The Ayrshire Legatees; Or, The Pringle FamilyGalt, John
General
The Ayrshire Legatees; Or, The Pringle Family
Galt, John
Scotland -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
I think that you once told me you had some knowledge of the Marquis of
Lansdowne, when he was Lord Henry Petty. I can hardly hope that, after
an interval of so many years, you will recognise him in the following
sketch:--His appearance is much more that of a Whig than Lord Grey--stout
and sturdy--but still withal gentlemanly; and there is a pleasing
simplicity, with somewhat of good-nature, in the expression of his
countenance, that renders him, in a quiescent state, the more agreeable
character of the two. He speaks exceedingly well--clear, methodical, and
argumentative; but his eloquence, like himself, is not so graceful as it
is upon the whole manly; and there is a little tendency to verbosity in
his language, as there is to corpulency in his figure; but nothing
turgid, while it is entirely free from affectation. The character of
respectable is very legibly impressed, in everything about the mind and
manner of his lordship. I should, now that I have seen and heard him, be
astonished to hear such a man represented as capable of being factious.
I should say something about Lord Liverpool, not only on account of his
rank as a minister, but also on account of the talents which have
qualified him for that high situation. The greatest objection that I
have to him as a speaker, is owing to the loudness of his voice--in other
respects, what he does say is well digested. But I do not think that he
embraces his subject with so much power and comprehension as some of his
opponents; and he has evidently less actual experience of the world.
This may doubtless be attributed to his having been almost constantly in
office since he came into public life; than which nothing is more
detrimental to the unfolding of natural ability, while it induces a sort
of artificial talent, connected with forms and technicalities, which,
though useful in business, is but of minor consequence in a comparative
estimate of moral and intellectual qualities. I am told that in his
manner he resembles Mr. Pitt; be this, however, as it may, he is
evidently a speaker, formed more by habit and imitation, than one whom
nature prompts to be eloquent. He lacks that occasional accent of
passion, the melody of oratory; and I doubt if, on any occasion, he could
at all approximate to that magnificent intrepidity which was admired as
one of the noblest characteristics of his master's style.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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