Historical Essays Vol 3 Classic Reprint

Author : Thomas Babington Macaulay
Publisher : Forgotten Books
ISBN 13 : 9781334931536
Total Pages : 834 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (315 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Critical, Historical, and Miscellaneous Essays and Poems, Vol. 3 (Classic Reprint) written by Thomas Babington Macaulay and published by Forgotten Books. This book was released on 2017-01-08 with total page 834 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Excerpt from Critical, Historical, and Miscellaneous Essays and Poems, Vol. 3 Nor are the immunities of sex the only immunities which Miss Aikin may rightfully plead. Several of her works, and especially the very pleasing Memoirs of the Reign of James the First, have fully entitled her to the privileges enjoyed by good writers. One of those privileges we hold to be this, that such writers, when, either from the unlucky choice of a subject, or from the indolence too often produced by success, they happen to fail, shall not be subjected to the severe dis cipline which it is sometimes necessary to in ict upon dunces and impostors, but shall merel be reminded by a gentle touch, like that with which the Laputan apper roused his dreaming lord, that it is high time to wake. Our readers will probably infer from what we have said that Miss Aikin's book has disappointed us. The truth is, that she is not well acquainted with her subject. N 0 per son who is not familiar with the political and literary history Of England during the reigns Of William the Third, Of Anne, and of George the First, can possibly write a good life of Addison. Now, we mean no reproach to Miss Aikin, and many will think that we pay her a compliment, when we say that her studies have taken a difierent direction. She is better acquainted with Shakspeare and Raleigh, than with Congreve and Prior; and is far more at home among the ruffs and peaked beards of Theobald's than among the Steen kirks and owing periwigs which surrounded Queen Anne's tea table at Hampton. She seems to have written about the Elizabethan age, because she had read much about it; she seems, on the other hand, to have read a little about the age of Addison, because she had determined to write about it. The consequence is that she has had to describe men and things without having either a correct or a vivid idea of them, and that she has Often fallen into errors of a very serious kind. The reputation which Miss Aikin has justly earned stands so high, and the charm of Addison's letters is so great, that a second edition of this work may probably be required. If so, we hope that every paragraph will be revised, and that every date and fact about which there can be the smallest doubt will be carefully verified. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works."