Hlejanfcer IRussel 543 



conferring one day with Major Wildman about the many 

 sects of religion in the world, they came to this con- 

 clusion at last : that notwithstanding these infinite 

 divisions caused by the interests of the priests and the 

 ignorance of the people, all wise men are of the same 

 religion ; whereupon a lady in the room, who seemed to 

 mind her needle more than their discourse, demanded 

 with some concern what that religion was ? To which 

 the Lord Shaftesbury strait replied, ' Madam, wise men 

 never tell!" 



Now and then his hammer-handed hitting at 

 political opponents brought him within the grasp 

 of the law of libel, as in the case of Duncan Maclaren, 

 M.P., when the jury awarded the pursuer 400 damages. 

 But the public were evidently not of the same opinion 

 as the jury, for they subscribed 1,200 and presented 

 it to The Scotsman to repay the costs and damages. 

 In another instance Russel, when threatened with a 

 libel action for describing a worthy M.P., whose 

 arithmetical ability was extraordinary, as a " snake," 

 qualified his original assertion by remarking, " if he is 

 not a snake, no one can deny at least that he is a 

 remarkable adder" 



Of the many distinguished men who were proud to 

 call themselves the friends of " Russel of Tlie Scotsman " 

 and who never failed to visit him when they were in 

 Edinburgh, Mr. Graham, whom I have already quoted, 

 gives the following graphic sketch : 



" What a number and variety of faces had appeared 

 round his table in Ramsay Gardens in old days, at 

 Chester Street in later years, who talked and laughed 



