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vated himself. As a farmer he pursued that plan which had been found, by experience, to produce the best corn and cattle; and was, in fact, without any unusual expence,.

one of the most successful farmers in the county. When in town he had his mutton, poultry, and all other meats, except beef; also the various productions of the dairy and gardens, from his own estate, brought by his own horses and carts. The same horses which served for his carriage were employed on his farms. Both in town and country he was remarkable for hospitalityan hospitality of real benevolence: there was no parade of stile, no ostentatious display of side-boards, no sumptuous entertainments; but every thing plain, substantial, and agreeable, with kind looks, kind manners, and a hearty welcome. He would often insist, in town, on eight or ten of his acquaintances going home with him to eat mutton-chops or beef-steaks; and, on such occasions, literally gave such dinners-dinners, with the zest of his company, to which few could be found equal. He liked a cheerful

glass, but never drank to excess. During dinner his beverage was water, and afterwards generally claret or some other light wine, and he seldom exceeded a bottle. His conversation was always so animated and so flowing, his spirits so exhilarated, that the wine could make no addition.

His benevolence extended itself to common beggars. In walking in the streets he generaily disposed of all the silver he had in his pocket to the various mendicants who solicited his charity. He imputed inattention. to such petitions not to the policy of discouraging beggars, but to unwillingness to part with money.

Both as a student and a man of business he had unceasing industry. He was an early riser, and used to dispatch many important affairs while some of his friends were recruiting themselves from the watching of the tavern or the ferment of the gaminghouse. In his way to the House he frequently called on a friend equal in ability

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even to himself, but very inferior in point of regularity, and found him at three o'clock beginning his breakfast. There's Charles,' he would say, whilst I am exhausted by reading and business, he is quite fresh; it is no wonder he is so much more vigorous in the House,'

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Part of the summer was frequently devoted to revisiting his native country, or in viewing different places in England. He sometimes travelled in the stage-coach, and was an exquisitely agreeable companion. He knew the history, physical and moral, of every place he passed through, and entertained his fellow travellers with pleasing or useful anecdotes and observations, according to their capacity or inclination. I have heard from a lady that once came in the coach with him a considerable part of the road from Yorkshire, without knowing who he was, that he fixed the attention of all the passengers by his great fund of local knowledge, and the anecdotes with which it was interspersed. They all concurred in

thinking him the most entertaining man they had ever met. Seeing him afterwards in London, she found that he who had delighted a stage-coach company was a man

The applause of listening senates to command."

In summer, 1772, he visited the Continent: there he first saw the fair Marie Antoinette, whose accomplishments and graces made such an impression on a mind feelingly alive to the sublime and beautiful, and whose charms and misfortunes he has since described with so pathetic eloquence.

The literary and political eminence of Burke rendered him, while in France, courted by the antimonarchical and antihierarchical philosophers of the time. One of the subjects of discussion between him and the philosophers of France was the merit of Beattie's* Essay on Truth. He seems to have

* I here must acknowledge the justness of a remark made. by a profound critic on a subject which occupied the fourth part of the said critic's review of this work, viz. that Beattie, ought to be spelt with two t's. The said critic takes occasion to abuse schoolmasters. As there is nothing in the work

been as partial for Beattie as against Hume. To an impartial reader it might appear surprising, that men, possessed themselves of such powers of reasoning as Burke and Johnson, should admire the declamatory writings of Beattie, if he were not to recollect that the wisest men do not always judge as wise men, but frequently form opinions which persons, much their inferiors, can perceive to be erroneous. It might be attributed to their regard for religion, that they so much venerated its zealous defender: but were that the sole cause, they would have estimated its champions by their ability, and preferred the logical closeness of Campbell, and the cautious modest profoundness of Reid, to the confident vivacity of Beattie.*

before him that in the smallest degree relates to that fraternity, it is probable he may still feel sore from the impression of the means applied by them to communicate learning to those whose heads are slow of apprehension; and make his tongue or pen in and out of place endeavour to revenge the sufferings of dulness.

It is said that, besides his zeal for orthodoxy, his vanity as an author prompted Beattie to abuse Hume. Hume, on perusing some of his poems, called them milk and water verses; which, it is said, the divine never forgave. We

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