LIFE AT OXFORD. 43 



later period. The most important among these are the original 

 draught of several cantos of the "Isle of Palms," which will call for 

 due notice in a subsequent chapter. 



The choice of friends is one of those things which most bring out 

 a man's character and power of discrimination. On this topic I find 

 the following sentences addressed to Margaret : — 



" is a being in whom I have been most grievously disap- 

 pointed. When I was first introduced to him, I was prejudiced in 

 his favor, for three reasons : — First, He was grave, and did not take 

 great part in the conversation, which turned chiefly upon dogs and 

 horses ! secondly, He was, as I thought, something like Alexander 

 Blair ; and, thirdly, I was informed he studied a great deal. I accord- 

 ingly thought that I had fallen upon a good companion. • For some 

 time I believed that I had formed a right judgment, thought him a 

 sensible fellow, and, from obscure hints that he dropped, took it into 

 my head that he was a poet. Having, however, one day got into 

 an argument with him concerning the meaning of a line in Homer, I 

 observed an ignorance in him which I was sorry for, and a degree of 

 stupid obstinacy that I despised. This passed ; and speaking one day 

 of the Prince, commonly called the ' Pretender,' he thought proper 

 to remark that his title to the throne was no greater than mine. 



" With this I did not altogether agree, and having stated my 

 reasons for dissenting from him, discovered that he was entirely 

 ignorant of the history of his own country. Ignorance so gross as 

 this is at all times pitiable, but more so when disguised under pre- 

 tended knowledge. I accordingly gradually withdrew from his 

 acquaintance, always preserving strict civility and politeness. At 

 last, having judged it proper to be witty towards me, I wrote an 

 epigram upon him, which it seems he did not like ; so he now keeps 

 a very respectful distance. He is a compound of good-nature, obsti- 

 nacy, ignorance, honor, and conceit, but the bad ingredients are 

 strongest." 



The next portrait is of a more pleasing nature : — 



" is a youth of such reserved manners, that although I was 



first introduced to him, I scarcely spoke twenty words to him to 

 which I received any other answer than Yes, or No, for the first 

 twenty days. Now, I know him rather better, and begin to like him. 



" He sometimes condescends to laugh at a joke, but never to make 

 one. He is a very close student, and I believe the first scholar in 



