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 L-What is pleasant when recalled is often weari- some when acted-Love-The influence of Custom on the connubial state 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 darkening the next 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. Page 151 162 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. 174 The history of L-continued in his intellectual pursuits-Helvetius 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- 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 Page 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 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 |