king, that the said S--- was a fellow with a character so
infamous, that any honest man would rather that you spit in his face than
insult his ears with the mention of the name of S---.

The literary project having come to nothing,--in which, by the bye, the
writer was to have all the labour, and his friend all the credit,
provided any credit should accrue from it,--the writer did not see the
latter for some years, during which time considerable political changes
took place; the Tories were driven from, and the Whigs placed in, office,
both events being brought about by the Radicals coalescing with the
Whigs, over whom they possessed great influence for the services which
they had rendered. When the writer next visited his friend, he found him
very much altered; his opinions were by no means so exalted as they had
been--he was not disposed even to be rancorous against the Duke of
Wellington, saying that there were worse men than he, and giving him some
credit as a general; a hankering after gentility seeming to pervade the
whole family, father and sons, wife and daughters, all of whom talked
about genteel diversions--gentility novels, and even seemed to look with
favour on High Churchism, having in former years, to all appearance, been
bigoted Dissenters. In a little time the writer went abroad; as, indeed,
did his friend; not, however, like the writer, at his own expense, but at
that of the country--the Whigs having given him a travelling appointment,
which he held for some years, during which he received upwards of twelve
thousand pounds of the money of the country, for services which will,
perhaps, be found inscribed on certain tablets, when another Astolfo
shall visit the moon. This appointment, however, he lost on the Tories
resuming power--when the writer found him almost as Radical and patriotic
as ever, just engaged in trying to get into Parliament, into which he got
by the assistance of his Radical friends, who, in conjunction with the
Whigs, were just getting up a crusade against the Tories, which they
intended should be a conclusive one.

A little time after the publication of "The Bible in Spain," the Tories
being still in power, this individual, full of the most disinterested
friendship for the author, was particularly anxious that he should be
presented with an official situation, in a certain region a great many
miles off. "You are the only person for that appointment," said he; "you
understand a grea