CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTORY—ERASMUS.

PAGE The Critical starting-point of the Renaissance. 3 Influences at work: General 4 Particular 5 Weakness of Vernaculars 6 Recovery of Ancient Criticism 6 Necessity of defence against Puritanism 7 The line of criticism resultant 7

Not necessarily anti-mediæval 8 But classical 9 And anti-Puritan 9 Erasmus 10 The _Ciceronianus_ 11 The _Colloquies_ 13 The _Letters_ 15 Distribution of the Book 17