Volume 1 - Electric Scotland

286 WILLIAM BLACKWOOD.
of that gentleman's character and genius. As little, I would
fain take upon me to decide, does the sober intellect of the sage
Christopher sanction the wild and cruel rhapsody of which my
worthy friend the member for Galway is made the subject by
those jovial interlocutors. The jocular depreciation of Wordsworth
will, I daresay, be understood well enough by those who,
from long experience, know that the Poet of the Lakes has no
admirer in the world half so efficient as yourself: they will
perceive at once that you were all in your lunes when such
things were said, or supposed to be said. But I do not remember
that Mr Martin's name was ever before introduced in
your pages, and am the more concerned that it should have
been introduced for the first time in this manner ; because, sir,
it happens to be the fact that at this moment the character of
that most humane and generous individual is rendered system-
atically and seriously the butt of the malevolent wit, if wit it
can be called, of a portion of the periodical press with which in
general no one seems to hold less in common than the person
I have the honour of addressing. The nonsense which you
have permitted yourself to set forth for mere nonsense sake is
cherished and applauded, as solemnly thought and deliberately
said, by creatures who for once enjoy the satisfaction of finding
a name that really does carry weight and authority with it on
their side, their own paltry side.
An account and panegyric of Martin follows. He
was the first man to introduce into Parliament a
bill for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals : and
he did not confine his philanthropical exertions to
carrying this measure, but himself stayed in London,
through all the trying progress of the autumn, scorn-
ing the delights of grouse and other sport in order to
watch over the execution of its regulations, bringing
unfortunate drovers to justice, and then with delightful
Irish inconsistency begging them oiff again, and
pledging himself that they would never do it again
from whence his constant appearance at the police
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