Memoirs of William Hazlitt
Ch. II: 1791-95
William Hazlitt to William Hazlitt sen.; [October 1793]
“Sunday evening.
“Dear Father,
“I received your letter safely on Monday. On the
preceding Saturday I finished the introduction to my essay on the ‘Political State of Man,’ and showed it to
Corrie. He seemed very well pleased
with it, and desired me to proceed with my essay as quickly as I could. After a
few definitions, I give the following sketch of my plan:—
“‘In treating on the political state of man,
I shall, first, endeavour to represent his natural political relations, and
to deduce from these his natural political duties and his natural political
rights; and, secondly, to ![]()
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represent his artificial political relations, and to deduce from these his
artificial political duties, and his artificial political
rights.’ This I think an excellent plan. I wish I could execute it to
my own satisfaction. I hope, however, to do it tolerably by Christmas. I have
already got the greatest part of the ideas necessary, though in a crude and
undigested state; so that my principal business will be to correct and arrange
them., But this will be a terrible labour, and I shall rejoice most heartily
when I have finished it.
“Corrie seemed
much pleased with some of my translations this week.
“I passed the Ass’s Bridge very safely and very
solitarily on Friday. I like Domine (that is the name by which Dr. Rees goes here) and his lectures very much.
“I am your affectionate son,
“William Hazlitt.”
John Corrie (1769-1839)
The son of Josiah Corrie (1725-1800); educated at Daventry Academy and New College,
Hackney, he was a schoolmaster, president of the Birmingham Philosophical Society, and
Unitarian minister at the Old Meeting House (1817-19). Maria Edgeworth admired his
“very agreeable benevolent countenance, most agreeable voice.”
Abraham Rees (1743-1825)
Presbyterian minister, tutor at New College, Hackney, and editor of
The
New Cyclopaedia, or, Universal Dictionary of the Arts and Sciences
(1802-1820).
