THAT OSCAR WILDE AND CARLYLE, MACAULAYAND PATER, SAMUEL BUTLER AND CARDINAL NEWMAN CAN ALL BECALLED VICTORIANS INDICATES HOW WIDE A FIELD THE TERM EMBRACES. THE SELECTIONS IN THIS ANTHOLOGY HAVE BEEN CHOSEN AND ARRANGED FOR WHAT THEY TELL US OFTHAT SURPRISINGLY REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD - ITS SOCIAL AND POLITICAL OUTLOOK, ART, PHILOSOPHY, CUSTOMS - AS MUCH AS FOR THEIR PURELY LITERARY INTEREST. INCLUDED ARE SUBSTANTIAL, SELF-CONTAINED PASSAGES FROM THIRTY-SEVEN BRITISH AUTHORS: NOVELISTS, ESSAYISTS, HUMORISTS, SCIENTISTS, WRITERS ON RELIGION AND EDUCATION, WRITERS OF LEADERS FOR 'THE TIMES', LETTER-WRITERS, EVEN QUEEN VICTORIA HERSELF IN HER JOURNAL.