ΤΟ THE REVEREND SYDNEY SMITH, THE ORIGINAL PROJECTOR OF THE EDINBURGH REVIEW, LONG ITS BRIGHTEST ORNAMENT, AND ALWAYS MY TRUE AND INDULGENT FRIEND, I now Dedicate this Republication; FROM LOVE OF OLD RECOLLECTIONS, AND IN TOKEN OF UNCHANGED AFFECTION AND ESTEEM. F. JEFFREY. FROM THE NEW YORK EVENING MIRROR. "The true Jeffrey whom we meet with in these volumes, presents a character somewhat of this sort:"He was formed undoubtedly to be the first critic of the age and of poetry, he was probably the best judge that ever lived. An intellect of the highest capacity and of a very rare order of completeness,-educated by a perfect acquaintance with the best systems of metaphysical philosophy,—is, in him, pervaded and informed by those moral perceptions which indeed form so invariable an adjunct of the highest kind of great understandings, that they ought perhaps to be treated as merely the loftiest sort of mental qualities. His perception of truth is almost an instinct, and his love of it truly conscientious. His objects, in taking up any work or subject, are to appreciate and to judge; his searching and sensitive intelligence makes him sure of the former, and the soundness of his views fits him for the other. His temper is admirable. He seems to have no prepossessions—to be free from all vanity and jealousy-to possess a tone of impartiality and generous candour, almost cavalier in its loftiness. He has not a particle of cant, none of the formality or pretension of professional style; but on the contrary, writes thoroughly like a gentleman, and with the air of perfect breeding. He inspires you with entire confidence and a cordial liking. All his own displays are in the truest good taste-simple, easy, natural, without ambition or effort. He has the powers, the morals, and the manners of the best style of writing. There are, however, but two persons who stand so prominently before the world, that they deserve to be set for comparison with Jeffrey: they, of course are Carlyle and Macauley. We should distinguish them by saying that Macauley 13 a good reviewer, but a sorry critic; Carlyle an admirable critic, but a miserable reviewer; while we look on Jeffrey as being at once the best critic and the best reviewer of the age. "We must content ourselves with this brief note tending to propitiate the regard of the reader, in advance, for the Lord Jeffrey; for our limits forbid extracts. Else, we could show a specimen of the most exquisite beauty in composition, and of the noblest eloquence, that the literature of any age can furnish. But the strength of Jeffrey does not lie in a paragraph, and sentences; but in the vigour, soundness and candour of the whole criticism." STEREOTYPED BY J. C. D. CHRISTMAN & CO. C. SHERMAN & CO., PRINTERS. PREFACE. of No reasonable man, I suppose, could contemplate without alarm, a project for reprinting, with his name, a long series of miscellaneous papers-written hastily, in the intervals graver occupations, and published anonymously, during the long course of Forty preceding years!-especially if, before such a suggestion was made, he had come to be placed in a Situation which made any recurrence to past indiscretions, or rash judgments, peculiarly unbecoming. I expect therefore to be very readily believed, when I say that the project of this publication did not originate, and never would have originated with me: And that I have been induced to consent to it, only after great hesitation; and not without misgivingswhich have not yet been entirely got over. The true account of the matter is this. The papers in question are the lawful property, and substantially at the disposal, of the publishers of the Edinburgh Review: And they, having conceived an opinion that such a publication would be for their advantage, expressed a strong desire that I should allow it to go out with the sanction of my name, and the benefit of such suggestions as I might be disposed to offer for its improvement: and having, in the end, most liberally agreed that I should have the sole power both of determining to what extent it should be carried, and also of selecting the materials of which it should be composed, I was at last persuaded to agree to the proposition: and this the more readily, in consequence of intimation having been received of a similar publication being in contemplation in the United States of America ;*. over which, of course, I could not, under any arrangements, expect to exercise the same efficient control. With all this, however, I still feel that I am exposed to the imputation, not only of great presumption, in supposing that any of these old things could be worth reprinting, but of a more serious Impropriety, in thus openly acknowledging, and giving a voluntary sanction to the republication (of some at least) of the following pieces: And I am far from being sure that there may not be just grounds for such an imputation. In palliation of the offence, however-if such offence shall be taken-I would beg leave humbly to state, First, that what I now venture to reprint, is but a small part-less I believe than a third, of what I actually contributed to the Review; and, Secondly, that I have honestly endeavoured to select from that great mass-not those articles which I might think most likely still to attract notice, by boldness of view, severity of remark, or vivacity of expression-but those, much rather, which, by enforcing what appeared to me just principles and useful opinions, I really thought had a tendency to make men happier and better. I am quite aware of the arrogance which may be ascribed to this statement-and even of the ridicule which may attach to it. Nevertheless, it is the only apology which I now wish to make or could seriously think of making, for the present publication: And if it should be thought utterly to fail me, I shall certainly feel that I have been betrayed into an act, not of imprudence merely, but of great impropriety. I trust, however, that I shall not be driven back on so painful a conviction. The Edinburgh Review, it is well known, aimed high from the beginning:-And, refusing to confine itself to the humble task of pronouncing on the mere literary merits of the works that came before it, professed to go deeply into the Principles on which its judgments were to be rested; as well as to take large and Ŏriginal views of all the important questions to which those works might relate. And, on the whole, I think it is now pretty generally admitted that it attained the end it aimed at. Many errors there were, of course-and some considerable blunders :-abundance of indiscretions, especially in the earlier numbers; and far too many excesses, both of party zeal, overweening confidence, and intemperate blame. But with all these drawbacks, I think it must be allowed to have substantially succeeded— in familiarising the public mind (that is, the minds of very many individuals) with higher Carey & Hart, Philadelphia, announced that a selection would be made from the Edinburgh Review, at the time they first published a selection of Mr. Macauley's "Critical Miscellanies," and wrote to a friend of Lord Jeffrey, soliciting a list of that writer's articles. The publishers of the Review afterwards concluded to print these "Contributions," and at the author's request, forwarded a copy of the work to C. & H., from which the present edition is printed, verbatim, without abridgment. (American Publishers.) A 2 V |