the second lands and wealth. I bring him in here because
he associated with Forster in one of his most grotesque moods. To
Forster, however, this agreeable spirit was taboo. He had offended the
great man, and as it had a ludicrous cast, and was, besides, truly
Forsterian, I may here recur to it. Forster, as I have stated, had
been left by Landor, the copyright of his now value unsaleable
writings, and he was more pleased at the intended compliment than
gratified by the legacy itself. My friend Locker, whose _Lyra_ was
well known, had thoughtlessly inserted in a new edition one, or some,
of Landor's short pieces, and went his way. One day Forster discovered
"the outrage," wrote tremendous letters, threatened law, and, I
believe, obtained some satisfaction for the trespasses. But during the
altercation he found that a copy had been presented to the Athenaeum
Club library, and it bore the usual inscription and Minerva's head of
the Club. Forster, _sans facon_, put the book in his pocket and took
it away home, confiscated it in fact. There was a great hubbub. The
committee met, determined that their property had been taken away, and
demanded that it should be brought back. Forster flatly refused;
defied the Club to do its worst. Secretary, solicitors, and every
means were used to bring him to reason. It actually ended in his
retaining the book, the Club shrinking from entering into public
contest with so redoubtable an antagonist.

Forster was sumptuous in his tastes; always liking to have the best.
When he wanted a thing considerations of the expense would not stand
in the way. He was an admirable judge of a picture, and could in a few
well-chosen words point out its merits. When he heard Lord Lytton was
going to India, he gave Millais a commission to paint a portrait of
the new Viceroy. Millais used good humouredly to relate the lofty
condescending style in which it was announced. "It gives me, I assure
you, great pleasure to learn that you are so advancing in your
profession. I think highly of your abilities and _shall be glad to
encourage them_;" or something to that effect. Millais at this time
was at the very top of his profession, as indeed Forster knew well,
but the state and grandeur of the subject, and his position in
expending so large a sum--I suppose a thousand guineas, for it was a
full length--lifted my old friend into one of his dreams. The
portrait was a richly-coloured and effective one, giving the staring