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    It cannot surely be necessary that I should enter into a description of his appearance and features , which countless portraits have made familiar to every man , woman , and child in the British Empire . In sill the infinity of pictures and hiists taken of him , sufficient likeness is perpetuated to transmit an accurate idea of him to posterity , and the unborn will see the type and fashion of him whose glory will last whilst England herself survives . The only thing- that struck me , when brought into personal contact with him , was that he seemed much shorter than I had fancied , and than lie looked on horseback , where alone I had seen him before . My friend , who ordinarily was remarkable for the ease arid gracefulneess of her manner , on this unfortunate occasion completely lost all self-possession . ; and in fact was speechless—unable to stammer out one articulate word . The Duke regarded her for awhile -with cold and pitiless gaze , nor sought in the remotestjjdegrec to remove or dissipate the confusion which so overpoweringly and really distressingly overcame heiv ...

    " Finding she did not speak , he said , in a voice of exceeding sternness , 'What paper is that you hold in your hand ? ' She faltered out that it embodied the petition she came to request m behalf of her relative . ' Give it me ! ' he said . He took it from her and read it attentively over ; and then in tones the most curt , most harsh , most hopelessly and inexorably decisive , said , ' I am not the proper person to apply to about this . I could not do it if I wished—I do not know that I should if I could . ' ¦ _ " In conveying this cruel negative , not one softening : tone of manner—not one transient look of svmpathv or admiration in

    anywise mingled with or mitigated the pain he inflicted on his beautiful suppliant . I was petrified that a man could be so ungentle and uncdurteous to any woman , much less to . such" ' a ' one us then stood before him . Nor can I now account for his severe , I may almost add uiigentlemanly , reception of her , except by the supposition that lie was annoyed at her exceeding nervoiisiless—a phase of feeling alike to him unknown—perhaps incomprehensible ; and possibly he thought it was assumed for eftect , which it certainly was not ; and as he was known to detest anything approximating' to affectation or tmrealitv ; resolved , it might be , to punish what he fancied an

    exhibition of if . . But if I was astonished at his treatment of Mrs . _ —— , I was yet more immeasurably so when , as I had never opened my . lips except to titter the exclamation as he entered the room , he came up tome , took hold of both my hands , and said , in the gentlest and blandest of tone * , ' Is there anything ! can do for you ? ' 'No , thank your << race— I merely came as .- this * huly ' strieiul , ' was my reply .. ' And so oiir brief interview terminated ; and from-the moment we entered the carriage that-awaited usj to the period when we airived sit my friend ' s houwe , I was ontevtainod with nothing but the most ' vehementanathemas uttered by . her against tho ' brutality ' of the Duke . , as she called it , and wondering-amazement tit the cause of bis extraordinary urbanity to me . " Xovv , take the Duke ' s portrait when in a good temper .

    " He received me most courteously and kindly , himself rising to place a chair forme . He looked at me with intense scrutiny , mid then said— ' So you are a friend of Lord Carnavon . Ah ! he is a good man . Is ho better i I was sorry to hear he had been ill . ' He then reverted ' to the subject which liad led me to seek the interview , asking ine many questions about ' ray military friend— : the name of his regiment—how long he had been in the army , &c- &c , winding up with the remark , uttered with a playful smile— ' The / act is , T suppose , you ; ire going- to be niurried to ' him . Is it not so Y ' I gave a truthful negative to the question . ' Wejl , never mind—it is no business of mine . Uut tell me—have I not seen you before P J am sure 1 have . ' It was said he never forgot any ^ ue he had once spoken to . 1 then recounted my former interview , when I accompanied Mrs . . 'Oh ! I remember it perfectlythe little woman Unit was ho frightened at inc . I did not like her : I thought her artificial . 1 take likings and dislikingu in a moment . 1 thought , after yon were gone , of ' your refusal when I offered to do

    anything ; for you . It is not often this occurs to mo : I assure you it is inuch more frequently I that have to say "No '—laughing heartily as he said it . * JL $ ufc , come now , tell me all . about yourself . Are your parents living * r —are you a widow P—havo you any children?—and what made you literary H ' These interrogatories were spoken somewhat rnpidly . I then gave him a ( short tiiogmphy of my then brief , but too eventful life , to the details of which ho listened with the deepest interest—going into tho minutest facts—commenting with singular nhrowdnoHS and sagacity on some of the eventa narrated . Ho nhowcd am extraordinary aptitude in discox'nini * truth . A casual word or expression sufficed for him at once to eornp rohond a meaning not expressed . When , in the courao of my brief history , 1 had to ( ell of sorrow suffered , wrong inflicted , nothing could exceed the kindly—I iniglit say t ' ondor—sympathy ho evinced . Of my father ho inquirod much . Whon 1 told him ho had boon identified irrcatl . v viUi Wilboribreo and others in writinir pamphlotH ,

    Ac , towards the achievement ; of that great and noble work , the iibo * lition of the ulavo-trado— ' Wan your rather English P You are not an Englishwoman P ' " ; Your grace , 1 urn u ( Scotch woman . ' ' " ' Well , yon may be , though you are not the least liko one ; but I am certain of this , you havo llalian blood in your veins—you are tho Imago of an Italian l | idy I once took a groat interest in' ( I wonder who jt watt ! ' ) ' I thought so tho instant I saw you some years since . ' " Had ho boon si friend of years—one connected by tios of long * companionship and intimacy , ho could not have ontoi'ed with movo anxious , onger interest into my plans aad projects , nor ftirnishecl ino ' with winer , wllu * ¦ coujiisel / or my future career . After u very

    long interview , during which I had several times offered to depart , all of which proposals were met with the words'" ' Sit" down again- * I tell von . I want to hear more . ' " ¦ ' But your Grace ' s time is so valuable ;' " ' I should soon dismiss you if I wished it . ' " I remembered , in the case of my poor friend , how abruptly he had indeed accomplished this . " ' Will you take some refreshment ? ' Perhaps you will like some tea , you women seem always ready for tea . ' " I laughed , and told ldm 1 had breakfasted long since . " We then commenced chatting again . ' " ' What time do you get up . in the morning t" '

    "' Eight o'clock . ' " ' Well , that is not very early—I rise much earlier than that . ' ¦ " Whilst talking with him , 1 could sea rely imagine that in the simple , unaffected man before me , the warm and kindly sympathiser with woman ' s griefs , the familiar adviser in the minor occurrences of a life so . different from his , it was the irritable Duke of AVellin « --ton I was conversing with , the greatest . warrior of the age , the profound statesman and legislator . He , too * who , as rumour had asserted , was entitled to his sobriquet of the Iron Duke , from his stern invulnerability to pity , compassion , or sympathy . Never in my experience of life had 1 met with a man more gracious in manner . . I was as perfectly at my ease whilst-talking 1 to him as if he had been oiie of my oldest , most familiar friends . " At last , for even the . plqasantest things must have a termination , the servant entered with a card , saying- the gentleman was waiting to see him ;

    " ¦ ' Well , now I suppose ; 1 must really let you go . . Now , do not be offended at what 1 am . going to say—you literary people ^ are not always very rich . Do you want any money to bring out this book ? — -if so , I will write yoti a cheque for any amount you choose to name . ' " He took the pen in his hand , and placed the- cheque-book before him . " ' Conie , what sum shall I write for ? ' ' I really believe if I had said iJoOO , he would have written it ; but drawing myself up with a terrible air of offended dignity I answered— , " 'Oh ! your-Grace , I did riot come here for money I " He looked at my flashing- eyes and kindling 1 cheek , saying , in a good-tempered way— - < " f Come , now , do not look so angry—I would not hurt your feelings for the world * , but I am so anxious you should let mo do something-for you . ' " . ¦ ~ ¦

    _ ,. , ,, , '" Well . let me , then , as I askwl you . dedicate the book , please , to vou , and fake a copy of it . ' - * * That you certainly may do ; only put in a paragraph to . : < ay I am not responsible for ' all the anecdotes narrated in it . As-for a copy , I will take the whole impression if you like . 1 . should like to see Captain — . If you will name any day when I shall find bun at your house , I will call on you . ' * "An arrangement for this was effected , and so our interview terminated . "

    This representation of the same man in two phases of his character , is as good as it can be . It is enough of itself to give a value to these volumes . Of a different kind is a sketch of Mrs . Percy Byrfio Shelley—it is a nicely tinted portrait , delicatel y shaded , and certainly ' does justice to the amiable and gifted original . As a companion portrait , we may accept that of L . E . Landon , whose death our Contemporary thinks was intentional . ,.,-, The notice of Thomas Campbell strikes us as exceedingly . judicious . Tn regard to tho poet ' s domestic affliction , tho melancholy tact of Jus son's insanity , our authoress makes the following sensible remarks . " I inquired if she could trace his aberration of intellect to any known and specific cause , or whether it was hereditary P bhci answered no— -that ho had always been a shy , slow boy from clm < Jhood . The only cause she could assign as possibly tending to his ultimate insanity was this : — "•

    __ m „ , .. _ . „ ,.. .. " Tho very constant habit of visitors , when calling , saying to hnn , ' Well , are you , my boy , a genius too f Are you going to muku as great a nmno and fume as your father ?' " After these oftcn-ropcated words ho would start up , anguisii stamped in each lino of his face— ' Mother , what is to bocQiuu ol mo ? I shall never be a genius , 1 cannot lonrn '—would then r \ wi out of tho house and be lost sight of for hours . The motive porlun >" is good which induces people to talk thus to the children p i clover and celebrated parents—assuming and expecting that , with their name « ml worldly possessions , they will inhorlt also the more priceloss patrimony of intellectual wealth . But I think tho habit most injudicious , and of fyreat questionable advantage to the ultimate development of tho child ' s capability . If a boy or girl possess within themselves that natural germ of genius which none can give or taito away , denond unon it sooner op later it wUl burst into miuuin

    without tho aid of adventitious culture and cultivation . U "" -V have it not , the consciousness of its nbsonco , « ml being constantJ . y taunted with such iibaurd qucHtions as Well , have you tho same brilliant ontlowraents as your father or mother ? ' I can quni ' imdorstand oxorcising , over a child of brooding and morbidly sensitive and misanthropic temperament , so dopregdug " » lnliueuv- '' that ulterior insanity , as in the case of young Campbell , to nn whw , however to bo deplored , one Hcnrcoly to bo much marvollou at . The authoress in one place denominates her skotehes plmograji Ui * - They are such ; and have tho faults , as well « tfi the menu of v&-guorrootypo . They reflect defeots , as well as beauties , Sonio ol iier inistalcos , are , evidently , those of her conversationalists , anus sno tolls us that Dr . Jay informed her that ho waa acquainted with no Roy . Robert Montgomery's iatlier ~ -that ho liv < kl at Bflth—Unit iw

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    848 The Saturday Analyst and Leader . [ Oct . 6 , 1860

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 6, 1860, page 848, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2368/page/8/