Philosophical essays; to which are subjoined, copious notes, critical and explanatory, and a supplementary narrative; with an appendix

Front matter

19k BBS Ni

Class J^ 1-^

Book^<£ H^ P5.

Contents

Preface, ------- iii

Introduction, ------ x i

Essay I. — On the Study of Mathematical Science, - - 9 Essay II. — On the Nature, Extent, and Limits of Human

Preface

NEARLY seven years have elapsed, since the Author of the contents of this volume, undertook a literary enterprise, of no ordinary magnitude and difficulty.

In the prosecution of his design, he arrived a few months ago, at a stage somewhat critical: Farther success became worthless, or hopeless; without the acquisition of permanent and extended celebrity, as a philosophical writer.

The views and motives, by which he was induced to undertake the execution of this enterprise, and the circumstances which brought him, (somewhat abruptly,) to the stage to which he now adverts; are fully explained and detailed in a Supplementary Narrative.

He could not stand still: He would not recede, and therefore must go on.

Whether that share of permanent and extended celebrity, which is essential to further success in the execution of this enterprise, be or be not, within his reach; will be determined by the reception of the volume, now offered to the public.

Far from auguring a favourable reception as an author, from his success as a declaimer; he is fully aware, that this very success, is on several accounts unpropitious to tht

a iv PREFACE.

completion of the aspiring hopes, which he would gladly indulge.

The eclat of popular declamation, on the Rostrum, depends upon so many circumstances wholly independent of superior capacity or cultivation; so many circumstances perfectly contemptible in the view of generous ambition; so many circumstances, compatible with mental imbecility, and even with depravity, in the characters of those who may obtain this eclat; that it would be difficult, even to imagine, a more equivocal or shallow evidence of personal merit, value, or virtue, than, (taken singly,) such success exhibits.

Any thing, how superficial and sophistical soever in substance; however faulty, tumid, or meretricious in its style, if delivered with a certain degree of animation, energy, and grace; will often not only escape censure, but even extort a plaudit, from a miscellaneous audience.

It ought to be recollected too, that the attempt, (in the incipient stages of the enterprise which he has undertaken,) to exhibit specimens of luminous analysis, or philosophical reasoning, on the Rostrum; would not only have been preposterous, but a whimsical kind of suicide.

Any public speaker, however gifted by nature, or graced by culture, with the natural and acquired powers of oratory, who may make this attempt, in the early stages of such an enterprise; may begin by addressing a very numerous and fashionable audience, but will assuredly close his oration, if he speaks three-quarters of an hour, in the presence of a very select one.

PREFACE. v

It would indeed be difficult to devise a more effectual process, for getting rid of all the admiring spectators and delighted auditors of popular declamation: of all the listless listeners, and yawning lookers on, who assemble to hearken " arrectis auribus," to Stentorian declaimers; clap, shout, stare and wonder at dextrous, or ambidextral gesticulators and graceful attitudinarians.

As a " caveat" against misconception, the author again intimates; that these remarks have relation only to the incipient and retrospective stages, incident to the prosecution of the design, which he has undertaken.

A more enlarged view of the prospective dignity, grandeur, and usefulness of the oratory of the Rostrum, will be afterwards presented.

He charges no intelligent person, therefore, with illiberally or injustice, who refused him any portion of his admiration or respect, on the score of his success as a declaimer; or who, viewing his pretensions merely in that light, may have been disposed to regard, and even brand him, as a literary empiric and adventurer.

In his first efforts to execute this enterprise, it became in some measure unavoidable, that he should assume this character, and that he should appear in this character exclusively, to the view of a great majority of the intelligent persons to whom, (from the essential publicity of his exhibitions,) his name and pursuit became casually known.

To have for years submitted patiently, (or as patiently as he could,) to the abhorred suspicions and misconceptions, which this character necessarily and justly draws

Vi PREFACE.

along with it; is not the least painful or costly sacrifice, which he has made, with a view to the ultimate success of an enterprise, as disinterested in its purpose, as grand and noble in its objects, as any that has ever awakened the aspirations of philanthropy and generous ambition.

He has at length, however, arrived at a stage in the prosecution of his design, (and he is proud and happy that he has lived to reach a stage,) which calls for other and higher qualifications and accomplishments, than those of a popular declaimer: And although at this stage, his self-love may be mortified, and his presumption punished, by a public exhibition of his deficiency in these qualifications and accomplishments; an opportunity is nevertheless afforded him, to vindicate the disinterestedness of his purpose, and to exhibit the dignity and usefulness of his pursuit, in a light so clear and conspicuous; as to make misconception impossible, misrepresentation impotent, and to strike disparagement and detraction dumb.

Such are the views and motives, and such is the tone of feeling, with which the contents of this volume, have been prepared for the press.

In selecting the subjects of the following Essays; in discussing the subtle and interesting questions which are involved in these subjects; in writing the copious and numerous notes which are annexed, and the singular narrative which is subjoined to these Essays; in a word, — from the first page of this volume to the last, these motives and views, and this tone of feeling; have never been, even for a moment, overlooked, postponed, or suspended.

PREFACE. vii

It will, he trusts, be admitted, that the subjects are fairly chosen; that they are subjects in the highest degree interesting and important, and fitted to exercise the ingenuity, and task the strength of the most penetrated and cultivated intellect: In attempting to analyse and illustrate these subjects; no elegance of diction, no splendour of declamation, no artifice of rhetoric, no sophistical dexterity, (if the attempt be made through the medium of the press,) can, in an age like this, veil superficial thinking, or protect elementary error, from certain and speedy detection; from ignominious and public exposure.

In the progress of his attempt to analyse and illustrate these subjects, the Author has evaded the investigation of no question, which they fairly involve; turned his back upon no adversary, however formidable or authoritative: declined no contest, or controversy, however difficult or delicate.

If he has occasionally descended to verbal criticism, or to the discussion of questions comparatively frivolous; it has been, because he could not meet his adversary on more elevated ground; because his rank and authority in the Republic of letters, gave a factitious importance to his dicta and decisions; or because his dicta and decisions, disparage the FAME of bards, whose fame, every living admirer of poetry, is inviolably bound to vindicate, and whose wrongs he has sworn by " nature and nature's God," to avenge.

In an age like this, and in this country, in the composition of Philosophical Essays; to extend indulgence, grant mercy, or even to give quarter, to what the Author conviii PREFACE.

scientiously believes to be ERROR, is base; to ask for indulgence, mercy or even quarter, is pusillanimous; to indulge a hope, or harbour an expectation, that he can claim or obtain any thing but JUSTICE, betrays egregious ignorance and weakness.

Candid and intelligent readers may be disposed to construe the precipitancy and unpreparedness, with which the contents of this volume have been committed to the press, as a sort of apology, not for errors in reasoning, (such errors are inexpiable,) but for occasional looseness, infelicity, or inaccuracy of expression.

But the Author does not urge, much less does he rely on, any apology of this sort; even for faultiness or negligence of expression.

The reader has unquestionably a right to say to the Author,

" If you were unprepared, why did you publish? your exigencies and unpreparedness, are no concern of mine. The book which I have purchased, and its merits and demerits, are all about you, respecting which I feel any interest."

Agreed:

But although in cases of this sort, apologies are inadmissible, and in fact do nothing, or do mischief: The propriety of polite and candid explanation, will not be questioned.

Where an author writes in a style, in any respect peculiar, he certainly has a right to explain the causes, or motives of such peculiarity.

PREFACE. iX

Of the relevancy or irrelevancy of the reasons he may assign, as well as of the appropriateness or inappropriateness of the style which he may adopt, the reader has an unquestioned right to judge.

But the author has also the right, which in the introduction he is about to exercise, and it is but doing justice to himself, (in other words, he owes it to himself,) to state, fairly and fully, his reasons for adopting whatever may be, or may seem to be, peculiar, in the style, manner, or matter of the following Essays.

A man surely has duties to himself, as well as to others: justice is due to himself, precisely for the same reasons, that it is due to others.

Those very courteous and self-denying persons who profess to think only of others, are in fact very generally the persons, who are most prone to think only of, and feel only for, themselves.