or the very qualities,
mostly dazzling defects, or brilliant eccentricities, which made them
most popularly remarkable in their day. Men forgive Burns his amours and
his revellings with greater ease than they will forgive Bolingbroke and
Byron for the same offences.

Our Earl was fond of the society of literary men; he himself was well,
perhaps even deeply, read. Certainly his intellectual acquisitions were
more profound than they have been generally esteemed, though with the
common subtlety of a ready genius, he could make the quick adaptation of
a timely fact, acquired for the occasion, appear the rich overflowing of
a copious erudition. He was a man who instantly perceived, and liberally
acknowledged, the merits of others. No connoisseur had a more felicitous
knowledge of the arts, or was more just in the general objects of his
patronage. In short, what with all his advantages, he was one whom an
aristocracy may boast of, though a people may forget; and if not a great
man, was at least a most remarkable lord.

The Earl of--, in his last visit to his estates, had not forgotten to
seek out the eminent scholar who shed an honour upon his neighbourhood;
he had been greatly struck with the bearing and conversation of Aram,
and with the usual felicity with which the accomplished Earl adapted
his nature to those with whom he was thrown, he had succeeded in
ingratiating himself with Aram in return. He could not indeed persuade
the haughty and solitary Student to visit him at the castle; but
the Earl did not disdain to seek any one from whom he could obtain
instruction, and he had twice or thrice voluntarily encountered Aram,
and effectually drawn him from his reserve. The Earl now heard with some
pleasure, and more surprise, that the austere Recluse was about to be
married to the beauty of the county, and he resolved to seize the
first occasion to call at the manor-house to offer his compliments and
congratulations to its inmates.

Sensible men of rank, who, having enjoyed their dignity from their
birth, may reasonably be expected to grow occasionally tired of it;
often like mixing with those the most who are the least dazzled by
the condescension; I do not mean to say, with the vulgar parvenus who
mistake rudeness for independence;--no man forgets respect to another
who knows the value of respect to himself; but the respect should be
paid easily; it is not every Grand Seigneur, who like Louis XIVth., is
only pleased when