This essay was submitted to the Faculty of Philosophy, Columbia University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The bibliography at the end of the essay indicates sufficiently my obligations to preceding writers. It has been prepared chiefly for the purpose of facilitating reference to works cited in the text and in the foot-notes, and should be consulted for the full titles of books therein mentioned; it makes no pretence of being a complete bibliography of the subject. It will be seen that the history of Italian criticism in the sixteenth century has received scarcely any attention from modern scholars. In regard to Aristotle's _Poetics_, I have used the text, and in general followed the interpretation, given in Professor S. H. Butcher's _Aristotle's Theory of Poetry and Fine Art_, a noble monument of scholarship vivified by literary feeling. I desire also to express my obligations to Professor Butcher for an abstract of Zabarella, to Mr. P. O. Skinner of Harvard for an analysis of Capriano, to my friend, Mr. F. W. Chandler, for summaries of several early English rhetorical treatises, and to Professor Cavalier Speranza for a few corrections; also to my friends, Mr. J. G. Underhill, Mr. Lewis Einstein, and Mr. H. A. Uterhart, and to my brother, Mr. A. B. Spingarn, for incidental assistance of some importance. But, above all, I desire to acknowledge my indebtedness to Professor George E. Woodberry. This book is the fruit of his instruction; and in writing it, also, I have had recourse to him for assistance and criticism. Without the aid so kindly accorded by him, the book could hardly have been written, and certainly would never have assumed its present form. But my obligations to him are not limited to the subject or contents of the present essay. Through a period of five years the inspiration derived from his instruction and encouragement has been so great as to preclude the possibility of its expression in a preface. _Quare habe tibi quidquid hoc libelli._ NEW YORK, March, 1899. CONTENTS PART FIRST _LITERARY CRITICISM IN ITALY_ PAGE I. THE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM OF RENAISSANCE CRITICISM 3 i. Mediaeval Conceptions of Poetry. ii. The Moral Justification of Poetry. iii. The Final Justification of Poetry. II. THE GENERAL THEORY OF POETRY IN THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE 24 i. Poetry as a Form of Scholastic Philosophy. ii. Poetry as an Imitation of Life. iii. The Function of Poetry. III. THE THEORY OF THE DRAMA 60 i. The Subject of Tragedy. ii. The Function of Tragedy. iii. The Characters of Tragedy. iv. The Dramatic Unities. v. Comedy.