The Revolt of the Tartars_, and such acute
essays on unfamiliar topics as _The Toilette of a Hebrew Lady, The
Casuistry of Roman Meals_, and _The Spanish Military Nun_.

He had a contemplative, analytic mind which enjoyed knotty
metaphysical problems and questions far removed from daily life, such
as the first principles of political economy, and of German
philosophy. While he was a clear thinker in such fields, he added
little that was new to English thought.

The works which rank next to _The Confessions of an English
Opium-Eater_ are all largely autobiographical, and reveal charming
glimpses of this dreamy, learned sage. Those works are _Suspiria de
Profundis (Sighs from the Depths), The English Mail Coach_, and
_Autobiographic Sketches_. None of them contains any striking or
unusual experience of the author. Their power rests upon their
marvelous style. _Levana and Our Ladies of Sorrow_ in _Suspiria de
Profundis_ and the _Dream Fugue_ in the _Mail Coach_ are among the
most musical, the most poetic, and the most imaginative of the
author's productions.

General Characteristics.--De Quincey's essays show versatility,
scholarly exactness, and great imaginative power. His fame, however,
rests in a large degree upon his style. One of its most prominent
characteristics is, precision. There are but few English essayists who
can compare with him in scrupulous precision of expression. He
qualifies and elaborates a simple statement until its exact meaning
becomes plainly manifest. His vocabulary is extraordinary. In any of
the multifarious subjects treated by him, the right word seems always
at hand.

Two characteristics, which are very striking in all his works, are
harmony and stateliness. His language is so full of rich harmonies
that it challenges comparison with poetry. His long, periodic
sentences move with a quiet dignity, adapted to the treatment of lofty
themes.

De Quincey's work possesses also a light, ironic humor, which is
happiest in parody. The essay upon _Murder Considered as One of the
Fine Arts_ is the best example of his humor. This selection is one of
the most whimsical:--

"For, if once a man indulges himself in murder, very soon he come,
to think little of robbing; and from robbing he comes next to
drinking and Sabbath breaking, and from that to incivility and
procrastination. Once begin upon this downward path, you never know
where you are to stop."

De Quincey's gravest fault is di