Volume: 2 General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1853 Original Publisher: Little, Brown and Company Subjects: Scotland Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: CHAPTER VIII. CHARACTER – LETTERS TO THE EDITOR FROM THE HON. LORD JEFFREY – FROM THE KEV. SYDNEY SMITtl – GENERAL REMARKS – CONCLUSION. The attempt to add any thing of moment to the impressions of a reader, who has arrived at the conclusion of such a collection of memorials as the present, by a formal delineation of character, is not commonly successful; and such ideas of the virtues and intellect which distinguished the subject of our past contemplation, as have not already insinuated themselves into the mind in the present instance, cannot now expect to be admitted on the mere assertion of partial affection. Such an addition is perhaps still more unnecessary in a work, which, throughout, has had no aim but the orderly arrangement of materials, out of which, individual opinion – ever varying in its relative sympathy with modes of human excellence – may be formed. The editor’s possession, however, of the two following tributes of kindred genius will amply justify a deviation from a course which has been powerfully recommended by former examples. Both combined give such a representation as will leave but little indeed to add. Edinburgh, IGth March, 1835. Mr Deak Sir, – In asking me to put upon paper my impression of what was most remarkable in the intellectual character or philosophical genius of your lateexcellent father, you propose to me a task which would be very pleasing, if it were a little less difficult. I have certainly a strong impression of that character; but I do not feel confident of being able to dev…