1   The History of Philosophy from the Earliest Periods, Drawn up from Brucker's Historia Critica Philosophiae. (1839)

In a country, which has so long held a distinguished place in the Republic of Letters as Great Britain, it is surprising that so small a share of attention should hitherto have been paid to the subject of this work. While the events of civil history have been related in every possible variety of method and language, and have been made the frequent subject of philosophical discussion, a series of facts, less adapted, indeed, to impress the imagination, but by no means less instructive, has been almost entirely overlooked. A British student, who, in his search after truth, should be desirous of taking a general survey of the rise and progress of opinions on the more important subjects of speculation, and by a fair comparison of different systems to draw legitimate conclusions for himself, would seek in vain for the necessary information in any English work. The only treatise, which might seem to promist him much assistance on this subject, is Stanley's History of Philosophy: but to say nothing of the uncouth and obscure style in which this work is written, he would find, upon examination, that the author's plan extended little further than to the history of the Grecian sects of philosophy; and that, in executing it, he has rather performed the office of an industrious compiler, than that of a judicious critic.