'Few things have ever been written more discriminating or more
beautiful than his strictures upon the Hindoo character, his
portrait of Fox, and his second letter to Robert Hall, after
his recovery from derangement. Do you remember what he says of
the want of brilliancy in Priestley's moral sentiments? Those
remarks, though slight, seem to me to show the quality of his
mind more decidedly than anything in the book. That so much
learning, benevolence, and almost unparalleled fairness of
mind, should be in a great measure lost to the world, for want
of earnestness of purpose, might impel us to attach to the
latter attribute as much importance as does the wise uncle in
Wilhelm Meister.'
* * * * *
'As to what you say of Shelley, it is true that the unhappy
influences of early education prevented his ever attaining
clear views of God, life, and the soul. At thirty, he was
still a seeker,--an experimentalist. But then his should not
be compared with such a mind as ----'s, which, having no such
exuberant fancy to tame, nor various faculties to develop,
naturally comes to maturity sooner.
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