THE COLLECTED WORKS OF WILLIAM HAZLITT EDITED BY A. R. WALLER AND ARNOLD GLOVER WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY W. E. HENLEY Fugitive Writings 1904 LONDON: J. M. DENT & CO. McCLURE, PHILLIPS & CO.: NEW YORK BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE THIS Volume and volume XII. contain those of Hazlitt's writings which remained uncollected during his lifetime and have not been included in earlier volumes of the present edition. Some of these writings were published by the author's son in the three works of which particulars are given below; one of them, the essay 'On Abstract Ideas,' was published in the second edition (1836) of An Essay on the Principles of Human Action (cf. Bibliographical Note, vol. vii. p. 384); a few, viz. Common Places' and Trifles Light as Air,' were included in Mr. W. C. Hazlitt's edition of The Round Table (Bohn's Standard Library, 1871); but most of the papers are here reprinted for the first time. See the Table of Contents, where the essays which have never been republished before are marked by an asterisk. The evidence upon which the Editors have relied in respect of this fresh material will be found in the Notes. A great many of the Essays now printed have not hitherto been identified as Hazlitt's, but none have been included concerning which the Editors feel any doubt. The works published by the author's son and referred to above are as follows :— 1. 'Literary Remains of the late William Hazlitt. With a Notice of his Life, By his Son, and Thoughts on his Genius and Writings, By E. L. Bulwer, Esq., M.P. and Mr. Sergeant Talfourd, M.P. In Two Volumes. London: Saunders and Otley, Conduit Street. 1836.' Vol. 1. contained (as a frontispiece) Bewick's crayon drawing of Hazlitt reproduced in vol. vIII. of the present edition; a Sonnet 'written on seeing Bewick's Chalk-Drawing of the Head of Hazlitt' by Sheridan Knowles; a 'Biographical Sketch' of Hazlitt by his son; Some Thoughts on the Genius of William Hazlitt' signed 'The Author of "Eugene Aram"'; 'Thoughts upon the Intellectual Character of the late William Hazlitt,' by Mr. Sergeant Talfourd, M.P.; Character of Hazlitt,' by Charles Lamb, extracted from the well-known Letter of Elia to Robert Southey, Esq.' (1823); six 'Sonnets to the Memory of Hazlitt' by 'A Lady'; and the following essays by Hazlitt, viz.: (i) Project for a new Theory of Civil and Criminal Legislation, (ii) Definition of Wit, (iii) On Means and Ends, (iv) Belief, whether Voluntary ? (v) Personal Politics, (vi) On the Writings of Hobbes, (vii) On Liberty and Necessity, (viii) On Locke's Essay on the Human Understanding, and (ix) On Tooke's Diversions of Purley.-Vol. II. contained the following essays by Hazlitt, viz.: (i) On Self-Love, (ii) On the Conduct of Life; or, Advice to a School-boy, (iii) On the Fine Arts, (iv) The Fight, (v) On the Want of Money, (vi) On the Feeling of Immortality in Youth, (vii) The Main-Chance, (viii) The Opera, (ix) Of Persons One Would Wish to Have Seen, (x) My First Acquaintance with Poets, (xi) The Shyness of Scholars, (xii) The Vatican, and (xiii) On the Spirit of Monarchy. Of these, the essay 'On the Fine Arts' and the essay on 'The Vatican' are included in vol. ix. of the present edition; the rest are published in this volume or in vol. XII. 2. 'Sketches and Essays. By William Hazlitt. Now first collected by his Son. London: John Templeman, 248, Regent Street. MDCCCXXXIX.' An Advertisement states that 'The volume which the Editor has here the gratification of presenting to the public, consists of Essays contributed by their author to various periodicals. None of them have hitherto been published in a collective form, and it is confidently anticipated that they will be received as an acceptable Companion to the "Table Talk" and "Plain Speaker." The contents are as follows: (i) On Reading New Books, (ii) On Cant and Hypocrisy, (iii) Merry England, (iv) On a SunDial, (v) On Prejudice, (vi) Self-Love and Benevolence (a Dialogue), (vii) On Disagreeable People, (viii) On Knowledge of the World, (ix) On Fashion, (x) On Nicknames, (xi) On Taste, (xii) Why the Heroes of Romance are insipid, (xiii) On the Conversation of Lords, (xiv) The Letter-Bell, (xv) Envy, (xvi) On the Spirit of Partisanship, (xvii) Footmen, and (xviii) A Chapter on Editors. This volume was reprinted in 1852 with 'Sketches and Essays' as a half-title and the following title-page: 'Men and Manners: Sketches and Essays. By William Hazlitt. London: Published at the office of the Illustrated London Library, 227 Strand. MDCCCI.' In this edition the essay entitled 'Self-Love and Benevolence (A Dialogue)' is omitted. A third edition (which has been reprinted from time to time) was published in 1872 in Bohn's Standard Library, edited by Mr. W. C. Hazlitt. 3. 'Winterslow: Essays and Characters written there. By William Hazlitt. Collected by his Son. London: David Bogue, Fleet Street. MDCCCL.' This small 8vo volume contained the following essays: (i) My First Acquaintance with Poets, (ii) Of Persons One Would Wish to Have Seen, (iii) Party Spirit, (iv) On the Feeling of Immortality in Youth, (v) On Public Opinion, (vi) On Personal Identity, (vii) Mind and Motive, (viii) On Means and Ends, (ix) Matter and Manner, (x) On Consistency of Opinion, (xi) Project for a new Theory of Civil and Criminal Legislation, (xii) On the Character of Burke, (xiii) On the Character of Fox, (xiv) On the Character of Pitt, (xv) On the Character of Lord Chatham, (xvi) Belief, whether Voluntary, and (xvii) A Farewell to Essay-Writing. This volume was republished in 1872 along with Sketches and Essays in the volume of Bohn's Standard Library referred to above. Of the essays published in Winterslow the Characters of Burke, Fox, Pitt and Lord Chatham are included in vol. 111. of the present edition (Political Essays). The rest of the essays published in Sketches and Essays and Winterslow are included in vols. XI. and x11. of the present edition. It will be seen that Literary Remains and Winterslow to some extent overlap one another, and that Winterslow contained several essays which had already been published in Political Essays. Under these circumstances it has been found necessary in the present edition to adopt a fresh scheme of arrangement in place of republishing Literary Remains, Sketches and Essays and Winterslow as they stand. Each essay, whether contained in one of those posthumous collections or now republished for the first time, is printed in chronological order under the heading of the magazine or newspaper in which it originally appeared; and the magazines themselves are arranged in a chronological order based upon the respective dates at |