Critical and Historical Essays. Volume 3

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Томас Бабингтон Маколей. Critical and Historical Essays. Volume 3

RANKE'S HISTORY OF THE POPES1

LEIGH HUNT'S COMIC DRAMATISTS OF THE RESTORATION2

LORD HOLLAND4

WARREN HASTINGS5

FREDERIC THE GREAT6

DIARY AND LETTERS OF MADAME D'ARBLAY7

THE LIFE AND WRITINGS OF ADDISON9

BARÈRE14

THE EARL OF CHATHAM21

INDEX TO THE ESSAYS

Отрывок из книги

We have a kindness for Mr. Leigh Hunt. We form our judgment of him, indeed, only from events of universal notoriety, from his own works, and from the works of other writers, who have generally abused him in the most rancorous manner. But unless we are greatly mistaken, he is a very clever, a very honest, and a very good-natured man. We can clearly discern, together with many merits, many faults both in his writings and in his conduct. But we really think that there is hardly a man living whose merits have been so grudgingly allowed, and whose faults have been so cruelly expiated.

In some respects Mr. Leigh Hunt is excellently qualified for the task which he has now undertaken. His style, in spite of its mannerism, nay, partly by reason of its mannerism, is well suited for light, garrulous, desultory ana, half critical, half biographical. We do not always agree with his literary judgments; but we find in him what is very rare in our time, the power of justly appreciating and heartily enjoying good things of very different kinds. He can adore Shakespeare and Spenser without denying poetical genius to the author of Alexander's Feast, or fine observation, rich fancy, and exquisite humor to him who imagined Will Honeycomb and Sir Roger de Coverley. He has paid particular attention to the history of the English drama, from the age of Elizabeth down to our own time, and has every right to be heard with respect on that subject.

.....

At length a writer had arisen who, just emerging from boyhood, had surpassed the authors of the Knight of the Burning Pestle and of the Silent Woman, and who had only one rival left to contend with:—

Some lines near the end of the poem are singularly graceful and touching, and sank deep into the heart of Congreve:—

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