THE present Volume does not aspire to compete with the "Life and Correspondence of Southey," edited by his Son. It is necessarily less copious in detail, less full of familiar and affectionate illustrations of character; but I have aimed, without yielding to any political or literary bias, at giving a cheerful narrative of the actions, and an impartial estimate of the opinions and genius, of a man whose name is deservedly ranked amongst those of our first writers.