THOUGH THOU HADST MADE A GENERAL SURVEY

OF ALL THE BEST OF MEN'S BEST KNOWLEDGES,
AND KNEW SO MUCH AS EVER LEARNING KNEW;
YET DID IT MAKE THEE TRUST THYSELF THE LESS,
AND LESS PRESUME. AND YET WHEN BEING MOV'D
IN PRIVATE TALK TO SPEAK; THOU DIDST BEWRAY
HOW FULLY FRAUGHT THOU WERT WITHIN; AND PROV'D
THAT THOU DIDSF KNOW WHATEVER WIT COULD SAY.
WHICH SHOW'D IHOU HADST NOT BOOKS AS MANY HAVE,
FOR OSTENTATION, BUT FOR USE, AND THAT
THY BOUNTEOUS MEMORY WAS SUCH AS GAVE
A LARGE REVENUE OF THE GOOD IT GAT.
WITNESS SO MANY VOLUMES, WHERETO THOU
HAST SET THY NOTES UNDER THY LEARNED HAND,
AND MARK'D THEM WITH THAT PRINT, AS WILL SHOW HOW
THE POINT OF THY CONCEIVING THOUGHTS DID STAND;
THAT NONE WOULD THINK, IF ALL THY LIFE HAD BEEN
TURN'D INTO LEISURE, THOU COULDST HAVE ATTAIN'D
SO MUCH OF TIME, TO HAVE PERUS'D AND SEEN
50 MANY VOLUMES THAT SO MUCH CONTAIN'D,"

DANIEL. Funeral Poem upon the Death of the late Noble Earl of
Devonshire." WELL-LANGUAGED DANIEL,"
him in his " BRITANNIA'S PASTORALS," was one of Southey's
as BROWNE calls
favourite Poets.

@11-30-34 718B recat,

Preface.

T is little that the Editor has to say on the appearance of the
Fourth, and concluding, Series of the lamented Southey's
Common Place Book. Possibly to some, it may contain
the most interesting portion of the whole,-as Daniel says,

"the tongue of" his "best thoughts," -to others, deeper thought, and
original ideas, may be less interesting, and they may long for the olla
podrida of the earlier portions. But, to all, even to general readers,
there is no doubt but that the Series now presented to the Public is in
every way most interesting, and there is, in his Manna, to adopt a say-
ing of the Rabbi's, something to suit the taste of all.

In a letter written July 11, 1822, there occurs the passage following, and in it is shewn that "besetting sin-a sort of miser-like love of accumulation"- to which the Reader owes the volumes now brought, with no little labour, to completion. "Like those persons who frequent sales, and fill their houses with useless purchases, because they may want them some time or other; so am I forever making collections and storing up materials which may not come into use till the Greek Calends. And this I have been doing for five and twenty years! It is true that I draw daily upon my hoards, and should be poor without them; but in prudence I ought now to be working up those materials rather than adding to so much dead stock." Life and Correspondence, vol. v. p. 135.

From these stores, as hinted, these Common Place Books are derived, but much, very much, is left behind,-besides that contained in the wondrous collection for the HISTORY OF PORTUGAL,-not to be understood except by those who know the private marks of the Author. Enough, however, has been given to shew the vast collections of this unrivalled scholar, and the comprehensive grasp of that gigantic intellect,

vi

which, with untold mines of power, was meek and lowly and of childlike simplicity, as shewn, more or less, in every letter in the Life and Correspondence. That Southey was a great man and a great scholar, is comparatively, a little thing, that he was a good man and a Christian every whit, and a righteous example and a pattern for ages yet to come, that is a great matter! His praise is this, that he was a humble minded man, a good son, a good father, a good Christian !

It is scarcely necessary to add, in the words of his prime favourite author, that " he had a rare felicity in speedy reading of books, and as it were but turning them over would give an exact account of all considerable therein." The words occur in the Holy State, in the Life of Mr. Perkins, who preached to the prisoners in the castle of Cambridge, " bound in their bodies, but too loose in their lives."

JOHN WOOD WARTER.

VICARAGE HOUSE, WEST TARRING, SUSSEX,
December 24, 1850.

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CONTENTS.

DEAS and Studies for Literary Composition

IDE

Collections for History of English Literature and Poetry
Characteristic English Anecdotes, and Fragments for Espriella
Collections for the Doctor, &c.

Personal Observations and Recollections with Fragments of Journals
Miscellaneous Anecdotes and Gleanings

Extracts, Facts, and Opinions, relating to Political and Social Society