The French literary critic Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve was born December 23, 1804 and passed away on October 13, 1869. His essay What Is A Classic I considered just that… a classic of western thought.
What Is A Classic may be read here:
http://www.bartleby.com/32/202.html
Alternatively, this essay may be listened to in an audiobook format here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vf9A4NqQtjo


