The following Essays are partly an appeal against the common neglect of French poetry by English lovers of literature, and partly an attempt at explaining that neglect, and even, to some extent and in some cases, at justifying it. It seems to me that there is in England a widespread opinion that French poetry is merely rhetoric in verse, and I have tried to deal both with the foundation for this Opinion and with its limitations; and in particular have tried to show by examples how partial its application is, and to prove by liberal quotation how much pleasure may be got out of the French poets even by those whose conception of poetry makes them demand of it things far above rhetoric. The studies were written at different times, but those which have appeared before have been revised with a view to this book. I have to thank Mrs. George cornwallis-west for leave to reprint the essays on English Taste and French Drama and on Ronsard, which were first printed in Anglo Saxon Review; Messrs. Macmillan and Co. For the same permission in the case of the essay on La Fontaine, much of which originally appeared invi the claims OF french poetry.