think it would not be a bad thing if some of us were to study it a little more. We should see there that we were not only accused of tyranny, unwarrantable and odious,* of hateful and deliberate injustice,t of cruelty, nay of savage barbarity, but of that of which not one of her very worst

* "The country was laid waste with fire and sword, and that land, distinguished above most others, by the cheerful face of paternal government and protected labour, the chosen seat of cultivation and plenty, is now almost throughout a dreary desert, covered with rushes and briers, and jungles full of wild beasts."-Burke's Speech on Mr. Fox's East India Bill.

+ "But supposing the Rajah of Benares to be a mere subject, and that subject a criminal of the highest form; let us see what course was taken by an upright English magistrate. Did he cite this culprit before his tribunal? Did he make a charge? Did he produce witnesses? These are not forms; they are forms of substantial and eternal justice. No! not a word of all this. Mr. Hastings concludes him, in his own mind, to be guilty; he makes this conclusion on reports, on hearsay, on appearances, on rumours, on conjectures, on presumptions; and even these never once hinted to the party, nor publicly to any human being till the whole business was done."-Idem.

"Hafiz Rhamet, the most eminent of their chiefs, one of the bravest men of his time, and as famous throughout the East for the elegance of his literature as for his courage, was invaded with an army of a hundred thousand men and an English brigade. This man, at the head of inferior forces,

enemies has ever been able to accuse Austria: of bad faith and dishonesty! and this towards a country containing upwards of " thirty millions of souls," about whose civilization and rights to respect, one of our greatest orators says: "A people for ages civilized and cultivated-cultivated by all the arts of polished life, whilst we were yet in the woods ancient and venerable priesthood, the depository of

an

(Oh boasted British love of fair play!) was slain, valiantly fighting for his country. His head was cut off, and delivered, for money, to a barbarian. His wife and children, persons of that rank! were seen begging a handful of rice through the English camp. The whole nation, with inconsiderable exceptions, was slaughtered or banished!”—Idem.

* "That universal systematic breach of treaties, which had made the British faith proverbial in the East! These intended rebellions are one of the Company's standing resources. When money has been thought to be hoarded up anywhere, its owners are universally accused of rebellion, until they are acquitted of their money and their treasons at once! The money once taken, all accusation, trial, and punishment ends."-Idem.

At the time when the public conscience in England was embodied in such a speaker, and that such crimes were denounced by such a voice, no cry of hypocritical indignation against our neighbours' proceedings was raised. Were such events to occur now-a-days, where would be the Burke to chastise them? It is somewhat strange that our indifference to such things at home should grow in the same proportion with our intolerance of what we affirm to be the misdemeanours of our neighbours abroad.

their laws, learning and history

a nobility of great antiquity and renown, a multitude of cities, not exceeded in population and trade by those of the first class in Europe; merchants and bankers, individual houses of whom have once vied in capital with the Bank of England; whose credit had often supported a tottering state, and preserved their governments in the midst of war and desolation; millions of ingenious manufacturers and mechanics; millions of the most diligent, and not the least intelligent, tillers of the earth.”

It is not a stranger, it is not an enemy, it is one of our own best and noblest sons who concludes this harangue, by declaring that he shall feel himself "overpaid," for the labours of eighteen years, if he is able, by his single vote, to take his share" in destroying a tyranny that exists, to the disgrace of this nation, and the destruction of so large a part of the human species."

And now, my dear countrymen, if this were true, and that tyranny and wanton cruelty could be laid to your charge, what right would you have to accuse any nation? But if you have uniformly acted only in self-defence, if you feel that England can reproach herself with no act of undue severity, be just to other lands, and admit, at least, that there are moments of stern necessity for nations, when duty,

in its observance, demands from the observer tenfold strength.

If you would escape condemnation yourselves, pity whilst you admire those who, from a sense of right, have taken upon themselves the necessary performance of a painful and thankless task.

CHAPTER VI.

VIENNA AND ITS SOCIAL HABITS.

I TOLD you that people in Vienna were not booklearned, as in Berlin, that is, there does not lie their speciality (why not give the word droit de bourgeoisie at once? it is such a good one). The Viennese are, above all, people of the world, as the meaning of the word is in French, gens du monde— namely, people who before being anything else, are gentlemen and gentlewomen conversant with the habits, occupations, duties and diversions of the world in which gentlemen and gentlewomen are required to live.

Here I must pause, for I foresee that I am exposing myself to an almost universal attack from