NOTE.

My thanks are due to the members of Mr. Emerson's family, and the other friends who kindly assisted me by lending interesting letters and furnishing valuable information.

The Index, carefully made by Mr. J.H. Wiggin, was revised and somewhat abridged by myself.

OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES.

BOSTON, November 25, 1884.

CONTENTS.

* * * * *

CHAPTER I.

1803-1823. To AET. 20.

Birthplace.—Boyhood.—College Life.

CHAPTER II.

1823-1828. AET. 20-25.

Extract from a Letter to a Classmate.—School-Teaching.—Study of Divinity.—"Approbated" to Preach.—Visit to the South.—Preaching in Various Places.

CHAPTER III.

1828-1833. AET. 25-30.

Settled as Colleague of Rev. Henry Ware.—Married to Ellen Louisa Tucker.—Sermon at the Ordination of Rev. H.B. Goodwin.—His Pastoral and Other Labors.—Emerson and Father Taylor.—Death of Mrs. Emerson.—Difference of Opinion with some of his Parishioners.—Sermon Explaining his Views.—Resignation of his Pastorate.

CHAPTER IV.

1833-1838. AET. 30-35.

Section I. Visit to Europe.—On his Return preaches in Different Places.—Emerson in the Pulpit.—At Newton.—Fixes his Residence at Concord.—The Old Manse.—Lectures in Boston.—Lectures on Michael Angelo and on Milton published in the "North American Review."—Beginning of the Correspondence with Carlyle.—Letters to the Rev. James Freeman Clarke.—Republication of "Sartor Resartus."

Section 2. Emerson's Second Marriage.—His New Residence in Concord.—Historical Address.—Course of Ten Lectures on English Literature delivered in Boston.—The Concord Battle Hymn.—Preaching in Concord and East Lexington.—Accounts of his Preaching by Several Hearers.—A Course of Lectures on the Nature and Ends of History.—Address on War.—Death of Edward Bliss Emerson.—Death of Charles Chauncy Emerson.

Section 3. Publication of "Nature."—Outline of this Essay.—Its Reception.—Address before the Phi Beta Kappa Society

CHAPTER V.

1838-1843. AET. 35-40.

Section 1. Divinity School Address.—Correspondence.—Lectures on Human Life.—Letters to James Freeman Clarke.—Dartmouth College Address: Literary Ethics.—Waterville College Address: The Method of Nature.—Other Addresses: Man the Reformer.—Lecture on the Times.—The Conservative.—The Transcendentalist.—Boston "Transcendentalism."—"The Dial."—Brook Farm.

Section 2. First Series of Essays published.—Contents: History, Self-Reliance, Compensation, Spiritual Laws, Love, Friendship, Prudence, Heroism, The Over-Soul, Circles, Intellect, Art.—Emerson's Account of his Mode of Life in a Letter to Carlyle.—Death of Emerson's Son.—Threnody

CHAPTER VI.

1843-1848. AET. 40-45.

"The Young American."—Address on the Anniversary of the Emancipation of the Negroes in the British West Indies.—Publication of the Second Series of Essays.—Contents: The Poet.—Experience. —Character.—Manners.—Gifts.—Nature.—Politics.—Nominalist and Realist.—New England Reformers.—Publication of Poems.—Second Visit to England

CHAPTER VII.

1848-1853. AET. 45-50.

The "Massachusetts Quarterly Review."—Visit to Europe.—England.—Scotland.—France.—"Representative Men" published. I. Lives of Great Men. II. Plato; or, the Philosopher; Plato; New Readings. III. Swedenborg; or, the Mystic. IV. Montaigne; or, the Skeptic. V. Shakespeare; or, the Poet. VI. Napoleon; or, the Man of the World. VII. Goethe; or, the Writer.—Contribution to the "Memoirs of Margaret Fuller Ossoli"

CHAPTER VIII.

1853-1858. AET. 50-55.

Lectures in various Places.—Anti-Slavery Addresses.—Woman. A Lecture read before the Woman's Rights Convention.—Samuel Hoar. Speech at Concord.—Publication of "English Traits."—The "Atlantic Monthly."—The "Saturday Club"