1878—70.] GEOllOE WHYTE MELVILLE. 265 



speaking. But of Wliyte Melville the Iviiidly friend, the genial 

 fellow si)ortsman, the heart}' companion, the courteous chivalrous 

 gentleman. As a writer he was known everyiclicre ,- hut it was 

 so he was known and valued in Leicestershire — as in Gloucester, 

 Northampton, Dorset, Devon, and Somerset. Wherever he 

 lived he endeared himself. Wherever he rode, he rode for the 

 love of hunting — without selfishness, without jealousy, and 

 that, wliile others enjoyed themselves, he too might do so 

 according to his hent. His was a nature that, while finding a 

 leading pleasure in the study of others, was never cynical, 

 hitter, or unkind. Where smaller minds could make Avit and 

 jest out of failings in those round him, he was ready, with ten 

 times the humour, to make fun and story of material that 

 injured no one directly or indirectly. He husied himself, as I 

 have said, in the study of those near him. But it was that he 

 might learn their special interests, and hring home to himself 

 their peculiar tastes. And thus it was that scarce anyone 

 exchanged a morning greeting with Whyte Melville, hut to go 

 on his way delighted that his life had something in it that met 

 symi^athy from without — and, hetter still, the sympathy of a 

 man whose sympathy was worth having. For, out of the 

 natural kindheartedness of a clever man, grew the knack and 

 hahit, wliicli at all times prompted him to say the right thing — 

 a nice thing — to whomever he was thrown across. And he 

 proved his sincerity hy speaking no differently hehind his 

 neighhour'sback than to his face. Somen loved him. English- 

 men do not often speak thus of tlieir fellows ; but many a man 

 icill say thus, or tliink thus, now Whyte Melville is dead. I 

 mean to write no studied panegyric ; but I must be allowed 

 expression as one who looked up to him with admu'ation not 

 only, but with affection, and who knows something of the 

 feeling, evident and evinced, of others of a certain section. In 

 Whyte jNIelville there was nothing antagonistic. He never, 

 with all his acknowledged genius, sought to jiit himself or his 

 opinions in combat. Pie never came roughly against the sus- 

 cei)tibilities of his conu'ades, even to indulge his vivid sense of 

 humour. To meet him in the morning was a warming gleam 



