The sun., 1881-01-23

Ind just mndo n cholcric rambling speech. when
Lord Digby asked Hampdcn who the sloven was.
That slovcn." said Hampton. whom you see
before you hath no ornament in his speech
that slovon. say. II we should ever come To n
breach with tho King (which God forbiJ)-in
such case. say. that slovon will be the great
est man In England"
OF tho two great essayists OF Annc's reign.
Addison and Steele. both of whom entered
| Parliament. wo nro reminded that the former
like Gibbon aiterward In tho same place.
could not express himself with any degree OF
| fuency. whereas the latter was IN effective
speaker. 1t Is related that on q motion before
the House Addison rose. and having said. " Mr..
| Speaker. l conceive" paused. as II scared by
| the sound OF his own voice. Ho again COM
menced. II conceive. Mr.. Speaker" when he
stopped until reused by cries OF " Hearl
hearp' whereupon he onco more essayod
| with Sir. l conceive" Power OF further ut
| teranco was denied to him. go he sat down
| amid the scarce suppressed tutoring Of his
brother members. which soon burst forth In o
| roar when witty senator said Sir. the
| honorable gentleman has conceived throe
| times. and brought forth nothing" When
Steele entered the House. he had to struggle
against the samo jealousy OF literary men
which Burke. Sheridan. and Disraeli subse-
| auently encountered. Getting up to support Sir
| Thomas Hammers opposition to the commercial
treaty in 1714, he said. rise to do him honor"
| ON which many members by calling out. " Tat
| Ter. Tatler." cried him down. and rs he passed
out OF the House several said " 1t Ia not 80 easy
| a thing to speak in tho House; he fancies be-
| cause he can scribble. &c," Tho Parliament
which met In the first year OF George /. was
| wttily described by Steele rs consisting very
much OF silcnt people oppressed by the choice
- -, IL.
ignorant that what they said was nothing to
the purpose Steele supported the repeal Of
the act which limited the duration OF rss'lia-
ments to three years. In his speech he lik6aed
the condition OF England under the trienniul
system to that OF a vessel in distress at sea
tho pilot and mariners have been wholly ON
ployed in keeping tho ship from sinking: tho
art OF navigation was useless. and they never
pretended to make sail"
Among the several anecdotes OF Lord Ches-
terfleld may be mentioned his own account OF
his speech on the Gregorian calendar He was
entirely ignorant OF the subject, and for that
reason particularly attentive to the choice OF
his words and the harmony Of his periods. to
his elocution and action. Lord MacclesAeld,
who followed him. and who was one OF the
greatest mathematicians and astronomers in
Europe. spoke with infinite knowledge. but
without any heed to rhetorical Eraces. The
preference" says Chesterfield, was unani-
mously. though most unjustly. given to me.
This will ever be the case; every numerous as
sembly is n mob. let the individuals who COM
pose it be what they will" At a certain crisis
Chesterfield wished to get the vote of n noble
man who had weakness for being thought
skilled in physic and expert in bleeding. Cali
ing on him. Chesterfield complained of head
ache. and desired his Lortlship to feel his
n,,1en II hos tyh N1 n hi,t
OF losing blood WAS given. Il have no objec-
ton" says Chesterfield. and rs hear your
lordship has n mastery hand. will you favor mo
with trying your lancet upon me 2" Having thus
won his confidence. the Earl easily directed his
judgment. carried him off to tho House. and
got him to vote as he pleased. Chesterfield
used to say aftsrward that none Of his friends
had done so much as he who had literally bled
for the good OF his country.
To Sir Robert Walpole. and his great rival.
Pulteney, our author devotss good deal of space.
Walpoles opinion OF history. based. rs it was.
upon his own dealings with vonal pampleteers.
was by no means high. 1t s recorded that his son.
having ono day proposed to read to him. and
taking down historical work. ho exclaimed:
oh. don't read history; that know must be
false" His conception OF patriotism is well
known. A patriot. sir Why patriots spring
up like mushrooms. l could rGiso lity OF
them within the four-and-twenty hours
l have raised many OF them in one
night. 1t is but refusing to crafty an
unreasonable or an insolent demand. and
UP starts a patriot" How Sir Robert dealt
with some OF these patriots is illustrated by one
OF Mr. JenninGss anecdotes. Passing through
an te-chamber OF the House he met member
of tho opposing party whose Roman virtue he
imagined would yied to large bribe. Walpoe
took him aside and said: such question
comes on this day: give me your vote. and hore
is q bank bill of 81 000." which ho put into his
hands. The member replied: Sir Robert you
have lately served some Of my particular friends.
and when my wife was last at court the king
was very gracious TO her. which must have hap
pcned at your instance. l should therefore
think myself very unGratcful quitting the bank
note into his pocket II were to refuse the favor
you nre now pleased to ask OF me-" OiPulteney's
humor a good example is cited from his speech
against walpols's Excise bill. He said that
the Minister'S large professions contrasted with
his beggarly performance rut him in mind Of
tho story of Sir Epicure Mammon in tho The
Achemist." :" He was gulled OF his money by
flne promises: he was profrered the phioso-
piers stone, by which he was to get noun
talns OF gold, and everything else he could de-
sire T.: but nll ended Mt last in some little thing
for curing tho itch" On ono OCCASION In de-
bato Pulteney had dispute about Latin quo
tation with Walpole. who wasercd a guinea he
was right Tho book being brought in, the
Prime Minister was convinced that he had lost
and tendorod the guinea. " l told him." said
Pulteney. / could take the money without any
shame on my side. but believed it was the only
money he ever gave In tho House. where the
giver and receiver ought not equally to blush"
On the resignation OF Walpole in 1742. the for
nation OF a Ministry was offered to Pulteney on
condition that no prosecution should be inst-
tutod against the late Premior. To this condi-
tlon Pulteney declined TO agree. saying
" Even should my inclination induce mo
to accede TO these terms. yet 1t might
not DO In my power to fulfil my engagement.
tho heads OF parties being like the heads OF
snakes. which are propelled forward by their
tails" Touching his own acceptance OF a
peerage. Pultenoy had said at one time. When
| have turned out Sir Robert Walpole. will
retire into that hospital for invalids. the House
ofPecrs." For his earldom OF Bath. however.
no had to thank his old enomy who desired to
ruin Pultenoy In popular esteom. " remem-
bor,' writes Horace Walpole, my fathers
action and words when he returned from court