entertain the reader, and may prove to be suggestive. A few of the following pages have already seen the light in various publications, although they now stand in their places without any acknowledgment of a previous appearance. They are so few in number, and, having been rewritten, are so altered in form, that it would have been difficult, and it seemed to be needless, to introduce them with the usual marks of quotation. E. S. D. THE CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION. Significance of the Title.-Originally applied to Poetry.-Here to Criticism. The Gay Science the Science of Pleasure.-Objections to Pleasure as the aim of Art.-Cursory view of Pleasure which may soften those objections CHAPTER II. THE SCIENCE OF CRITICISM. Page 3 Criticism in its widest sense does not contain within itself the notion of a Special Science.-Criticism, strictly so called, is not yet a Science. What the world thinks of Critics and Criticism.What Critics think of each other.—Summary of the forms of Criticism.—(1) Editorial Criticism, how unsatisfactory.—An example of it in Shakespearian Criticism.-Its worth estimated by Steevens. Another example of it in Classical Criticism.Porson's preface to the Hecuba.-Elmsley.-(2) Biographical Criticism-the advantages of it.—But how far from ScienceAnd how apt to become parasitical. (3) Historical Criticism— How far from Science, and how limited in its view. The intellectual Flora not studied as a whole.-Comparative Criticism.— The problem of Criticism too rarely attempted.-(4) Systematic or Scientific Criticism in ancient times, as represented by Aristotle; in modern times devoted to questions of Language.Example of what the moderns chiefly understand by a system of Criticism.—Mr. Ruskin's summary of modern Criticism as gram mar. The systematic Criticism of Germany-The defect, as in Hegel and Schelling.-Suggestion of a middle course between the Criticism of Germany and that of the Renaissance.-Method and value of the most recent Criticism.-The despair of system and want of concert. — Ulrici. — French Criticism.-Glaring example of the impotence of Criticism.-Prize designs a failure. -Why is the Prize System a failure in England, when we know that in Greece it was successful?-The explanation to be found in the weakness of Criticism.-The standard of Judgment.Influence of School in Greece.-Influence of School in France. -A hopeful sign of our Criticism that it has become ashamed of itself. Summary of the Chapter.-Why Criticism is not a Science. Failure of method.-What is involved in the new method of Comparative Criticism-The comparison threefold. -In what groove of Comparative Criticism the present work will for the first part run.-Nothing so much wanted as a correct Psychology.-On the dulness of Psychology-But that dulness is not necessary. The subject really as interesting as Romance.. Page 9 CHAPTER III. THE DESPAIR OF A SCIENCE. The despair of Critical Science not surprising.-What we set before us as the object of Science.-Antithesis between the works of God and those of Man.-Popular Science in its religious aspect. The proper study of Mankind.-Misanthropy of the antithesis between the works of God and those of Man.— Wordsworth to some extent answerable for it.-How it shows itself in Ruskin.-Something to be said for the one-sided devotion to Physical Science which now prevails.-The feats of Science-And the great public works which it has produced. The recent origin of the Sciences, and their present development.-Different fate of the Mental Sciences.--Various points of view from which is produced the despair of any Science of Human Nature.—(1) Philosophical despair of Mental Science. What Mr. Lewes says of Philosophical Criticism.A Philosophical Critic-Wagner.-The jargon of Philosophy. -Distinction between Philosophy and Science.-The great want of Criticism-Psychology.-Science as applied to Mind too recent to be accused of fruitlessness.-(2) The despair Page 47 CHAPTER IV. THE CORNER STONE. Object of this chapter to prove a truism.-Truisms sometimes --- Beautiful, two facts fatal to it.-That Art is the mani- CHAPTER V. THE AGREEMENT OF THE CRITICS. Survey of the schools of Criticism-their divisions.-All the schools |