THE WEST, PAST AND PRESENT. 381 



from an anxiety to aggrandize a favourite or annoy an 

 enemy. He unfortunately outlived his power, and that 

 circumstance embittered his latter years. He had not 

 resolution to quit public life while he might have retired 

 with falat ; he saw his influence expire, and his power 

 partitioned insensibly among men with whom, but a 

 few years before, his will was law. 



In private life Denis Browne was cheerful and 

 hospitable. Full of anecdote, an excellent story-teller, 

 one who had mixed largely with the world and knew 

 mankind intimately, he was an amusing and instructive 

 companion. Young and lively society he delighted in ; 

 and though, from increased corpulency, and all " the 

 ills that flesh is heir to," life was latterly a burden, the 

 mind was vigorous to the last and the death-bed 

 of Denis Browne was marked with a firmness and 

 philosophy that was in perfect keeping with the energy 

 and determination of his life. 



Another order of things has succeeded. Men talk 

 now with horror of acts of oppression and arbitrary 

 power, which then every country justice committed; 

 but after all, the times have changed for the worse 

 and the outcry about invaded rights and an enslaved 

 population, was, after all, mere verbiage, " signifying 

 nothing." 



The last fading gleam of western prosperity was 

 during the power of Napoleon, and with his dynasty 

 it vanished. The terrible change from war to peace ; 

 the bursting of the banking bubbles, which supplied 

 for that time an imaginary capital ; over-population 

 and high rents, have ruined this wild district, and 

 reduced its peasantry, with few exceptions, to abject 

 wretchedness and want. 



