n's delight in shocking people we have already alluded. Nor
did age sober him. He would tell to open-mouthed hearers stories of
his hair-breadth escapes, and how some native plotted against his life.
"Another moment," he would say, "and I should have been a dead man,
but I was too quick for my gentleman. I turned round with my sword and
sliced him up like a lemon." Dr. Baker, who had heard many tales about
the Austrians and duelling, was exercised in his mind as to what ought
to be done if he were "called out." "Now," said Burton, "this is one of
the things in life worthy of remembrance. Never attack a man, but if he
attacks you, kill him." Sometimes the crusted tale about the Arab murder
would come up again. "Is it true, Sir Richard," a young curate once
innocently inquired, "that you shot a man near Mecca?" "Sir," replied
Burton, tossing his head haughtily, "I'm proud to say that I have
committed every sin in the Decalogue."

In after years Dr. Baker was often asked for reminiscences of Burton.
"Can you remember any of his sayings?" enquired one interlocutor. "Yes,"
replied Dr. Baker. "He once said, 'Priests, politicians and publishers
will find the gate of Heaven extremely narrow.'" "I'm sorry for that,"
followed the interlocutor, "for I've just been elected M.P. for the ----
Division of Yorkshire."

For Mrs. Lynn Linton, the novelist, whom he described as a "sweet,
womanly woman," Burton had a sincere regard, but he used to say
that though she was an angel in the drawing-room, she was a raging,
blood-thirsty tigress on the platform. One day, while Sir Richard, Mrs.
Linton and Dr. Baker were chatting together, a lady to whom Mrs. Linton
was a stranger joined the group and said "Sir Richard, why don't you
leave off writing those heavy books on Bologna and other archaeological
subjects, and do something lighter? Couldn't you write some
trash--novels, I mean?" Sir Richard look sideways at Mrs. Linton, and
kept his countenance as well as he could. On another occasion when Sir
Richard, Lady Burton, Dr. Baker and an aged Cambridge Professor were
chatting together, Burton unconsciously glided into Latin--in which he
asked the professor a question. The old man began a laboured reply in
the same language--and then, stopping suddenly, said, "If you don't
mind, Sir Richard, we'll continue the conversation in English."

Believing that Burton was overworking himself, Dr. Baker recommended him
to order "a little rubbish in the s