But, as we shall see, there was no sudden decadence; the period even of best or nearly best production went on with no important intermission; and was but yesterday still represented by two great names, is still represented by one, among the older writers, by more than one or two names of credit among the middle-aged and younger.

To these in some degree, and to those who have finished their career in the last thirty years to a greater, we must now turn..