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of condemnation and censure. On the contrary, I do not believe that there is an instance of any journal sinking so rapidly in its circulation as the "Post did in consequence of my able and spirited articles. In the course of a fortnight I reduced it by more hundreds per diem than it would be expedient even now to state; for I am persuaded that the effects of my lucubrations were not only so potent, but so permanent, that the paper has not yet recovered its palmy condition and wide diffusion that the work cost me great toil and trouble is a fact not. to be disguised. I remained in the House of Commons every night during the whole debates. Thence I went to the office and did my best and worst for the next morning's publication; and then, generally about three o'clock in the morning, I walked from the Strand to Old Brompton, a fair three miles. One way and another I had my mind engaged, and my pen above nineteen hours in the twenty-four; and let me say, the exertion was extraordinary. Towards the conclusion it was so overpowering, that I literally learnt to walk in my sleep, and could, on my way home, pick out the most convenient portions of the road to take a nap en passant! Thus between sleeping and waking, a pint of mulled madeira, and a bit of dry toast, re-invigorated me for the resumption of my task in three or four hours. But my principal, Mr. Byrne, never failed, nor shrunk from what he conscientiously believed to be his duty, as the following note will testify:

"DEAR SIR,

in my

hand,

66 Morning Post Office, Saturday Morning."

"Accept my best thanks for your continued friendly and able assistance. I am going to take a run to Brighton this morning, but shall be back to-morrow evening in time, I hope, to do the necessary business. As it is not impos

sible, however, that I may be delayed on my journey, you will exceedingly oblige me by looking over the Sunday papers (Observer' and Englishman '), and writing a few observations on the leading intelligence of the day.

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“Most truly yours,

"N. BYRNE.”

Yet in the midst of all this turmoil there were interludes of rather exciting amusement. Mrs. Clarke resided in a house in the King's Road, a short distance from Sloane Square, on my way to town, and as I happened to have been introduced to her at her sister's, Mrs. Casey, she thought our acquaintance intimate enough to excuse an invitation for me to call upon her. Such a chance, when all the world were crazy to have only a glance at the Leonne of the day, was not to be thrown away, and accordingly I very soon waited upon the lady. Her object, as may be surmised, was to neutralize my pen, and the wiles to which she resorted would make a delicious chapter in the history of woman's ingenuity. I found myself as a bird, I suppose may do when caught in a net; but the meshes were of many shapes and kinds, and reticulated with infinite skill and cunning. Wheedling confidential secrets, allurements, prospects of advantage, piquant familiarities, recherché treats, and lies. Never was a greater variety of artillery brought to bear upon a newspaper scribbler; and, at least, Madame so far accomplished her wishes, that I did moderate my tone about her personal performances, and was debarred from using other intelligence, lest it might be said that I stole it from the enemy's camp. And a queer camp it was: the resort of dozens of M.P.'s, and of curious strangers, as ambitious of favourable reception as the most eminent legislators of the realm. Though all

VOL. I.

I

agreed in one pursuit, or rather in two pursuits, the downfal of the commander-in-chief, and the smiles of the modern Aspasia, there was, nevertheless, no small modicum of envy, jealousy, backbiting, and all uncharitableness among themselves. Thus I remember the patriot Wardle, it was whispered, had seduced a Miss R* ***** when on a visit to his wife, of which the éclat was heightened by the young lady's being taken ill at a party, and producing some new music on the occasion. Mr. Biddulph was grossly ridiculed about some three hundred pounds he had foolishly invested on Dalilah promises; and Lord Folkstone, and others less prominent, hardly escaped with credit from this capital realization of the " School for Scandal." It was part of the "dodge" to make me laugh at these and similar jokes; and I must confess to some merry and beguiling hours spent in the society of Mary Anne Clarke; so that, between her and me and the "Post," I fear the illustrious Duke lost a trifle in the violence of his defence.

A visit from the 30th of June to the 24th of July, which I had the pleasure to pay to the mess of the 95th Rifle Regiment, at Hythe, in 1809, was an incident of exceeding interest to me. From a soldier's welcome, in that short time, I became intimate with many gallant fellows who were lost in the ill-fated Walcheren expedition, and, within a few later years, shed lustre on their names and glorified their country in the Peninsular Campaigns. Methinks I see them now on the heights of Hythe, the most animated of human kind. The early morning bugle called them from their tents and barracks; their duties were attended to; and all else was gaiety and happiness. Dinners, parties, balls,—

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and the expectation of being soon in active service, were enough to raise to fever height the spirits of the brave band in whose society I passed these few weeks. Wade, Travers, Perceval, Miller, Pemberton, Duncan, Stewart, Macgregor, and others, had their meed in the battle bulletins from Spain, whence few returned to enjoy the laurels they had so nobly earned, and some of these so crippled and weakened by wounds, as to be little better than the phantoms of the joyous, healthy, flesh and blood athletes, who in all the pride of early manhood and strength, were riding, swimming, and performing with ease the most fatiguing exercises of their corps, and feats of great activity and vigour, only some brief months before. I marched. with my friends to their embarkation at Deal, and but for matters of absolute necessity overcoming my excited enthusiasm, would certainly have accompanied them on the expedition. As it was, I rejoiced in their company to the last, slept for two or three nights on board the Superb and Seraphis ships of the line, under the auspices of Dr. Gaunt (a fellow surgeon with my uncle); took a run up to Canterbury, and on the way back saw Blue Peter flying, and the departure of the grandest fleet that ever sailed, at once, from the shores of England. Above three hundred vessels spread their wings to the wind, and from North Foreland to South, the Channel was one cluster of moving vesselsa sight never to be forgotten, whilst " seat."

memory holds a

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From the field of his fame fresh and gory:'

We carved not a line-we raised not a stone

But left him alone in his glory.-CHARLES WOLFE.

MISERABLE was the failure of this mighty host; and, to compare ludicrously small things with nationally great, unfortunate was my condition when left alone on the desolate strand! On returning to the inn where I had left my luggage, I discovered that, in the hurry of embarking, not only had my convenient large cloak been taken away, but also, that by the same accident, all my wearing apparel had disappeared. As the fleet was, by this time, nearly out of sight, it was of no use trying to signalise it for the restoration of the lost clothing, and so I was obliged, will-inill-i, to take a sailor's advice on the occasion (which I have found very applicable on many a turn of fortune since), videlicet, to "grin and bear it." But still there were inconveniences attached to the circumstance, which cast the grinning towards the wrong side of the mouth, and

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