PREFACE.
Lord Macaulay always looked forward to a publication of his
miscellaneous works, either by himself or by those who should represent
him after his death. And latterly he expressly reserved, whenever the
arrangements as to copyright made it necessary, the right of such
publication.
The collection which is now published comprehends some of the
earliest and some of the latest works which he composed. He was born
on 25th October, 1800; commenced residence at Trinity College,
Cambridge, in October, 1818; was elected Craven University Scholar in
1821; graduated as B.A. in 1822; was elected fellow of the college in
October, 1824; was called to the bar in February, 1826, when he joined the
Northern Circuit; and was elected member for Calne in 1830. After this
last event, he did not long continue to practise at the bar. He went to
India in 1834, whence he returned in June, 1838. He was elected
member for Edinburgh, in 1839, and lost this seat in July, 1847; and this
(though he was afterwards again elected for that city in July, 1852, without
being a candidate) may be considered as the last instance of his taking an
active part in the contests of public life. These few dates are mentioned
for the purpose of enabling the reader to assign the articles, now and
previously published, to the principal periods into which the author\'s life
may be divided.