-stock of the place," went forward to his place; on
his safe return to port, this young gentleman was very severe on
open boats, which, he said "bred womanish notions in hearts naturally
dauntless. Give me a lid to the pot," added he, "and I'll sail with Old
Nick, let the wind blow high or low."
The Aberford was wrong when he called love a cutaneous disorder.
There are cutaneous disorders that take that name, but they are no more
love than verse is poetry;
Than patriotism is love of country;
Than theology is religion;
Than science is philosophy;
Than paintings are pictures;
Than reciting on the boards is acting;
Than physic is medicine
Than bread is bread, or gold gold--in shops.
Love is a state of being; the beloved object is our center; and our
thoughts, affections, schemes and selves move but round it.
We may diverge hither or thither, but the golden thread still holds us.
Is fair or dark beauty the fairest? The world cannot decide; but love
shall decide in a moment.
A halo surrounds her we love, and makes beautiful to us her movements,
her looks, her virtues, her faults, her nonsense, her affectation and
herself; and that's love, doctor!
Lord Ipsden was capable of loving like this; but, to do Lady Barbara
justice, she had done much to freeze the germ of noble passion; she had
not killed, but she had benumbed it.
"Saunders," said Lord Ipsden, one morning after breakfast, "have you
entered everything in your diary?"
"Yes, my lord."
"All these good people's misfortunes?"
"Yes, my lord."
"Do you think you have spelled their names right?"
"Where it was impossible, my lord, I substituted an English appellation,
hidentical in meaning."
"Have you entered and described my first interview with Christie
Johnstone, and somebody something?"
"Most minutely, my lord."
"How I turned Mr. Burke into poetry--how she listened with her eyes all
glistening--how they made me talk--how she dropped a tear, he! he!
he! at the death of the first baron--how shocked she was at the king
striking him when he was dying, to make a knight-banneret of the poor
old fellow?"
"Your lordship will find all the particulars exactly related," said
Saunders, with dry pomp.
"How she found out that titles are but breath--how I answered--some
nonsense?"
"Your lordship will find all the topics included."
"How she took me for a madman? And you for a prig?"
"The latter circumstance eluded my memory,
|