J56 LIFE OF MYTTON. 



said apologies, for his conduct, inasmuch as his reason 

 was, to a certain extent, lost in delirium, caused by 

 tlie fumes of wine on an already somewhat dis- 

 tempered brain. Many of his acts were not the acts 

 of John Mytton, but of a man, mad, half by nahire, 

 and half by ivine, and I think his best and dearest 

 friends are decidedly of my opinion. 



From this account of its host, it may be supposed 

 that Halston was a scene of general dissipation and 

 riot. By no means. In short, I cannot bring to 

 my recollection a single instance of being one of 

 what may be termed a drunken party during my 

 frequent visits to the house. But this is accounted 

 for in more ways than one. The host had always 

 the start of his friends, in the first place ; and in the 

 next, lonof sittings were not in accordance with his 

 restless disposition. In the summer he would jump 

 out of the window, and be off. In the winter, he 

 was anxious to get to the billiard-table, which was 

 always lighted up after coffee, for the amusement 

 of himself and his friends ; and here he was in 

 his element. How then, it may be asked, did he 

 consume that quantity of port wine .'' Why, this 

 question is easily answered. He shaved with a bottle 

 of it on his toilet; he worked steadily at it throughout 



