re there is no
compound addition of wild beasts that could produce its like for their
total. The description of the wolves in _Robinson Crusoe_ is the nearest
thing; but it's feeble--very feeble--in comparison." Of the generally
amiable side to all his eccentricities I am tempted to give an
illustration from the same letter: "An alarming report being brought to
me the other day that he was preaching, I betook myself to the spot, and
found he was reading Wordsworth to a family on the terrace, outside the
house, in the open air and public way. The whole town were out. When he
had given them a taste of Wordsworth, he sent home for Mrs. Norton's
book, and entertained them with selections from that. He concluded with
an imitation of Mrs. Hemans reading her own poetry, which he performed
with a pocket-handkerchief over his head to imitate her veil--all this
in public, before everybody."

CHAPTER XVII.

AGAIN AT BROADSTAIRS.

1841.

Peel and his Party--Getting very
Radical--Thoughts of colonizing--Political
Squib by C. D.--Fine Old English Tory
Times--Mesmerism--Metropolitan Prisons--Book by
a Workman--An August Day by the Sea--Another
Story in Prospect--_Clock_ Discontents--New
Adventure--Agreement for it signed--The Book
that proved to be _Chuzzlewit_--Peel and Lord
Ashley--Visions of America.

SOON after his return, at the opening of August, he went to Broadstairs;
and the direction in which that last question shows his thoughts to have
been busy was that to which he turned his first holiday leisure. He sent
me some rhymed squibs as his anonymous contribution to the fight the
Liberals were then making against what was believed to be intended by
the return to office of the Tories; ignorant as we were how much wiser
than his party the statesman then at the head of it was, or how greatly
what we all most desired would be advanced by the very success that had
been most disheartening. There will be no harm now in giving one of
these pieces, which will sufficiently show the tone of all of them, and
with what a hearty relish they were written. I doubt indeed if he ever
enjoyed anything more than the power of thus taking part occasionally,
unknown to outsiders, in the sharp conflict the press was waging at the
time. "By Jove, how radical I am getting!" he wrote to me (13th August).
"I wax stronger and stronger in the true principles every day. I