The universality of Evil in the World-Is no less visible in the lesser creatures than in man-The hope of perfectibility-Change in the temperament of LWhat is pleasant when recalled is often weari- some when acted-Love-The influence of Custom on the connubial state-Society exacts in proportion as it is prepared to admire- L's sadness-Distinctions between Wit and Humour-Love of conversational argument less in vogue than formerly-Our inability to conceive the nature of our happiness hereafter-Anecdote of Fuseli-Plato-Quotation from Lord Herbert of Cherbury-The sentiment that our faculties cannot content themselves in this life, visible in the works of genius-This sentiment more common in the English than the Continental Poets-The spirituality of Goethe's genius-Observations in the Wilhelm Meister-Scott's poetry greater than his prose-The painter Blake and his Illustrations of the Night Thoughts-Young-His gloom spreads only over this world, without -'s increase of illness-Remarks on a passage in Bacon-Advan- tages in the belief of immortality-An idea in the last Conversation followed out A characteristic of the Sublime-Feelings in one The French worldly philosophers-The first step in wisdom is to learn to think, no matter how-Thought corrects itself-Brilliant writers less dangerous than dull ones-Why-Faults of certain philosophers -L-, the respectful affection he excites-The heart turns from death-Passage in Bolingbroke-Private life does not afford a vent for all our susceptibilities-A touching thought in Milton's Latin Poems-Remarks on Byron, and the characteristics of a true poet for the present day-Portrait of a hero in the service of truth. The history of L- continued in his intellectual pursuits-Helvetius -His faults and merits-The Materialists-The Philosophy of Faith. The history concluded-Progress from Morals to History--A state of doubt most favourable to the study of the Past-Philosophical historians dangerous-Hume and Gibbon-The advantages of Ta- citus and Polybius in actual experience-Bolingbroke the first English Utilitarian-History the accuser of mankind-The Greeks -Portrait of Themistocles -Patriotism and Philanthropy - The L He is inspired to emulation, not by the fame of genius, but by the luxury of composition Genius is peculiarly susceptible of enjoyment-It even enjoys sadness-L-'s studies interrupted CONVERSATION THE EICHTH. -'s occasional restlessness at the thought of death-Anecdote of the last hours of a man unwilling to die-L- -'s gratitude that the gradual decay of his powers prepares him for his end-Criticism on the "Night Thoughts"-Survey of contemporaneous poetry-Remarkable distinction between the blank verse and rhyme of the same period-The former more English-Peculiarities of the old English Muse-Its quaint love of classical allusion-Its mixture of the grave and gay-Its minuteness in rural description, &c.-Pope compared with Thompson; Akenside with Johnson-Young-His tendency to the ambitious-The views of life more gloomy in the Greek than the Roman poets-The English Muse rather adopts those of the former-Young imbued with our earlier poetry-The sublimest poets abound with the homeliest images-And, in modern literature, also with the most exaggerated conceits-Young therefore justified by their example in his homeliness and quaintness-His sublime power of personification—His terseness-Difference between the rank of the poet and that of the poem-The grandeur of the conception of the Night Thoughts as compared with Childe Harold and other didactic poems-The poet's conception is sustained throughout— The wisdom of his maxims—The beauty of his diction-Concluding remarks on Young's character--Apology for retailing L▬▬'s criticisms Page 205 211 CONVERSATION THE NINTH. The Memory becomes more acute as we approach death-L――'s observations on the saying that life is a jest'―The vanity of ambitionOur errors arise from our desire to be greater than we are-Thoughts on Superstition-The early astrologers-Philanthropy―The fear of assisting in changes of which the good to a future generation may not compensate the evil to the present-Contrast between the tranquil lives of men of genius and the revolutions their works effectThe hope of intercourse with great minds in a future state-The sanctity of the grave-the Phædo of Plato-The picture of the last moments of Socrates-The unsatisfactory arguments of the Heathen for the immortality of the soul-Revealed religion has led men more logically to the arguments drawn from natural theology-Disbelief involves us in greater difficulties than faith Our doubts do not dishearten us if we once believe in God-L-'s last hours-His farewell to Nature-His death 231 |