortune.

"Ivanhoe," a novel by Sir W. Scott (1820). The most brilliant and splendid of romances in any language. Rebecca, the Jewess, was Scott's favorite character. The scene is laid in England in the reign of Richard I., and we are introduced to Robin Hood in Sherwood Forest, banquets in Saxon halls, tournaments, and all the pomp of ancient chivalry. Rowena, the heroine, is quite thrown into the shade by the gentle, meek, yet high-souled Rebecca.

"Vanity Fair," a novel by W. M. Thackeray (1848). Becky (Rebecca) Sharp, the daughter of a poor painter, dashing, selfish, unprincipled, and very clever, contrives to marry Rawdon Crawley, afterwards his excellency Colonel Crawley, C. B., governor of Coventry Island. Rawdon expected to have a large fortune left him by his aunt, Miss Crawley, but was disinherited on account of his marriage with Becky, then a poor governess. Becky contrives to live in splendor on "nothing a year," gets introduced at court, and is patronized by Lord Steyne, earl of Gaunt; but this intimacy giving birth to a great scandal, Becky breaks up her establishment, and is reduced to the lowest Bohemian life. Afterwards she becomes the "female companion" of Joseph Sedley, a wealthy "collector," of Boggley Wollah, in India. Having insured his life and lost his money, he dies suddenly under very suspicious circumstances, and Becky lives for a time in splendor on the Continent. Subsequently she retires to Bath, where she assumes the character of a pious, charitable Lady Bountiful, given to all good works. The other part of the story is connected with Amelia Sedley, daughter of a wealthy London stock-broker, who fails, and is reduced to indigence.

Captain George Osborne, the son of a London merchant, marries Amelia, and old Osborne disinherits him.. The young people live for a time together, when George is killed in Waterloo. Amelia is reduced to great poverty, but is befriended by Captain Dobbin, who loves her to idolatry, and after many years of patience and great devotion, she consents to marry him. Becky Sharp rises from nothing to splendor, and then falls; Amelia falls from wealth to indigence, and then rises