AtthesuggestionoftheparticipantsataconferenceheldinHangzhouinMay1980underthesponsorshipoftheMinistryofEducation，thisCollegeHistoryofEnglishLiteraturehasbeendesignedandfinallybroughttocompletion.ItisbasedonAHistoryofEnglishLiterature(infourvolumes，theCommercialPress)，adistinguishedworkofhighacademicstandingbythelateProfessorChenJia(陈嘉)ofNanjingUniversity.InviewofthedifferentlevelsofproficiencyintheEnglishlanguageamongstudentsofEnglishinChinesecollegesanduniversitiestoday，thepresentbookhasbeendeliberatelymadeshorterandmoreaccessible.Thus，someofthewealthofreferencesandextensivediscussionsonliterarytopicsintheoriginalworkhavebeeneithersimplifiedordispensedwith.However，greateffortshavebeenmade，inthisshorterversion，tocarryouttheguidingprinciplesofProf.Chen'sscholarlyvolumesandtofollowtheoriginalformatinitsdivisionsintoninechapters，whicharefurtherdividedunderdifferentheadingsandsub-headingstoenablethereadertofolloworconsultiteasily.Carehasalsobeentakentouse，forreference，thefruitsofthelatestresearchdonebothinthiscountry，notablytheforeignliteraturesectionofTheChineseEncyclopaedia，andinBritainandtheUnitedStates.Inordertoaccommodateactualstudents'needsinthepresentwork，thedraft，inmonograph-sheetform，hasbeenputtoclassroomuseseveraltimesatSuzhouUniversityandhasreceivednecessaryalterationsandmodificationsinthelightofthesetrials.MywarmestgratitudegoestoProf.ChenJia，mybelovedteacher，notonlyforhisgenerosityinprovidingmewithhiswork，butalsoforhisinspiringguidanceandmeticulouscarethatconstantlyenhancedtheprogressofthebook.