Transcriber’s Note: This version of the text cannot represent certain typographical effects. Italics are delimited with the ‘_’ character as _italic_. Superscripted characters are note with ‘^’, and, if necessary, multiple characters are enclosed in ‘{}’. Footnotes have been moved to follow the paragraphs in which they are referenced. The marginal notes follow the topics enumerated in the table of contents, and usually appeared several lines after the paragraph opening. To avoid being too obtrusive, in this version they will appear in-line as [Sidenote: topic] after the first sentence. On occasion, where the opening sentence is inordinately lengthy or the paragraph is short, the note will appear on a separate line _before_ the first sentence. Minor errors, attributable to the printer, have been corrected. Please see the transcriber’s note at the end of this text for details regarding the handling of any textual issues encountered during its preparation. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A HISTORY OF CRITICISM AND LITERARY TASTE _Ignorantium temeraria plerumque sunt judicia._ —POLYCARP LEYSER. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A HISTORY OF CRITICISM AND LITERARY TASTE IN EUROPE _FROM THE EARLIEST TEXTS TO THE PRESENT DAY_ BY GEORGE SAINTSBURY M.A. OXON.; HON. LL.D. ABERD. PROFESSOR OF RHETORIC AND ENGLISH LITERATURE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH IN THREE VOLUMES VOL. II. FROM THE RENAISSANCE TO THE DECLINE OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY ORTHODOXY SECOND EDITION WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS EDINBURGH AND LONDON MCMV PREFACE.