Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 14.djvu/394

 work to be called (after Spinoza) ‘De Emendatione Humani Intellectus,’ and became incapable of serious work. In the beginning of 1819 he read Ricardo's ‘Political Economy,’ and was so impressed by it as to draw up ‘Prolegomena of all future systems of Political Economy.’ This again was laid aside, and he suffered from tremendous dreams, in which he sometimes seemed to live through a century in a night. He was haunted by the monstrous figure of a crocodile, or visions of Ann and early acquaintances, especially a certain Malay, whom he had found wandering in the Lakes and presented with a large dose of opium. The Malay was not found dead, but long continued to ‘run amuck’ through De Quincey's dreams. Meanwhile a bank in which a large part of his money had been invested failed, and he became in need of some means of support. He had contributed to ‘Blackwood’ and the ‘Quarterly Review.’ In the summer of 1819 he became editor of the ‘Westmoreland Gazette.’ His duties must have enforced a certain abstinence from opium. He explained his prospects to his uncle, Colonel Penson, and asked for a loan of 500l. with which and his literary earnings he would be able to remove to London and make a start in life. He continued to edit the paper for the greater part of a year, living, it seems, chiefly in Kendal, and then abandoned it as insufficiently remunerative. His articles were apparently not much better adapted to readers than Coleridge's ‘Friend,’ and his views of provincial journalism are sufficiently indicated in his enumeration of his qualifications, among which he reckons as especially valuable his knowledge of German literature and consequent power of drawing upon that ‘Potosi’ (, i. 249).

De Quincey had not only lost but given away large sums. His liberality amounted to reckless indifference to money (, i. 219). In 1821 he made a fresh attempt to break off his opium-eating, and went to London in search of literary work. He had already met Lamb in 1804 and upon subsequent visits, but had been kept at a certain distance by Lamb's ridicule of some of his idols. The Lambs now received him with a kindness which soon led to intimacy, and introduced him to Taylor and Hessey, who in July 1821 became proprietors of the ‘London Magazine’ (started in 1820). Thomas Hood, who was at this time sub-editor of the magazine; Talfourd, whose acquaintance he had made at the Middle Temple; Hazlitt, and other literary people met him at the dinners given by Taylor and Hessey. De Quincey lived near Soho Square for a time, and afterwards took a lodging at 4 York Street, Covent Garden (see, Manual, art. ‘Quincey’). In this lodging he wrote the ‘Confessions of an English Opium Eater,’ containing some of his best work, which appeared in the ‘London Magazine’ for October and November 1821. It excited much attention, was reprinted in 1822, and reached a second edition in 1823, with an appendix giving a tabulated statement of his consumption of opium. A sympathetic notice by James Montgomery in the ‘Sheffield Iris’ brought from De Quincey an assertion of the literal fidelity of the narrative, in the number for December 1821. He continued to contribute till the end of 1824, his articles including ‘Letters to a Young Man whose Education has been Neglected’ (January, February, March, and May 1823), ‘Dialogue of the Three Templars’ (April and May 1824), with other economic discussions. An analysis of ‘Walladmor,’ a novel which had been passed off in Germany as Scott's, also appeared in 1824; and in the next year he undertook a translation of the original, which, however, he found expedient to compress, modify, and turn into ridicule. He next also contributed to Knight's ‘Quarterly Magazine,’ and stayed occasionally with Knight, who has given some curious anecdotes of his simplicity and helplessness in all matters of business. His reputation was growing, and he was introduced by his friend Wilson into the ‘Noctes Ambrosianæ’ (Blackwood, October 1823 and October 1825). He was again in Westmoreland for a time in 1825, but wrote to Wilson from London in a despondent humour in the beginning of 1826. Wilson replied by asking for contributions to ‘Blackwood.’ A translation of Lessing's ‘Laocoon’ appeared in that magazine in November 1826, and the first part of ‘Murder as one of the Fine Arts’ in February 1827. De Quincey continued to be an occasional contributor till 1849. The connection led to his settling in Edinburgh. He occupied Wilson's rooms there at the end of 1828, and from 1828 to 1830 contributed to the ‘Edinburgh Literary Gazette.’ After a time his two elder children followed him to Edinburgh for the educational advantages, and in 1830 Mrs. De Quincey joined him with the younger children. After this time he never returned to Grasmere. In 1832 De Quincey published his novel, ‘Klosterheim,’ which never had much popularity, though it is said to have been dramatised with success at two London theatres. From 1834 onwards he contributed many articles to ‘Tait's Magazine,’ most of them in the earlier period being autobiographic or reminiscences of Coleridge, Wordsworth, and other literary friends. They gave offence to the families