Table-Talk · Chapter
On Coffeehouse Politicians explained
Hazlitt critiques the superficiality of coffeehouse politicians who consume and discard news daily without genuine intellectual engagement.
What happens
Hazlitt critiques the superficiality of coffeehouse politicians who consume and discard news daily without genuine intellectual engagement. He contrasts the vibrant literary society of London, where individuals are valued for their wit and sense, with provincial society's preoccupation with wealth and status. The chapter includes a reflection on the fleeting nature of fame, illustrated by a debate on Gray versus Byron, and laments the loss of Elizabethan literary heritage.
Themes in this chapter
Fame, Reputation, and Public Opinion
Hazlitt explores the ephemeral nature of fame, contrasting the lasting genius of Elizabethan writers with the short-lived popularity of contemporary figures like Gray and Byron.
Social Class and Pretension
The chapter contrasts London society, where individuals are judged by wit and manners, with provincial society, where wealth and status dominate social interactions.
The Psychology of Habit and Novelty
Coffeehouse politicians are depicted as addicted to novelty, consuming news as a habitual routine without deeper thought or lasting interest.
Characters to notice
- William Hazlitt
Author and narrator, reflecting on the nature of coffeehouse politicians and society.
- Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Mentioned as an example of good company due to his ability to establish a division of labor between speaker and listeners.
- William Cobbett
Referenced in the context of coffeehouse politicians' interest in his Letter to John Cropper of Liverpool.
- Lord Byron
Subject of a debate on comparative merits with Gray at the Southampton.
- Mr. Mounsey
Addressed by Hazlitt in a reflection on the forgotten Elizabethan playwrights.
- John Cavanagh
Mentioned in the context of the fleeting nature of fame, though not directly in this excerpt.
Key passages
“They sit with a paper in their hands in the morning, and with a pipe in their mouths in the evening, discussing the contents of it.”
Coffeehouse politicians spend their mornings reading newspapers and their evenings smoking and talking about the news.
Illustrates the daily routine of these individuals, centered on consuming and discussing current events.
“In the metropolis there is neither time nor inclination for these remote calculations. Every man depends on the quantity of sense, wit, or good manners he brings into society for the reception he meets with in it.”
In London, people are judged solely by their intelligence, humor, and politeness, not by their wealth or status.
Highlights the contrast between London's merit-based social interactions and provincial preoccupations with class.
“So perishable is genius, so swift is time, so fluctuating is knowledge, and so far is it from being true that men perpetually accumulate the means of improvement and refinement.”
Genius is fleeting, time passes quickly, and knowledge changes constantly, disproving the idea that humanity steadily progresses in refinement.
Reflects Hazlitt's skepticism about progress and the lasting value of artistic achievement.