William O. Rayond was a Church of England clergyman and historian, and came to be identified as the quintessential historian of the loyalist generation in New Brunswick. He was appointed archdeacon of Saint John in 1908 and contributed to many scholarly periodicals and newspapers.

“The book represents the sum of Professor Raymond’s contribution to the study of Browning, and as such cannot fall to command respect…It is a measure of Professor Raymond’s value as a critic that his contributions have long been included within the main body of Browning scholarship.” Times Literary Supplement

“Whenever Professor Raymond argues a controversial point he does so with such clarity and skill that his case cannot be ignored. Through his essays on “Browning and Higher Criticism” and “Browning’s Casuists,” he had added much to our knowledge of Browning’s intellectual and religious development and of its repercussion on his poetry.” University of Toronto Quarterly

“These essays provide a two-fold purpose. A large section of them will be appreciated by the average reader who desired either an introduction to, or a general revaluation of Robert Browning, by a recognized authority.” Globe and Mail