OF THE LIFE AND WRITINGS OF THE LATE WILLIAM TAYLOR OF NORWICH, AUTHOR OF "ENGLISH SYNONYMS DISCRIMINATED; SURVEY OF GERMAN POETRY," ETC. ETC. CONTAINING HIS CORRESPONDENCE OF MANY YEARS WITH THE LATE ROBERT SOUTHEY, ESQ., AND ORIGINAL LETTERS FROM SIR WALTER SCOTT, COMPILED AND EDITED BY J. W. ROBBERDS, F.G.S., OF NORWICH. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. I. LONDON: JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. PREFACE. THIS Memoir was originally undertaken with the design of prefixing it to a new edition of Mr. Taylor's "English Synonyms Discriminated;" but the materials were found too extensive and important to be compressed within such limits. Unseen and almost unknown, he exercised an influence over the public mind of this country, the effects of which are still progressively developing. It was by him that the vast stores of German literature were first laid open before us, and he first infused into our periodical criticism that new spirit which has rendered it the guide of intellect and the ruler of opinion. To show the working of these impulses, to do justice to his philological studies, and to display the varied erudition and bright conceptions with which for many years he regularly enriched and enlivened our monthly publications,-these alone would have carried the duty of his biographer far beyond the scope of the original plan ; but when I discovered the nature and extent of his correspondence with the late Robert Southey, I felt that the history of two such minds, narrated by themselves, without gloss or varnish, in their freshest, best and most vigorous season, must be much too interesting and instructive to be withheld from the world. Mr. Southey's ready assent to the publication of these letters, his kindness in furnishing me with that portion of them which was in his possession, and the interest with which it will be seen that he regarded the subject, created additional claims upon my attention and perseverance; and I must ever regret, both that the decline of his health deprived me of the valuable assistance which he had offered, and that he was taken from us before he could see this memorial of one whose worth and talents he so highly and justly appreciated. Had the task of arranging and digesting these materials been at first set before me in its entire magnitude, I should have shrunk from the undertaking. Although I had for the space of thirty-five years enjoyed the intimacy and the friendship of William Taylor, the idea that I might one day be his biographer had never entered my mind. mind. Had it occurred to me, I should have availed myself of the frequent opportunities afforded me, to have recorded brilliant sallies of conversational talent, and unpremeditated effusions of genius, such as have rarely shed their lustre over pages like these. Nor could I command the leisure to explore all the sources whence the deficiency might be supplied. Literary pursuits are not my occupation; they are to me only the evening relaxation of days engrossed by the toils and anxieties of busy commercial life. It is needless to enlarge on such disad |