The Sun.
London, England, 1820-12-22 00:00:00

MR. M. STERLING.

A GoodFellote is a good neighbour, a good citizen, a good
relation,—in slim, a Good Mao.

. ,
MR. M4YARLANE.
A Good Fellow is " a bonnie, bra' Jobn Hielandman."
MR. O'CONNOR.

A Good Fellow is one who talks loud and swears louder,
cares little about learning, and less about his neckcloth,—
loves whisky, patronises bargemen, and wears nails in his
shoes.

MR. MUSGRAVE.
A Good Fellow is—prince;--tlosk—and bang-up.
MR. BURTON.

A Good Fellow is one who knows " what's what," keeps
accounts, and studies Cocker.

Ml{. 1/10W,LEY..

A Good Fellow likes Turtle and cold Punch, drinks Port
when he can't get Champagne, and dines on Mutton with Sir
Kuhert, Mien he can't get Venison at My Lord's,

LOZELL.

A Loyd Fellow is something compopiided.of ihe preceding.

MR. OAKLEY.

A Good Fellow is something perfectly different from the
preceding,—wid Mr. Lozell is an Ass.
And.now, after so many excellent descriptions, what can
Sir Thomas add?

Why to be sure I am placed in rather a difficult situation;
however, with due deterrnce to the opinions of the above
highly-respected Gentlemen, I must conjure up the Lean ideal
of " a Good Fellow."—First of all, as a foundation for a mul-
titude of virtues, he must be abundantly good-natured. Now,
by good-nature I donut understand that easy, timid, unmean-
ing sort of complaisance which says "Yes' to every body,
merely from the fear of saying " No;" nor that soft simpli-
city, which, without any will or cuntroul of its own, suffers
itself to be turned about like the weathercock on the steeple,
hardly -inquiring whether it moves to.right or wrong pur:-
poses; itud which, by taking every thing in good part, how-
ever ill-ureant, acquires the enviable distinction of standing
as a public butt, .at which any fool thinks himself entitled to
take a random shot., and invariably confers upon its possessor
the honourable appellation of Cawker. My hero should have
just enough of this temper to enable him to give a joke and
take one with equal pleasure. He must be seldom passionate,
and never sulky; not inclined to quarrels, hut still less to
stand calmly by, if his schoolfellows or . himself were unpro-
vokedly attacked. He would never give up his accomplices,
although:threatened with tenfold punishment, and would run
the risk of a flogging himself to save another from the cer-
tainty of one. I would have him with just sufficient reading
to have something to say for himself, and just sufficient wit
to make what be says agreeable. I will admit, however, that
there is not much objection to his being a pretty. good scho-
lar, provided he is ready to communicate his knowledge when
there is flecasion,—to construe the lesson for the general
good,—and to do a few verses now and then, upon a push,
for some unfortunate blockhead on a regplar week,—pro-
vided, too, that he is never caught out in a quotation. He
ought to like all sorts of games, .though it is not at all neces-
sary that. he should excel in any one, provided that he enters,
into the spirit of them, and tikes particular care not to give
his adversary a wilful kick at toot-ball, and not to direct hii
cricket-bait- against the Jogs instead of the wicket of the
player. With all these perfections, it is his absolute duty to
hate pride as be does lying,—to hate lying as he does hypo-
crisy,—and hypocrisy as he does the Devil. Thus you see he
will be kind, generous, pleasant, and useful—and what fur-
ther can any one desire ? Perhaps you niay.be inclined to.
think I have exacted rather too Much.

I have, indeed, some reason to suppose that a very few of
the above-mentioned qualit es are requisite to form, what an
Etonian would call a Good Fellow; and that term seems so
iiften applied to undeserving and opposite characters, that
I ain inclined to think that the jadgment of the 'School in
this respect is neither very severe nor very consistestt. Once
I was extremely surprised ,at bearing a boy mentioned as a
Good Fellow whom I had always held in the light of a Ye-
}Mud bully, whose tyranny, in common, with otherso had
frequently felt, and abused, Thris,ehange was accounted fur
by his having assisted a party in a.contest with some black-
guards, either out of, svntounets, the ineie love of fighting,
or perhaps, after ail, because he could not help IX. I have
often been present when the epithets of Beast and-Good Fel-
low have been given to the same person in less than a minute,
the latter of which was apparently used as a COPCiliiitOry ohms
his consenting to lend a book which he had hefore ecfosed.
What way of entreating can lie so effective, so moving, as the
usual form ?-44 Pray do me what I ask, and you will he is
Good Fellow." The name, ha,eknei'ed as it is, seems to have
an inexpressible eharmit it equivalent. to thanks and to
flattery—an incitement to perform a service—a reward when
it has been performed. I for my own part enteata:in a grain
respect and veneration for this honourable title, and I cannot
sufficiently regret that it should be given tq the ill-natured
because they happen once to have deviated from their usital
practice; to the sullen, because they sometime% lapgh ; to
the stingy, because they now and then squeeze Uszt from their
purses an extravagant shilling ; to the tinily, because he for
once in a way bullies those who deserve it.' I think, how-
ever,-it may with great justice be applied to whoever is
strongly attached to his own pursuits, but. never abuses those
of others. In this opinion lam the more decided, from my
willingness to allow this title to many, who are deficient isr
most of the, above-mentioned qualifications. In short, lam
very ready to extend. the
,appellation to every one who has a
kind heart ; to every one who " Um, a, he ought to do;" to
every one who sweetens his. last glass of Port by drinking
" Prosperity to Eton, happiness to his schoolfellows, and
long life to 71/4e Etonian.' " T. N.