CCXL

ENGLISH CRITICAL ESSAYS

(SIXTEENTH, SEVENTEENTH, AND
EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES)

The present selection of English Critical Essays (Sixteenth, Seventeenth, and Eighteenth Centuries) was first published in The World's Classics' in 1922.

Sith.
8570
Enewsh
528-1923

PRINTED IN ENGLAND

AT THE OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

BY FREDERICK HALL

PREFACE

It is hoped that the present selection of critical essays will be found comprehensive enough to enable the reader to follow the main movements and counter-movements of English critical thought from the Renaissance to the Revival of Romanticism. Except in the few cases indicated, the texts have been given in full. But in order to avoid placing unnecessary difficulties in the way of readers unfamiliar with early English spelling and punctuation, the practice of modern editors of Shakespeare has been followed: the spelling has been modernized throughout, and the punctuation brought into closer conformity with modern

usage.

E. D. J.

426044

CO

SIR PHILIP SIDNEY, 15
An Apology for P
THOMAS CAMPION, 156
From Observatio

SAMUEL DANIEL, 150

A Defence of R

FRANCIS BACON, 15
The Nature of

BEN JONSON, 1573
Extracts from T
To the Memor

JOHN MILTON, 160
Preface to Sa

JOHN DRYDEN, 1
An Essay of
Preface to t

JOHN DENNIS,

From The

Modern