Excerpt from An Illustrated Record, Vol. 1 of 4: From the Beginnings to the Age of Henry VIII IN this initial volume of a History of English Literature it has been sought to depict for readers of general culture rather than of special attainment the development of this literature through. Centuries of Vicissitude, from the primitive period When it is almost synonymous with poetry to the period when, in every department, it begins to challenge a place among the great literatures of the world. The writer upon whom such a task devolves encounters the obstacles, on a first View inutually exclusive, of impenetrable obscurity and unmanageable light. Many passages in the record have perished, and the gaps thus created are ill supplied by speculation and conjecture. But, on the other hand, since the investigation of early English literature has employed the scholars of America, Germany, and France hardly less than those of Britain, it has become difficult to keep pace with the progress of actual discovery, or to survey the Operations of so great a host of labourers in a field so extensive, much of whose service takes the form of contribution to periodical literature. The writer has done his utmost towards this end, and has received invaluable assistance, yet he feels that his work would have better corresponded to his wish if various important accessions to the knowledge of his subject had not fallen under his observation too late to be turned to account. 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.

The valkyrie Brunhilde has convinced the gods to give humanity a chance at redemption through combat in the Valhalla arena. Seeking a quick end to the proceedings, the gods present their first fighter, Thor, the Norse god of thunder. Facing him is a warrior said to be the strongest in the history of mankind, the legendary general Lü Bu! -- VIZ Media

In the battle to decide the fate of humanity, the gods are up by two wins. Poseidon, the Greek god of the seas, enters the arena looking to extend the lead even further. To the crowd’s astonishment, the human challenger Brunhilde sends to the field is Sasaki Kojiro. Can a fighter known for having never once won a single match also be humanity’s greatest swordsman? Or is there more to Sasaki Kojiro’s reputation as history’s biggest loser than anyone can imagine? -- VIZ Media