A FINE CHARACTER. 159 



formation upon most matters was good, 

 and his observation just. 



He had an excellent taste for literature, 

 though it partook more of the grave and 

 instructive than the polite and amusing. 

 He had also imbibed a strong predilection 

 for the sweets of gastronomy, which gave a 

 zest to his hospitality; and, among those 

 who knew him, did not detract from the 

 pleasures of the table in short, he had 

 all the peculiarities of a thorough-bred 

 Englishman ; and one of his particular 

 though perhaps not the wisest of his 

 maxims was, that nothing should be 

 done no houses or acres bought and 

 sold no bargain made ne election, 

 whether of mayor, members of Parlia- 

 ment, or churchwarden no meeting, 

 without a good dinner. With all this 

 he was a man of sterling merit, strict 

 integrity, undoubted truthfulness, uncom- 

 promising rectitude, sturdy independence, 



