During his thirty-six years as editor of the Spectator, R.H. Hutton scrutinized the Victorian society of which he was an influential member. Writing on literature, religion, and politics, he was described by his contemporary, John Morely, as "the finest and bravest critic of this generation." In this first full-length study of Hutton's articles, Dr. Woodfield concentrates on his considerations of five prominent figures: J.H. Newman, Matthew Arnold, Alfred Lord Tennyson, William Wordsworth, and George Eliot.