CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS WAREHOUSE, C. F. CLAY, MANAGER. London: FETTER LANE, E.C. Leipzig: F. A. BROCKHAUS. New York: G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS. [All Rights reserved.] L'ART POÉTIQUE EDITED WITH INTRODUCTION AND NOTES BY D. NICHOL SMITH, M.A. CAMBRIDGE AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS 1907 IT PREFACE. T is hoped that the present edition of Boileau's Art poétique will be found useful by students of English literature as well as by students of French. It may at least claim to be not altogether superfluous, for, despite Boileau's reputation, and great as his influence once was, it is the first critical edition published in this country. The notes-for which considerable help has been obtained from the commentaries of Saint-Marc, Delaporte, and Gazier— are rather historical and literary than grammatical, though passages which are likely to present any difficulty in the language are explained. The spelling and punctuation of the text are modernised. The part of the introduction dealing with Boileau's doctrine of poetry has been suggested to a certain extent by M. Ferdinand Brunetière's article in the Revue des deux Mondes of 1st June 1889 on the "Esthétique de Boileau." Dr Henry Jackson has kindly read over the proofs, and to him, and to Mr G. Gregory Smith, I am deeply indebted for advice and suggestions. D. NICHOL SMITH. EDINBURGH, 7th October 1898. |
