“Mr. Russell will, I am perfectly persuaded, make Lidhurst every thing we can desire,” said his lordship; “an honour to his country, an ornament to his family. It is my decided opinion that man is but a bundle of habits; and it’s my maxim, that education is _second_ nature--_first_, indeed, in many cases. For, except that I am staggered about original genius, I own I conceive with Hartley, that early impressions and associations are all in all: his vibrations and vibratiuncles are quite satisfactory. But what I particularly wish for Lidhurst, sir, is, that he should be trained as soon as possible into a statesman. Mr. Vivian, I presume you mean to follow up public business, and no doubt will make a figure. So I prophesy; and I am used to these things. And from Lidhurst, too, under similar tuition, I may with reason expect miracles--‘hope to hear him thundering in the house of commons in a few years--‘confess ‘am not quite so impatient to have the young dog in the house of incurables; for you know he could not be there without being in my shoes, which I have not done with yet--ha! ha! ha!----Each in his turn, my boy! In the mean time, Lady Mary, shall we join the ladies yonder, on the terrace? Lady Glistonbury walks so slow, that she will be seven hours in coming to us; so we had best go to her ladyship: if the mountain won’t go to Mahomet--you know, of course, what follows.” On their way to the terrace, Lord Glistonbury, who always heard himself speak with singular complacency, continued to give his ideas on education; sometimes appealing to Mr. Russell, sometimes happy to catch the eye of Lady Mary. “Now, my idea for Lidhurst is simply this:--that he should know every thing that is in all the best books in the library, but yet that he should be the farthest possible from a book-worm--that he should never, except in a set speech in the house, have the air of having opened a book in his life--mother-wit for me!--in most cases--and that easy style of originality, which shows the true gentleman. As to morals--Lidhurst, walk on, my boy--as to morals, I confess I couldn’t bear to see any thing of the Joseph Surface about him. A youth of spirit must, you know, Mr. Vivian--excuse me, Lady Mary, this is--_an aside_--be something of a latitudinarian to keep in the fashion: not that I mean to say so exactly to Lidhurst--no, no--on the contrary, Mr. Russell, it is our cue, as well as this reverend gentleman’s,” looking back at the chaplain, who bowed assent before he knew to what, “it is our cue, as well as this reverend gentleman’s, to preach prudence, and temperance, and all the cardinal virtues.” “_Cardinal_ virtues! very good, faith! my lord,” said the lawyer, looking at the clergyman. “_Temperance!_” repeated the chaplain, winking at the officer; “upon my soul, my lord, that’s too bad.” “_Prudence!_” repeated the captain; “that’s too clean a cut at poor Wicksted, my lord.”