Opening of the book
THE
COLLECTED WORKS OF WILLIAM
HAZLITT
IN TWELVE VOLUMES
VOLUME SEVEN
All rights reserved
William Hazlitt.
From the bust executed by
Joseph Durham, RA
THE COLLECTED WORKS OF
WILLIAM HAZLITT
EDITED BY A. R. WALLER
AND ARNOLD GLOVER
WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY
W. E. HENLEY
❦
The Plain Speaker.
Essay on the Principles of Human Action
Etc.
❦
1903
LONDON: J. M. DENT & CO.
McCLURE, PHILLIPS & CO.: NEW YORK
Edinburgh: Printed by T. and A. Constable
CONTENTS
PAGE
THE PLAIN SPEAKER
5
AN ESSAY ON THE PRINCIPLES OF HUMAN ACTION
385
REMARKS ON THE SYSTEMS OF HARTLEY AND HELVETIUS
434
NOTES
479
THE PLAIN SPEAKER
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
The Plain Speaker: Opinions on Books, Men, and Things, appeared anonymously in 1826 in two volumes (9 × 5½ inches), published by
Henry Colburn, New Burlington Street. The imprint behind both titlepages is ‘London: Printed by Thomas Davison, Whitefriars’; but that at the end of the second volume is ‘London: Printed by J. Nichols and
Son, Parliament Street.’ A list of ‘Interesting Works, Just published by
Henry Colburn,’ at the end of the work contains an announcement of
‘The Spirits of the Age.... The Second Edition, with Additions’ (see vol.
IV. p. 186, Bibliographical Note to The Spirit of the Age).
In the edition which was published in 1851, edited by his son, the
Essay entitled ‘On a Portrait of a Lady, by Vandyke’ is not included: it was transferred to ‘Criticisms on Art.’
In the present issue the Essays have been numbered consecutively: in the original two-volume edition the ‘Second Series’ began with
Essay I. ‘On the Qualifications Necessary to Success in Life.’
See also Bibliographical Note to Table Talk.
CONTENTS
ESSAY I.
PAGE
On the Prose-Style of Poets
5
ESSAY II.
On Dreams
17
ESSAY III.
On the Conversation of Authors
24
ESSAY IV.
The same Subject continued
35
ESSAY V.
On Reason and Imagination
44
ESSAY VI.
On Application to Study
55
ESSAY VII.
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