PHCEBE ELLIOT. 383 



markable degree of obesity, that my first idea was 

 to conclude that he was dropsical. Both before 

 and behind he was a huge mass of flesh. I almost 

 started as this remarkable figure approached, but 

 he was apparently accustomed to the effect he had 

 produced, and, therefore, answered my opening 

 remark with an awkward bow, but with a good- 

 humoured smile. We soon entered into conver- 

 sation, and I found him not only shrewd and sen- 

 sible, but also endowed with a considerable share 

 of sly humour. He was, in fact, a village wit, a 

 character I have occasionally met with, and which 

 seems to be cast in a mould somewhat different 

 from the rest of the world. 



I have often observed, that those beings who 

 appear to have been the production of Nature in 

 some of her sportive moods, and are remarkably 

 different from others, either in stature, shape, or 

 voice, are generally proportionally eccentric in 

 their characters and habits. Is it that they are 

 anxious to make amends for their personal defects 

 by their conversational powers, and proving the 

 preponderance of mind over matter ; or is it that 

 the same peculiarity which pervades their outward 

 part, distinguishes their intellectual one ? Which 

 is the fact I know not : but in my corpulent ac- 

 quaintance, I found an additional instance of the 

 truth of one or other of these suppositions. I 

 was obtaining from this most original individual 



