resence chamber, by the nose, for having insulted him, and
afterwards dragging him out of the room.

[15] It was to this nobleman, that Addison addressed his elegant and
sublime epistle, after he had surveyed with the eyes and genius of a
classical poet, the monuments and heroic deeds of ancient Rome.

[16] Lord Chesterfield thus speaks of this distinguished man:--"His
private life was stained by no vices, nor sullied by any meanness. His
eloquence was of every kind; but his invectives were terrible, and
uttered with such energy of diction and countenance, that he intimidated
those who were the most willing and the best able to encounter him." Sir
W. Chatham Trelawney used to observe of him, that it was impossible for
the members of the side opposed to him in the House of Commons to look
him in the face when he was warmed in debate: he seemed to bid them all
a haughty defiance. "For my own part," said Trelawney, "I never dared
cast my eyes towards his, for if I did, _they nailed me to the floor_."

Smollet says, that he displayed "such irresistible energy of argument,
and such power of elocution, as struck his hearers with astonishment and
admiration. It flashed like the lightning of heaven against the
ministers and sons of corruption, blasting where it smote, and withering
the nerves of opposition; but his more substantial praise was founded
upon his disinterested integrity, his incorruptible heart, his
unconquerable spirit of independance, and his invariable attachment to
the interest and liberty of his country." Another biographer thus
mentions him:--"His elevated aspect commanded the awe and mute attention
of all who beheld him, whilst a certain grace in his manner, conscious
of all the dignities of his situation, of the solemn scene he acted in,
as well as his own exalted character, seemed to acknowledge and repay
the respect he received; his venerable form, bowed with infirmity and
age, but animated by a mind which nothing could subdue; his spirit
shining through him, arming his eye with lightning, and cloathing his
lips with thunder; or, if milder topics offered, harmonizing his
countenance in smiles, and his voice in softness, for the compass of his
powers was infinite. As no idea was too vast, no imagination too
sublime, for the grandeur and majesty of his manner; so no fancy was too
playful, nor any allusion too comic, for the ease and gaiety with which
he could accommodate to the occasion. But the character