The Spirit of the Age; Or, Contemporary Portraits

William Hazlitt (1778-1830) was an English essayist, critic, and philosopher, renowned for his clear and elegant writing style and his insightful commentary on literature, politics, and art. He was born in Maidstone, Kent, England, the son of a Unitarian minister, and spent his early years traveling with his family throughout England and Ireland. In 1793, at the age of fifteen, Hazlitt entered the Unitarian College in Hackney, London, where he studied theology, but he left after only a year due to disagreements with his professors. In 1798, he began to work as a journalist and wrote for various newspapers, including the Morning Chronicle and the Examiner. In 1802, he published his first book, An Essay on the Principles of Human Action, which established his reputation as a philosophical writer. In 1805, Hazlitt met and fell in love with Sarah Stoddart, the sister of his friend John Stoddart. They were married in 1808, and had three sons together. However, their marriage was unhappy, and they separated in 1819. Hazlitt died in Soho, London, in 1830, at the age of 52. Despite his many achievements as a writer, he struggled with poverty and ill health throughout his life, and his reputation as a literary figure only began to be fully appreciated after his death. Today, he is recognized as one of the most important and influential writers of the Romantic era.