the miscellaneous writings and speeches-1-第2章

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to　the　truth　or　falsehood　of　the　result　at　which　Mr　Mill　had　arrived；　but　as　to　the　soundness　or　unsoundness　of　the　method　which　he　pursued；　a　misunderstanding　at　which　Macaulay；　while　he　supposed　the　article　to　be　the　work　of　Mr　Bentham；　expressed　much　surprise。　　The　controversy　soon　became　principally　a　dispute　as　to　the　theory　which　was　commonly　known　by　the　name　of　The　Greatest　Happiness　Principle。　　Another　article　in　the　Westminster　Review　followed；　and　a　surrejoinder　by　Macaulay　in　the　Edinburgh　Review　of　October；　1829。　　Macaulay　was　irritated　at　what　he　conceived　to　be　either　extreme　dullness　or　gross　unfairness　on　the　part　of　his　unknown　antagonist；　and　struck　as　hard　as　he　could；　and　he　struck　very　hard　indeed。

The　ethical　question　thus　raised　was　afterwards　discussed　by　Sir　James　Mackintosh；　in　the　Dissertation　contributed　by　him　to　the　seventh　edition　of　the　Encyclopaedia　Britannica；　page　284…313　（Whewell's　Edition）。　　Sir　James　Mackintosh　notices　the　part　taken　in　the　controversy　by　Macaulay；　in　the　following　words：　　〃A　writer　of　consummate　ability；　who　has　failed　in　little　but　the　respect　due　to　the　abilities　and　character　of　his　opponents；　has　given　too　much　countenance　to　the　abuse　and　confusion　of　language　exemplified　in　the　well…known　verse　of　Pope；

'Modes　of　self…love　the　Passions　we　may　call。'

'We　know；'　says　he；　'no　universal　proposition　respecting　human　nature　which　is　true　but　onethat　men　always　act　from　self…　interest。'〃　　〃It　is　manifest　from　the　sequel；　that　the　writer　is　not　the　dupe　of　the　confusion；　but　many　of　his　readers　may　be　so。　If；　indeed；　the　word　〃self…interest〃　could　with　propriety　be　used　for　the　gratification　of　every　prevalent　desire；　he　has　clearly　shown　that　this　change　in　the　signification　of　terms　would　be　of　no　advantage　to　the　doctrine　which　he　controverts。　　It　would　make　as　many　sorts　of　self…interest　as　there　are　appetites；　and　it　is　irreconcilably　at　variance　with　the　system　of　association　proposed　by　Mr　Mill。〃　　〃The　admirable　writer　whose　language　has　occasioned　this　illustration；　who　at　an　early　age　has　mastered　every　species　of　composition；　will　doubtless　hold　fast　to　simplicity；　which　survives　all　the　fashions　of　deviation　from　it；　and　which　a　man　of　genius　so　fertile　has　few　temptations　to　for　sake。〃

When　Macaulay　selected　for　publication　certain　articles　of　the　Edinburgh　Review；　he　resolved　not　to　publish　any　of　the　three　essays　in　question；　for　which　he　assigned　the　following　reason：

〃The　author　has　been　strongly　urged　to　insert　three　papers　on　the　Utilitarian　Philosophy；　which；　when　they　first　appeared；　attracted　some　notice；　but　which　are　not　in　the　American　editions。　　He　has　however　determined　to　omit　these　papers；　not　because　he　is　disposed　to　retract　a　single　doctrine　which　they　contain；　but　because　he　is　unwilling　to　offer　what　might　be　regarded　as　an　affront　to　the　memory　of　one　from　whose　opinions　he　still　widely　dissents；　but　to　whose　talents　and　virtues　he　admits　that　he　formerly　did　not　do　justice。　　Serious　as　are　the　faults　of　the　Essay　on　Government；　a　critic；　while　noticing　those　faults；　should　have　abstained　from　using　contemptuous　language　respecting　the　historian　of　British　India。　　It　ought　to　be　known　that　Mr　Mill　had　the　generosity；　not　only　to　forgive；　but　to　forget　the　unbecoming　acrimony　with　which　he　had　been　assailed；　and　was；　when　his　valuable　life　closed；　on　terms　of　cordial　friendship　with　his　assailant。〃

Under　these　circumstances；　considerable　doubt　has　been　felt　as　to　the　propriety　of　republishing　the　three　Essays　in　the　present　collection。　　But　it　has　been　determined；　not　without　much　hesitation；　that　they　should　appear。　　It　is　felt　that　no　disrespect　is　shown　to　the　memory　of　Mr　Mill；　when　the　publication　is　accompanied　by　so　full　an　apology　for　the　tone　adopted　towards　him；　and　Mr　Mill　himself　would　have　been　the　last　to　wish　for　the　suppression　of　opinions　on　the　ground　that　they　were　in　express　antagonism　to　his　own。　　The　grave　has　now　closed　upon　the　assailant　as　well　as　the　assailed。　　On　the　other　hand；　it　cannot　but　be　desirable　that　opinions　which　the　author　retained　to　the　last；　on　important　questions　in　politics　and　morals；　should　be　before　the　public。

Some　of　the　poems　now　collected　have　already　appeared　in　print；　others　are　supplied　by　the　recollection　of　friends。　　The　first　two　are　published　on　account　of　their　having　been　composed　in　the　author's　childhood。　　In　the　poems；　as　well　as　in　the　prose　works；　will　be　occasionally　found　thoughts　and　expressions　which　have　afterwards　been　adopted　in　later　productions。

No　alteration　whatever　has　been　made　from　the　form　in　which　the　author　left　the　several　articles；　with　the　exception　of　some　changes　in　punctuation；　and　the　correction　of　one　or　two　obvious　misprints。

T。F。E。　London；　June　1860。



CONTENTS。


CONTRIBUTIONS　TO　KNIGHT'S　QUARTERLY　MAGAZINE。

Fragments　of　a　Roman　Tale。　　（June　1823。）

On　the　Royal　Society　of　Literature。　　（June　1823。）

Scenes　from　〃Athenian　Revels。〃　　（January　1824。）

Criticisms　on　the　Principal　Italian　Writers。　　No。　I。　Dante。　（January　1824。）

Criticisms　on　the　Principal　Italian　Writers。　　No。　II。　Petrarch。　（April　1824。）

Some　account　of　the　Great　Lawsuit　between　the　Parishes　of　St　Dennis　and　St　George　in　the　Water。　　（April　1824。）

A　Conversation　between　Mr　Abraham　Cowley　and　Mr　John　Milton；　touching　the　Great　Civil　War。　　（August　1824。）

On　the　Athenian　Orators。　　（August　1824。）

A　Prophetic　Account　of　a　Grand　National　Epic　Poem；　to　be　entitled　〃The　Wellingtoniad；〃　and　to　be　Published　A。D。　2824。　　（November　1824。）

On　Mitford's　History　of　Greece。　　（November　1824。）




MISCELLANEOUS　WRITINGS　OF　LORD　MACAULAY。


CONTRIBUTIONS　TO　KNIGHT'S　QUARTERLY　MAGAZINE。


FRAGMENTS　OF　A　ROMAN　TALE。

（June　1823。）


It　was　an　hour　after　noon。　　Ligarius　was　returning　from　the　Campus　Martius。　　He　strolled　through　one　of　the　streets　which　led　to　the　Forum；　settling　his　gown；　and　calculating　the　odds　on　the　gladiators　who　were　to　fence　at　the　approaching　Saturnalia。　While　thus　occupied；　he　overtook　Flaminius；　who；　with　a　heavy　step　and　a　melancholy　face；　was　sauntering　in　the　same　direction。　The　light…hearted　young　man　plucked　him　by　the　sleeve。

〃Good…day；　Flaminius。　　Are　you　to　be　of　Catiline's　party　this　evening？〃

〃Not　I。〃

〃Why　so？　　Your　little　Tarentine　girl　will　break　her　heart。〃

〃No　matter。　　Catiline　has　the　best　cooks　and　the　finest　wine　in　Rome。　　There　are　charming　women　at　his　parties。　　But　the　twelve…　line　board　and　the　dice…box　pay　for　all。　　The　Gods　confound　me　if　I　did　not　lose　two　millions　of　sesterces　last　night。　　My　villa　at　Tibur；　and　all　the　statues　that　my　father　the　praetor　brought　from　Ephesus；　must　go　to　the　auctioneer。　　That　is　a　high　price；　you　will　acknowledge；　even　for　Phoenicopters；　Chian；　and　Callinice。〃

〃High　indeed；　by　Pollux。〃

〃And　that　is　not　the　worst。　　I　saw　several　of　the　leading　senators　this　morning。　　Strange　things　are　whispered　in　the　higher　political　circles。〃

〃The　Gods　confound　the　political　circles。　　I　have　hated　the　name　of　politician　ever　since　Sylla's　proscription；　when　I　was　within　a　moment　of　having　my　throat　cut　by　a　politician；　who　took　me　for　another　politician。　　While　there　is　a　cask　of　Falernian　in　Campania；　or　a　girl　in　the　Suburra；　I　shall　be　too　well　employed　to　think　on　the　subject。〃

〃You　will　do　well；〃　said　Flaminius　gravely；　〃to　bestow　some　little　consideration　upon　it　at　present。　　Otherwise；　I　fear；　you　will　soon　renew　your　acquaintance　with　politicians；　in　a　manner　quite　as　unpleasant　as　that　to　which　you　allude。〃

〃Averting　Gods！　what　do　you　mean？〃

〃I　will　tell　you。　　There　are　rumours　of　conspiracy。　　The　order　of　things　established　by　Lucius　Sylla　has　excited　the　disgust　of　the　people；　and　of　a　large　party　of　the　nobles。　　Some　violent　convulsion　is　expected。〃

〃What　is　that　to　me？　　I　suppose　that　they　will　hardly　proscribe　the　vintners　and　gladiators；　or　pass　a　law　compelling　every　citizen　to　take　a　wife。〃

〃You　do　not　understand。　　Catiline　is　supposed　to　be　the　author　of　the　revolutionary　schemes。　　You　must　have　heard　bold　opinions　at　his　table　repeatedly。〃

〃I　never　listen　to　any　opinions　upon　such　subjects；　bold　or　timid。〃

〃Look　t