Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 62, No. 382, August 1847

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

27020

Title

Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 62, No. 382, August 1847

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

This August 1847 issue of Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine presents a critical review of George Grote's history of Greece, contrasting its philosophical rigor with earlier works. It also features a detailed account of Napoleon's captivity at St. Helena, exploring his fears, final days, and correspondence, alongside an essay on Thomas Reid's philosophy of common sense.

Summary up to 500 words

August 1847's Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine presents a multifaceted issue centered on historical critique, biographical memoir, and philosophical inquiry. The primary article offers a rigorous evaluation of George Grote's 'History of Greece.' While acknowledging Grote's superior philosophical spirit and his disciplined separation of history from fable, the reviewer critiques his narrative style as too polemical, diffuse, and lacking the descriptive elegance of predecessors like Mitford and Thirlwall. The review argues that Grote's work, though scientifically valuable for its strict adherence to evidence, suffers from an argumentative tone that hinders narrative flow and an inability to compress scattered historical events into a cohesive whole. The magazine suggests that while Grote has successfully cleared the ground of legend, future historians will eventually build a more ornate and simple structure upon his foundation. The issue also features a substantial memoir of Napoleon Bonaparte during his exile on St. Helena. The text details his deteriorating health, specifically his ulcerated stomach, and his fatalistic acceptance of his destiny. Napoleon is portrayed as a man plagued by paranoia regarding poison, refusing to leave the island despite escape attempts or offers of easier terms in America. He viewed his suffering as a martyrdom destined to restore the French crown to his dynasty. The memoir recounts his contempt for orators, his interactions with household staff, and his final visions of Josephine, whom he reportedly saw in a dream shortly before his death. Anecdotes illustrate his complex character, ranging from his nervous fear of assassination to his moments of levity and strategic brilliance. Philosophically, the magazine publishes an essay defending the philosophy of common sense against idealism and representationism. Citing Thomas Reid and Berkeley, the author argues that the perception of matter is an objective datum belonging to the Divine mind, not a modification of the human mind. The text asserts that matter and the perception of matter are indivisible; therefore, the existence of matter is independent of the human observer. This objective perception serves as a foundation for the *a priori* argument for the existence of God, as these perceptions must inhere in an eternal intellect. The issue concludes with a formal apology to Professor Wilson regarding a previous article about the University of Edinburgh. Blackwood's expressed regret that observations in their pages caused pain to Wilson, an early supporter of the magazine, and acknowledged their error in failing to obviatе potential objections before publication.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

Download URL

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/27020.epub.noimages

Local file path

data/epubs/pg27020.epub

Download EPUB

Downloaded at

2026-07-05 16:59 UTC

Categories

• History
• Periodicals