He took up a pamphlet which lay upon his table. It was Cunningham Falconer’s, that is to say, the pamphlet which was published in Cunningham’s name, and for which he was mean enough to take the credit from the poor starving genius in the garret. Lord Oldborough turned over the leaves. “Here is a passage that was quoted yesterday at dinner at Commissioner Falconer’s, but I don’t think that any of the company, or the commissioner himself, though he is, or was, a reading man, could recollect to what author it alludes.” Lord Oldborough pointed to the passage: “_Thus the fame of heroes is at last neglected by their worshippers, and left to the care of the birds of heaven, or abandoned to the serpents of the earth._” Alfred fortunately recollected that this alluded to a description in Arrian of the island of Achilles, the present Isle of Serpents, where there is that temple of the hero, of which, as the historian says, “the care is left to the birds alone, who every morning repair to the sea, wet their wings, and sprinkle the temple, afterwards sweeping with their plumage its sacred pavement.” Lord Oldborough smiled, and said, “The author--the reputed author of this pamphlet, sir, is obliged to you for throwing light upon a passage which he could not himself elucidate.” This speech of Lord Oldborough’s alluded to something that had passed at a dinner at Lord Skreene’s, the day before Cunningham had set out on his embassy. Cunningham had been _posed_ by this passage, for which Secretary Cope, who hated him, had maliciously complimented him, and besought him to explain it. Secretary Cope, who was a poet, made an epigram on Cunningham the diplomatist. The lines we do not remember. The points of it were, that Cunningham was so complete a diplomatist, that he would not commit himself by giving up his authority, even for a quotation, and that when he knew the author of an excellent thing, he, with admirable good faith, _kept it to himself_. This epigram remained at the time a profound secret to Lord Oldborough. Whilst Cunningham was going with a prosperous gale, it was not heard of; but it worked round, according to the manoeuvres of courts, just by the time the tide of favour began to ebb. Lord Oldborough, dissatisfied with one of Cunningham’s despatches, was heard to say, as he folded it up, “_A slovenly performance_!” Then, at the happy moment, stepped in the rival Secretary Cope, and put into his lordship’s hands the epigram and the anecdote. All this the reader is to take as a note explanatory upon Lord Oldborough’s last speech to Alfred, and now to go on with the conversation--at the word _elucidate_. “I suspect,” continued his lordship, “that Mr. Alfred Percy knows more of this pamphlet altogether than the reputed author ever did.”