ough
he had frequently applied for it, he never could get back. Well, the
writer called; he did not get his property, which, indeed, he had
scarcely time to press for, being almost instantly attacked by his good
friend and his wife--yes, it was then that the author was set upon by an
old Radical and his wife--the wife, who looked the very image of shame
and malignity, did not say much, it is true, but encouraged her husband
in all he said. Both of their own accord introduced the subject of
Lavengro. The Radical called the writer a grumbler, just as if there had
ever been a greater grumbler than himself until, by the means above
described, he had obtained a place: he said that the book contained a
melancholy view of human nature--just as if anybody could look in his
face without having a melancholy view of human nature. On the writer
quietly observing that the book contained an exposition of his
principles, the pseudo-Radical replied that he cared nothing for his
principles--which was probably true, it not being likely that he would
care for another person's principles after having shown so thorough a
disregard for his own. The writer said that the book, of course, would
give offence to humbugs; the Radical then demanded whether he thought him
a humbug?--the wretched wife was the Radical's protection, even as he
knew she would be; it was on her account that the writer did not kick his
good friend; as it was, he looked at him in the face and thought to
himself, "How is it possible I should think you a humbug, when only last
night I was taking your part in a company in which everybody called you a
humbug?"

The Radical, probably observing something in the writer's eye which he
did not like, became all on a sudden abjectly submissive, and, professing
the highest admiration for the writer, begged him to visit him in his
government; this the writer promised faithfully to do, and he takes the
present opportunity of performing his promise.

This is one of the pseudo-Radical calumniators of Lavengro and its
author; were the writer on his death-bed he would lay his hand on his
heart and say, that he does not believe that there is one trait of
exaggeration in the portrait which he has drawn. This is one of the
pseudo-Radical calumniators of Lavengro and its author; and this is one
of the genus who, after having railed against jobbery for perhaps a
quarter of a century, at present batten on large official salaries which
the