The outlook of writers in the eighteenth century was profoundly influenced by the social and intellectual interests of Augustan life. Originally published in 1954, this book aims to describe that influence, and to set the literature of the period in its social environment with a critical attention. The treatment is compact but readable, and effective use is made of quotations from contemporary literature.

First published in 1937 by Arthur Raleigh Humphreys, this four-part volume traces the life of the English poet William Shenstone (1714 1763) from his birth in Halesowen, Shropshire to his death at the famous estate, The Leasowes. Through a detailed examination of Shenstone's poetical works and personal correspondence, Professor Humphreys assembles a vivid sketch of his life and character while also setting right some of the damages of neglect done to his literary legacy. This work remains one of the few reliable studies of a poet on whom too little scholarship exists.