The Methodist

Lloyd, Evan, 1734-1776Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.5

Word count: 67K words
Chapters: 7

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Methodist by Evan LloydAuthor: Lloyd, Evan, 1734-1776,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Jan 11, 2009

Editor's review

The Methodist is a long satirical poem in heroic couplets by the 18th-century English writer Evan Lloyd (1734–1776), aimed at the enthusiasm and hypocrisy of the early Methodist movement. Lloyd himself was an Anglican clergyman familiar with the religious controversies of his day; the poem abounds in allusions to figures such as Whitefield and the Wesley brothers, giving it primary-source value for understanding the 18th-century British religious revival and the literary polemics of the period. This edition is the public-domain English e-text released by Project Gutenberg in 2009: complete and easy to search. Its appeal lies not in plot but in densely packed satirical rhetoric and period allusion, making it suitable as supplementary material for courses in 18th-century English literature or for research in religious history, and for readers who enjoy Augustan satire. Reading with notes or relevant historical background is recommended; otherwise the density of allusions can make the thread hard to follow.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Literature students studying 18th-century English literature and the satirical tradition
Religious-history enthusiasts interested in the early history of the Methodist movement
Researchers needing a public-domain English text for textual analysis
Advanced readers who enjoy satire in heroic couplets

Not a good fit for

General leisure readers looking for a plot-driven novel
Learners whose English reading ability is not yet sufficient for 18th-century poetic syntax
Readers with little interest in religious polemic and historical allusion

Reading tips

Begin with a brief editor's introduction or encyclopedia-style background on the Methodist movement before entering the text; the density of allusions will drop noticeably.
Read in sections by chapter, and after each section note the real figures alluded to, building a character reference table.
Read alongside an anthology of 18th-century English satire to appreciate the ironic rhythm of the heroic couplet.
Skip unfamiliar allusions at first and look them up after finishing the whole text, to avoid interrupting the reading.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a novel or poetry?

It is a satirical poem written in heroic couplets, not a novel. The whole work unfolds in verse, satirizing figures and phenomena associated with the Methodist movement; it should be read with attention to poetic rhythm and rhetoric rather than followed for plot.

Can I understand it without a background in religious history?

You can read it, but understanding will suffer. The poem alludes heavily to real people and events in 18th-century English religious controversy; without background you may see only the literal satire. It is advisable to acquire some basic knowledge of the Methodist movement first and read with notes.

What language is this edition in, and is it complete?

This is the public-domain English e-text released by Project Gutenberg, in English; the text is complete and classified under English literature. It is a free e-book, convenient for searching and excerpting, but lacks the detailed notes of a modern scholarly edition.

Is it suitable for academic citation?

It can serve as a base text for quotation and textual analysis, but the Gutenberg edition has no modern collation or detailed notes. For formal papers, check authoritative scholarly editions and cite the electronic source you used.

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About the author

Lloyd, Evan, 1734-1776 Author · Welsh · 1734–1776

Evan Lloyd (1734–1776) was a Welsh clergyman and poet known for his satirical and religious verse. His dates and nationality are clear, but beyond that public information is limited, and few details survive about his education, specific posts, or the course of his writing career. One work by him is held in the collection, The Methodist, a title suggesting that his writing may have engaged with the Methodist movement and its figures, in keeping with his reputation for satire. Overall, his work combines religious themes with a satirical manner and holds a modest place in eighteenth-century Welsh writing in English. Because the sources are scattered, judgments about his influence and reception should be made with caution; this note sketches his identity and writing only from confirmed basic facts.