eral literature, or politics, which can be
referred to if necessary, he has no connection whatever with the
satirical part of the work or with its general management, nor was he at
any time the Editor of the publication.

It seems extremely hard (though not perhaps to be wondered at) that the
follies of three--or four and twenty should be remembered against a man
of thirty, who has abstained during the interval from giving the least
cause of offence. There are few men of any rank in letters who have not
at some time or other been guilty of some abuse of their satirical
powers, and very few who have not seen reason to wish that they had
restrained their vein of pleasantry. Thinking over Lockhart's offences
with my own, and other men's whom either politics or literary
controversy has led into such effusions, I cannot help thinking that
five years' proscription ought to obtain a full immunity on their
account. There were none of them which could be ascribed to any worse
motive than a wicked wit, and many of the individuals against whom they
were directed were worthy of more severe chastisement. The blame was in
meddling with such men at all. Lockhart is reckoned an excellent
scholar, and Oxford has said so. He is born a gentleman, has always kept
the best society, and his personal character is without a shadow of
blame. In the most unfortunate affair of his life he did all that man
could do, and the unhappy tragedy was the result of the poor sufferer's
after-thought to get out of a scrape. [Footnote: This refers, without
doubt, to the unfortunate death of John Scott, the editor of the _London
Magazine_, in a duel with Lockhart's friend Christie, the result of a
quarrel in which Lockhart himself had been concerned.] Of his general
talents I will not presume to speak, but they are generally allowed to
be of the first order. This, however, I _will_ say, that I have known
the most able men of my time, and I never met any one who had such ready
command of his own mind, or possessed in a greater degree the power of
making his talents available upon the shortest notice, and upon any
subject. He is also remarkably docile and willing to receive advice or
admonition from the old and experienced. He is a fond husband and almost
a doating father, seeks no amusement out of his own family, and is not
only addicted to no bad habits, but averse to spending time in society
or the dissipations connected with it. Speaking upon my honour as a