On the Classical Tradition (The Complete Prose Works of Matthew Arnold, Vol I) (The Complete Prose Works of Matthew Arnold, Vol 1)

On the Classical Tradition represents the inaugural volume of the definitive edition of The Complete Prose Works of Matthew Arnold, a scholarly project initiated by the University of Michigan Press in 1960. Edited by R. H. Super, this ambitious series was designed to collect Arnold's diverse critical writings into a single authoritative body of work, providing a rigorous textual foundation for his contributions to Victorian literary and social criticism. The project was intended to replace fragmented and often incomplete earlier editions, serving the needs of academics and students of nineteenth-century literature.

The editorial philosophy behind this volume emphasizes historical accuracy and contextual depth, reflecting the mid-twentieth-century trend toward comprehensive critical editions of major prose stylists. R. H. Super’s extensive annotations and textual apparatus were praised by scholars for their clarity and meticulousness, establishing this volume as a standard reference for understanding Arnold’s engagement with Hellenism and the classical tradition. It remains a fixture in university library collections, valued for its commitment to preserving the intellectual rigor of Arnold’s original prose within a scholarly framework.