rinciples,
and not to let that imperious sovereign, "the neighbourhood," play the
tyrant over them. As for personal merit, quite as fair a proportion of
talent is found among the well-born as among the low; and he is but an _ad
captandum vulgus_ sort of a philosopher who holds the contrary doctrine.
Talleyrand was of one of the most ancient and illustrious houses of
Europe, as was Turenne; while Mansfield, Erskine, Grey, Wellington, and a
host of Englishmen of mark of our time, come of noble blood. No--no--The
cause of free institutions has much higher and much juster distinctions to
boast of, than this imaginary superiority of the humbly born over those
who come of ancient stock.

Lord Harry Dermond received me just as one of his station ought to receive
one of mine; politely, without in the least compromising his own dignity.
There was a good-natured smile on his face, of which, at first, I did not
know what to make. He had a private conversation with Sennit, too; but the
smile underwent no change. In the end, I came to the conclusion that it
was habitual with him and meant nothing. But, though so much disposed to
smile Lord Harry Dermond was equally disposed to listen to every
suggestion of Sennit, that was likely to favour the main chance.
Prize-money is certainly a great stain on the chivalry of all navies, but
it is a stain with which the noble wishes to be as deeply dyed as the
plebeian. Human nature is singularly homogeneous on the subject of money;
and younger-son nature, in the lands of _majorats_ and entails, enjoys a
liveliness of longing on the subject, that is quite as conspicuous as the
rapacity of the veriest plebeian who ever picked a pocket.

"I am very sorry, Captain Wallingford," Captain Lord Harry Dermond
observed to me, when his private conference with Sennit was ended, and
altogether superior to the weakness of Powlett, who would have discussed
the point, "that it is my duty to send your ship into Plymouth. The French
have got such an ascendency on the continent, that we are obliged to use
every act of vigilance to counteract them: then, your cargo is of
enemy's growth"."

"As for the ascendency, my lord, you will see we Americans have nothing to
do with it; and my cargo, being necessarily of last year's crops, must
have been grown and manufactured in a time of general peace. If it were
not, I do not conceive it would legalize my capture."

"We must leave Sir William Scott to decide that, my go