In 1862 a collection of 33 essays by Sir James Fitzjames Stephen (1829-1894), a lawyer and later Judge of the High Court of Justice, Queen's Bench Division, 1879-1891, was published in London. They were first published in 1858-1860 in "The Saturday Review."
Unlike Stephen's other writings, which concern the law, these address many diverse topics, with surprising contemporary relevance. Take, for example, "Secondhand Knowledge," where he observes:
"It is perfectly true that there is much more to be known upon any subject than any one book contains; and it is also true that, when a
man writes the history of a country, he writes from the point of view and under the influence of the feelings of his own time and country, so that most histories fail to bring before the mind of the reader the real characteristics of the times and persons to which they refer."
View Article