Volume 1 - Electric Scotland

Disraeli's mission. 235
we have, accidentally I suppose, met but few. The provost of
the College here and Dr Brinkley the Astronomer both told me
your articles on the Catholic question were the only things
worthy of being perused. ' Maga ' I have never yet met with,
in consequence of many unfortunate accidents.
This expedition was taken, as the reader will recol-
lect, in attendance upon Scott, when Sir Walter
received the unanimous homage of his admirers in
Ireland. The party returned by Wales, and on their
way north visited various hospitable houses in the
Lake country, and among others Wilson's at EUeray.
There are some notes connected with that last visit
which I reserve to elucidate an incident in the Pro-
fessor's life.
In the autumn of 1825, soon after his return from
the Irish expedition, a curious embassy from London
and the great house of Murray arrived at Chiefswood,
where Lockhart was then staying, in the striking
person of young Benjamin Disraeli, with various great
projects and proposals in his hands. His chief object
was to induce Lockhart to accept the editorship of a
new daily paper which Murray had set his heart on
establishing, and, in default of that, the ' Quarterly
Keview,' then wavering in uncertain hands after the
death of Gifford. Lockhart's account of the matter
to Blackwood would seem to have been in answer to
some question addressed to him. There is no date
upon the note in which he allows that it is " most
true that Murray is about to have a daily paper, and
that, I think, under most triumphant auspices, and it
is also true that I was asked to be the conductor.
But I declined this at once, and it was on that that
the offer of the Review was made and accepted. Of