The Uncollected Writings of Thomas de Quincey, Vol. 2

The Uncollected Writings of
Thomas de
by Thomas de
Quincey

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Title: The Uncollected Writings of Thomas de Quincey, Vol. 2 With a
Preface and Annotations by James Hogg
Author: Thomas de Quincey
Editor: James Hogg
Release Date: December 11, 2006 [EBook #20090]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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THE UNCOLLECTED WRITINGS OF THOMAS DE QUINCEY.
WITH A PREFACE AND ANNOTATIONS BY JAMES HOGG.
IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. II.
[Illustration]
LONDON: SWAN SONNENSCHEIN & CO., PATERNOSTER
SQUARE.
1890.

RICHARD CLAY & SONS, LIMITED,
LONDON & BUNGAY.

CONTENTS.
PAGE THE ENGLISH IN CHINA. 7

SHAKSPERE'S TEXT.--SUETONIUS UNRAVELLED. 37
HOW TO WRITE ENGLISH. 55
THE CASUISTRY OF DUELLING. 65
THE LOVE-CHARM. 113
LUDWIG TIECK. 153
LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT.--THE HOUSE OF WEEPING. 160
THE HOUSEHOLD WRECK. 173
MR. SCHNACKENBERGER; OR, TWO MASTERS FOR ONE DOG.
279
ANGLO-GERMAN DICTIONARIES. 348

THE ENGLISH IN CHINA.
This Paper, originally written for me in 1857, and published in Titan
for July of that year, has not appeared in any collective edition of the
author's works, British or American. It was his closing contribution to a
series of three articles concerning Chinese affairs; prepared when our
troubles with that Empire seemed to render war imminent. The first two
were given in Titan for February and April, 1857, and then issued with
additions in the form of a pamphlet which is now very scarce. It
consisted of 152 pages thus arranged:--(1) Preliminary Note, i-iv; (2)
Preface, pp. 3-68; (3) China (the two Titan papers), pp. 69-149; (4)
Postscript, pp. 149-152.
In the posthumous supplementary volume (XVI.) of the collected
works the third section was reprinted, but all the other matter was
discarded--with a rather imperfect appreciation of the labour which the
author had bestowed upon it, and his own estimate of the value of what
he had condensed in this Series--as frequently expressed to me during

its progress.
In the twelfth volume of the 'Riverside' Edition of De Quincey's works,
published by Houghton, Mifflin & Co., Boston, U.S.A., the whole of
the 152 pp. of the expanded China reprint are given, but not the final
section here reproduced from Titan.
The Chinese questions stirred DE QUINCEY profoundly, and roused
all the 'John Bullism' of his nature. Two passages from the 'Preliminary
Note' will show his object in throwing so much energy into this
subject:--
NATIONAL MORALITY.
'Its purpose[1] is to diffuse amongst those of the middle classes, whose
daily occupations leave them small leisure for direct personal inquiries,
some sufficient materials for appreciating the justice of our British
pretensions and attitude in our coming war with China. It is a question
frequently raised amongst public journalists, whether we British are
entitled to that exalted distinction which sometimes we claim for
ourselves, and which sometimes is claimed on our behalf, by neutral
observers on the national practice of morality. There is no call in this
place for so large a discussion; but, most undoubtedly, in one feature of
so grand a distinction, in one reasonable presumption for inferring a
profounder national conscientiousness, as diffused among the British
people, stands upon record, in the pages of history, this memorable fact,
that always at the opening (and at intervals throughout the progress) of
any war, there has been much and angry discussion amongst us British
as to the equity of its origin, and the moral reasonableness of its objects.
Whereas, on the Continent, no man ever heard of a question being
raised, or a faction being embattled, upon any demur (great or small) as
to the moral grounds of a war. To be able to face the trials of a
war--that was its justification; and to win victories--that was its
ratification for the conscience.'
[1] That is--the publication of the pamphlet.--H.
CHINESE POLICY.

'The dispute at Shanghai, in 1848,