Rank and Talent; A Novel, Vol. 2 (of 3)Scargill, William Pitt
General
Rank and Talent; A Novel, Vol. 2 (of 3)
Scargill, William Pitt
England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction
Our readers have received an intimation that Horatio Markham, of
whom we think highly and deservedly so, had ere this time returned to
England, after a very short stay in that situation to which he had
been recommended solely by the respectability of his character and the
high reputation which he had so early acquired in his profession. The
climate did not agree with him; and foreign climates seldom do agree
with those who like better to be at home than abroad. A representation
to that effect was made to the authorities at home, and he was
recalled. As soon as he came to England he waited on the worthy and
kind-hearted nobleman to whom he had been indebted for the situation,
and whose patronage had come to him spontaneously and unsolicited.
Whether or not there appeared in Markham any very strong symptoms of
a constitution injured by foreign climes we know not; this only do
we know, that his lordship expressed great concern that Mr. Markham
should have suffered so much, and great hopes that his native air would
restore and confirm his health.
Lords are generally gracious to those whom they patronise. The
nobleman in question was particularly and especially so to such as
he patronised voluntarily, and on the pure ground of good desert
or good promise. He was compelled, as all men high in office must
be, occasionally to give his countenance and patronage to those who
deserved it not; but whenever the choice was purely his own, it was
from the best of motives and with the kindest spirit. Doubly happy
did he feel himself in such patronage as this; he was pleased that he
could countenance merit, and he was pleased that the state should be
well and honestly served. We cannot withhold such a slight tribute as
this from public merit; and at the same time there is another tribute
of respect to private merit which we cannot withhold from Horatio
Markham. We commend him most cordially and sincerely, that being a man
of considerable talent and real independence of mind, he did not affect
the absurd priggery and puppyism of refusing a situation, in which he
might make himself useful, on the ground of being above patronage, or
of despising place. Merit there might be and merit there was under the
profligate sway of the later Stuarts in refusing bribes to betray the
nation into slavery; ingenious however must be the skill of him who can
make the parallel hold good in the present day.
To return to our narrative. The worthy nobleman who had thus taken
Markham by the hand, having expressed his regret that circumstances did
not allow his young friend to continue in that situation to which he
had been appointed, added,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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