In spite of his ailments he felt full, and was full, of life, when he was cut off.

We cannot be sure if lengthened days would have added much to his work already achieved.

There is hardly a parallel case in literature of the great powers of a whole life being so concentrated on one supreme and magnificent effort.

Yet, if he had lived to 1804, or as an extreme limit, to 1814, we should have been all gainers.

In the first place, he certainly would have finished his admirable autobiography.