Although it would be presumptuous to introduce the work of Arthur
Symons, a word or two about this particular collection may not be out of
place. A number of these essays have appeared in representative American
and English periodicals, but their preservation here needs no apology as
they have already earned a meritorious place in the bibliography of
English criticism. The publisher believes, also, that the critical
reader must realize the futility of any attempt to correct discrepancies
due to the death of contemporaries, or augmentations to their work, lest
the essays as originally conceived by the author suffer in spirit.