The Rule of Reason and the Ruses of the Heart

Book excerpt: This is not a reading or interpretation of French literature of the Classical period, as it is a repertory of the assumptions on which writers wrote, poets and painters depicted, critics judged, connoisseurs knew, and the public tasted. The book is divided into two parts. The first is made up of critical articles, the second biographical and bibliographical sketches of some of the major and minor writers who produced essays, articles, or books that may be classified as aesthetics or criticism.