unbroken revelation of its nature and
destiny. It is, therefore, no disparage-
ment of the great company of writers
who have been the secretaries of the
race in all ages to fasten attention
upon the claims of the four men of
genius whom the world has accepted
as the supreme masters of the art of
literature, and to point out again the
immense importance of their works
in the educational life of the indi-
vidual and of society.

It cannot be said too often that
literature is the product of the contin-
uous spiritual activity of the race; that
it cannot be arbitrarily divided into
periods save for mere convenience of
arrangement; and that it is impossi-
ble to understand and value its latest
products unless one is able to find
their place and discern their value in the
order of a spiritual development. To

[[275]]

p274 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p275w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p276

v?