, you cannot do better than
confide it to a committee.' 'Our rulers,' says Jerdan, 'though
intelligent and sensible men, were neither literary nor conversant
with journalism. Under any circumstances, their interference would
have been injurious, but it was rendered still more fatal by their
differences in political opinion, and two or three of the number
setting up to write "leaders" themselves. The clashing and want of
_ensemble_ was speedily obvious and detrimental; our readers became
perfect weathercocks, and could not reconcile themselves to themselves
from day to day. They wished, of course, to be led, as all
well-informed citizens are, by their newspaper; and they would not
blow hot and cold in the manner prescribed for all the coffee-room
politicians in London. In the interior, the hubbub and confusion of
the republic of letters was meanwhile exceedingly amusing to the
looker-on; we were of all parties and shades of opinion: the
proprietor of the King's Head was an ultra Tory, and swore by George
III. as the best of sovereigns--the Crown Hotel was very loyal, but
more moderate--the Bell Inn would give a strong pull for the
Church--whilst the Cross-Keys was infected with Romish predilections.
The Cockpit was warlike; the Olive-Tree, pacific; the Royal Oak,
patriotic; the Rummer, democratic; the Hole-in-the-Wall, seditious.
Many a dolorous pull at the porter-pot and sapientious declination of
his head had the perplexed and bemused editor, before he could effect
any tolerable compromise of contradictions for the morning's issue: at
the best, the sheet appeared full of signs and wonders!' In short, the
paper failed.

Mr Jerdan passed through various situations _on_ various papers, as
the elegant language of Cockneydom hath it, and thus he has been
enabled to give some curious sketches of the _personnel_ of the press
in those days. In the _Morning Post_, he took a strong part against
the Mary-Anne-Clarke investigation, and caused a marvellous sinking of
the circulation in consequence. He, nevertheless, consented to go and
see that celebrated lady, and confesses to have been softened by her
blandishments. One of the most remarkable occurrences of that period
was his witnessing the assassination of the prime minister, Perceval,
in May 1812. He had saluted the premier, as he was passing into the
lobby of the House of Commons, and had held back the spring-door to
allow him precedence in entering, when instantly there was