THE

PLAIN SPEAKER:

OPINIONS

ON

BOOKS, MEN, AND THINGS.

IN TWO VOLUMES.

VOL. I.

LONDON:

HENRY COLBURN, NEW BURLINGTON-STREET.

1826.

LONDON:

PRINTED BY THOMAS DAVISON, WHITEFRIARS.

CONTENTS

OF

THE FIRST VOLUME.

Page

Essay I.—On the Prose-Style of Poets

Essay II.-On Dreams

Essay III.-On the Conversation of Authors

Essay IV.-The same Subject continued
Essay V.-On Reason and Imagination

Essay VI.-On Application to Study

Essay VII.-On Londoners and Country People

Essay VIII.-On the Spirit of Obligations

Essay XII.-Whether Genius is conscious of its Powers? 279

Essay XIII.—On the Pleasure of Hating

305

Essay XIV.-On Dr. Spurzheim's Theory

Essay XV.-On Egotism

Essay XVI.-Hot and Cold

Essay XVII. The New School of Reform

429

ERRATA.

P. 141-for the friend of Dante, read the admirer of Dante.
P. 216-17-for Sir Harry Englefield, read Captain Englefield.
P. 266-for Earl Cowper, read Earl Gower.

Motto to Essay on Prose-style of Poets

"Do you read or sing? If you sing, you sing very ill!"

ESSAY I.

ON THE PROSE-STYLE OF POETS.

B