14 DINNER 



coach, I got off at Weedon, and walked from thence to 

 his house. I met with a hearty welcome, and, after 

 showing me his horses, four in number, apparently of the 

 most valuable description, his lawns and conservatory, 

 then his library and cellar, we sat down to a dinner as 

 recherche as such a distance from the metropolis would 

 admit. A brother whip was to have joined us, but, 

 being disappointed in the man who had promised to 

 officiate for him, I was quite alone with my entertainer. 



The conversation during dinner was on the common 

 occurrences of the day. We were waited on by a man 

 out of livery, and it did not require an habitue to discover 

 that, had his board been graced with people of the first 

 quality and of both sexes, my host would have done the 

 honours with elegance and ease. 



As it happened, we Avere tete-a-tete over wine of the 

 choicest vintage ; and, after a pretty free circulation of it, 

 he, I may say, gave me his history, or at least part of it. 

 It was interesting, as it related to the Peninsular War, of 

 which I had read much, and heard more, from my friend 

 the Commissary and others who had been present in 

 some of the engagements and had witnessed the priva- 

 tions that generally attended the alternate advance and 

 retreat of our forces. ^ 



My friend, it seems, was the younger son of a respec- 

 table Irish family ; had entered the army young, and had 

 volunteered into the Portus-uese service — on the first 

 occasion, immediately after the Convention of Cintra, and 

 before the formation of the Lusitanian Legion by Sir 

 Robert T. Wilson, under whose command it did such 

 essential service ; to this force he was afterwards attached. 



