42 MEMOIE OF JOHN WILSON. 



<*in essay out of the first of these two commonplace-books, " On the 

 Poetry of Drummond," showing a most discriminating appreciation 

 of a poet whose genius, as he justly says, has never received due 

 acknowledgment. This essay is followed by a very elaborate and 

 ingenious dissertation on the question, " Why have the Egyptians 

 never been remarkable for poetry ?" a curious question, which, so 

 far as I am aware, has never formed the subject of special observa- 

 tion. A considerable portion of the volume is occupied with a 

 translation of Sir William Jones's Observations on Eastern Poetry, 

 and of the specimens, which are very happily rendered. Under 

 date June 27th is the sketch of a proposed poem on the flight of 

 the Israelites out of Egypt, which does not appear, however, to 

 have been entered on. A volume seems to have been set aside for 

 each of the chief branches of study, which from time to time en- 

 gaged his attention. Some of these are probably lost ; and those 

 which remain want a good many leaves in some places. One bears 

 the heading Law, and contains a survey of the municipal law of 

 England, apparently founded on Blackstone. Another is headed 

 Theology/, and contains a careful review and summary of the evi- 

 dences of Christianity, based on the study of Paley. Another was 

 intended for History, but contains, besides some general observa- 

 tions on the study of History, only an essay " concerning Ireland." 

 Another, devoted to his miscellaneous subjects, contains a consider- 

 able number of essays and reflections, some pretty elaborate, and 

 displaying a remarkable grasp and comprehensiveness of mind as 

 well as vivacity and grace of style. The following are some of the 

 subjects treated of: The Fear of Death ; Female Beauty ; Dissipa- 

 tion ; Chastity ; Religious Worship ; The Old Ballad Mania ; The 

 Edinburgh Review ; The Study of History ; The Neglect of Genius 

 in Britain ; The Present State of Europe ; Longinus as a Critic ; 

 The Tendency of Little's Poems ; Duelling ; Modern Poetry ; The 

 Martial Character of the Danes ; The Decline of the Moorish Power 

 in Spain ; The Influence of Climate. These interesting volumes in- 

 dicate altogether a very extensive range of study, and thorough 

 mastery of particular topics. It must be remembered, too, that 

 these were but the occasional exercises which filled up the intervals 

 of a complete and successful course of classical study. The various 

 poetical effusions and sketches for proposed poems, with which some 

 of the volumes are to a great extent filled, belong manifestly to a 



