LIFE OF MYTTON. 



his ill doings, and let us move onwards towards his 

 good ones ; for it is a loss to mankind when good 

 actions are forgotten. Be assured, reader, whoever 

 you may be, that if all the kind, good, and charitable 

 acts which poor, drunken, mad John Mytton per- 

 formed, were placed in counterpoise to his bad ones, 

 it would be more than inati dared to say which side 

 might kick the beam. At all events, like charity, 

 they would weigh heavily to his credit ; and it is 

 consoling to his friends to reflect, that although 

 great part of that fine property he once possessed 

 has passed away to others, and the too liberal pos- 

 sessor of it is in his grave, those deeds still remain 

 with him. Man, it is true, is naturally a beneficent 

 creature ; but be the benefit he confers never so 

 great, the manner of conferring it is the noblest 

 part ; and in allusion to my friend, let me illustrate 

 this by one simple fact : — 



When Mr. Mytton was at Calais, only a few 

 months before his death, he chanced to be in a 

 silversmith's shop, when a French soldier entered it, 

 with a watch in his hand, which he said he wished to 

 dispose of for the benefit of a sick comrade, who 

 wanted some further comforts than a barrack afforded. 

 On the silversmith objecting to the orice demanded. 



