The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 235: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

178 THE STEAM PACKET, name, that he had written without orders upon a long sheet of parch- ment, and the effect was wonderful. It wasa matter of interest to the whole country. —Twenty-four grave men met to discuss it, and recom- mended to twelve others to make more particular inquiries. Two of the greatest orators in England quarrelled in the face of the assembled tribunal, only because they differed in their opinion of his motives ; and a stern man, before whom he stood like Caractacus before Claudius, told him to carry his spirit of free inquiry to South Australia. There he flourished for seven years; and during that period he reflected so deeply upon the classics, that he began to doubt the wisdom of their lessons, and to suspect, with Brutus, that he had chased a delusion m pursuing virtue. On his return to Europe, he found that his wife had married again ; and as she had formed a good connexion, he consider- ately agreed to receive a hundred and fifty pounds a-year, and spend it in Calais, rather than interfere with her new arrangements. Such is a brief outline of the eventful history of Marcus Tullius Skimmuing- ton.”’ : “‘T really must be very stupid, sir,”’ said Mr. Pifpaf, meekly; °° but all I could understand by this history, is, that your hero forged his father’s name to a power of attorney, and was transported a it.” ‘* Precisely what I meant to explain to you, my dear sir,” cried Mr. Bambross. ‘Now, observe that old eth Gdistteokine gentleman walking there, with the powdered hair, and the stick. He is a saint, and distributes tracts amongst the English ona Sunday. His tract last week contained this sentence: ‘Only think of a country like France, containing thirty-four millions of inhabitants, and not one in a thousand able to understand a word of English. I think it is strong evidence of their total depravity, and much to be regretted, especially by one who can’t speak French.’—But this wasn’t so bad as an observation made by another English gentleman, who, when he landed in Calais, was quite ashamed of himself for not knowing French, since all the little boys in the streets could speak it.” “ And pray, sir,” said Mr. Pifpaf, after a short pause, ‘‘ who is that stout gentleman alten along there—by the banker’s—in the white upper coat ?”’ ‘*T really cannot say,” answered Mr. Bambross: ‘‘he must be a stranger. I must find out who he is presently, and all about him.” ‘‘Oh! that gentleman!” ejaculated Mr. Smale: “I think I can tell you; and if you will both promise me not to say a word a4 “Certainly not, if you wish it,” cried Mr. Bambross. ‘“ Who is he 2 99 “A very great man, I can assure you,” said Mr. ‘Sptialos hesitating ‘comichbooks (E{0)