Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-12-19

men groaning to their couches, con-
tinue his work Of reading or writing
on public business almost without
abatement, amid the chaos Of papers
which covered the floor as web as
the tables Of his room.n ~
/ There is only one consultation, if
it can be called one, which Sir Hen
ry was tempted to betrsy. It was
his being asked by Ali Pasha wheth-
er he knew Of any poison, which,
put on the mouthpiece Of > pipe or
given in coffee, might slowly and
silently kill, leaving no note behind.
"The instant and short answer l
gave, that, as physician, had
studied how to save life, not to de-
stroy it, was probably, as / judged
from his face, faithfully translated
to him. He quilted the subject abb
ruptly, never to return tn it."
There is a story that when his en-
gagement to his second wife, Sgd
ney Smiths daughter, was made
known in 1884, Lady Holland asked
Sydney Smith whether Saba was
not going to marry an apothccary,
or something of that sort, and that
the answer was "Yes, but he hap
pens to be a namesake of yours" +"
This is hardly possible, for we learn
from the "Recollections" that he
became free of Holland House and
Landsdowne House soon after his
return to England in 1914. But he
was not made Baronet until 1853,
and we have grounds for believing
her reported threat (though he said
he never heard of it) that he should
never set foot in Holland House
again if he brought a rival Lady
Holland into the field. In the sum-
mer of 1914 he accepted the ap-
pointmcnt Of Domestic Medical At
tendant on Caroline, Princess of
Wales, afterwards Queen), on an
engagement to accompany her on
her travels, and stay with her dur
ing the first year of her intended
residence on the Continent. He saw
a great many curious things and
came in contact with great many
remarkable people while he remain
ed with her, but he tells us next to
nothing of them which might not
be proclaimed at Charing- Cross,
and, indeed, he fairly warns us, to
prevent disappointment: 81 have
never been practical relator of an
ecdotes, and do not pretend thus
late in life to take up that charac-
ter" Her Royal Highness must
have paid him the compliment OF
being singularly prudent and re-
served in his company, for when he
was called as witness for the de-
fence at her trial, he positively sta
ted that he had seen nothing i'm
proper or derogatory in her bchav-
ior towards Bergam or any other
person at any time:
Gan erroneous report which, had
it been true, might have embarrass.
ed me, l was enabled at once to put
aside by simple and explicit deni.
al" 1t was that he had spoken
dlsadvantageously of Her Majesty.
"Including the examination in chief
by my friend afterwards Chief JUS
tice) Tindal-the cross examination
by the Solicitor General, afterwards
Lord Lyndhurst-and that by sever
al Peers who questioned me in Sc
quel Uord Erskine was one Of thcm)
| was not detained one hour at the
Bar of the Honse, and encountered
no difficulty which l was not pre-
pared fairly to meet. Two or three
congratulatory notes from Peers
came to me Immediately after the
examination had closed"
To give some idea of the person
al anxieties created by this trial, he
mentions that during its progress
he was called upon by three ladies
summoned as witnesses, and made
ill by their apprehensions: "One Of
them only was examined, but this in
way to justify her fears. l can
affirm, Notwithstanding one scene
in the House of Lords, that The
Queen herself was the person least
excited or affected by the proceed
ings."
On the announcement of his fail
ure to kill either Of pair Of pleas
ants that had risen within easy
range at Combc Flory, Sydney
Smith asked why he did not pre-
scribe for them. TO rcfute this sto-
ry, which was cert inly told by
Sydney Smith himself, he, in his
"Recollcctions," says: 81 can affirm,
though without boasting of it, that l
have never fired gun or pistol in
my life, either as sportsman or in
any other capacity" Once, on his
making the same statement at a
dinner table, it was suggested that
he would have been placed at a dis
advantage if, like the doctor in
"Peregrine Pickle" he had been
obliged to fight duel. One of the
party remarked: "Not at all; if Sir
Henry had the choice OF arms, he
might choose the sante as the two
French doctors, who agreed to have
two pills silvered over so as to look
exactly alike, one Of bread and one
of deadly poison, which, after toss
ing up for first choice, they were to
swallow at signal. This mode of
duel has also the marked recon-
mendation that, whatever the re.
suit, there is sure to be doctor the
less"
He was engaged in hot argument
with Bobus Smith, an ex.Advocate-
General, touching the merits of
their respective professions. "You
will admit" said Holland, "that
your profession does not make an
gels of men," "No," retorted Bo-
bus, "there you have the best Of it.
Your certainly gives them the best
chance"
Sancho Panza's short tenure of
his Government was embittcred by
the attendance at supper Of his State
physician, who waved his wand MS
signal to the major-domo to re-
move untasted every savory dish in
succession, for fear his Excellency's