on between his friends and those who opposed his system, I occasionally wrote articles for the Eclectic Review, and by the editor was desired to review these pamphlets, which were written with a considerable degree of acuteness. This I undertook; and not knowing that the Review was so much the instrument of a party as I have since discovered, I animadverted on the hypothesis with more freedom than Dr. Williams's friends were willing to allow. In some places I pointed out what I conceived to be the vulnerable parts of his fortress, and the defective branches of his system. This was sent to the editor; but it was never printed; nor have I, from that time to this, written any thing for that journal. My critique I never recalled; so that it still lies among their papers, and there in all probability it will perish." SECTION XVII. Completion of Mr. Drew's Treatise on the Identity and Resurrection of the Body - He submits his MS to various literary characters Publication of the Essay-Its reception with the public. THE treatise on the Identity and Resurrection of the Human Body, which had been for some time laid aside, Mr. Drew, urged by the importunities of his friends, began at length to revise. In this work he proceeded, with a determination not to desist, until, to the utmost of his power, he had extracted order from confusion, lopped off redundancies, supplied defects, and placed his reasonings in a clear and unbroken light.' This, to a certain extent, having been effected about August 1806, the MS was put into the hands of Mr. Whitaker, by whom it was examined, and returned to the author with this note: "DEAR SIR, 66 I have read over your Treatise upon Identity, with much care, and with great pleasure. I did not, however, peruse it with all the rapidity that I proposed, when I had last the pleasure of seeing you here. The work required more attention from me than I expected or had calculated for. Nor did I finish the perusal till Saturday forenoon. I could not, therefore, return you the manuscript, as I promised, on Friday morning; even if I had chosen to send so valuable a packet by a common hand. But, not choosing this, I was at a loss how I should return it. I therefore resolved to return it in this form. "I wish to talk with you a little upon the subject. To one or two points I half object at present. I wish also to settle with you the form in which you mean to publish it, as by subscription or otherwise. And I beg you to come hither on Saturday next, and dine with us. We will dine at one, that you may go back in good time. If you cannot come, be so kind as to send me a line by the post of Friday. "In the mean time, dear sir, "Very much your Friend and Admirer, Monday Forenoon, Dec. 8, 1806. To the Rev. William Gregor the MS was next submitted, and it is to this gentleman's suggestion that the public is indebted for the short auto-biographical sketch prefixed to the printed work. His opinion of Mr. Drew's performance is seen in the two letters which follow. "To Mr. Samuel Drew. "Creed, January 11th, 1807. 66 SIR, "I fear that I must have appeared to treat you with neglect, in regard to your manuscript. By way of apology for the ill return that I may have made for the honour which you have done me, I must bring forward other necessary avocations, and the very nature of your work. "I have perused it with much interest and satisfaction, and have found reason to admire the sagacity and perseverance of your mind, by means of which you have developed the intricacies of a subject so remote from common apprehension. "As I have proceeded, I have taken the liberty, with a pencil, to mark down some critical minutiæ, and also to correct some errors of your transcriber.A few cavils, also, I shall suggest to you. As I am persuaded that in sending me your work you did not intend to pay me an unmeaning compliment, so I have thought it became me not to consider my perusal of it as a mere form- I shall, therefore, give you my real opinion of its merits, prefaced, however, with the humble confession of my incompetency to form any judgment of it on which you should rely; as I have been little conversant with metaphysical disqui sitions. "If you are disengaged either on Friday or Saturday next, will you do me favour of dining with us at two o'clock? I will then return you your manuscript, with many thanks; and we may have some conversation on the subject. "I am, your very obedient and humble servant, WILLIAM GREGOR." "Creed, Thursday Evening, 66 January 29th, 1807. "SIR, "I avail myself of an opportunity of sending to St. Austell, to write you a few lines respecting your intended publication. - Mr. Whitaker dined with me not long since. I asked him his opinion, as to the propriety of your prefixing to your work a plain narrative of the incidents of your life, and the circumstances which first led you to metaphysical inquiries. He was struck with the suggestion, and closed with it at once as an advisable measure. The simple unvarnished tale,' and the work itself would mutually set off each other. "As I hoped to have had a long conversation with you respecting your work, when you favoured me with your company, I was, perhaps, less explicit in my written remarks than I otherwise should have beennot but that all the remarks which I could make, would only amount to suggestions for your consideration. "Your language is perspicuous and forcible, and carries with it proofs that you clearly comprehended the subject. I think, however, that I suggested to you, that in some places, you had repeated some of your proofs, which, on a revisal, you might abridge. For as you certainly are entitled to emolument from such a curious and difficult an undertaking as your work is, you should consider what size your volume will be of, or whether it can be printed in the compass of one volume. And I would by all means advise you to have recourse to subscription, and hope that you will meet with due encouragement. "Believe me to be your's truly, From Mr. Gregor the MS was transferred to the Venerable Archdeacon Moore, who, in the following courteous terms, kindly consented to its revision. "To Mr. Samuel Drew, St. Austell. "DEAR SIR, 66 Bath, Jan. 31, 1807. "Your obliging letter of the 20th inst., not finding me at Exeter, followed me to this place, where it found me under the oppression of the reigning catarrhous cold, called the influenza, which disabled me for several days from holding my head in a writing posture. I thank God my malady is now so far abated, that I hope to find myself at home by the end of next week, when and where I shall receive your papers with great pleasure, and employ my first |