THE BIOGRAPHICAL EDITION NOVELS AND ROMANCES TREASURE ISLAND PRINCE OTTO KIDNAPPED THE BLACK ARROW THE MASTER OF BALLANTRAE THE WRONG BOX THE WRECKER DAVID BALFOUR THE EBB-TIDE WEIR OF HERMISTON ST. IVES SHORTER STORIES NEW ARABIAN NIGHTS THE DYNAMITER THE MERRY MEN, containing DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE ISLAND NIGHTS' ENTERTAINMENTS ESSAYS, TRAVELS & SKETCHES AN INLAND VOYAGE TRAVELS WITH A DONKEY VIRGINIBUS PUERISQUE FAMILIAR STUDIES THE AMATEUR EMIGRANT, containing THE MEMORIES AND PORTRAITS IN THE SOUTH SEAS ACROSS THE PLAINS ESSAYS OF TRAVEL AND IN THE ART OF LAY MORALS AND OTHER PAPERS POEMS COMPLETE POEMS THE LETTERS OF ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON. 4 vols. THE LIFE OF ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON Thirty-one volumes. Sold singly or in sets 1 ESSAYS OF ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON SELECTED AND EDITED WITH AN INTRODUCTION AND NOTES BY WILLIAM LYON PHELPS M.A. (HARVARD) PH.D. (YALE) FORMERLY INSTRUCTOR IN ENGLISH AT HARVARD NEW YORK C 11-1-44 6. Library W. B. Hinsdale 10-7-44 PREFACE THE text of the following essays is taken from the Thistle Edition of Stevenson's Works, published by Charles Scribner's Sons, in New York. I have refrained from selecting any of Stevenson's formal essays in literary criticism, and have chosen only those that, while ranking among his masterpieces in style, reveal his personality, character, opinions, philosophy, and faith. In the Introduction, I have endeavoured to be as brief as possible, merely giving a sketch of his life, and indicating some of the more notable sides of his literary achievement; pointing out also the literary school to which these Essays belong. A lengthy critical Introduction to a book of this kind would be an impertinence to the general reader, and a nuisance to a teacher. In the Notes, I have aimed at simple explanation and some extended literary comment. It is hoped that the general recognition of Stevenson as an English classic may make this volume useful in school and college courses, while it is not too much like a textbook to repel the average reader. I am indebted to Professor Catterall of Cornell and to Professor Crcss of Yale, and to my brother the Rev. Dryden W. Phelps, for some assistance in locating references. YALE UNIVERSITY, 13 February 1906. W. L. P. |