French profiles,

It is characteristic of native criticism that it contemplates, or should contemplate, the products of native literature from the front; that it looks at them, in other words, from a direct and complete point of view. Foreign criticism must not pretend to do this; unless it is satisfied to be a mere echo or repetition, its point of view must be incomplete and indirect, must be that of one who paints a face in profile. In preparing the following sideviews of some curious figures in modern French literature, I have attempted to keep two aims prominently before me. I have tried to preserve that attitude of sympathy, of general comprehension, for the lack of which some English criticism of foreign authors has been valueless, because proceeding from a point so far out of focus as to make its whole presentation false; and yet I have remembered that it is a foreigner who takes the portrait, and that he takes it for a foreign audience, and not for a native one. What I have sought in every case to do is to give an impression of the figure before me which shall be in general harmony with the tradition of French criticism, but at the same time to preserve that independence which is the right of a foreign observer, and to illustrate the pecu Uarities of my subject by references to English poetry and prose.(Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.)About the Publisher Forgotten Books is a publisher of historical writings, such as: Philosophy, Classics, Science, Religion, History, Folklore and Mythology.Forgotten Books' Classic Reprint Series utilizes the latest technology to regenerate facsimiles of historically important writings. Careful attention has been made to accurately preserve the original format of each page whilst digitally enhancing the aged text.