I am inclined to think, was one of the main causes of our never
promoting him into the ostensible magistracy; besides, his temper was
exceedingly brittle; and in the debates anent the weightiest concerns of
the public, he was apt to puff and fiz, and go off with a pluff of anger
like a pioye; so that, for the space of more than five-and-twenty years,
we would have been glad of his resignation; and, in the heat of argument,
there was no lack of hints to that effect from more than one of his
friends, especially from Bailie Picken, who was himself a sharp-tempered
individual, and could as ill sit quiet under a contradiction as any man I
ever was conjunct with. But just before the close of my second
provostry, Providence was kind to Mr Hirple, and removed him gently away
from the cares, and troubles, and the vain policy of this contending
world, into, as I hope and trust, a far better place.

It may seem, hereafter, to the unlearned readers among posterity,
particularly to such of them as may happen not to be versed in that state
of things which we were obligated to endure, very strange that I should
make this special mention of Mr Hirple at his latter end, seeing and
observing the small store and account I have thus set upon his talents
and personalities. But the verity of the reason is plainly this: we
never discovered his worth and value till we had lost him, or rather,
till we found the defect and gap that his death caused, and the
affliction that came in through it upon us in the ill-advised selection
of Mr Hickery to fill his vacant place.

The spunky nature of Mr Hirple was certainly very disagreeable often to
most of the council, especially when there was any difference of opinion;
but then it was only a sort of flash, and at the vote he always, like a
reasonable man, sided with the majority, and never after attempted to rip
up a decision when it was once so settled. Mr Hickery was just the even
down reverse of this. He never, to be sure, ran himself into a passion,
but then he continued to speak and argue so long in reply, never heeding
the most rational things of his adversaries, that he was sure to put
every other person in a rage; in addition to all which, he was likewise a
sorrowful body in never being able to understand how a determination by
vote ought to and did put an end to every questionable proceeding; so
that he was, for a constancy, ever harping about the last subject
discussed, as if it had not be