St. Stephen's, or Pencillings of Politicians; Or, Pencillings of Politicians (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1839. Excerpt: ... LORD BROUGHAM. "Quoad huraanum genus incolume manserit, quamdiu usus Uteris honor summse eloquentiee pretium erit, quamdiu memoria duraverit, admirabile posteris vigebis ingenium. If perchance, reader, you should prevail upon some exceedingly condescending peer to write his and your name in conjunction upon a bit of paper, and address it to the door-keeper of the House of Lords, you will doubtless pass the sacred threshold with tremulous tread, and enter the penetralia with nervous awe. Upon arriving at, and projecting your head over, a very substantial barrier, beyond which, like Mahomet's lotus tree, there is no passing, you will see many things to surprise you: a man in a wig, for instance, sitting upon a large crimson cushion, stuffed with wool--a few very ordinarylooking men lounging about on the benches, and talking and laughing as unconcerned as though they had stuffed all their dignity, pro tern., into the woolsack--not lying at full length, indeed, and snoring like the indecorous commoners, but giving you the idea of a very friendly knot of middle-aged gentlemen, not overburthened with the cares of life. One man, however, the stranger cannot help remarking. He is one whose face is destitute of all pretension to beauty of feature, whose mouth gives little promise of eloquence, and whose eyes do not tell us that a great soul is gazing through them; his forehead is by no means remarkable--rather broad, and firmly knit, but not lofty; his nose is long, peculiar, and rather upturned; his upper lip is long, and his mouth is compressed; his complexion is of a hardy paleness; his figure is spare and fleshless; his whole body appears a mere habitation for the soul--a habitation given with the most niggard parsimony, adapted to discharge its necessary func...