Excerpt from The Rise of English Culture As this is the first volume of the author's works to be issued since his decease, it has been thought fitting that it should be prefaced by some account of his life and writings. Edwin Johnson was the second son of the Rev. Alfred Johnson, Congregational Minister, and was born at Upton, near Andover, Hampshire, on the 9th November, 1842. If he had any pride of birth, it was in the fact that his descent was from English yeoman stock. His childhood was spent in the country, and he never lost his love for its charms and associations. A studious and thoughtful boy, he read English history with delight, was proud of his country's greatness, and ambitiously hoped that some day he would be in a position to do something for it. Inheriting an old-fashioned courtesy of manner and a very chivalric spirit, he had but a poor opinion of money and the position it is supposed to give. His home influences were, however, rather of a Puritan cast, and under the serene guidance of his parents he drifted, scarcely knowing how or why, towards the Pulpit. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.