e commoner's
gown as myself; the third, though a "tuft" by courtesy, had not yet come
to his heritage. All these three succeeded one another in the high
position of a Governor-General of India, and were famous architects of
our imperial greatness. I remember on either side of me in Biscoe's
memorable Aristotle class before mentioned, the young Ramsay, afterwards
Dalhousie, that great pro-consul who annexed a third of our Indian
Empire; and the young Bruce, afterwards Elgin, famous from Canada to
China; the former slim, ascetic, and reserved; the latter a perfect
contrast, being stout, genial, and outspoken; while Canning, tall and
good-looking, with curly dark hair and florid complexion, is mentionable
also for his fluency of speech and cordiality of manner--hereditaments,
doubtless, of his distinguished father. Of Lord Elgin I have many
pleasant memories, especially when he hospitably received me at Toronto,
whither he had recently migrated from Montreal (as I thought unwisely),
because the French Canadians there had insulted him. In this connection
I may give an anecdote to the point. Soon after my return from America
in 1851 I dined with my neighbour at Albury, Henry Drummond, the
humoursome M.P., always not a little good-naturedly mischievous. He knew
that I had not approved of Lord Elgin's petulant removal of his
viceroyal establishment from Montreal to Toronto, and cunningly resolved
to draw me out before witnesses on the matter. Now I had taken in to
dinner an elderly Scotch lady unknown to me, and sat next to her of
course. Soon my lively host somewhat unfairly asked me about my visit to
Canada, and what I thought of the then notorious flight of the Governor
to far distant Toronto,--forcing me to express my disapproval, which
naturally as an honest man I did, on which my left-hand neighbour, a
lady of rank whom I knew, whispered "Mind what you are saying, you took
in his mother." Accordingly, I had frankly to turn and say, "And I'm
sure Lady Elgin will agree with me, and you too, Mr. Drummond, for no
captain should fly from his post because he's laughed at." This candid
speech was fortunately applauded all round the table, and not least by
the friendly Countess and the baffled mischief lover.

Lord Elgin most kindly interested himself in the restoration of the
Brock monument at Queenstown Heights, which had then recently been
damaged by gunpowder, and is since rebuilt: my good reason for asking
his aid being tha