ng, in my chest.
Brodie, who saw me next day, I suppose, guessed the whole mischief;
for these men look far a-head, and, like sailors, they see storm and
hurricane in the cloud not bigger than a man's hand.

I often regret--I shall continue to do, perhaps, still oftener--that I
did not die in the harness. To quit the field for sake of life, and not
secure it after all, was paltry policy. But what could I do? a severe
and contested election would have killed me, and for Collyton it was
impossible I could continue to sit.

Irish politics would seem the rock a-head of every man in the House.
On these unhappy questions all are shipwrecked: the Premier loses
party--Party loses confidence--members displease constituents, and
_proteges_ offend their patrons. Such was my own case: the Duke who
owned the borough of Collyton, resolved on making a great stand and show
of his influence in both Houses. All his followers, myself among the
number, were summoned to a conference, when the tactic of attack should
be adopted, and each assigned his fitting part. To me was allotted the
office of replying to the first speaker of the Treasury Bench--a post of
honour and of danger, and only distasteful because impossible: the fact
was, that my own opinions were completely with the Government on the
subject in dispute, and consequently at open variance with those of
my own friends. This I declared at once, endeavouring to shew why
my judgment had so inclined, and what arguments I believed to be
unanswerable.

Instead of replying to my reasons, or convincing me of their
inefficiency, my colleagues only ap-pealed to the "necessity of
union"--the imperative call of party--and "the impossibility," as they
termed it, "of betraying the Duke."

I immediately resolved to resign my seat, and accept the Chiltern
Hundreds. To this there was a unanimous cry of dissent, one and all
pronouncing that such a step would damage them more even than my
fiercest opposition. The Duke sat still and said nothing. Somewhat
offended at this, I made a personal appeal to him resolving by the tone
of his reply to guide my future conduct. He was too old a politician
to give me any clue to his sentiments, shrouding his meaning in vague
phrases of compliment to my talents, and his perfect confidence that,
however my judgment inclined, I should be able to shew sufficient
reasons for my opinion. I went home baffled, worried, and ill. I sent
for Brodie. "You cannot speak on