He died on the field of battle; shot dead by a Scotch
Colonel, whom poor Popwell thought to rob of nothing with an empty
pistol. His memory, gentlemen,--in solemn silence!

"These make the catalogue of our losses," resumed the youthful chief,
so soon as the "red cup had crowned the memory" of Peter Popwell; "I am
proud, even in sorrow, to think that the blame of those losses rests
not with me. And now, friends and followers! Gentlemen of the Road, the
Street, the Theatre, and the Shop! Prigs, Tobymen, and Squires of the
Cross! according to the laws of our Society, I resign into your hands
that power which for two quarterly terms you have confided to mine,
ready to sink into your ranks as a comrade, nor unwilling to renounce
the painful honour I have borne,--borne with much infirmity, it is true,
but at least with a sincere desire to serve that cause with which you
have intrusted me."

So saying, the captain descended from his chair amidst the most
uproarious applause; and as soon as the first burst had partially
subsided, Augustus Tomlinson rising, with one hand in his breeches'
pocket and the other stretched out, said,--

"Gentlemen, I move that Paul Lovett be again chosen as our captain for
the ensuing term of three months. [Deafening cheers.] Much might I say
about his surpassing merits; but why dwell upon that which is obvious?
Life is short! Why should speeches be long? Our lives, perhaps, are
shorter than the lives of other men; why should not our harangues be of
a suitable brevity? Gentlemen, I shall say but one word in favour of my
excellent friend,--of mine, say I? ay, of mine, of yours. He is a friend
to all of us! A prime minister is not more useful to his followers and
more burdensome to the public than I am proud to say is--Paul Lovett.
[Loud plaudits.] What I shall urge in his favour is simply this: the man
whom opposite parties unite in praising must have supereminent merit. Of
all your companions, gentlemen, Paul Lovett is the only man who to that
merit can advance a claim. [Applause.] You all know, gentlemen, that
our body has long been divided into two factions,--each jealous of the
other, each desirous of ascendancy, and each emulous which shall put the
greatest number of fingers into the public pie. In the language of
the vulgar, the one faction would be called 'swindlers,' and the other
'highwaymen.' I, gentlemen, who am fond of finding new names for things
and for persons, and am a bit of a polit