lse you would look
for them in their studies, surrounded with stately folios; or in the
midst of their clergy, reviving the fainthearted, urging on the timid,
counselling the young, and girding up the energies and hearts of all.
You would expect to find them in the House of the Lord rather than in the
House of Lords. In short, anywhere but in the turmoil of party conflict.
This, however, is not the case. The bishops are almost the first object
that attracts your eye. They sit on benches by themselves, on the
Government side, but beyond the ministerial bench. In the "dim religious
light" of the Upper House, you can scarcely make out what they are. You
see venerable wigs, and black robes, and lawn sleeves; and if you look
sharp, you may, at times, catch the outline of a reverend face--most
probably of Dr. Tait, the energetic bishop of London, or of the pug nose
and plebeian profile of Samuel of Oxford. They are very regular in their
attendance, and frequently take part in the debate. Indeed, the latter
bishop is a great man in the Lords; and so was Henry of Exeter, but his
voice is seldom heard, and his name never mentioned now, though he is
generally present, and sits at the end of the benches nearest to the
spectator, while the Archbishop of Canterbury, who is also pretty regular
in his attendance, occupies the other end of the bench. The other
bishops do not muster quite so strongly. Half of them is a good
attendance. It is to be hoped they are more profitably employed.

Coming lower down, our eyes rest on the men who did carry on government,
and generally occupy the unenviable situation of Ministers of the Crown.
At present they are out of office, and are seated on the Lord
Chancellor's left. Generally, at the top of the bench, is seated a
slight, undersized, juvenile, red-haired Scot--that is the Duke of
Argyle, who, in virtue of being a Duke, and the husband of the daughter
of the Duchess of Sutherland, was Lord Privy Seal. His lordship is as
pert and ready as any forward youth in a debating-club, and has much of
the appearance and manner of such a one. He gives you no great idea of
hereditary statesmanship, the only quality conspicuous in him being a
tolerable amount of modest assurance, perfectly natural to a peer who is
an author and has lectured at mechanics' institutions, and read papers
before the British Association. By him is seated Lord Panmure, very red
in the face, which redness seems to aris