shall be any one surviving who personally knew, and can remember him, they will allow that seldom has a more worthy candidate been seen for a place at the Round Table of the Knights of Heliogabalus. His prowess in this way was enormous. If he had only two bottles of Madeira at dinner, he thought himself stinted, and even after a more copious portion, would not unfrequently go in the evening to some of the fashionable club-houses in the vicinity of St. James's-street, and repeat the dose. He was a remarkably large uncouth man, and had a convulsive infirmity in his head and neck, which made conversation with him exceedingly unpleasant. Of Colonel Barré and Lord Shelburne, it must be unnecessary to say any thing. They might be considered as the fulcrum, upon which this political association rested; but there is one individual of whom it may be expedient to say a little more, and this was Ge B- -S. He was a most perfect, noisy, turbulent demagogue; a great clamourer for liberty, and like all such, sour, surly, and tyrannical in his own family. He expressed a great contempt for women generally, and appeared to have had a remarkable ayersion to what are considered as female accomplishments. In consequence of these absurd prejudices, he was particularly harsh to his wife and daughters, and refused the latter the opportunity opportunity of acquiring the commonest and more essential attainments. They trembled at his appearance, and exulted, with unaffected satisfaction, whenever any unexpected incident detained him from his family. He was what in city language is termed a Deputy, that is, the representative of the alderman of the ward, in his absence. He was a man of strong sense, and by flattering his vanity, he was found exceedingly useful to his party at Common Halls, Courts of Common Council, and Ward Meetings. It was the fashion of that day, and it appears to have continued to the present period, to insult Royalty by insolent attacks, under the names of petitions and remonstrances. On such occasions, the personage here alluded to was always a conspicuous performer. He had a son, who, bating that he inherited his paternal foibles, as they related to party and politics, was a sensible and accomplished gentleman. He, however, died prematurely. There were other individuals of this fraternity, but of less notorious importance. The ligature, however, which held them all together, was first weakened, and finally dissolved, CHAP, En ego non paucis quondam munitus amicis CHAPTER V. IT can hardly be a matter of astonishment, that from mixing a great deal with the above individuals, and as well from family connection, as from repeated assurances of independence, the mind of a young and inexperienced man, should in some degree be warped. That he should in some measure feel a favourable bias towards sentiments and prejudices, which he heard perpetually avowed by many whom he esteemed, and vindicated not only with no ordinary degree of subtlety, but with the greatest powers of argument and intellect. The The delusion, however, did not last long. The fervour of political association, and the dreams of anticipated affluence, were abruptly but effectually dissolved. The golden image of independence was only seen through a glass darkly, and at a prodigious distance. It became necessary, steadily and diligently to exercise such abilities as were possessed, to fulfil the sweetest of charities, and the most sacred of obligations. Whilst the mind was still in an unsettled state, and the imagination bewildering itself in visions of fancied occupation, accident (of all accidents surely the most fortunate) placed in the way an individual, to delineate whose character with fidelity and truth, though a most delightful task, yet it is one which requires no ordinary talents-no slight attention. This occurrence, and this individual, gave a decided bias to the future pursuits, studies, views, connections, and prospects of the Sexagenarian. The influence was like that of an ascendant star, nor ever did one dark cloud interpose between this star and the object, which with complacency and affection, contemplated its mild and benignant aspect. Two streams united, which together formed a river, gentle but far from dull, and full without overflowing. Quickness of conception on one side, was tempered by judicious deliberation on the other; luxuriance luxuriance of expression was chastened by classical accuracy, and extreme facility of communicating ideas, was moderated and reined in, by a salutary sobriety and reserve. At first, indeed, there seemed something like an impassable gulf between the parties, formed by the undisguised exhibition of the qualities of mind by which they were severally distinguished. The first rencontre, for so it may be called, happened at the period, when the popularity of Mrs. Siddons, was at its height. The Sexagenarian, warm, impetuous, and living in much intimacy with the family of Mr. and Mrs. Yates, of theatrical memory, contended for the superiority of his friend and favourîte, and considered the excellence of Mrs. Siddons, as solely consisting in the knowledge of her art, without exciting or displaying the great features and impressive emotions of nature. On the other hand, it was argued with equal pertinacity, that Mrs. Siddons had much higher and stronger claims to admiration, and that her popularity was the result of feeling, co-operating with judgment. As usual, neither party was convinced by the argument of his opponent, and they parted not very well satisfied with one another. But the reserve occasioned by this jarring of sentiments soon wore off, and disappeared altogether. Similar studies, pursuits, and objects, 1 |