PREFACE. No reasonable man, I suppose, could contemplate without alarm, a project for reprinting, with his name, a long series of miscellaneous papers — written hastily, in the intervals of graver occupations, and published anonymously, during the long course of Forty preceding years! - especially if, before such a suggestion was made, he had come to be placed in a Situation which made any recurrence to past indiscretions, or rash judgments, peculiarly unbecoming. I expect therefore to be very readily believed, when I say that the project of this publication did not originate, and never would have originated with me: And that I have been induced to consent to it, only after great hesitation; and not without misgivings - which have not yet been entirely got over. The true account of the matter is this. The papers in question are the lawful property, and substantially at the disposal, of the publishers of the Edinburgh Review: And they, having conceived an opinion that such a publication would be for their advantage, expressed a strong desire that I should allow it to go out with the sanction of my name, and the benefit of such suggestions as I might be disposed to offer for its improvement: and having, in the end, most liberally agreed that I should have the sole power both X : PREFACE. of determining to what extent it should be carried, and also of selecting the materials of which it should be composed, I was at last persuaded to agree to the proposition and this the more readily, in consequence of intimation having been received of a similar publication being in contemplation in the United States of America; -over which, of course, I could not, under any arrangements, expect to exercise the same efficient controul. With all this however, I still feel that I am exposed to the imputation, not only of great presumption, in supposing that any of these old things could be worth reprinting, but of a more serious Impropriety, in thus openly acknowledging, and giving a voluntary sanction to the republication (of some at least) of the following pieces: And I am far from being sure that there may not be just grounds for such an imputation. In palliation of the offence, however-if such offence shall be taken - I would beg leave humbly to state, First, that what I now venture to reprint, is but a small part -less I believe than a third, - of what I actually contributed to the Review; and, Secondly, that I have honestly endeavoured to select from that great mass-not those articles which I might think most likely still to attract notice, by boldness of view, severity of remark, or vivacity of expression but those, much rather, which, by enforcing what appeared to me just principles and useful opinions, I really thought had a tendency to make men happier and better. I am quite aware of the arrogance which may be ascribed to this statement and even of the ridicule which may attach to it. Nevertheless, it is the only apology which I now wish to make—or could seriously think of making, for the present publication: And if it should be thought utterly to fail me, I shall certainly feel that I have been betrayed into an act, not of im prudence merely, but of great impropriety. I trust, however, that I shall not be driven back on so painful a conviction. The Edinburgh Review, it is well known, aimed high from the beginning:- And, refusing to confine itself to the humble task of pronouncing on the mere literary merits of the works that came before it, professed to go deeply into the Principles on which its judgments were to be rested; as well as to take large and Original views of all the important questions to which those works might relate. And, on the whole, I think it is now pretty generally admitted that it attained the end it aimed at. Many errors there were, of course - and some considerable blunders: - abundance of indiscretions, especially in the earlier numbers; and far too many excesses, both of party zeal, overweening confidence, and intemperate blame. But with all these drawbacks, I think it must be allowed to have substantially succeeded-in familiarising the public mind (that is, the minds of very many individuals) with higher speculations, and sounder and larger views of the great objects of human pursuit, than had ever before been brought as effectually home to their apprehensions; and also, in permanently raising the standard, and encreasing the influence of all such Occasional writings; not only in this country, but over the greater part of Europe, and the free States of America: While it proportionally enlarged the capacity, and improved the relish of the growing multitudes to whom such writings were addressed, for "the stronger meats" which were then first provided for their digestion. With these convictions and impressions, it will not I think be expected, or required of me, that I should look back from any station - upon the part I took in originating and conducting such a work, without some mixture of agreeable feelings: And, while I seek not to decline my full share of the faults and follies to which I have alluded, I trust I may be allowed to take credit, at the same time, for some participation in the Merits by which these were, to a certain extent at least, redeemed or atoned for. If I might be permitted farther to state, in what particular department, and generally, on account of what, I should most wish to claim a share of those merits, I should certainly say, that it was by having constantly endeavoured to combine Ethical precepts with Literary Criticism, and earnestly sought to impress my readers with a sense, both of the close connection between sound Intellectual attainments and the higher elements of Duty and Enjoyment; and of the just and ultimate subordination of the former to the latter. The praise in short to which I aspire, and to merit which I am conscious that my efforts were most constantly directed, is, that I have, more uniformly and earnestly than any preceding critic, made the Moral tendencies of the works under consideration a leading subject of discussion; and neglected no opportunity, in reviews of Poems and Novels as well as of graver productions, of elucidating the true constituents of human happiness and virtue: and combating those besetting prejudices and errors of opinion which appear so often to withhold men from the path of their duty or to array them in foolish and fatal hostility to each other. I cannot, of I cannot, of course, do more, in this place, than intimate this proud claim: But for the proof or at least the explanation of it, I think I may venture to refer to the greater part of the papers that follow. I wrote the first article in the first Number of the Review, in October, 1802: - and sent my last contribu tion to it, in October, 1840! It is a long period, to have persevered in well-or in ill doing! But I was by no means equally alert in the service during all the intermediate time. I was sole Editor, from 1803 till late in 1829; and during that period was no doubt a large and regular contributor. In that last year, however, I received the great honour of being elected, by my brethren of the Bar, to the office of Dean of the Faculty of Advocates: - When it immediately occurred to me that it was not quite fitting that the official head of a great Law Corporation should continue to be the conductor of what might be fairly enough represented as, in many respects, a Party Journal: and I consequently withdrew at once and altogether from the management*:- which has ever since been in such hands, as can have left those who take an interest in its success, no cause to regret my retirement. But I should not have acted up to the spirit of this resignation, nor felt that I had redeemed the pledge of neutrality I meant to give by it, if I had not at the same time substantially ceased to contribute to, or to concern myself, in any way, with the conduct or future. fortunes of the Review. I wrote nothing for it, accordingly, for a considerable time subsequent to 1829: and * For my own sake in part, but principally for the honour of my Conservative Brethren who ultimately concurred in my appointment, I think it right to state, that this resignation was in no degree a matter of compromise or arrangement, with a view to that appointment:—the fact being, on the contrary, that I gave no hint of my purpose, in any quarter, till after the election was over-or at all events till after the withdrawal of the learned and distinguished Person who had been put in nomination against me, had made it certain that my return would be unanimous. His perseverance, I doubt not, might have endangered that result: For, though considerably my junior, his eminence in the profession was, even then I believe, quite equal to mine. But he generously deferred to my Seniority. |