Originally published during the early part of the twentieth century, the Cambridge Manuals of Science and Literature were designed to provide concise introductions to a broad range of topics. They were written by experts for the general reader and combined a comprehensive approach to knowledge with an emphasis on accessibility. Mysticism in English Literature by C. F. E. Spurgeon was first published in 1913. Beginning with a precise definition of the term mysticism, Spurgeon looks at the ways in which mystical thought influenced many of England's finest writers on questions of love, beauty, nature, philosophy and religion.
Caroline Spurgeon's pioneer study of the imagery of Shakespeare's plays shows how much light can be thrown on Shakespeare's own mind and thought and on the themes and characters of the plays by a detailed examination of his imagery. At the same time she contrasts Shakespeare with other dramatists of his time, including Marlowe, Bacon, Ben Jonson and Dekker.
