was a poet even while a
boy; a penetrating philosopher, critic, and historian before the age
of thirty; a statesman of unrivalled moral wisdom; an orator whose
speeches have been read with increasing admiration in every succeeding
age; a judge of the fine arts to whose opinions Reynolds submitted;
and a writer on various subjects, in which he displayed not only vast
knowledge, but which he treated in a style of matchless beauty and
force. All the great men of his age--Johnson, Reynolds, Goldsmith,
Garrick, Pitt, Fox, Sheridan, Windham, North, Thurlow, Parr--scholars,
critics, divines, and statesmen--bore testimony to his commanding
genius and his singular moral worth, to his hatred of vice, and his
passionate love of virtue. But these great and varied excellences,
which secured him the veneration of the finest minds in Europe, were
not fully appreciated by his own nation, which was astonished rather
than governed by his prophetic wisdom. But Burke was remarkable, not
merely for his knowledge, eloquence, and genius but also for an
unblemished private life, for the habitual exercise of all those
virtues, and the free expression of all those noble sentiments which
only have marked exalted Christian characters. In his political
principles, he was a conservative, and preferred to base his views on
history and experience, rather than to try experiments, especially
when these were advocated by men whose moral character or infidel
sentiments excited his distrust or aversion. He did not shut his eyes
to abuse, but aimed to mend deliberately and cautiously. His
admonition to his country respecting America corresponded with his
general sentiments. "Talk not of your abstract rights of government; I
hate the very sound of them; follow experience and common sense." He
believed that love was better than force, and that the strength of any
government consisted in the affections of the people. And these he
ever strove to retain, and for these he was willing to relinquish
momentary gain and selfish aggrandizement. He advocated concession to
the Irish legislature; justice and security to the people of India;
liberty of conscience to Dissenters; relief to small debtors; the
suppression of general warrants; the extension of the power of juries;
freedom of the press; retrenchment in the public expenditures; the
removal of commercial restrictions; and the abolition of the slave
trade. He had a great contempt for "mechanical politicians," and