Under these circumstances, considerable doubt has been felt as to the propriety of republishing the three Essays in the present collection. But it has been determined, not without much hesitation, that they should appear. It is felt that no disrespect is shown to the memory of Mr. Mill, when the publication is accompanied by so full an apology for the tone adopted towards him; and Mr. Mill himself would have been the last to wish for the suppression of opinions on the ground that they were in express antagonism to his own. The grave has now closed upon the assailant as well as the assailed. On the other hand, it cannot but be desirable that opinions which the author retained to the last, on important questions in politics and morals, should be before the public. Some of the poems now collected have already appeared in print; others are supplied by the recollection of friends. The first two are published on account of their having been composed in the author's childhood. In the poems, as well as in the prose works, will be occasionally found thoughts and expressions which have afterwards been adopted in later productions. No alteration whatever has been made from the form in which the author left the several articles, with the ex ception of some changes in punctuation, and the correction of one or two obvious misprints. London: June, 1860. T. F. E. CONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME. CONTRIBUTIONS TO KNIGHT'S QUARTERLY MAGAZINE. CRITICISMS ON THE PRINCIPAL ITALIAN WRITERS. No. I. DANTE. SOME ACCOUNT OF THE GREAT LAWSUIT BETWEEN THE PARISHES OF ST. DENNIS AND ST. GEORGE IN THE WATER. (April 1824.) 91 A CONVERSATION BETWEEN MR. ABRAHAM COWLEY AND MR. JOHN |