PREFACE. 



IN his ' Eecollections of Past Life,' my Father writes as 

 follows : ' There is little probability of my ever 

 publishing again ; but I shall leave behind me a 

 volume of manuscript papers consigned to the care of 

 my sons, to deal with as their judgment may suggest.' 

 Reference is here made to certain short essays upon 

 various subjects, which are enumerated in p. 330 of 

 his ' Eecollections of Past Life.' He describes them 

 as ' the thoughts and speculations of former years ; re- 

 duced into more definite form as regards the subjects, 

 and studiously rendered as concise as possible.' And 

 a little later on he speaks of them as written for pos- 

 sible publication : 'The papers thus denoted have 

 furnished a very agreeable as well as salutary occupa- 

 tion for those leisure hours which in later years have 

 been more largely at my disposal. But to bring them 

 together, in shape and fitness for publication, would 

 require a more laborious revision than I should pro- 

 bably be able to bestow/ 



These words were written in 1872, and it would 



