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Scenes and Characters From the Writings of Thomas Babington Macaulay. to Which Is Prefixed a Short Account of the Life of the Author, by R.h.
Scenes and Characters From the Writings of Thomas Babington Macaulay to Which Is Prefixed a Short Account of the Life of the Author by Rh Author:Thomas Babington Macaulay Title: Scenes and Characters From the Writings of Thomas Babington Macaulay. to Which Is Prefixed a Short Account of the Life of the Author, by R.h. Horne General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1846 Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing ... more »text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: SIR JAMES MACKINTOSH. His proper place was his library, a circle of men of letters, or a chair of moral and political philosophy. He distinguished himself highly in Parliament. But nevertheless Parliament was not exactly the sphere for him. The effect of his most successful speeches was small, when compared with the quantity of ability and learning which was expended on them. We could easily name men who, not possessing a tenth part of his intellectual powers, hardly ever address the House of Commons without producing a greater impression than was produced by his most splendid and elaborate orations. His luminous and philosophical disquisition on the Reform Bill was spoken to empty benches. Those, indeed, who had the wit to keep their seats, picked up hints which, skilfully used, made the fortune of more than one speech. But " it was caviare to the general." And even those who listened to Sir James with pleasure and admiration, could not but acknowledge that he rather lectured than debated. An artist who should waste on a panorama, on a scene, or on a transparency, the exquisite finishing which we admire in some of the small Dutch interiors, would not squander his powers more than this eminent man too often did. His audience resembled the boy in the " Heart of Mid-Lothian," who pushes away the lady's guineas with contempt, and insists on having the white money. They preferred the silver with which they were familiar, and which they were constantly pa...« less