CHAPTER III.✦

ARISTOTLE.

Authorship of the criticism attributed to Aristotle 29 Its subject-matter 30 Abstract of the Poetics 32 Characteristics, general 35 Limitations of range 36 Ethical twist 37 Drawbacks resulting 37 Overbalance of merit 38 The doctrine of ἁμαρτία 39 The Rhetoric 39 Meaning and range of “Rhetoric” 40 The contents of the book 41 Attitude to lexis 42 Vocabulary—“Figures” 43 A difficulty 44 “Frigidity” 44 Archaism 45 Stock epithet and periphrasis 45

False metaphor 46 Simile 46 “Purity” 46 “Elevation” 46 Propriety 46 Prose rhythm 47 Loose and periodic style, &c. 48 General effect of the Rhetoric 48 The Homeric Problems 49 Value of the two main treatises 51 Defects and drawbacks in the Poetics 51 And in the Rhetoric 52 Merits of both 53 The end of art: the οἰκεῖα ἡδονή 55 Theory of Action 55 And of ἁμαρτία 56 Of Poetic Diction 56