Men, Women, and Books: A Selection of Sketches, Essays, and Critical Memoirs ... - Leigh Hunt - Google Books

Books

CONTENTS.

FICTION AND MATTER OF FACT.

Sympathies of these two supposed incompatible things.-Mistake

of Newton.-Poets not liable to such mistakes.-False alarm

about Science becoming the ruin of Poetry.-Imagination not

to be limited by second causes.-Apologue on the press.

II.

THE INSIDE OF AN OMNIBUS.

Elevation of society by this species of vehicle.-Metamorphosis

of Dr. Johnson into an Omnibus.-His dialogue thereon with

Boswell. - Various passengers in Omnibuses.-Intense inti-

macy with the face of the man opposite you.-Boys and young

ladies.-Old gentlemen unable to pull up the glass.-Young

gentlemen embarrassed with eating an orange.-Exhibition of

characters and tempers.-Ladies obliged to sit on gentlemen's

laps. Last passengers at night.

III.

THE DAY OF THE DISASTERS OF CARFINGTON

BLUNDELL, ESQUIRE.

Description of a penurious independent gentleman, fond of in-

vitations and the great.-He takes his way to a "dining out."

His calamities on the road.-And on his return.

IV.

A VISIT TO THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS.

The collection there at the time of the visit.-A tiger broke loose.

-Mild anthropophagy of the bear.-The elephant the Dr.

Johnson of animals.-Giraffes.-Monkeys.-Parrots.-Eagles.

-Mysteries of animal thought.-Is it just in human beings to

make prisons of this kind?

V.

A MAN INTRODUCED TO HIS ANCESTORS.

Astonishing amount of a man's ancestors at the twentieth remove.

-The variety of ranks as great as the multitude.-Bodily and

mental characteristics inherited.-What it becomes a man to

consider as the result.

VI.

Spiritual creations more real than corporeal ones.-A party com-

posed of the heroes and heroines of novels.-Mr. Moses Prim-

rose, who has resolved not to be cheated, is delighted with some

information given him by Mr. Peregrine Pickle.-Conversation

of the author with the celebrated Pamela.-Arrivals of the rest

of the company. The party found to consist of four smaller

parties. Characters of them. Character of Mr. Abraham

Adams.-Pamela's distress at her brother's want of breeding.

-Settlement together of Lovelace and Clarissa.-Desmond's

Waverley asks after the Antiquary's Waverley.-His surprise

at the coincidence of the adventure on the sea-shore.-Mis-

understanding between Mrs. Slipslop and Mrs. Clinker.-The

ladies criticized while putting on their cloaks.

VII.

BEDS AND BED-ROOMS.

Intrinsical nature of bed.-Advantage of people in bed over

people that are "up.”—Dialogue with a person "up."-

Feather-beds, curtains. &c.-Idea of a perfect bed-room.-

Custom half the secret of content.-Bed-room in a cottage.-

Bed at sea.-Beds in presses and alcoves.-Anecdotes of beds.

-The bed of Morpheus in Spenser.

VIII.

THE WORLD OF BOOKS.

Difficulty of proving that a man is not actually in a distant place,

by dint of being there in imagination.-Visit of that kind to

Scotland. Suggestion of a Book-Geography; of Maps, in

which none but poetical or otherwise intellectually-associated

places are set down:-Scottish, English, French, and Italian

items for such maps.-Local literizations of Rousseau and

Wordsworth objected to.-Actual enrichment of the commonest

places by intellectual associations.
129

IX.

JACK ABBOTT'S BREAKFAST.

Animal spirits.-A Dominie Sampson drawn from the life.-Many

things fall out between the (breakfast) cup and the lip.—A

magistrate drawn from the life.—Is breakfast ever to be taken,

or is it not ?—The question answered.

X.

ON SEEING A PIGEON MAKE LOVE.

French intermixture of prose and verse.-Courtship of Pigeons.

-A word in pity for rakes.-Story of one baffled.-Instinctive

sameness of the conduct of the lower animals questioned.-

Pope's opinion respecting instinct and reason.-Human Im-

provability.-Fitness of some of the lower animals for going to

heaven not less conceivable than that of some others.-Doves

at Maiano. Ovid's Bird-Elysium.

XI.

THE MONTH OF MAY.

Might not the May-holidays be restored ?-Melancholy remnant of

them.-Recollections of a May-morning in Italy,

XII.

Specimen of Sonnets written on this subject by the Abate

XIII.

A FEW REMARKS ON THE RARE VICE

Impossibility of finding a liar in England.-Lying, nevertheless,

allowed and organized as a mutual accommodation, except in

the case of voters at elections.-Reason of this, a wish to have

all the lies on one side.-The right of lying arrogated by the

rich as a privilege.-Vindication, nevertheless, of the rich as

human beings. Social root of apparently unsocial feelings.-

Conventional liars not liars out of the pale of conventionality.

-Falsehood sometimes told for the sake of truth and good.-

Final appeal to the consciences of anti-ballotmen.

XIV.

CRITICISM ON FEMALE BEAUTY.

I.-HAIR, FOREHEAD.

Fault-finding of the old style of criticism ridiculed.-Painting

with the pen.-Ugliness of beauty without feeling.-The hand

of the poisoner. — Hair. -Under what circumstances it is

allowable to use artificial helps to beauty.-Red and golden

hair. Hair of Lucretia Borgia.-Forehead.

II. EYES, EYEBROWS, NOSE.

Eyes.-Eyebrows. Frowning without frowning.

meeting-Shape of head, face, ears, and cheeks.-Ear-rings.-

Nose.-A perplexity to the critics.-Question of aquiline

noses.-Angels never painted with them.

III.-MOUTH, CHIN, TEETH, BOSOM.

Mouth and chin.-Mouth the part of the face the least able

conceal the expression of temper, &c.-Handsome smiles

plain faces. Teeth.-Dimples.-Neck and shoulders.-Per-

fection of shape.-Bosom.-Caution against the misconstruc-

tions of the coarse-minded.

IV.—HAND, ARM, WALK, VOICE.

Hand and arm.-Italian epithet "Morbida."-Figure.-Carriage,

&c.-Perils of fashion.-Vice of Tight-lacing.-Hips.-Legs

and feet.-Walk.-Carriage of Roman and Italian women.-

That of English preferred.-Voice ditto.-Reason why the most

beautiful women are in general not the most charming.

XV.

OF DECEASED STATESMEN WHO HAVE

WRITTEN VERSES.

Universality of poetry, and consequent good effect of a taste for it.

-The greater the statesman, the more universal his mind.-

Almost all great British Statesmen have written verses.-

Specimen of verses by Wyatt, by Essex, by Sackville, Raleigh,

Marvell, Peterborough, and Lord Holland.

XVI.

FEMALE SOVEREIGNS OF ENGLAND.

Real character of Lady Jane Grey.-Excuses for "Bloody Mary."

-Elizabeth, when young.-Anne and the Duchess of Marl-

borough. Accession of her present Majesty.

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