lusion to a complex piece of machinery he said (in his
book) he had invented, which when complete would cost him two
thousand guineas. This machine, said Long, _alias_ O'Driscoll, "will
search all the body, and cut away all the diseased parts, leaving the
patient perfectly sound and well."

[101] We found a curtailed copy of these amusing verses in one of the
_jeux d'esprit_ of the time, called "Valpurgis; or, the Devil's
Festival" (William Kidd, 6, Old Bond Street, 1831), illustrated by
Seymour. With the exception of one immaterial verse, we now give the
complete poem; in the ring of the verses the reader will have no
difficulty in recognising the hand of the Rev. Richard Harris Barham,
subsequently author of the "Ingoldsby Legends."

[102] Anstey's "Pleader's Guide," Bk. 2nd (1810).

[103] Colonel Brereton. His conduct afterwards formed the subject of
a court-martial, but the unhappy man forestalled the "finding" by
committing suicide.

[104] Mr. a Beckett's strong point was puns; in later days he found a
vehicle for these in the well-known "Comic Histories" of England and
Rome, illustrated by John Leech. It was his peculiar good fortune
always to be associated with artists of the highest ability.

[105] See Forster's "Life of Dickens."

[106] In one account of Seymour's death the name of the engraver is
given as _Starling_. This is a mistake. The engraving (probably one
of the best the unfortunate artist ever executed) represents a sailor
captain of Charles the First's time, showing a casket of pearls to a
lady of remarkable beauty.

[107] Act 3, Scene 1.

CHAPTER XI.

_THE POLITICAL SKETCHES OF_ HB.

The years 1830-32 were full of political trouble; men's minds were
unsettled; progress was the order of the day, and a reform in the
election of the members who represented or who were supposed to
represent the political opinions of the English constituencies was not
only loudly called for, but had (as we have seen) for a very long time
past been imperatively demanded. The question was shelved from time to
time, but sooner or later it must be settled, and as Liberals and
Conservatives alike will be amused and astounded at the state of English
parliamentary representation half a century ago, we propose just to
glance at matters as they existed in 1830.

The Marquis of Blandford was a somewhat notable character i