The sun., 1910-01-30

years. He was. says Mr.. SicheI. spec
tacle to his country. His four horse
coach had only TO clatter through Chi
chester and the whole town was out shout
ing. We have here the opportunity to
contrast this glory with his troubles. Still.
he bore his troubles lightly. He seems
To have been deceived occasionally re-
garding his solution OF them. Thank
God that's settled" he is reported to have
said once as he pushed over his 1. o. u.
We read how he charmed creditors. He
seems himself to have been aware Of his
power, for Sir Benjamin Bdckbite, it will
be remembered, observes OF Charles Sur
face that when he entertains his friends
he can sit down to dinner with dozen OF
his own securities. have a score OF trades
men waiting in the anteohAmber and an
officer behind every guests chair" He
had his peculiarities He dreaded noises
as much as Carlyle and hated darkness az
much as Disraeli. He was the victim OF
presentiments and superstitiOns, -as be-
fitted one whose family could boast
banshee.- He would not travel on FRI
day. He foresaw accidents and knew it
after they had happened. He was for
ever looking in upon his fears, and yet in
public he could be so calm as TO excite the
wonder OF beholders
As a conversationalist he was unsur-
passed. He was the best Of his day, when
conversation was an art. It might be
thought that he succeeded In this by
snowy and shallow artifice, but such was
not the case. His conversation was
sympathetic. simple, deterrent, easy, con-
siderate and confidential. Fox declared
OF his first meeting with Sheridan that
1t was worth a week waiting for Surely
he could talk well. II that had not been
the case how could he in his old age have
held Rogers and byron spellbound from
9 in the evening till in the morning?
Extraneous aids may suggest themselves
to us, but il is not to be overlooked that
Thackeray's witty and beautiful grand
mother went night after night to the West
minister house Of her uncle, Peter Moore,
for the express purpose and for the mere
pleasure" of listening to him. Undoubt-
edly it was effective music. 1T disarmed
his opponents, 1t propitiated men SO
opposed to each other as Dundas and
Wilberforce. IL softened Sheridan's
breach with the fastidious Windham. 1t
couciliated the commonplace George
Rose, who once boasted that he had
christened q son William in honor OF Pitt
and was told by Sheridan that rose by
any other name would smell as sweet.
The opportunity for this observation was
surely large; the invitation was wide;
but Sheridan's seizure OF il undoubtedly
was accomplished in good style; il was not
featured not too Importantly erected.
Enough that, TO use Burke's word, when
spoke he "dulcified' his listeners.
He made good phrases. It was he who
gave to the Bank Of England the name Of
the "Old Lady OF Threadneedle Street.
He had no brogue. but he was Irish TO the
core Though he drank with pleasure
in taverns he detested indehcacy. He
had tender spot for America. We come
TO an interesting account OF certain habits
the period that ushered in the
century. People in England
made no bones OF exhibiting their enthusi-
asms in those days. Tears flowed readily.
This book tells US: 1T was a demon
strative time in England. one OF capitals.
italics and notes Of exclamation. one far
more theatrical than has been supposed.
Tears did not go out Of publicity till 1903.
when the eurtout oame into fashion and
the eighteenth century may be said to have
died. For forty years or so, we are told.
tears were cultivated in both houses of
Parliament. where they were AZ common
az the Latin quotations. Burke wept for
Fox. and Fox wept for Burke Fox par
ticularly was q prolific weeper. Oceans
OF tears were accustomed to course down
his fat checks on occasions Of political
There is a considerable list
- .xv,;,.rt x,.,hI;~ss4s ,uka uhaH a.
that "strong men wept' was in those days
no fiction. Even -the browbeating and
beetle browed Thurlow- had reservoirs
which discharged themselves. Iron tears
down Pluto's check said Burke; but
was at least in fashion. and scicn-
tific analysis doubtless would have dis
covered no difference between his tears
and Burke's.
II the men could weep OF course the
ladies' could. Sheridan's wife aud Mrs.
Siddons both swooned while listening
tn Burke's inveotives against Warren
The powers Of Sheridan were
not inferior to those OF his political col
lea guee and OF the ladies'. In the theatre
he Unexpectedly saw his father. The
two were estranged by reason of quar-
rel, but nevertheless and in full sight of
the audience the son burst into tears.
The Prince Of Wales when IL came to the
matter OF expressing emotion did more
than merely weep Converstng with
Fox about Mrs Fitzherbert he sank TO the
floor and rolled on the carpet. He did
even more on account OF Mrs. Fitzher-
bert; -he gashed himself with knives like
a priest Of Baal, and threatened suicide
like Mr.. Mantalini" This fat and not
too highly esteemed Prince appears 30
have yielded himself utterly TO his emo
tons on still a third occasion. When he
welded the luckless Caroline (that dsugh-
ter of Brunswick Of whom Byron wrote
that she lay cold in her grave while George
the triumphant sped over the wave) -he
was actually seen tearing his hair in tho
gardens of Carlton HOUSE." His august
father. King George I'LL, was also frankly
emotional: he -wept on the neck OF the
impassive Duke OF Portland over the
tyranny OF the coalition"
In the theatres. Mr.. Sichel tells US.
tears fell in waterfalls. Garrick. Mrs.
2iddona the audienceA all contriht,tod