juvenile life, the other of his ripened years. I had some personal
acquaintance with him at the time of his last residence in New-York.
Hazlitt has, in his attractive manner, described him to the life. He was
deemed the best talker of his day, and his forcible pen has given us
indubitable proofs of his powers in literary composition. It was not
unusual with him to make a visit to the printing office at an early
morning hour, take his seat at the desk, and after some half dozen lines
were written, to throw off MSS. with a rapidity that engaged eleven
compositors at once in setting up. Thus a whole sheet of the _Register_
might be completed ere he desisted from his undertaking. I think that in
quickness he surpassed even the lamented William Leggett, of the _Evening
Post_. The circumstance is certainly interesting in a psychological point
of view; and yet may not be deemed more curious than the fact that
Priestley made his reply to Lind, quite a voluminous pamphlet, in
twenty-four hours, or that Hodgkinson, the actor, was able to peruse
crosswise, the entire five columns of a newspaper, and within two hours
recite it thus by memory. I visited Cobbett, when his residence was within
a couple of miles of this city, in company with a few professional
gentlemen. It was in October, and a delightful day. He heard our approach,
and came to the door without our knocking. "Walk in, gentlemen--am I to
consider this as a visit to me?--walk in and be seated on these benches,
for I have no chairs--you may be fatigued--will you have a bowl of milk? I
live upon milk and Indian corn--I never drink spirit or wine, and yet I am
a tolerable example of English health." And, indeed, he was a most ample
specimen of the genuine John Bull. His nearly oval face, and florid
countenance, with strong gray piercing eyes and head thickly covered with
white hair, closely trimmed; his huge frame, of some two hundred and
seventy pounds weight, corresponding abdominal development, and
well-proportioned limbs, all demonstrated, with anatomical accuracy, the
truth of his observation. His superior intellect seemed roused in all its
functions. The United States, England, the reform measures, the union of
church and state, and its absurdity, were only a few of the subjects of
his caustic remark. "I have just performed a duty, gentlemen, which has
been too long delayed; you have neglected the remains of Thomas Paine; I
have done myself the honor to disinter his bon