EARLY LIFE. 53 



gently administered. The following is an extract 

 from the lady's letter: 



" I am sorry I myself was so young during Lord 

 Brougham's college life as to have paid much too 

 little attention to all that I might have heard. To 

 me he was always most excessively kind, but it was 

 the kindness of a young man to one who was com- 

 paratively a child. But I do remember one thing 

 which made an impression on me : I heard that he 

 and Homer and Lord Kinnaird had been engaged in 

 the Speculative Society in defending an essay on some 

 political subject, which essay (and its defenders) was 

 on much too liberal principles for the tastes of the 

 rulers of the day; and, in short, the three young 

 men were sentenced (by the Senatus Academicus, I 

 think it was) to submit to be reprimanded by the 

 Principal of the College for disseminating French 

 principles and sedition. Of all of the three none 

 were forthcoming but Brougham : Homer was ill or 

 something, and Lord Kinnaird was absent, and Lord 

 Brougham alone came before Principal Baird to 

 receive his lecture. I believe the good Principal's 

 admonition was a lenient one, for he was a kind, 

 good-hearted man, who did not in his conscience 

 think the worse of the young gentlemen for their 

 essay; and so Lord Brougham listened respectfully 

 and made his bow, and all was over. This was 

 an event that showed the spirit of the times ; for the 

 essay, I believe, contained nothing but what has 

 become since the prevailing opinion and the law of 



