serious an
undertaking as the impeachment of an Indian Governor. Such an
impeachment must last for years. It must impose on the chiefs of the
party an immense load of labor. Yet it could scarcely, in any manner,
affect the event of the great political game. The followers of the
coalition were therefore more inclined to revile Hastings than to
prosecute him. But there were two men whose indignation was not to be so
appeased, Philip Francis and Edmund Burke.

"Francis had recently entered the House of Commons, and had already
established a character there for industry and ability. He labored
indeed under one most unfortunate defect, want of fluency. But he
occasionally expressed himself with a dignity and energy worthy of the
greatest orators. Before he had been many days in Parliament, he
incurred the bitter dislike of Pitt, who constantly treated him with as
much asperity as the laws of debate would allow. Neither lapse of years
nor change of scene had mitigated the enmities which Francis had brought
back from the East. After his usual fashion, he mistook his malevolence
for virtue, nursed it, as preachers tell us we ought to nurse our good
dispositions, and paraded it, on all occasions, with Pharisaical
ostentation."

In the two brief paragraphs given, there are, among others, the
following words of more than passing interest:

1. _Vehement._ This word is derived from two Latin words, meaning _to
carry_ and _the mind_; hence a vehement speech is one that is supposed
to carry the mind away by force. We use the word _furious_ when we wish
to speak of anger or other passions, but the word _vehement_ when we
speak of zeal, love, expression. In this paragraph the Opposition was
loud and tried _to carry the minds of others by force_.

2. _Formidable._ Synonyms of _formidable_ are _dreadful_, _terrible_ and
_shocking_, yet it is rarely the case that two words are exact synonyms.
In this case, _formidable_ means something that excites fear, but it is
neither sudden nor violent in its action. A _dreadful_ thing would
excite fear or dread, and might act violently, but not suddenly. _A
shocking_ thing would startle us because it was both violent and sudden.
Does _formidable_ appear to be the right word by which to characterize
the Opposition?

3. _Influence._ This word is derived from two Latin words which mean
_flowing over_, and consequently an _influence_ brings about change by
gradual process. There is no idea of right