19S LIFE OF MYTTON. 



recommends his children to tlie care of Creon, I am 

 quite certain he was applying it in his mind to the 

 first-named calamity ; and an epigram from the Greek 

 Anthologia, on the fall of Troy and the death of 

 Hector, which he would very often repeat, had a 

 sympathetic allusion to the ruin at Halston and his 

 own fall. But the following criticism could scarcely 

 have been expected from a mind in ruins. In reply 

 to the numerous messages he would send to the bar 

 of his hotel, some answer was generally to be manu- 

 factured, and " master has not got such a thing in the 

 house," was by no means an uncommon one. It 

 happened one day, however, that the attendant in 

 Avaiting brought him what he had sent him for, but, 

 delivered it into his hands with the usual announce- 

 ment — " Mr. Roberts hasiit got no such thing, sir," 

 ■ — he having procured it elsewhere. 



" Why," said Mytton, looking the man in the 

 face, in my presence, " you are a Greek." 



" No, sir, I arn't," he replied. 



" But I'll be if you are not," continued 



Mytton, " for in Greek two negatives make the 

 affirmative stronger ; " and roared into his ear, " ■^(mpi^ 



efiov ov Swaade iroieiv ouSev, says the Bible. 



The fellow stared, and well indeed might Mr. 



