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loftiest tone, boldly, indignantly rebuked the voters for their narrow, in 

 his estimation, discreditable bigotry. He felt, there can be no doubt, 

 this blow at the time bitterly. He was perhaps not suited for, he 

 had never before been tried in the rough and coarse work of the 

 popular canvass and the hustings ; he was distressed at the desertion 

 or the lukewarmness of friends ; he was ashamed, as he openly 

 declared, of the disgrace which Edinburgh inflicted on herself. In 

 a striking poem, recently published, in which are some of the finest 

 stanzas in the language, he gave full vent to his feelings of indig- 

 nation and sorrow. But at the same time, and in the same poem, 

 he finds and expresses his lofty sense of consolation. The great 

 debate was ended ; he was released ; he was emancipated from public, 

 from parliamentary life. He might retire with dignity and honour 

 to the undisturbed, undistracted cultivation of letters ; henceforth his 

 study was his scene of action ; literary fame was to be the undivided 

 mistress of his aifections, his earthly exceeding great reward. Edin- 

 burgh made a few years after noble amends by returning Macaulay 

 (at the election in 1852) without solicitation, without expense, even 

 without the usual flattery of a personal canvass ; he had but to 

 appear, to accept, and return thanks for his ovation. He sat for 

 Edinburgh from July 1852 to 1856. But he sat without the tram- 

 mels, without the least desire of office : he spoke rarely, but never 

 without effect. In 1856, failing health compelled him to resign 

 that honourable post. Some other honours, but honours which 

 belonged to a man of letters, awaited him and courted his acceptance. 

 He was Lord Rector of the University of Glasgow in 1848 ; Trustee 

 of the British Museum, February 1847 (an office which he highly 

 esteemed, and to which he attended with much assiduity, and with 

 great public advantage) ; Fellow of the Royal Society, November 

 1849; Foreign Member of the French Academy, May 1857, and 

 of the Prussian Order of Merit (1857); High Steward of Cam- 

 bridge (1857). In the same year he was raised to the peerage, a 

 tribute to his high and blameless character and transcendent lite- 

 rary distinction, and an act of royal favour, quite unexpected, but 

 highly approved by all whose approbation was of real value. 



So far our imperfect sketch has exhibited Lord Macaulay as a 

 public man, as a jurist, and as a statesman ; some words must follow 

 as to his rank as an orator. It is remarkable how rarely in this 



