A history of criticism and literary taste in Europe, from the earliest texts to the present day. Volume 3 (of 3), Modern criticismSaintsbury, George
History
A history of criticism and literary taste in Europe, from the earliest texts to the present day. Volume 3 (of 3), Modern criticism
Saintsbury, George
Criticism -- History; Literature -- History and criticism; Literature, Medieval
One final point I think it may be well to take up. A friend who is at
once friendly, most competent, and of a different complexion in critical
thought, objected to me that I “treat literature as something by
itself.” I hastened to admit the impeachment, and to declare that this
is the very postulate of my book. That literature can be _absolutely_
isolated is, of course, not to be thought of; nothing human can be
absolutely isolated from the general conditions of humanity, and from
the other functions and operations thereof. But in that _comparative_
isolation and separate presentation which Aristotle meant by his caution
against confusion of kinds, I do thoroughly believe. With which
profession of faith, and with all renewed acknowledgments to friends and
helpers, especially to Professors Elton, Ker, and Raleigh for their
kindness in reading the proofs of this volume, I must leave the book to
its fate.[1]
GEORGE SAINTSBURY.
HOLMBURY ST MARY, _Lammas 1904_.
ADDENDA AND CORRIGENDA.
-------
VOLUME I.
P. 63, note. “_Lu_dhaus” should be “_Su_dhaus.” I received from
Professor Gudeman of Cornell University, along with the notice of this
misprint, and some other minor corrections which I gratefully
acknowledge, a large number of much more important animadversions, for
noticing which generally I may make it a pretext. I have the highest
respect for their author: and it is quite natural that to him, as a
professed and professional classical philologist, my treatment should in
many respects seem superficial, or amateurish, or even positively wrong.
But on at least one point we are, I fear, irreconcilable. Professor
Gudeman thinks that Kaibel has “settled once for all” the question of
the Περὶ Ὕψους,—has “given incontrovertible proof” that it cannot be
later than the first century. Now, as an old student of Logic and of
Law, and as a literary critic of thirty years’ standing, I absolutely
deny the possibility of “settling once for all,” of “incontrovertible
proof,” in this matter as in many others. The evidence is not extant, if
it is existent. It may turn up, but it has not turned up yet. On this
point—the point as to what constitutes _literary_ evidence and what does
not—I am well aware that I am at issue, perhaps with the majority, at
any rate with a large number, of scholars in the ancient and modern
languages; but I am quite content to remain so. As to another protest of
Professor Gudeman’s against my neglect of the latest editions, I might
refer him to Schopenhauer (_v. infra_, p. 567); but I will only say that
_for my purpose_ the date of an edition is of very little importance,
and the spelling of “_G_næus” or “_C_næus,” “_iu_ris” or “_ju_ris,” of
no importance at all. I am sorry to appear stiff-necked in reference to
criticisms made with many obliging expressions, but _Ich kann nicht
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