delinquents that were brought in by the watch, and rejoiced in the opportunity of exercising the lenity of his disposition, by invariably directing the offenders to be discharged; in a word, there was no whim, no caprice, however eccentric and irregular, but what he determined to gratify, let the consequences and the cost be what they might.

In 1801, when the return of peace was celebrated by a general illumination, no persuasions could induce Lord Camelford to suffer lights to be placed in the windows of his apartments, at a grocer's in New Bond street; in vain his landlord represented the inconveniences that would result from this singularity; his lordship continued inexorable; the mob assailed the house, and a shower of stones was discharged at the windows; irritated by this attack, his lordship sallied out, armed with a pistol, which he, however, prudently exchanged for a stout cudgel; with this weapon he maintained a sharp contest for a considerable time, till, overpowered by numbers, he was severely beaten, and, after being rolled in the kennel, was obliged to retreat in a deplorable condition. The windows were completely demolished: it is said, that on the succeeding nights of illumination his lordship had in waiting a party of sailors, ready to let them loose on his opponents in case of a repetition of the outrage.

The presence of his lordship was often

known to have a powerful effect in repressing the impertinence of the petit-maitre, and the insolence and contumely of the coffee-house buck, and, indeed, in inspiring all with a cautious selection of language, lest they should afterwards be called to expiate a slip of the tongue with their blood. Of the terror which the very name of Lord Camelford struck to the minds of the would-be gentlemen of the. day, the following is a ludicrous example, while it instances in his lordship a degree of moderation which, from his general character, we should scarcely have supposed him to possess.

Entering one evening the coffee-house in Conduit street, which he frequented, meanly attired as he often was, he sat down to peruse the paper of the day; soon after came in a dashing fellow, a first-rate blood, who threw himself into the opposite seat of the same box with his lordship, and, in a most consequential tone, hallooed out, "Waiter! bring a pint of Madeira and a couple of wax candles, and put them into the next box." He then drew to himself Lord Camelford's candle, and set himself to read; his lordship glanced at him a look of indignation, but again directed his attention to his paper; the waiter soon after re-appeared, and, with a multitude of obsequious bows, announced his having completed the commands of the gentleman, who immediately lounged round into his box.

Lord Camelford having finished his paragraph, called out, mimicking the tone of the buck, "Waiter! bring me a pair of snuffers." These were quickly brought, when his lordship laid down his paper, walked round to the other box, snuffed out both the candles, and leisurely returned to his seat; boiling with rage and fury, the indignant beau roared out "Waiter! waiter! waiter! who the devil is this fellow, that dares thus to insult a gentleman? Who is he? What is he? What do they call him?" "Lord Camelford, sir," said the waiter. "Who? Lord Camelford!" returned the former, in a tone of voice scarcely audible; horror-struck at the recollection of his own impertinence, and almost doubting whether he was still in existence. "Lord Camelford! What have I to pay ?" On being told, he laid down his score, and actually stole away without daring to taste his Madeira.

His irritable disposition, which had involved him in numberless quarrels and disputes, at length paved the way to the fint and fatal catastrophe. Lord Camelford had for some time been acquainted with a Mrs. Simmons, who had formerly been in the keeping of Mr. Best, a friend of his lordship; some officious person had represented to him, that Best had said something to this woman to his prejudice; this information so much incensed his lordship that, on the 6th of March, meeting with Mr.

Best, at the Prince of Wales's coffee-house, where his lordship usually dined, he went up to him and said, loud enough to be heard by all who were present: "I find, sir, that you have spoken of me in the most unwarrantable terms;" Mr. Best replied that he was quite unconscious of having deserved such a charge. Lord Camelford replied, that he was not ignorant of what he had said to Mrs. Sinimons, and declared him to be "a scoundrel, a liar, and a ruffian."

In the course of the evening Mr. Best transmitted to Lord Camelford the strongest assurances that the information he had received was unfounded, and that as he had acted under a false impression, he should be satisfied if he would retract the expressions he had made use of; but this his lordship absolutely refused to do. Mr. Best then left the coffee-house in considerable agitation, and a note was soon after delivered to his lordship which the people of the house suspected to contain a challenge. A regular information was accordingly lodged at Marlborough street, but, notwithstanding this precaution, such- was the tardiness of the officers of the police, that no steps were taken to prevent the intended meeting till near two o'clock the following morning, when some persons were stationed at Lord Camelford's door, but it was then too late.

From the coffee-house Lord Camelford went,

on Tuesday night, to his lodgings in Bond street; here he inserted in his will the following declaration, which strongly marks the nobleness of his disposition:-"There are many other matters, which at another time I might be inclined to mention, but I will say nothing more at present, than that in the present contest I am fully and entirely the aggressor, as well in the spirit as in the letter of the word; should I, therefore, lose my life in a contest of my own seeking, I most solemnly forbid any of my friends or relations, let them be of whatsoever description they may, from instituting any vexatious proceedings against my antagonist; and should, notwithstanding the above declaration on my part, the laws of the land be put in force against him, I desire that this part of my will may be made known to the king, in order that his royal heart may be moved to extend his mercy towards him."

Agreeably to the appointment made by their seconds, his lordship and Mr. Best met early in the morning at a coffee-house in Oxford street, and here Mr. Best made another effort to prevail on him to retract the expressions he had used: "Camelford," said he, "we have been friends, and I know the unsuspecting generosity of your nature; upon my honor, you have been imposed upon by a strumpet; do not insist upon expressions under which one of us must fall." To this remonstrance