NOTES. "At half-past seven o'clock in the evening a lark rose." Page 20. Poets have arbitrarily associated the lark's song with the dawn of day. "The morning lark :" "the herald of the morn," said Shakspere; Milton has no other idea. Its even-song, however, has a charm of its own. Shelley's was a splendid poetic innovation. He was inspired by the song of the lark when wandering on a beautiful evening among the myrtle-hedged lanes near Leghorn. "Natura-about to be born." Page 27. The expression "delicate future tense," is Emerson's. It is in one of Coleridge's fine passages that the original of the thought Occurs. The glory of the word, however, has been remarked by some of Nature's favoured explorers-Humbolt and Carus, amongst others. "The previous manner of Quotation." Page 41. This refers to a former volume, in which I used the same method, when writing on Business, as well as the characters of Arcangelo and Onocrotalos. "A Joy Above all Joys, that seems another morn These lines are so appropriate as a motto that I have withdrawn them from the instances of lusty, benignant theft. "Alterations where they give a tone to the piece." Page 144. I here note but the general fact, and not instances which a little more leisure could have supplied. I have, also, omitted a recital of the Sympathetic Thoughts which resulted in their application to an epitome of Life, (page 130); namely, Thoughts expressed by Wordsworth, and existing in the Bhagavad-Gita, in Montaigne, Seneca, Jeremy Taylor-which led to a recognition of Sympathies with other sources of Thought, in some of the writings referred to -and then to the action of the method in regard to Shakspere, when on a visit to Stratford-on-Avon,-resolving itself, finally, into the classification mentioned above. "Hamlet... the first and second editions." Page 145. Here, I have omitted a demonstration of Shakspere's care in revision as shewn in this play; also, at page 169, an argument based on Hazlitt's remarks respecting Chatterton. "The Poetry of Youth." Pages 179 and 188. A brief example of some of the merits of Night and the Soul, and several instances of poetic beauty from David Gray's poems, I have judged it expedient to withdraw, as they might have given undue length to the chapter. Such condensation has, also, been made in the whole of the chapter "Outer Life," in the third book. "Hero-worship and Christianity." Pages 206 and 400. Carlyle as a scholar and countryman, studied Hume; and one thing he has taken from him-this phrase "Hero-worship,"-which he has identified with his name. Lytton, one possessing a fine perception, as well as many other high qualities of use to culture, marked that "Knowledge is power," was no such language as Bacon could have used, must have been the coinage of an index-maker. Hume for needful guidance, although the phrase is not in his text, gives "Hero-worship" in the heading of Section V. of his Essay on The Natural History of Religion. Carlyle on such hint writing, has carried the phrase to its utmost limits. "Hero-worship' ... is not that the germ of Christianity itself?" It might be somewhat profitable to judge Carlyle by what he has said of Hume. "Hunt's ... letters.” Page 214. Well, I find but two-surely, there must have been more—yet, in these two there is sufficient to illustrate the text. "Hammersmith, Nov. 8th (1853-) "Dear Sir, "You have judged rightly respecting my time and its occupation, and must add illness to the other causes which hinder me from writing as largely or as quickly as I would to all my correspondents. . I would advise you to rest your chief expectations on the business to which you are engaged, studying poetry, if you will, at your leisure hours, and cultivating at all times all good and graceful aspirations consistent with the performance of Duty. Meantime, I thank you much for your kind expressions. "Your sincere well-wisher, . "LEIGH HUNT." "Hammersmith, Nov. 10th. "My dear Sir, "The letter which you have been so good as to write to me, pleases me very much, and I heartily thank you for it. "I have just the feelings that you would desire me to have respecting the starry close of life, and its 'whisperings from another world.' They are my daily solace. "I give you an old man's blessing; and hope you will not scruple to apply to me on any occasion, on which you think I may do you good; for I am truly and "affectionately yours, "LEIGH HUNT." "In many ways I need mankind's respect, &c." Page 244. This motto will make it obvious, that I purposed giving instances of Hazlitt's style, his reading, his attachments to special productions of art and to certain eminences in his own life. Consideration for the due proportions of the paper has prevented my doing this. "Other founts." Page 283. Men will not think good of an enemy: they, also, do not think good of truths to which their hearts have not given reception. The truths of Wordsworth are unheeded by thousands of sagacious minds of this generation others, again, only give attention to them when coming from Wordsworth, or some favourite organ. These latter, are deaf to any ancient preaching of the truths; they will insist upon a source of inspiration near and expedient,-as, for instance Rousseau,-who was a natural worshipper, but no spiritual interpreter of Nature. Wordsworth does not seem to have been aware whence the truths came which he sang. Clearly they are from the spiritual exponents of the Word, whom some men name mystics, and then pass on as if they had settled a troublesome matter by giving it a name. Wordsworth is a singer, not of new truths, but of poetic teachings on old truths. These go back to the rising sun, they seek the Roof of the World. Allegiance to truth is as hard to find as perfect love. "The illustrations in these notes." Page 302. For the sake of ready reference, in the case of Life and Religion, I have given the notes in immediate connexion with the text. "The Heavens... appear as earth spiritualised." Page 302. There is a wide gulf between the meaning of these words and those on page 286. In the latter place, the argument is from Feuerbach, when he boasts of exalting anthropology into theology; with him, heaven is nothing but earth contemplated through the imagination. Swedenborg would have said that this was thinking from "natural light" which cannot understand things which exist from the Spiritual Sun-that similar objects exist in both worlds, but they differ in essence-which, indeed, cannot understand that there can be two worlds. "The economy of Heaven." Page 309. St. Augustine dwelt upon this truth. "Where is that Heaven of Heavens, O Lord, which we hear of in the words of the Psalm ? That Heaven of Heavens, to which the Heaven of our earth is but earth.” And, again, in his Confessions; Book XII. Milton, without doubt, as is evident in many incidental passages both in his prose and poetry, had a perception of the spiritual, through the Fathers of the Church; the materialistic necessities of the Epic made him transgress. Materialism presents clearer views of the force of evil-Satan-than of the spiritual and divine. Nevertheless, he failed not to prophesy of states in Heaven. "Into the Heaven of Heavens, I have presumed." "Intermediate State." Page 309. Certainly, the rational mind cannot agree with any other view than that evil results from man's own weakness, and the imperfect condition of things generated by fellow-beings that Evil is a permission not an ordination of Providence: and that this order must rule before Heaven is attained. See page 327, as to the world of spirits, and page 337, as to Evil. Thus much, to anticipate Schlegel's remarks on the beneficence of suffering, as existing in the Intermediate State. "None of the sufferings of the free being, on either side of the grave, are unprofitable and without a motive. They all serve, either in this preparatory state of earthly existence, for probation, for discipline, or for confirmation, or else after it for the perfect healing of the soul, and its purification from all the remaining dross and taints of earth.” "Love. Its source is in the Heaven of Heavens." Page 321. To the notes I might have added that line from the Great Minstrel of the Border:-" Love is Heaven, and Heaven is Love." "Deity.. can certainly clothe His own pure Spirit." Page 323. Had I not had my own Apocalyptic Moment, which revealed to me beyond the reach of Reason, that this were probable, I should no less give it the consent of my Judgment. This "Man . . in communication with Angels. Page 337. Hermas wrote that,-"There are two Angels with man; one of righteousness, the other of iniquity."-Swedenborg's assertions must not be classed with many of the theories respecting Angels, which have frequently led to most fantastical conclusions. Such is the doctrine of Cardinal Newman, referred to by himself thirty-four years after he made the statement, that even in "a pebble," some powerful being was hidden, giving it "beauty, grace, and perfection, as being God's instrument for that purpose.' might have been the result of a poet's fancy applied to a remark of the versatile Bayle, on Lucretius, when incidentally speaking of the whole Universe being animated,-"On this supposition, plants and stones would be thinking substances."-At the same time, angelic theories may be held in sincerity, and afford some satisfaction in contemplating things as ruled by Divine Intelligence and Order. Let us deny to none, the consolation and the elevation of mind that devotion and unadulterated Imagination may afford. "I leave them all (novels) of which the last read is ever the best." Page 420. It were shameless disloyalty towards the Sovereignty of Books, not to say, that in regard to each name mentioned I have memories and feelings which are not even indicated here. As for instance, Victor Hugo,-who is more than a tribune in the republic of letters. Has he not by many a brilliant coup d'état maintained imperial possession of a noble territory in the domain of fiction?-But, there must be a proportion observed in notes, as well as in text. "These outline-notes after ten years slumber." Page 437The period spoken of does not refer to the date of this volume, but to the time when the notes were transcribed. The same remark applies to the words on page 451,-“I write these words by the Bothnic main." "Sworn am I to Pleasure." Page 64. As a last word I would clench the resolution with the authority of St. Augustine. (1). "All have one end, which they strive to attain, namely, Joy,"-as Pope has versified. (2). "The Pleasures of human Life men acquire by difficulties,”—which recalls two of Marvel's finest lines. (3). "When many joy together, each, also, has more exuberant Joy; for that they are kindled and inflamed one by the other,"-confirming the words of Fuller given on page INDEX. Accuracy of fact, neglect of it illustrated Angels, 302; man's consociation with, Animal creation, sympathy with,-culti- Apostles' Creed, the, 413. Apostolo-energy of conscience, 163. Aptitude, the faculty of Fancy in Busi- Art of Life, the, 279; 328. Assimilation of Ideas and Characters by Beautiful things are never lost, 24; 35. Bees in the Garden, 20. Behmen, 84; 108; 109; 138; 163; 301; Belief, essential to Life and Religion, Bible, the, requires more than exposition, Books, ethereal delights in, 81; what |