182 LIFE OF BENJAMIN SILLIMAN. 



attention. This arose from his political position. He was 

 a decided friend to the Americans in their Revolutionary 

 struggle, and remained an ardent admirer of Washington. 

 He had, as most persons will remember, transmitted to 

 General Washington a box made from the wood of the tree 

 which sheltered Sir William Wallace. It was accompanied 

 by a request that General Washington would designate 

 a successor, one whom he would regard as most worthy 

 to possess the box after he should have done with it. 

 That great man declined the invidious office, and in his 

 will directed that the box should be returned to the Earl 

 of Buchan. On the present occasion he was full of Wash- 

 ington, condemning his own government not only in their 

 treatment of the colonies, but for entering upon one unnec- 

 essary war after another, thus involving the nation in debt 

 and wasting human life. Had things been ordered as his 

 friend, Mr. Fox, and the party which he led, himself in- 

 cluded, had wished, all these evils would, he said, have been 

 avoided. As the Earl was short-sighted, he came so near 

 to me that I was within the limit of his distinct vision, 

 and when I retreated to gain a little more offing, he fol- 

 lowed me so perseveringly that I brought up against the 

 mantle and was rather inconveniently pressed between the 

 fire and his nobility. Without preface or apology he gave 

 me the history of his agricultural proceedings for the sea- 

 son, and especially in the culture of the turnip ; and he 

 continued to pour forth an uninterrupted effusion on agri- 

 culture, John Bull, Mr. Pitt, General Washington, and 

 twenty other topics, and I could find space only for an 

 occasional interjection of admiration or wonder. From the 

 embarrassing effort to preserve the gravity of my muscles, 

 I was occasionally relieved by flashes of wit or humor which 

 now and then broke forth from the Earl, and the relief was 

 complete when a hearty laugh exploded between us. When 

 seated at the table, the garrulous old nobleman resumed 

 line strain of talk, the most extraordinary specimen 



