ware not only of the abundance of this quality in
his own nature, but of the danger in which it placed consistency and
singleness of character, did not require the note on this passage,
where he calls it "an unhappy attribute," to assure us. The
consciousness, indeed, of his own natural tendency to yield thus to
every chance impression, and change with every passing impulse, was
not only for ever present in his mind, but,--aware as he was of the
suspicion of weakness attached by the world to any retractation or
abandonment of long professed opinions,--had the effect of keeping
him in that general line of consistency, on certain great subjects,
which, notwithstanding occasional fluctuations and contradictions as
to the details of these very subjects, he continued to preserve
throughout life. A passage from one of his manuscripts will show how
sagaciously he saw the necessity of guarding himself against his own
instability in this respect. "The world visits change of politics or
change of religion with a more severe censure than a mere difference
of opinion would appear to me to deserve. But there must be some
reason for this feeling;--and I think it is that these departures
from the earliest instilled ideas of our childhood, and from the line
of conduct chosen by us when we first enter into public life, have
been seen to have more mischievous results for society, and to prove
more weakness of mind than other actions, in themselves, more
immoral."

The same distrust in his own steadiness, thus keeping alive in him a
conscientious self-watchfulness, concurred not a little, I have no
doubt, with the innate kindness of his nature, to preserve so
constant and unbroken the greater number of his attachments through
life;--some of them, as in the instance of his mother, owing
evidently more to a sense of duty than to real affection, the
consistency with which, so creditably to the strength of his
character, they were maintained.

But while in these respects, as well as in the sort of task-like
perseverance with which the habits and amusements of his youth were
held fast by him, he succeeded in conquering the variableness and
love of novelty so natural to him, in all else that could engage his
mind, in all the excursions, whether of his reason or his fancy, he
gave way to this versatile humour without scruple or check,--taking
every shape in which genius could manifest its power, and
transferring himself to every region of tho