What do you think?
Rate this book
Imaginary Conversations - Fourth Volume
From the Introduction to the first volume:
"The whig politics of Dr Parr were an equal attraction. Dr Landor, the author's father, had been a whig, had indeed been one of the leading whigs in Warwickshire up to the date of the French Revolution. But, when Burke and Fox took different sides, Dr Landor followed Burke, and, in horror at the excesses of the Revolutionists, became a supporter of Pitt. His father's decision doubtless influenced Landor in the very opposite direction. He threw himself into the ranks of the followers of Fox, and as a natural result became a friend of Dr Parr.
Dr Parr was at the time a sort of literary chief of the whigs j nor was there wanting a literary warfare where recruits were valuable. These were the days of the Anti-Jacobin, and its witty and scurrilous attacks upon any man who dared to do anything but adore Pitt and loathe the French. Not to have been libelled in the Anti-Jacobin argued a whig to be unknown. Dr Parr had often appeared in its pages, and the other whig writers of the time, like Coleridge, Southey, and even Lamb, were treated with scant courtesy in its pages. Into this conflict Landor was now introduced. For a short time he contributed to the Courier, but it would appear1 that some difficulty was found in constraining his pen within the bounds of party discipline. But he became at least conspicuous enough to earn his reward. The Anti-Jacobin Review and Magazine, the heir of all the scurrility of its parent, Canning's Anti-Jacobin, assailed him, according to Landor's own account, as a coward and a profligate...".
Excerpt from Imaginary Conversations, Vol. 4 of 6
Penn. Friend Mordaunt, thou hast been silent the whole course of our ride hither; and I should not even now interrupt thy cogitations, if the wood before us were not equally uncivil. Charles Mordaunt, son of John Lord Mordaunt, vfas born in 1658, succeeded to the paternal honours in 1675, and to those of hi uncle, uie Earl of Peterborough, in 1697.1 In Spences Anecdotes p.ii 8, Malones edition, he says: I took a trip once with Penn to his colony of Pennsylvania. The laws there are contained in a small volume, and are so extremely good that there has been no alteration wanted in any one of them. There are no lawyers; every one is to tell his own case, or some friend for him. There are four persons as judges on the bench; and, after the case has been fairly laid down on both sides, all the four draw lots, and he upon whom the lot fells decides the question. p.1J 5. PLandor is here more than usually wrong in his chronology. He speaks of Peterborough as a young unmarried man, whereas Mordaunt was not Earl of Peterborough till he was thirty-nine, and he married when he was twenty. If he went to America as Lord Peterborough the date of this visit must be in the year 1699. It is difficult, however, to understand how even Peterborough at that time could have managed to get to America and back. He was then taking an active part in Parliamentary life, and I am almost disposed to doubt if he could have found the time. The other possible date is 1682, but there are difficulties about that date also. It is possible that the whole story of his visit is apocryphal like a good many other facts in his life. The Conversation is one of Landor sbest. The characters are well drawn. Peterborough sfreakish delight in turning the conversation on to subjects likely to provoke Penn into enthusiastic indignation is as natural as Penns piety. It is scarcely necessary to mention that Plato, Canning, and the Roman Catholic religion are discussed. The quotations from Penns writings are taken from his select works, 1771. (Imag. Convers. v., 1829. Works i., 1846. Works iii., 1876.
"The whig politics of Dr Parr were an equal attraction. Dr Landor, the author's father, had been a whig, had indeed been one of the leading whigs in Warwickshire up to the date of the French Revolution. But, when Burke and Fox took different sides, Dr Landor followed Burke, and, in horror at the excesses of the Revolutionists, became a supporter of Pitt. His father's decision doubtless influenced Landor in the very opposite direction. He threw himself into the ranks of the followers of Fox, and as a natural result became a friend of Dr Parr.
Dr Parr was at the time a sort of literary chief of the whigs j nor was there wanting a literary warfare where recruits were valuable. These were the days of the Anti-Jacobin, and its witty and scurrilous attacks upon any man who dared to do anything but adore Pitt and loathe the French. Not to have been libelled in the Anti-Jacobin argued a whig to be unknown. Dr Parr had often appeared in its pages, and the other whig writers of the time, like Coleridge, Southey, and even Lamb, were treated with scant courtesy in its pages. Into this conflict Landor was now introduced. For a short time he contributed to the Courier, but it would appear1 that some difficulty was found in constraining his pen within the bounds of party discipline. But he became at least conspicuous enough to earn his reward. The Anti-Jacobin Review and Magazine, the heir of all the scurrility of its parent, Canning's Anti-Jacobin, assailed him, according to Landor's own account, as a coward and a profligate...".
Excerpt from Imaginary Conversations, Vol. 4 of 6
Penn. Friend Mordaunt, thou hast been silent the whole course of our ride hither; and I should not even now interrupt thy cogitations, if the wood before us were not equally uncivil. Charles Mordaunt, son of John Lord Mordaunt, vfas born in 1658, succeeded to the paternal honours in 1675, and to those of hi uncle, uie Earl of Peterborough, in 1697.1 In Spences Anecdotes p.ii 8, Malones edition, he says: I took a trip once with Penn to his colony of Pennsylvania. The laws there are contained in a small volume, and are so extremely good that there has been no alteration wanted in any one of them. There are no lawyers; every one is to tell his own case, or some friend for him. There are four persons as judges on the bench; and, after the case has been fairly laid down on both sides, all the four draw lots, and he upon whom the lot fells decides the question. p.1J 5. PLandor is here more than usually wrong in his chronology. He speaks of Peterborough as a young unmarried man, whereas Mordaunt was not Earl of Peterborough till he was thirty-nine, and he married when he was twenty. If he went to America as Lord Peterborough the date of this visit must be in the year 1699. It is difficult, however, to understand how even Peterborough at that time could have managed to get to America and back. He was then taking an active part in Parliamentary life, and I am almost disposed to doubt if he could have found the time. The other possible date is 1682, but there are difficulties about that date also. It is possible that the whole story of his visit is apocryphal like a good many other facts in his life. The Conversation is one of Landor sbest. The characters are well drawn. Peterborough sfreakish delight in turning the conversation on to subjects likely to provoke Penn into enthusiastic indignation is as natural as Penns piety. It is scarcely necessary to mention that Plato, Canning, and the Roman Catholic religion are discussed. The quotations from Penns writings are taken from his select works, 1771. (Imag. Convers. v., 1829. Works i., 1846. Works iii., 1876.
434 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1829
About the author
Walter Savage Landor
513 books31 followersWalter Savage Landor (30 January 1775 – 17 September 1864) was an English writer, poet, and activist.
Landor's best known work is the multi-volume Imaginary Conversations, written during his years living in Italy. He died in Florence at age 89.
Throughout his life, Landor travelled widely and had a notable circle of friends including Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Charles Lamb, Countess Blessington, Robert Browning and Charles Dickens. Landor was the godfather of Dickens's son Walter Landor Dickens.
The writer, explorer, and adventurer Arnold Henry Savage Landor is his grandson.
Landor's best known work is the multi-volume Imaginary Conversations, written during his years living in Italy. He died in Florence at age 89.
Throughout his life, Landor travelled widely and had a notable circle of friends including Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Charles Lamb, Countess Blessington, Robert Browning and Charles Dickens. Landor was the godfather of Dickens's son Walter Landor Dickens.
The writer, explorer, and adventurer Arnold Henry Savage Landor is his grandson.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
No one has reviewed this book yet.