THE REV. JOHN RUSSELL. 325 



my plate up a second time ; and now I re- 

 member, that's the very thing my wife charged 

 me, on leaving home, not to do." 



The Prince laughed, but took care that every 

 day afterwards Russell should be helped a 

 second time to his favourite dish. 



Under the conviction, in which he was not 

 far wrong, that his guest, like every orthodox 

 parson of the old type, would prefer a glass of 

 good "red port wine" to Bordeaux of the finest 

 vintage, or to Falernian, though " kept with a 

 hundred keys," the Prince called his attention 

 to a bottle of '20 port, of which, on being 

 invited to say how he liked it, he at once 

 expressed his unqualified approval. The next 

 day, however, a different and a somewhat 

 thinner port was put before him, and again the 

 Prince asked his opinion of that wine. 



"Very good, sir," replied Russell; "but not 

 quite so stout a wine as the port you gave me 

 yesterday." 



The Prince at once, inferring that his guest 

 preferred the more generous wine, ordered the 

 bottle to be changed, and thenceforth Russell 

 enjoved his glass of '20 port daily at the royal 

 table. He was, however, no gourmet, plain food 

 and sound home-grown cider having been the 

 chief diet on which he depended through life ; 

 and these, sw^eetened by mountain air and strong 

 exercise, appeared to agree w^ith him admirably. 



