186 'OLD q' 



The Duke of Queensberry is not the only noble- 

 man who then, or has since, disdained the outward 

 display of heraldic insignia, as Lord Brougham had 

 the same simple taste, and the initial on his carriage 

 gave rise to the saying that though a B was outside 

 there was a wasp within. Mentioning this great 

 lawyer reminds me of an anecdote related by him 

 when before the Lords' Committee on ' Lord Camp- 

 bell's Libel Act,' in reference to the Duke : 



' The Duke of Queensberry,' he said, ' was greatly 

 alarmed, like many others, at the condition of affairs 

 here and on the Continent in 1792, and thought the 

 great climax was at hand. He used to abuse the 

 seditious writings of that day, calling them and 

 their authors very naughty names. One day some 

 toad-eater who accompanied his grace added, " Ay, 

 indeed, and full of such falsehoods too," animad- 

 verting on his patron's favourite theme. " No ! " 

 exclaimed the Duke, "not falsehoods. They are all 

 so true ; that is what makes them so abominable and 

 dangerous." ' 



In 1791, his grace lost the only real friend he ever 

 had, from whom he had not been above asking or 

 receiving assistance, and one to whom he had tendered 

 much sound advice — George Augustus Selwyn. The 

 death of this old friend, at the age of seventy-two, 



