“It caught to be the first endeavour of a writer to distinguish nature from custom, or that which is established because it is right from that which is right only because it is established; that he may neither violate essential principles by a desire of novelty, nor debar himself from the attainment of beauties within his view by a needless fear of breaking rules which no literary dictator had authority to enact”.

The above passage considered to be the death” knell of the neo-classical criticism is attributed to _____

The correct option is Samuel Johnson.

Detailed Explanation:
The quoted passage is a famous excerpt from Samuel Johnson's essay published in The Rambler No. 156 (September 14, 1751). In this essay, Johnson addresses the nature of literary criticism and the arbitrary rules that had dominated the Neo-classical era.

Johnson argues that a writer must learn to distinguish between two types of rules:
1. Nature (Essential Principles): Those fundamental truths and rules that are established because they are inherently right and aligned with human nature and reason.
2. Custom (Arbitrary Rules): Those conventions that are considered right only because they have been practiced for a long time or established by self-appointed literary authorities.

By advising writers not to have a "needless fear of breaking rules which no literary dictator had authority to enact," Johnson directly attacks the rigid dogmatism of Neo-classical critics who insisted on strict adherence to classical guidelines (such as the three dramatic unities). Because this passage advocates for empirical judgment and creative freedom over arbitrary classical rules, it is widely considered a major blow—or the "death knell"—to rigid Neo-classical criticism.