Sir Edmund Gosse is one of the Old Guard of English literary criticism. His first prose writings were published so long ago as in 1879, and since then he has established a solid reputation as a critic of wide learning, impartial judgment and discriminating taste. His books include biographies of Gray, Donne, Jeremy Taylor, Congreve, Swinburne and Sir Thomas Browne, and his latest volume of essays was 'Silhouettes,' published last year.