(1) Abraham Cowley:
In the field of the essay, Abraham Cowley (1610-67) is the greatest figure. He writes personal essay in the tradition of Montaigne. Just as Bacon is the founder of the Aphoristic essay, Cowley may be said to be the founder in England of the Personal essay such as that of Montaigne.
He is a pure essayist, “one who has the true essay manner, and one who leads directly to Addison and Charles Lamb.” His essay On Myself is the perfect example of what an essay should be – elegant, fresh, confidential, “constructed with as much care as a sonnet.”
His essays are snort familiar talks on moral subjects, strewn with anecdotes, and of a remarkably easy movement. The personal touch is present everywhere and constitutes the main charm of his eleven short, familiar talks, collectively called The Essays.
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There are also classical reminiscences and allusions and the style has the virtues of measure and order. His sentences are short and simple. He thus stands at the opposite pole to Sir Thomas Browne.
(2) John Dryden:
The credit for creating the modern prose style must go to Dryden It was he who forged a prose style suitable for everyday needs of life, a flexible style which can easily adapt itself to any idea. Dryden was essentially a poet and a dramatist: his prose-work consists of numerous epistles, dedications, prefaces, introductions, etc. which he wrote for his poetic and dramatic works. Among the best of his prose works are: (1) Essay of Dramatic Poesy- His prose masterpiece. (2) Essay on Satire. (3) Preface to Fables and
(4) Essay on Epic Poetry
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Dryden had a clear understanding of the essentials of a sound prose style. His sentences are logically linked up one with the other. Within the sentence, the words must follow a natural order or sequence, which is the order of thought. There is close connection between words and ideas. He steers a middle way between Bacon and Sir Thomas Browne and thus becomes the father of modern English prose.
Dryden’s prose has simplicity, a suppleness of movement, an ease and grace, which make it almost perfect. However, Dryden is still at fault in the building of the whole work: there are still digressions and superfluities; there are still frequent wanderings from the main thought.
Despite such shortcomings, our debt to Dryden is great. He did much towards fashioning a prose, both balanced and clear, suited to the everyday needs of life.
(3) John Bunyan (1628-1688)
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Among the religious writers of the period the great name is that of John Bunyan. He was a tinker by profession and so did not have the benefit of any university education. His style, his very personality, was shaped entirely by one work, The Bible. His chief works are: (1) Grace Abounding (1666) -is autobiography. (2) The life and Death of Mr. Badman (1680). (3) The Pilgrim’s Progress (1678) – his masterpiece.
The Pilgrim’s Progress narrates the pilgrimage of its hero, Christian, to the Eternal City, the vicissitudes, and dangers he suffers on the way, and the courage and fortitude with which he faces them.
Much of the charm of this admirable work comes from its style which has only one model, The Bible. Bunyan feels and perceives with greatest keenness, and succeeds in communicating to his readers his feelings and perceptions.
The Pilgrim’s Progress makes such interesting reading that it has been called the precursor of the English novel.