was volunteering an explanation, and said, with his usual cool, good-natured nonchalance: "Young man, I will save you the trouble you are about to undertake; I understand all this perfectly well, and will explain it myself to my noble and distinguished friends." His Lordship then proceeded, without further preface, to explain to Earl Grey and other members of this convivial party every stage in the process of brewing-but, unfortunately, did not explain one of them right, even by accident. The Scotchman, who perceived, but was too prudent to expose, the ignorance of his countryman, was astonished by his unceasing volubility, and in speaking of it in a mixed company, where the informant was present, observed:"Gude faith, sirs, but it made my hair staun on en to hear the Lord High Chancellor o' Great Britain tellin the Lord High Treasurer a lang tale aboot maut and the brewing o't, and nae word o' truth fra beginnin to en. It made a thinking mon reflect what a terrible pass things must ha come till, when ae Minister could jist tell, and anither Minister jist believe, sic awful cantrips! Eh, sirs, nae barrel can be gude that that blatherin' chiel has got the

brewin o'."

This anecdote is related in the Life of Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton.

HOW LORD BROUGHAM MISSED THE GREAT SEAL.

Upon the restoration of the Melbourne Cabinet, in 1835, a luminary of the first magnitude failed to re-appear in the ministerial constellation. Dislike on the part of William IV., with a similar feeling on the part of some of the ministers, seems to have been the chief reason why the Great Seal was placed in commission. But neither the King nor his ministers committed themselves to any open avowal of aversion, and the dazzling prize of the Chancellorship was long suspended, holding out a delusive hope, and so averting the dread ire of its former possessor, Lord Brougham. His Lordship wrote a letter to the King to mollify his resentment. (Life of Lord Langdale, p. 413.) It is stated on the same authority that Lord Melbourne sounded his Majesty on the re-appointment of the ex-Chancellor, but the latter evaded by stating that it was his (the minister's) duty to name the person he thought most fit. Where the chief blame rested does not clearly appear, but 66 more shalt thou be servant of mine" seems to have been the common understanding.-Wade's England's Greatness, p. 686.

never

It was suspected at the time that the indiscreet use of the Queen's name, as having been the means of breaking-up the first Melbourne cabinet, led the King to a stern resolve to exclude the author of it from his future councils. "The Queen has done it all," were the

obnoxious words communicated to the press; the next day acknowledged to be a piece of misinformation, which the misled journalist did not soon forget.

FATHER MATHEW AND LORD BROUGHAM.

During his stay in London, Father Mathew was invited to meet many distinguished men of the day. He created no small amusement to a large party at the hospitable mansion of an Irish nobleman, by his attempts, partly playful, but also partly serious, to make a convert of Lord Brougham, who resisted, good-humouredly but resolutely, the efforts of his dangerous neighbour. "I drink very little wine," said Lord Brougham; "only half a glass at luncheon, and two half-glasses at dinner; and though my medical advisers told me I should increase the quantity, I refused to do so." "They are wrong, my lord, for advising you to increase the quantity, and you are wrong in taking the small quantity you do; but I have my hopes of you." And so, after a pleasant resistance on the part of the learned lord, Father Mathew invested his lordship with the silver medal and ribbon, the insignia and collar of the Order of the Bath. "Then I will keep it," said Lord Brougham, "and take it to the House, where I shall be sure to meet the old Lord the worse of liquor, and I will put it on him." The announcement of his intention was received with much laughter, for the noble lord referred to was a persistent worshipper of Bacchus. Lord Brougham was as good as his word; for, on meeting the veteran peer who was so celebrated for his potations, he said: Lord I have a present from Father Mathew for you," and passed the ribbon rapidly over his neck. "Then I'll tell you what it is, Brougham: by! I will keep sober for this day," said his lordship, who kept his word to the great amusement of his friends.Life, by Maguire.

A SECRET AGENT.

66

One of the "strange bedfellows" with which the misery of Haydon, the painter,* made him acquainted, was a Dr. Mackay, who was employed by Canning to arrange and negotiate the treaty of commerce and independence with South America. Dr. Mackay [Haydon tells us] had resided many years in Mexico, and knew all the parties thoroughly. He made a fortune, and returned to England. He was sent for by Canning, and after all due preliminary caution sent out to Mexico. Mr. Haydon met him in 1827: like a true politician, or employé politique, he began to suspect the painter,

*Memoirs, vol. ii.

"Remember," said the Doctor, " before I proceed, you make no use of this." I gave him my word, and he proceeded. Vittoria was his old friend. On his way to Mexico, under pretence of pressing business, he called on Vittoria, and found him in actual negotiation with Spanish commissioners. That evening a treaty was to be signed and settled. Vittoria begged him to dine. He refused a long time, but Mackay making him promise to put off the commissioners till next day, he agreed. Vittoria sent word he was ill, and Mackay was received as an English physician and friend. That night the ground was broken. Vittoria complained they were forsaken by England. Mackay opened his powers, and it was agreed that Vittoria should continue ill, Mackay visiting and prescribing every day. He did so, and at last Vittoria got better, and received full authority from Mexico, and Mackay and he used to walk out to take a little air and retire unobserved into a by-street, to a room hired for the purpose. In this way the treaty of independence and commerce was finally settled. One party proposed an article; after discussion it was written in a book, each party being at liberty to reflect till next day. When they met again, the article proposed and agreed to was restated and discussed again, and if nothing had occurred to alter and amend, it was finally entered into a separate book, whence there was no appeal. In this way, Dr. Mackay said the whole treaty was settled. As he knew the Spaniards well, and that pride was their failing, he got nothing by downright opposition, but carried everything by yielding and persuading them that even he would not have so favoured England by such a proposition, &c. Mr. Canning was highly delighted, and gave him great praise.

Dr. Mackay had lost 40,000l. (which he had amassed in Mexico by a long life of labour) in speculations on the Stock Exchange. Haydon found him in the Queen's Bench planning steam coaches, and talking of setting off for Mexico as soon as he was free and undisturbed. He seemed to have a very great idea of Canning's genius, and spoke of him with the greatest respect.

OBSTACLES TO IMPROVEMENT.

In illustration of the difficulties which beset the introduction of inventions or improvements, it is related that when Mr. Joseph Whitworth introduced a Street Sweeping Machine, by which one man and a horse would do the work of twenty sweepers, he offered its use to ensure twice the amount of cleanliness for the same expenditure of rates. Of the fact of the return of service on his condition, there could be no doubt; but the increase of service was no stimulus to the adoption of the machine, and did not prevail against the

patronage and influence of dust-contractors and scavengers, and the mere trouble of making a change of practice in the larger districts. He proposed his machine to the local authorities at New York. His agent was at once frankly told that there was a fatal objection to the working of the machine in that city-viz., it had no votes, and it interfered with the patronage, not of the master scavengers, as in England, but of the journeymen scavengers who had votes. With an excessive expenditure of rates, New York is described as being often ankle deep in mud, and as filthy as the worst parts of London-all the filth being traceable to patronage. A former political member of the American Government told the writer that he found the votes and the patronage of the great numbers serving as the scavengers of New York the most difficult to deal with of any matter he had met with in the agitation in which he had been engaged for the election of a President.

THE BIRMINGHAM TRADES UNIONISTS.

When the great Reform Meeting of the Trades Union took place at Newhall Hill, near Birmingham, it occurred to Haydon that the moment the vast concourse joined in the sudden prayer offered up by Hugh Hutton would make a fine subject for a picture. The Birmingham leaders were pleased with the idea. Haydon wrote to Lord Grey to ask his patronage for the picture. This, of course, was at once refused, but the refusal (which approved itself, on reflection, to the painter's better judgment) was softened by a profession of Earl Grey's readiness to give any assistance in his power to a painting of any subject connected with the Reform Bill to which the same objection would not apply. Haydon's visit to Birmingham brought him in contact with the leaders of the movement there, and his account of it contains some curious disclosures, showing how near, in the opinion of those leaders, matters then were to revolution.

Haydon now saw Mr. Parkes, who consented to be one of the trustees to take charge of subscriptions for the picture. The painter notes: "He (Mr. Parkes) was not up, and sent for me, and begged me to come in. I went in, and there was this Birmingham man, half dozing, and telling me all about the energy of the Union, and what they meant to do.

"He said warrants were made out against the whole of them, and that if Wellington had succeeded, they would all have been taken up, and then the people would have fought it out. I went on talking to him of the sublimity of the scene at Newhall Hill. He said,

R

'You are the same man in prison as out. I'll be your trustee.' So having a pivot to go on, I advertised directly."

Attwood, while Haydon was sketching him, told the whole history of the Union. "In one of his speeches, he said to the people: Suppose, my friends, we had two millions of threads; suppose we wound these two millions of threads into a good strong cord; suppose we twisted that cord into a good strong rope; suppose we twisted that rope into a mighty cable, with a hook at the end of it, and put it into the nose of the boroughmongers, d'ye think we would not drag the Leviathan to shore?' (Immense shouts.)

"Attwood said some other strong things. After poverty, sir, there is nothing so much hated as independence. We are become a nation of petty, paltry corporations, and love of wealth. The fivepounder adores the ten; and the ten the twenty.' He told Lord Melbourne, If the people do not get their belly full after this, I shall be torn to pieces." And so much the better. You deserve it,' said Lord Melbourne. Yes, my Lord,' said Attwood, but they will begin with you. I do not despond of seeing you all tried for your conduct, Commons and all.'

"At one time,' said Attwood, 'I used to question whether it was best for us or the United States to sink. I thought it would be better for us. But now I do not think so. We have redeemed our

selves.'

He said Lord Grey asked him what he thought would be the end of the Unions. He replied, as people get prosperous and satisfied, they would die away. "I am much inclined to be of your opinion,' said Lord Grey.

He said one of the Ministers (Lord Durham) told him they owed their places to the Birmingham Union.

the

"Attwood" (says Haydon) " is an extraordinary man, and really a leader. The other members seem to have an awe of him. In conversation I found the influence of the leaders of this Union was not from temporary causes, but connected with their predictions on finance that they had predicted all the ruin which had taken place to Ministers, and thus gained the confidence of the people, and led way to the establishment of a body which should take the lead." Hutton is described as a highly powerful and intellectual young man. "The more I see of these Birmingham gentlemen (says Haydon), the less am I astonished at their late energy. Hutton had in his study portraits of the great Reformers. Hutton is a highprincipled person, ripe to do all he has done. He told me he paved his garden, and made up his mind to fight. His dinner was simple, and showed narrow circumstances.