CONTENTS. On the difference between Authors, and the Impression conveyed of them by their Works The Choice of Phylias Lake Leman, and its Associations The true Ordeal of Love, a Moral Tale for Married People On Ill Health, and its Consolations The Law of Arrest. A Tale On Satiety On Infidelity in Love Fi-ho-ti; or, the Pleasures of Reputation. A Chinese Tale On the Knowledge of the World in Men and Books The Tale of Kosem Kesamim, the Magician On the Passion for the Universal Ferdinand Fitzroy; or, too Handsome for any thing The New Phædo; or, Conversations on things Human and Divine, with one Condemned CONVERSATION THE FIRST. The universality of Evil in the World-Is no less visible in the lesser Page 3 13 21 31 42 51 59 75 83 88 94 98 103 107 116 123 138 144 150 than his prose-The painter Blake and his Illustrations of the Night Thoughts-Young-His gloom spreads only over this world, without darkening the next Page 151 CONVERSATION THE SECOND. L's increase of illness-Remarks on a passage in Bacon-Advantages in the belief of immortality-An idea in the last Conversation followed out- A characteristic of the Sublime- - Feelings in one dying at the restlessness of life around. 162 CONVERSATION THE THIRD. 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. 168 CONVERSATION THE FOURTH. Containing L--'s history CONVERSATION THE FIFTH. The history of L-continued in his intellectual pursuits-Helvetius 174 193 CONVERSATION THE SIXTH. 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 Tacitus and Polybius in actual experience-Bolingbroke the first English Utilitarian-History the accuser of mankind-The Greeks -Portrait of Themistocles - Patriotism and Philanthropy — The errors of old-The divine hope of the future 197 CONVERSATION THE SEVENTH. Description of an English landscape-The animal enjoyment of life- Page 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 205 CONVERSATION THE EICHTH. L'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 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 effect— The 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 The adored delight of Europe's mightiest king,- DUCHESS DE LA VALLIÈRE. I have borne much worse Thy change and thy desertion!-Let it pass! LOUIS.. I will not hear thee! I cannot brave these thoughts. Thy angel voice But tells me what a sun of heavenly beauty Glides from the earth, and leaves my soul to darkness. Sorrow consumed thy youth, and conscience knawed And now this crowns the whole ! the priest-the altar- I-I-I choke! These tears-let them speak for me. DUCHESS DE LA VALLIÈRE. For ever! till the angel's trump shall wake Be firm, my heart, be firm! [Exit. (After a pause, turning to Bragelone, with a slight smile.) 'Tis past! we've conquered! (The Duchess de La Vallière re-ascends to the altar-the crowd close around.) Music. CHORUS. Hark! to the nuptial train are opened wide GRAMMONT. She has ta'en the veil-the last dread rite is done. |