se essays first took the form
of book publication; and Macaulay's "Miscellanies" were published in
Boston in 1840, and in Philadelphia in 1842. As these volumes began to
go to England, for Macaulay's own protection they were republished by
Longman, revised by the author, in 1843, and obtained an immediate and
immense sale,--reaching one hundred and twenty thousand copies in
England,--which added to the fame and income of Macaulay. But he was
never satisfied with the finish of his own productions; the only thing
which seemed to comfort him was that the last essays were better than
the first. In addition to his labors for the Edinburgh, was the
publication of a volume of his poems in 1842, which was also
enthusiastically received by his admirers. His last notable essays were
a chivalrous article on Madame D'Arblay (January, 1843); an entirely
charming account of Addison and the wits of Queen Anne's reign (July,
1843); an interesting review of the Memoirs of Barere, the French
revolutionist and writer (April, 1844); and finally a second article on
Lord Chatham (October, 1844), which is considered finer than the first
one written twenty years earlier. More and more, however, the project of
writing a History of England had taken possession of him, and he began
now to forego all other literary occupation, and to devote all his
leisure time to that great work.

During much of the time that Macaulay had continued writing his reviews,
at the rate of about two in a year, he was an active member of
Parliament, frequently addressing the House of Commons, and earning the
gratitude of the country by his liberal and enlightened
views,--especially those in reference to the right of Unitarians to
their chapels, to the enlarged money-grant given to the Irish Roman
Catholic Maynooth College, and to the extension of copyrights. He
rarely spoke without careful preparation. His speeches were forcible and
fine. In the higher field of debate, however, as we have already
intimated, he was not successful. In 1845 Sir Robert Peel retired, the
Whigs again coming into power; and in 1846 Macaulay accepted the office
of Paymaster of the Forces, because its duties were comparatively light
and would not much interfere with his literary labors, while it added
L2000 a year to his income. During the session of 1846 and 1847, while
still in Parliament, he spoke only five times, although the House was
ever ready to listen to him.

In the year 1847 the dis