The Expedition of Humphry Clinker

114 TOBIAS SMOLLETT
ran up, and, hugging him in his arms, with the appellation of ‘My
dear Ch——s!’ led him forthwith into the inner apartment, or
Sanctum Sanctorum of this political temple. ‘That (said captain
C——) is my friend C—— T——, almost the only man of parts
who has any concern in the present administration—Indeed, he
would have no concern at all in the matter, if the ministry did not
find it absolutely necessary to make use of his talents upon some
particular occasions—As for the common business of the nation,
it is carried on in a constant routine by the clerks of the different
offices, otherwise the wheels of government would be wholly
stopt amidst the abrupt succession of ministers, every one more
ignorant than his predecessor—I am thinking what a fine hovel we
should be in, if all the clerks of the treasury, of the secretaries, the
war-office, and the admiralty, should take it in their heads to throw
up their places in imitation of the great pensioner—But, to return
to C—— T——; he certainly knows more than all the ministry
and all the opposition, if their heads were laid together, and talks
like an angel on a vast variety of subjects—He would really be a
great man, if he had any consistency or stability of character—
Then, it must be owned, he wants courage, otherwise he would
never allow himself to be cowed by the great political bully, for
whose understanding he has justly a very great contempt. I have
seen him as much afraid of that overbearing Hector, as ever school-
boy was of his pedagogue; and yet this Hector, I shrewdly sus-
pect, is no more than a craven at bottom—Besides this defect,
C—— has another, which he is at too little pains to hide—There’s
no faith to be given to his assertions, and no trust to be put in his
promises—However, to give the devil his due, he’s very good-
natured; and even friendly, when close urged in the way of solicita-
tion—As for principle, that’s out of the question—in a word, he is
a wit and an orator, extremely entertaining, and he shines very
often at the expence even of those ministers to whom he is a
retainer—This is a mark of great imprudence, by which he has
made them all his enemies, whatever face they may put upon the
matter; and sooner or later he’ll have cause to wish he had been
able to keep his own counsel—I have several times cautioned him
on this subject; but ’tis all preaching to the desert—His vanity runs
away with his discretion—’ I could not help thinking the captain
himself might have been the better for some hints of the same
nature—His panegyric, excluding principle and veracity, puts me