The detailed silver-point portrait studies of Fanny Burney, the miniatures of Jane Austen, and the stronger etchings of Fielding and Smollett, owed their existence to something outside the art of story-telling, something other than the grave, humourous pictures of Chaucer, or the hiding of real people under the homespun of lovesick shepherds, or the gay autobiographies of swindling rogues.

Introductory essay, by Arthur Ransome.

Is a countrey wench, that is so farre from making her selfe beautifull by art, that one looke of hers is able to put all face-physicke out of countenace.

A faire and happy milk-mayd, by Sir Thomas Overbury.