OMNIBUS POLITICIANS. 263 



kind, — to sit and hear, yet he could endure it no longer, and addressing 

 me said, " The Queen, I am sorry to hear, caught a cold, and remains 

 in doors, I find." " She should leave that to some of lier subjects 

 to catch !" exclaimed the indefatigable talker; " or, having caught it, 

 she should smoke her pipe as I do, and puff it off." The levity and 

 assurance of this fellow, in thus talking of our Queen, called up some of 

 my more manly spirit, and feeling that my loyalty might be taxed, even 

 in a Bus, as insincere, if I allowed this fellow to proceed further in his 

 abuse or disrespect of royalty, I said, " Sir, I will not sit here and 

 hear the name of king or queen treated lightly by any person !" at 

 the same time measuring in my mind's eye the weight and muscle of the 

 man of words. " Nor I, neither," said'the chymist. " Nor I," said a 

 voice from the end of the Bus, which now for the first time joined the 

 debate. " Sir," said this voice, "lam a builder, and pull down my 

 houses ! if I would not pull any man's nose who talked lightly of any 

 of our good royal family!" As he concluded this declaration, he 

 showed a chest that was in some measure an assurance, that the man 

 who would venture to oppose should have something to contend 

 against. This brought the dealer in slander to a full stop— the first he 

 had come to during the ride. An accession of strength like this gave 

 the poor old chymist a fresh impetus, and, bristling up with alf the 

 passion of an irritable, loyal, old man, he said, turning to this loqua- 

 cious man, " Sir, you and your friend, whoever he be, are a pair of 

 impudent fellows. You first attempted to he witty at the expense of the 

 old lady, which was unmanly, aud then you turned your wit against 

 my infirmity, which was base and cowardly ! Then, charmed with your 

 own voice, you abuse trade, religion, laws, governments, kings, lords 

 and commons, popes and parsons, peace and politics. You have the 

 glibness of a licensed victualler dinner speaker ; you cram your head 

 with a set of words— as, bribery and corruption, rrin and bankruptcy, 

 priestcrEft and prejudice, &c. To fix vulgar attention upon subjects of 

 this kind, little more is required than memory and effrontery; and 

 where the former fails you, the latter ably seconds you. In a stage 

 coach, you m,ay succeed for a time — but, trust me, you will meet else- 

 where that chastisement which your assurance merits. You have poured 

 out the full cup of your wrath upon almost every calling in life ; but 

 believe me, after all, that the greatest rogue is the rogue in grain." 

 " Now, sir— if you please," cried the conductor, as the Bus drew up 

 to the curb-stone. The door opened, and we passed out without 

 even an inclination of the head to men who would tell the Queen of 

 England to smoke her pipe. These traders in grain were left alone in 

 the Bus, where they had full time to meditate— for they had half a mile 

 further to go— on the impression which they had made. In meetings 

 of men, or in public vehicles, a wise man would never advance any 

 thing that may offend another, nor aim at superiority, when he is 

 totally unacquainted with the rank or title of those around him. 



