This book offers a comprehensive account of the evolution of literary criticism and taste from ancient Greece to the late 19th century. George Saintsbury presents a detailed analysis of the major literary movements and their key figures, while also exploring the broader social, cultural and intellectual contexts in which they emerged and developed. This is an essential resource for scholars and students of literature, as well as anyone interested in the history of ideas. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.