St. Lucia, Dec. 1850.
_Coleridge's Opinion of Defoe._--Wilson, in his _Memoirs of the life and
Times of Defoe_, vol. ii. p. 205., having quoted the opinion of the Editor
of Cadell's edition of _Robinson Crusoe_,--"that Defoe wanted many of those
qualities, both of mind and manner, which fitted Steele and Addison to be
the inimitable _arbitri elegantiarum_ of English society, there can be no
doubt,"--Coleridge wrote in the margin of his copy, "I doubt this,
particularly in respect to Addison, and think I could select from Defoe's
writings a volume equal in size to Addison's collected papers, little
inferior in wit and humour, and greatly superior in vigor of style and
thought."
Ts.
_Miller's "Philosophy of Modern History."_--In the memoir, chiefly
autobiographical, prefixed to the last edition (published by Mr. Bohn,
1848-9) of this most able and interesting work, we find the following
words, p. xxxv.:
"In the preceding period of my lecturing, I collected a moderate
audience [seldom exceeding ten persons] in the Law School [his friend,
Alexander Knox, being always one], sufficient to encourage me, or at
least to permit me, to persevere, but not to animate my exertions by
publicity. But as I was approaching the sixteenth century, the number
of my hearers {137} increased so much, that I was encouraged to remove
to the Examination Hall, from which time my lectures attracted a large
portion of public attention, strangers forming a considerable portion
of the auditory."
It is worthy of remark, in connexion with this production of a
highly-gifted scholar and divine, whose name does honour to Trinity
College, Dublin, that Dr. Sullivan's _Lectures on the Constitution and Laws
of England_, which have since deservedly acquired so much fame, were
delivered in presence of only _three_ individuals, Dr. Michael Kearney and
two others--surely no great encouragement to Irish genius! In fact, the
Irish long seemed unconscious of the merits of two considerable works by
sons of their own university,--Hamilton's _Conic Sections_ and Sullivan's
_Lectures_; and hesitated to praise, until the incense of fame arose to one
from the literary altars of Cambridge, and an English judge, Sir William
Blackstone, authorised the other.
In the memoir to which I have referred, we find a complete list of the many
publications which Dr. Miller, "distinguished for his services in theology
and literature," sent forth from the press. We are likewise informed that
there are some unpublished letters from Hannah More, Alexander Knox, and
other distinguished characters, with whom Dr. Miller was in the habit of
corresponding.