Transcriber's Note:
The cover image was created by the transcriber and is placed in the public domain.
William Hazlitt.
Aged 13.
from a Miniature on Ivory
Painted by his Brother.
THE COLLECTED WORKS OF
WILLIAM HAZLITT
CONTENTS
| PAGE | |
|---|---|
| INTRODUCTION BY WILLIAM ERNEST HENLEY | vii |
| EDITORS’ PREFACE | xxvii |
| THE ROUND TABLE | xxix |
| CHARACTERS OF SHAKESPEAR’S PLAYS, | 165 |
| A LETTER TO WILLIAM GIFFORD, ESQ., | 363 |
| NOTES | 415 |
INTRODUCTION
Hazlitt’s father, a minister in the Unitarian Church, was the son ofan Antrim dissenter, who had removed to Tipperary; Hazlitt’smother was the daughter of a Cambridgeshire yeoman; so that thereis small room for wonder if Hazlitt were all his life distinguished bya fine pugnaciousness of mind, a fiery courage, an excellent doggednessof temper, and (not to crack the wind of the poor metaphor)a brilliancy in the use of his hands unequalled in his time, and sincehis time, by any writing Englishman. Of course, he was very muchelse; or this monument to his genius would scarce be building, thisdraft to his credit would have been drawn for To-Morrow onTo-Day. But, while he lived, his fighting talent was the sole thingin his various and splendid gift that was evident to the powers thatwere; and, inasmuch as he loved nothing so dearly as assertinghimself to the disadvantage of certain