THE ART OF LETTERS by ROBERT LYND New York 1921 TO J.C. SQUIRE My Dear Jack, You were godfather to a good many of the chapters in this book when they first appeared in the _London Mercury_, the _New Statesman_, and the _British Review_. Others of the chapters appeared in the _Daily News_, the _Nation_, the _Athenæum_, the _Observer_, and _Everyman_. Will it embarrass you if I now present you with the entire brood in the name of a friendship that has lasted many midnights? Yours, Robert Lynd. Steyning, 30th August 1920 CONTENTS I. MR. PEPYS II. JOHN BUNYAN III. THOMAS CAMPION IV. JOHN DONNE V. HORACE WALPOLE VI. WILLIAM COWPER VII. A NOTE ON ELIZABETHAN PLAYS VIII. THE OFFICE OF THE POETS IX. EDWARD YOUNG AS CRITIC X. GRAY AND COLLINS XI. ASPECTS OF SHELLEY (1) THE CHARACTER HALF-COMIC (2) THE EXPERIMENTALIST (3) THE POET OF HOPE XII. THE WISDOM OF COLERIDGE (1) COLERIDGE AS CRITIC (2) COLERIDGE AS A TALKER XIII. TENNYSON: A TEMPORARY CRITICISM XIV. THE POLITICS OF SWIFT AND SHAKESPEARE (1) SWIFT (2) SHAKESPEARE XV. THE PERSONALITY OF MORRIS XVI. GEORGE MEREDITH (1) THE EGOIST (2) THE OLYMPIAN UNBENDS (3) THE ANGLO-IRISH ASPECT XVII. OSCAR WILDE XVIII. TWO ENGLISH CRITICS (1) MR. SAINTSBURY (2) MR. GOSSE XIX. AN AMERICAN CRITIC: PROFESSOR IRVING BABBIT XX. GEORGIANS (1) MR. DE LA MARE (2) THE GROUP (3) THE YOUNG SATIRISTS XXI. LABOUR OF AUTHORSHIP XXII. THE THEORY OF POETRY XXIII. THE CRITIC AS DESTROYER XXIV. BOOK REVIEWING THE ART OF LETTERS I.--MR. PEPYS