PREFACE.

Four of the five essays which make up this volume have appeared during the past few years in the American Catholic Quarterly Review and the Champlain Educator. The author begs to acknowledge particularly his indebtedness to Dr. S. E. Dawson’s admirable work on Tennyson’s “The Princess,” in the preparation of his study of that poem. Indeed, without Dr. Dawson’s fine analysis of the poem the first essay in this volume could never have been written.

The paper on “The Italian Renaissance and the Popes of Avignon” was prepared while the writer was sojourning at Louvain University, Belgium, in the autumn of 1903, and at Grenoble University, France, during the summer of 1904. It may be well to add that the libraries of both these ancient and renowned seats of learning are very rich in works relating to medieval history and literature, and afforded the author unusual opportunity in the preparation of the essay.

In the writing of the essay on “Poetry and History Teaching Falsehood,” the author has been motived by a desire to set forth in the clearest light possible the misrepresentation of Catholic truth which obtains in much of the history and poetry of our day.

The third essay in the volume, “The Study and Interpretation of Literature,” is based by the author upon ideals gained in post-graduate courses pursued in this subject at several of the leading American universities, as well as upon a practical knowledge in the teaching of literature obtained in the High Schools of Ontario.