English literary criticism — Background and Themes

Vaughan's Selective Method

Vaughan's preface makes explicit his governing principle: to 'sketch the development of criticism, and particularly of critical method, in England.' He acknowledges the 'great wealth' of critical writing in the preceding sixty years but limits himself to one specimen per writer, choosing the critic he considers 'the most remarkable of all English critics'—Walter Pater. This self-imposed constraint means the anthology omits many significant figures, yet it allows each excerpt to stand as a concentrated example of a critical approach. Vaughan also defends including Pater's study of a painter, noting that modern criticism has tended to 'break down the barrier between poetry and the kindred arts.' The selection thus reflects a deliberate thesis about the evolution of critical practice.

Dryden's Judgment of Chaucer

In the excerpt from Dryden's Preface to the Fables, the critic compares Chaucer to Ovid and Virgil, praising Chaucer's restraint: 'he knew what to say, so he knows also when to leave off.' Dryden contrasts Chaucer's 'simplicity' and fidelity to nature with Ovid's 'boyisms' and the 'playing' with words that weakens strong passions. He also critiques a 'late great poet' (Cowley) for lacking judgment, sweeping 'like a drag net great and small.' Dryden's method is comparative and evaluative, grounded in a hierarchy of poetic virtues—decorum, naturalness, and moral seriousness—that he uses to rank Chaucer above his contemporaries and successors.

Pater on Botticelli as Poetical Painter

Vaughan closes the anthology with Pater's essay on Sandro Botticelli, a painter whom Pater calls 'before all things a poetical painter.' This choice underscores Vaughan's interest in criticism that crosses artistic boundaries. The excerpt itself is not included in the provided text, but Vaughan's preface indicates that Pater was 'never so much himself, never so entirely master of his craft, as when interpreting the secrets of form and colour.' By ending with a piece of art criticism, Vaughan highlights a modern tendency to treat visual art with the same analytical tools applied to literature, suggesting that critical method in England had expanded beyond strictly literary texts.

Readers should approach this anthology as a curated argument about the history of critical method, not as a comprehensive reference. Vaughan's choices—from Sidney's defense of poetry to Pater's interpretation of a painter—reveal his conviction that criticism evolves through self-conscious reflection on its own principles. The excerpts reward attention to how each critic defines judgment, what they value in a work, and how they position themselves relative to predecessors. The gaps in coverage are as instructive as the selections.

Years of shelving and reading have taught me how certain books lean on each other. Vaughan’s anthology, tracing critics’ careful judgments, holds a peculiar kinship with the Book of Wise Sayings Selected Largely from Eastern Sources — Background and Themes. Both whisper of discernment, of weighing words and truth. In the quiet stacks, they seem to nod, recognizing a shared patience. Some collections are companions, and this pairing always felt deliberate.