in 1812 nugent published "portugal, a poem" then in 1829 "oxford and locke", which defended the expulsion of locke from the university of oxford against the censures of dugald stewart. nugent's sympathetic "memorials of john hampden" appeared in 1832. the work was favourably reviewed by thomas babington macaulay in the "edinburgh review", and adversely by robert southey in the "quarterly review", resulting in a flurry of correspondence.