he was not a man of violent temper. He was also apt to conceive
strong and rooted prejudices against individuals on very slight
grounds. But he was a good-hearted man ... Private circumstances, it
is said, contributed to sour his temper and to produce a peculiar
excitement which too frequently held its sway over him. Mr. Hazlitt
and Mr. Perry did not agree. Upon one occasion, to the great
annoyance of some of his colleagues, he preferred his wine with a
few friends to taking his share in reporting an important discussion
in the House of Commons. Added to this, he either did not understand
the art of reporting, or would not take the trouble to master it....
His original articles required to be carefully looked after, to weed
them of strong expressions.

Hazlitt's reputation grew, notwithstanding. In 1814 Jeffrey enlisted
him to write for The Edinburgh Review, and in 1815 he began to
contribute to Leigh Hunt's paper The Examiner. In February 1816 he
reviewed Schlegel's 'Lectures on Dramatic Literature' for the
Edinburgh, and this would seem to have started him on his Characters
of Shakespeare's Plays. Throughout 1816 he wrote at it sedulously.

The MS., when completed, was accepted by Mr. C. H. Reynell, of 21,
Piccadilly, the head of a printing establishment of old and high
standing; and it was agreed that 100 pounds should be paid to the
author for the entire copyright ... The volume was published by Mr.
Hunter of St. Paul's Churchyard; and the author was gratified by the
prompt insertion of a complimentary notice in the Edinburgh Review.
The whole edition went off in six weeks; and yet it was a half-
guinea book.' [Footnote: Memoirs of William Hazlitt, by W. Carew
Hazlitt, 1887. Vol. i, p. 228.]