the eyes of the
Committee; and then, of course, his Radical friends would instantly say,
'This is the man! there is no one like him. See what information he
possesses; and see that book written by himself in the court language of
Serendib. This is the only man to send there. What a glory, what a
triumph it would be to Britain, to send out a man so deeply versed in the
mysterious lore of ---, as our illustrious countryman--a person who with
his knowledge could beat with their own weapons the wise men of ---! Is
such an opportunity to be lost? Oh, no! surely not! If it is it will be
an eternal disgrace to England, and the world will see that Whigs are no
better than Tories.'

Let no one think the writer uncharitable in these suppositions. The
writer is only too well acquainted with the antecedents of the
individual, to entertain much doubt that he would shrink from any such
conduct, provided he thought that his temporal interest would be
forwarded by it. The writer is aware of more than one instance in which
he has passed off the literature of friendless young men for his own,
after making them a slight pecuniary compensation, and deforming what was
originally excellent by interpolations of his own. This was his especial
practice with regard to translation, of which he would fain be esteemed
the king. This Radical literato is slightly acquainted with four or five
of the easier dialects of Europe, on the strength of which knowledge he
would fain pass for a universal linguist, publishing translations of
pieces originally written in various difficult languages; which
translations, however, were either made by himself from literal
renderings done for him into French or German, or had been made from the
originals into English, by friendless young men, and then deformed by his
alterations.

Well, the Radical got the appointment, and the writer certainly did not
grudge it him. He, of course, was aware that his friend had behaved in a
very base manner towards him, but he bore him no ill-will, and invariably
when he heard him spoken against, which was frequently the case, took his
part when no other person would; indeed, he could well afford to bear him
no ill-will. He had never sought for the appointment, nor wished for it,
nor, indeed, ever believed himself qualified for it. He was conscious,
it is true, that he was not altogether unacquainted with the language and
literature of the country with which the appointm