The Uncollected Writings of Thomas de Quincey Volume I Part 1

The Uncollected Writings of Thomas de Quincey.

Vol. 1.

by Thomas de Quincey.

PREFACE.

'_The last fruit off an old tree!_' This, in the words of WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR, is what I have now the honour to set before the public in these hitherto 'UNCOLLECTED WRITINGS OF THOMAS DE QUINCEY.'

It was my privilege to be a.s.sociated intimately with the Author some thirty to forty years ago--from the beginning of 1850 until his death in 1859.[1] Throughout the whole period during which he was engaged in preparing for the Press his _Selections Grave and Gay_, I a.s.sisted in the task.

[Footnote 1: DE QUINCEY, LEIGH HUNT, and MACAULAY all died in that year.]

Of the singularly pleasant literary intercourse of that memorable time I have given some reminiscences in _Harper's Magazine_ for this month.

I may yet combine in a Volume with these some amusing, scholarly letters in my possession, and a Selection of Papers from the original sources, which I feel warranted, by the Author's own estimate, in calling _De Quincey's Choice Works_. Meantime, in dealing with the various Essays and Stories here gathered together, I limit myself to such notes as are necessary to point out the special circ.u.mstances under which some of the papers were written; in others the nature of the evidence I have found as to the indisputable authors.h.i.+p.

My special opportunities, derived from constant companions.h.i.+p and the continuous discussion with DE QUINCEY of matters concerning his writings, gave me the key to some of the admirable papers here reprinted. It also ent.i.tles me to say, that he would have included a number of them in his Collected Works alongside the _Suspiria de Profundis_ (Sighs from the Depths), had he lived to continue his labours.

When we find that most part of the _Suspiria_--perhaps the highest reach of his intellect in impa.s.sioned power--did not appear in the _Selections_ at all, the reader will at once understand that, in the Author's own opinion, the Essays and Stories now first collected, were neither less dignified in purpose nor less finished in style than those which had pa.s.sed under his hand in the fourteen volumes he nearly completed. Rather like the _Suspiria_, some of these papers were reserved as material upon the revision of which his energy might be fitly bestowed when health would permit.

The interesting papers which appeared in _Tait's Magazine_ are all duly vouched for in that periodical. I have not touched any of the autobiographical matter which appeared in _Tait_,--the Author having recast that as well as the _Sketches from Childhood_, published in _The Instructor_ in the 'Autobiographic Sketches' with which he opened the _Selections_. _The Casuistry of Duelling_, indeed, appeared in _Tait_ as part of the Autobiographic Series, but, practically, it stood as an independent paper. The touching personal pa.s.sage in this article reveals the misery caused by the unbridled scurrility of certain notorious publications of the last generation.

The paper on _The German Language_ appeared in _Tait_ in June 1836, and the _Brief Appraisal of Greek Literature_ in December 1838 and June 1839.

Two long and valuable papers on _Education; Plans for the Instruction of Boys in Large Numbers_, which appeared in _The London Magazine_ for April and May, 1824, were duly authenticated by the following characteristic letter from DE QUINCEY to CHRISTOPHER NORTH. It appears in _Professor Wilson's Life_, written by his daughter, MRS. GORDON:--

'_London, Thursday, February 24th, 1825._

'MY DEAR WILSON,

'I write to you on the following occasion:--Some time ago, perhaps nearly two years ago, Mr. Hill, a lawyer, published a book on Education, detailing a plan on which his brothers had established a school at Hazlewood, in Warwicks.h.i.+re. This book I reviewed in the _London Magazine_, and in consequence received a letter of thanks from the Author, who, on my coming to London about midsummer last year, called on me. I have since become intimate with him, and, excepting that he is a sad Jacobin (as I am obliged to tell him once or twice a month), I have no one fault to find with him, for he is a very clever, amiable, good creature as ever existed; and in particular directions his abilities strike me as really very great indeed. Well, his book has just been reviewed in the last _Edinburgh Review_ (of which some copies have been in town about a week). This service has been done him, I suppose, _through_ some of his political friends--(for he is connected with Brougham, Lord Lansdowne, old Bentham, etc.),--but I understand _by_ Mr. Jeffrey. Mr. Hill, in common with mult.i.tudes in this Babylon--who will not put their trust in Blackwood as in G.o.d (which, you know, he ought to do)--yet privately adores him as the Devil; and indeed publicly too, is a great _p.r.o.neur_ of Blackwood.

For, in spite of his Jacobinism, he is liberal and inevitably just to real wit. His fear is--that Blackwood may come as Nemesis, and compel him to regorge any puffing and cramming which Tiff has put into his pocket, and is earnest to have a letter addressed in an influential quarter to prevent this. I alleged to him that I am not quite sure but it is an affront to a Professor to presume that he has any connection as contributor, or anything else, to any work which he does not publicly avow as his organ for communicating with the world of letters. He answers that it would be so in him,--but that an old friend may write _sub rosa_. I rejoin that I know not but you may have cut Blackwood--even as a subscriber--a whole l.u.s.trum ago. He rebuts, by urging a just compliment paid to you, as a supposed contributor, in the _News of Literature and Fas.h.i.+on_, but a moon or two ago.

Seriously, I have told him that I know not what was the extent of your connection with Blackwood at _any_ time; and that I conceive the labours of your Chair in the University must now leave you little leisure for any but occasional contributions, and therefore for no regular cognizance of the work as director, etc. However, as all that he wishes--is simply an interference to save him from any very severe article, and not an article in his favour, I have ventured to ask of you if you hear of any such thing, to use such influence as must naturally belong to you in your general character (whether maintaining any connection with Blackwood or not) to get it softened. On the whole, I suppose no such article is likely to appear. But to oblige Hill I make the application. He has no _direct_ interest in the prosperity of Hazlewood; he is himself a barrister in considerable practice, and of some standing, I believe; but he takes a strong paternal interest in it, all his brothers (who are accomplished young men, I believe) being engaged in it. They have already had one shock to stand: a certain Mr. Place, a Jacobin friend of the School till just now, having taken the pet with it--and removed his sons. Now this Mr. Place, who was formerly a tailor--leather-breeches maker and habit-maker,--having made a fortune and finished his studies,--is become an immense authority as a political and reforming head with Bentham, etc., as also with the _Westminster Review_, in which quarter he is supposed to have the weight of nine times nine men; whence, by the way, in the "circles" of the booksellers, the Review has got the name of the _Breeches Review_.' ... [The writer then pa.s.ses on to details of his own plans and prospects, and thus concludes.]

'I beg my kind regards to Mrs. Wilson and my young friends, whom I remember with so much interest as I last saw them at Elleray.--I am, my dear Wilson,

'Very affectionately yours,

'THOMAS DE QUINCEY.'

In approaching the consideration of other papers said, in various quarters (with some show of authority) to have been written by DE QUINCEY, it was necessary to act with extreme care. One was a painstaking list on the whole, but very inaccurate as regards certain contributions attributed to DE QUINCEY in _Blackwood_. I have had the kind aid of MESSRS. BLACKWOOD in examining the archives of _Maga_ to settle the points in question.

I was puzzled by some papers in _The London Magazine_ set down as DE QUINCEY'S contributions in a memorandum said to have been furnished by MESSRS. TAYLOR and HESSEY, its Publishers. The _Blackwood_ blunders made me very sceptical. There was one story in particular--the long droll one of _Mr. Schnackenberger; or, Two Masters to one Dog_, about which I remained in doubt.

I had a faint recollection that one day DE QUINCEY dwelt on the merits of 'JUNO,' and owned the story when he was discussing 'bull-dogs.'

By the way, he was rather fond of 'bull-dogs,' and had some good anecdotes about them. It was a kind of pet-admiration-horror which he shared with SOUTHEY, on account of the difficulty in making a well-bred bull-dog relax his grip. Some member of the canine 'fancy'

down at the Lakes had given them a so-called infallible 'tip' for making a bull-dog let go. I am sorry to say I have quite forgotten this admirable receipt. To be sure, one ought never to forget such valuable pieces of information. So I thought one day lately before the muzzling order came into force, when a bloodthirsty monster,--a big, white bull-dog, sprang suddenly at me in Cleveland Gardens. Instantly there flashed the thought--what was it that DE QUINCEY recommended? A lucky lunge which drove the ferule of my umbrella down the brute's throat fortunately created a diversion, and allowed a little more time for the study of the problem. Perhaps I will be pardoned this digression, as it affords an opportunity of recording the fact that DE QUINCEY and SOUTHEY both looked up to the bull-dog as an animal of very decided 'character.'

I was loth to abandon _Mr. Schnackenberger_, but unwilling to lean too much on my somewhat hazy remembrance. It seemed almost hopeless to obtain the necessary evidence. MESSRS. TAYLOR and HESSEY were long dead, and after groping about like a detective, no one could tell me what had become of the records of _The London Magazine_. Suddenly there came light in October last. I ascertained that a son of one of the Publishers is the ARCHDEACON of MIDDLEs.e.x, the Venerable J. A.

HESSEY, D.C.L.

I stated the case, and the worthy ARCHDEACON came most kindly and promptly to my a.s.sistance. As a boy he remembered DE QUINCEY at his father's house, and recollected very well reading _Mr. Schnackenberger_.

He informed me, 'I was greatly interested in the [London] Magazine generally, so much so, that, at my father's request, I copied from his private list, and attached to the head of each paper the name of the Author.... This interesting set came to me at my father's death.'

DR. HESSEY had subsequently presented the series to his old pupil, MR.

WILLIAM CAREW HAZLITT (by whose courtesy I have been able to examine it)--'the grandson of WILLIAM HAZLITT, who was a frequent writer in the Magazine, and an old friend of my father. I thought he would like to possess it, and that it would thus be in fitting hands. I should not have parted with it in favour of any but a man like MR. HAZLITT, who was sure to value it.'

As these valuable annotations of the ARCHDEACON ramify in various directions--touching as they do the contributions of many brilliant men of that period--it may not be amiss (as a possible help to others in the future) to add a few more decisive words by DR. HESSEY:--

'If any papers are not marked (he refers only to those volumes actually published by MESSRS. TAYLOR and HESSEY) it was because they were anonymous, or because, from some inadvertency, they were not a.s.signed in my father's list. _So far as the record goes, it may be depended upon._'

By its help I was able to fix the authors.h.i.+p by DE QUINCEY of (1) _The Dog Story_--translated from the German, (2) _Moral Effects of Revolutions_, (3) _Prefigurations of Remote Events_, (4) _Abstract of Swedenborgianism by Immanuel Kant_.

Another perplexing element was the letter written by DE QUINCEY to his uncle, COLONEL PENSON, in 1819 (PAGE'S _Life_, vol. i. p. 207), wherein reference is made to certain contributions to _Blackwood's Magazine_ and _The Quarterly Review_.

The archives of _Maga_ I find go back only as far as 1825. As to _The Quarterly Review_, I have MR. MURRAY'S authority for stating that DE QUINCEY never wrote a line in it. Whether any contributions were ever commissioned, paid for, and afterwards suppressed, I have been unable to ascertain. As a matter of fact, the _Schiller_ Series referred to in the letter to COLONEL PENSON was never reviewed in _The Quarterly_ at all.

DE QUINCEY as a Newspaper Editor forms the subject of a Chapter in PAGE'S _Life_. Some extracts are there given from cuttings out of _The Westmorland Gazette_ found amongst the Author's Papers. This editors.h.i.+p (1818-19) was of short duration, and pursued under hostile circ.u.mstances, such as distance from the Press, &c., which soon led to DE QUINCEY'S resignation. I had hoped to add some further specimens of the newspaper work, but have not, as yet, obtained access to a file of the period. In any future edition I may be able to add this in an Appendix.

_The Love-Charm._--In spite of the marvellous tenacity of DE QUINCEY'S memory, even as to the very words of a pa.s.sage in an Author which he had, perhaps, only _once_ read, there were _blanks_ which confounded himself. One of these bore on his contributions to KNIGHT'S _Quarterly Magazine_. MR. FIELDS had been so generally careful in obtaining sufficient authority for what he published, in the original American edition, that DE QUINCEY good-humouredly gave the verdict against himself, and 'supposed he _must_ be wrong' in thinking that some of these special papers were not from his pen. Still,--he demurred, and before including them in _The Selections Grave and Gay_, it was resolved to inst.i.tute an inquiry. Accordingly, about 1852, I was deputed to interview MR. CHARLES KNIGHT, and request his aid. My mission was to obtain, if possible, a correct list of the various contributions to the _Quarterly Magazine_, including this _Love-Charm_.

MR. KNIGHT, MR. RAMSAY (his first lieutenant, as he called him), and myself all met at Fleet Street, where we had the archives of the old _Quarterly Magazine_ turned up, and a list checked. I lately found this particular story also referred to circ.u.mstantially in the annexed paragraph contained in CHARLES KNIGHT'S _Pa.s.sages of a Working Life_ (THORNE'S re-issue, vol. I. chap. x. p. 339).

'DE QUINCEY had written to me in December 1824, in the belief that, as he expressed it, "many of your friends will rally about you, and urge you to some new undertaking of the same kind. If that should happen, I beg to say, that you may count upon me, as one of your men, for any extent of labour, to the best of my power, which you may choose to command." He wrote a translation of _The Love-Charm_ of TIECK, with a notice of the Author. This is not reprinted in his Collected Works, though perhaps it is the most interesting of his translations from the German. In this spring and summer DE QUINCEY and I were in intimate companions.h.i.+p. It was a pleasant time of intellectual intercourse for me.'

There is no doubt _The Love-Charm_ would have been reprinted had the Author lived to carry the _Selections_ farther.

The curious little Essay _On Novels_,--written in a Lady's Alb.u.m, had pa.s.sed out of MR. DAVEY'S hands before I became aware of its existence. The _facsimile_, however, taken for _The Archivist_, by an expert like MR. NETHERCLIFT, shows that it is, unquestionably, in the handwriting of DE QUINCEY. I have been unable to trace the 'FAIR INCOGNITA' to whom it was addressed.

The compositions which were written for me when I edited _t.i.tan_, and which I now place before the public in volume form, after the lapse of a whole generation (thirty-three years, to speak 'by the card'), demand some special comment, particularly in their relation to the _Selections Grave and Gay_.

_t.i.tan_ was a half-crown monthly Magazine, a continuation in an enlarged form of _The Instructor_. I had become the acting Editor of its predecessor, _the New Series_ of _The Instructor_, working in concert with my Father, the proprietor. In this _New Series_ there appeared from DE QUINCEY'S pen _The Sphinx's Riddle_, _Judas Iscariot_, the Series of _Sketches from Childhood_, and other notable papers.

At that time I was but a young editor--young and, perhaps, a little 'curly,' as LORD BEACONSFIELD put it. DE QUINCEY, with a truly paternal solicitude, gave me much good advice and valuable help, both in the selection of subjects for the Magazine and in the mode of handling them. The notes on _The Lake Dialect_, _Shakspere's Text and Suetonius Unravelled_, were written to me in the form of Letters, and published in _t.i.tan_.