*Hints Towards the Formation of a More Comprehensive Theory Of Life* *by S. T. Coleridge* *Edited by Seth B. Watson, M.D.* Of St. John’s College, And Formerly One of the Physicians to the Hospital at Oxford Magna sunt opera Domini exquisita in omnes voluntates ejus. London: John Churchill, Princes Street, Soho MDCCCXLVIII. *C. and J. Adlard, Printers, Bartholomew Close* CONTENTS Preface. Physiology Of Life. The Nature Of Life. Advertisements. Footnotes ADVERTISEMENT. The Editor takes this opportunity of returning his best acknowledgments to Sir JOHN STODDART, LL.D., to the Rev. JAMES GILLMAN, Incumbent of Trinity, Lambeth, and to HENRY LEE, Esq., Assistant Surgeon to King’s College Hospital, for their great kindness, in regard to this publication. _16, Norfolk Street, Park Lane._ PREFACE. The accompanying pages contain the unfinished Sketch of a Theory of Life by S. T. Coleridge. Everything that fell from the pen of that extraordinary man bore latent, as well as more obvious indications of genius, and of its inseparable concomitant—originality. To this general remark the present Essay is far from forming an exception. No one can peruse it, without admiring the author’s comprehensive research and profound meditation; but at the same time, partly from the exuberance of his imagination, and partly from an apparent want of method (though, in truth, he had a method of his own, by which he marshalled his thoughts in an order perfectly intelligible to himself), a first perusal will, to many readers, prove unsatisfactory, unless they are prepared for it by an introduction of a more popular character. This purpose, therefore, I shall endeavour to accomplish; it being to be understood that I by no means make myself responsible either for Mr. Coleridge’s speculations, or for the manner in which they are enunciated; and that, on the contrary, I shall occasionally indicate views from which I dissent, and expressions which perhaps the author himself, on revision, would have seen reason to correct.