the despatch. His royal highness is
satisfied, from his conversation with you, that you will be perfectly
fit for this purpose; and here is the despatch, with which you are to
make all expedition to the Horse-Guards."

After giving my orders for the journey, I hastened to take leave of
the man whom I most honoured and esteemed, my unfailing friend
Guiscard. To my surprise, he received the intelligence of my
appointment with scarcely a word of congratulation. Little as I myself
was now excitable by any thing in the shape of human fortune, I was
chagrined by his obstinate gravity. He observed it, and started from
his seat. "Come," said he, "let us take a walk, and get out of the
sight of mankind, if we can." He took my arm, and we strayed along the
banks of the Scheldt, where, however, his purpose was unobtainable,
for the whole breadth of the river was covered with the provision
barges of the troops. The bargemen were enjoying the fine July evening
in the national style--swilling the worst beer that ever punished the
taste for that barbarian beverage, and filling the fresh breeze with
the fumes of tobacco, worthy of the beer. Guiscard stopped to gaze at
them.

"I envy those fellows," said he. "Not merely for their escaping all
care, and being able to extract enjoyment out of their execrable drink
and pipes, but from their being exempt from all contact with
portfolios."

"But such enjoyment is only that of the swine."

"Well, and is not that of the swine perfect?--and what would you have
more than perfection?"

A huge herd of those creatures, basking along the miry edge of the
river, helped his illustration. "Mr Marston, you have not been for the
last month on the staff of the commander-in-chief of the allied
armies, or you would not look so incredulous. Sir, man's senses may be
as suitable for his purposes, as those of the animals which we see
wallowing there." I stared, waiting for the conclusion. He proceeded.
"But man has drawbacks on his natural faculties, which they have not.
Possibly nature intended that we should be as happy as they. But make
nine-tenths of them hewers of wood and drawers of water--send some of
them to dungeons--enforce a conscription among the rest, and send them
to use their tusks upon each other, and the most complacent of them
would rebel: or, as the last trial of temper, put the meekest of the
race into a cabinet of princes and general-officers, themselves
controlled by a cabinet five