as
it were, by an impression rapid and indelible, the contents of the
books he reads to his own mind, where they are deposited, always
accessible, and never either forgotten or confused. Far superior
to Brougham in general knowledge, in fancy, imagination, and in
the art of composition, he is greatly inferior to him in those
qualities which raise men to social and political eminence.
Brougham, tall, thin, and commanding in figure, with a face which,
however ugly, is full of expression, and a voice of great power,
variety, and even melody, notwithstanding his occasional prolixity
and tediousness, is an orator in every sense of the word.
Macaulay, short, fat, and ungraceful, with a round, thick,
unmeaning face, and with rather a lisp, though he has made
speeches of great merit, and of a very high style of eloquence in
point of composition, has no pretensions to be put in competition
with Brougham in the House of Commons. Nor is the difference and
the inferiority of Macaulay less marked in society. Macaulay,
indeed, is a great talker, and pours forth floods of knowledge on
all subjects; but the gracefulness, lightness, and variety are
wanting in his talk which are so conspicuous in his writings;
there is not enough of alloy in the metal of his conversation; it
is too didactic, it is all too good, and not sufficiently
flexible, plastic, and diversified for general society. Brougham,
on the other hand, is all life, spirit, and gaiety--'from grave to
gay, from lively to severe'--dashing through every description of
folly and fun, dealing in those rapid transitions by which the
attention and imagination are arrested and excited; always
amusing, always instructive, never tedious, elevated to the height
of the greatest intellect, and familiar with the most abstruse
subjects, and at the same moment conciliating the humble
pretensions of inferior minds by dropping into the midst of their
pursuits and objects with a fervour and intensity of interest
which surprises and delights his associates, and, above all, which
puts them at their ease.

[_Quantum mutatus!_ All this has long ceased to be true of
Brougham. Macaulay, without having either the wit or the _charm_
which constitutes the highest kind of colloquial excellence or
success, is a marvellous, an unrivalled (in his way), and a
delightful talker.--1850.]

February 12th, 1836

[Page Head: LORD WILLIAM BENTINCK.]

Lord William Bentinck has published an address to the e