92 LORD GEORGE BENTINCK 



friend of the writer, and an extremely gallant little fellow in all respects 

 which led to the cashiering of the latter, and considerable animadver- 

 sion on the part played by the junior, as openly expressed by most 

 military men.' This provoked a challenge from the captain to his sub- 

 ordinate, and Calais was proposed as the place of meeting. But Lord 

 George would not accept the challenge. On this the same author says : 

 ' If this statement be correct, and I have no reason to doubt its 

 accuracy, Lord George Bentinck, on refusing to meet the man he had 

 unequivocally impugned, if not insulted, in thus making the retort to 

 the other's reproof, given in the course of duty, harshly as it was 

 delivered, should at least have made a decided step towards a reconcilia- 

 tion, and have withdrawn the word " dared " from the offensive 

 expression.' 



On this matter there can, I think, but be one opinion; 

 that, in refusing to meet the man who had suffered the 

 injury, Lord George showed, in this instance at least, the 

 possession of little moral courage. 



Touching his career as a politician, it is recorded of 

 him that ' on the occasion when he addressed Sir Eobert 

 Peel as having " wounded his illustrious relative, Canning, 

 to death," accusing him of premeditated tergiversation in 

 reference to the emancipation of the Roman Catholics, 

 the language of the Conservative leader assumed a tone 

 impassioned, fierce, and scornful as an onslaught of Fox 

 or Pitt, and effectually startled the House and honour- 

 able baronets from everything like a disposition to som- 

 nolency on that especial evening/ 



Here, again, we can scarcely admire the license given 

 to the tongue in the use of ' fierce invective and scornful 

 words ' to one whose recognised abilities, oratorical 

 powers, and good sense were so infinitely superior to his 

 own. Some may think it rather betrayed the weakness 

 of a light character. Mr. Disraeli may have held a 

 similar opinion of him ; for when in the House he told 

 him ' he was a man of stable mind,' he was no more 

 laughing at him than when he penned the celebrated 



