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is in parts a little more distinctly and palpably brought out. The endeavour has been to disperse any mists that appeared to lie on the pages, that the ideas might present themselves in as defined a form as the writer could give to any of them which had seemed obscure, and ineffective to their object, from indeterminate or involved enunciation. In the revised diction, as in the original writing, he has designedly and constantly avoided certain artificial forms of phraseology, much in conventional use among even good writers; and aimed at falling on the words most immediately, naturally, and simply appropriate to the thoughts.

If his book be of a quality to impart any useful instruction, he will hope that the benefit may be conveyed with perhaps a little more clearness and facility, in consequence of these last corrections it will receive from his hand.

January, 1830.

CONTENTS.

Affectionate interest with which we revert to our past life....It deserves a
brief record for our own use.... Very few things to be noted of the multitude
that have occurred....Direction and use of such a review as would be re-
quired for writing a Memoir....Importance of our past life considered as
the beginning of an endless duration of existence.... General deficiency of
self-observation....Oblivion of the greatest number of our past feelings....
Occasional glimpses of vivid recollection....Associations with things and
places....The different and unknown associations of different persons with
the same places

The influence of Religion counteracted by almost all other influences....
Pensive reflections on the imperfect manifestation of the Supreme Being...
on the inefficacy of the belief of such a being...on the strangeness of that
inefficacy...and on the debasement and infelicity consequent on it....Hap-
piness of a devout man

..........................

Self-knowledge being supposed the principa. object in writing the memoir,
the train of exterior fortunes and actions will claim but a subordinate
notice in it....If it were intended for the amusement of the public, the
writer would do well to fill it rather with incident and action.... Yet the
mere mental history of some men would be interesting to reflecting readers
...of a man, for example, of a speculative disposition, who has passed
through many changes of opinion.... Influences that warp opinion.... Effects
of time and experience on the notions and feelings cherished in early life.
... Feelings of a sensible old man on viewing a picture of his own mind,
drawn by himself when he was young.... Failure of excellent designs;
disappointment of sanguine hopes.... Degree of explicitness required in the
record....Conscience.... Impudence and canting false pretences of many
writers of confessions."... Rousseau

Brief inquiry into the constituents of this commanding quality....Physical
constitution....Possibility, nevertheless, of a firm mind in a feeble body....
Confidence in a man's own judgment.... This an uncommon distinction....
Picture of man who wants it....This confidence distinguished from
obstinacy.... Partly founded on experience.... Takes a high tone of inde-
pendence in devising schemes.... Distressing dilemmas

Formidable power of mischief which this high quality gives to bad men....
Care required to prevent its rendering good men unconciliating and over-
bearing....Independence and overruling manner in consultation....Lord
Chatham.... Decision of character not incompatible with sensibility and
mild manners....But probably the majority of the most eminent examples
of it deficient in the kinder affections....King of Prussia....Situations in
which it may be an absolute duty to act in opposition to the promptings of
those affections......

Circumstances tending to consolidate this Character....Opposition.... Desertion.
...Marius ...Satan.... Charles de Moor....Success has the same tendency....
Cæsar....Habit of associating with inferiors.... Voluntary means of forming
or conforming this character.... The acquisition of perfect knowledge in the
department in which we are to act.... The cultivation of a connected and
conclusive manner of reasoning....The resolute commencement of action,
in a manner to commit ourselves irretrievably.... Ledyard.... The choice of a
dignified order of concerns.... The approbation of conscience.... Yet melan-
choly to consider how many of the most distinguished possessors of the
quality have been wicked

One of the modes of this ascendency justly called Romantic, is, the unfounded
persuasion of something peculiar and extraordinary in a person's destiny
...This vain expectation may be relative to great talent and achievement,
or to great felicity.... Things ardently anticipated which not only cannot be
attained, but would be unadapted to the nature and condition of man if
they could....A person that hoped to out-do rather than imitate Gregory
Lopez, the hermit.... Absurd expectations of parents....Utopian anticipations
of philosophers....Practical absurdity of the age of chivalry.... The extrava-
gant and exclusive passion for what is grand

The epithet applicable to hopes and projects inconsistent with the known
relations between ends and means.... Reckoning on happy casualties....
Musing on instances of good luck.... Novels go more than half the length
of the older Romance in promoting this pernicious tendency of the mind.
...Specimen of what they do in this way....Fancy magnifies the sinallest

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