_The Ring and the Book_ therefore, to re-capitulate the view arrived at so far, is the typical epic of our age, because it expresses the richness of life by taking as a text a poor story.

It pays to existence the highest of all possible compliments--the great compliment which monarchy paid to mankind--the compliment of selecting from it almost at random.
But this is only the first half of the claim of _The Ring and the Book_ to be the typical epic of modern times.

The second half of that claim, the second respect in which the work is representative of all modern development, requires somewhat more careful statement.

_The Ring and the Book_ is of course, essentially speaking, a detective story.

Its difference from the ordinary detective story is that it seeks to establish, not the centre of criminal guilt, but the centre of spiritual guilt.