SiR HENRY TAYLOR. AUTHOR OF "NOTES FROM LIFE," "PHILIP VAN ARTEVELDF., SECOND EDITION. LONDON: 1849. ETC. JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. PREFACE. 1 829 MORTLAKE, May 1, 1848. ALTHOUGH I have always intended to reprint those few writings of mine in periodical works, which are not necessarily and by the nature of the subjects ephemeral, I should not have chosen for the republication this time of political excitement, were it not that there is to be found in one of these Essaysthe second of the series-an exposition of the views taken by our greatest Poets of the nature of liberty; which exposition, if it justly represent those views, will not be unaptly put forward for present consideration. Our great Poets have been, perhaps, our best political |