who was working his way upwards, and another nearly thirty years more advanced in life; and from him and his family I received the most constant kindness and attention until the period of his death, in the year 1823.

I am not certain whether it was in 1814 or 1815 that I first became acquainted with the late Lord and Lady Holland. As I have already mentioned, Lord Holland's father had been my own father's friend and patron, to whom he was indebted for the only church preferment which he possessed. My brother-inlaw, Marsh, had been Lord Holland's tutor at Christ Church, had afterwards travelled with him on the Continent, and become from that period his most intimate friend. It so happened that Lord Holland had been admitted "as a Fellow of the Royal Society on the Thursday after the anniversary on which I received the Copley medal, and when the address made by Sir Joseph Banks to me on that occasion was read as a part of the minutes. It was, I suppose, from this combination of circumstances that I was afterwards invited to Holland House.

By degrees I became a frequent visitor there, and was on terms of much intimacy with Lord Holland until he died, in 1840, and with Lady Holland afterwards. I know not how it was that they liked me at first so well as they did, for in general society I was at this time, and for some years afterwards, a shy and diffident young man, contributing very little to conversation, and not feeling myself at home among the politicians and persons of rank who met at Holland House, as I did among my friends of the Royal Society and those of my own profession or of the law. However, so it was; and their friendship and kindness was never interrupted. Lord Holland was himself one of the kindest of human beings, at the same time being a zealous politician, a thorough Whig, a Liberal in the very best sense of the word, and that not only in politics, but in everything else. Not what used to be called a democrat, but at the same time valuing others more with reference to their general character, talents, and acquirements, than to their rank or station. He was an accomplished scholar, well acquainted with general literature, delighting in

poetry, and of refined taste, but having little or no acquaintance with science. I remember dining at Rogers's in company with Sydney Smith, his brother Robert, and some others, when a question arose as to who at that time. excelled most in conversation, and they all agreed that it was Lord Holland. He was indeed in society a most agreeable person, full of valuable information, which was enlivened by appropriate anecdotes; not claiming too large a share of attention for himself; a good listener as well as a good talker. He had also this excellent quality, that he never spoke ill-naturedly of others; while he was continually heard to say, when he thought that others erred a little in this respect, 'Come, now, I think that you are a little too hard on him.' He might sometimes have indulged in some good-humoured sarcasm, but he never went beyond this. Lady Holland was a woman of strong sense, with considerable knowledge of human nature; a zealous and active friend, but with considerable prejudices. Some held her to be capricious, but I have certainly no cause to complain of her in this respect.

Fortunately I had no favours to ask of her or of any one else; but during thirty years of intimate acquaintance with her, I never knew her miss an opportunity of showing me any small mark of kindness in her power. At Holland House I made some valuable acquaintances; among whom I may especially mention Samuel Rogers, Sydney Smith, and Allen. The latter had originally travelled on the continent with Lord and Lady Holland as their medical attendant. When I knew him he was master of Dulwich College, and resided with them as a friend rather than in any other capacity. He had formerly been a lecturer on physiology in Edinburgh, but afterwards had devoted himself almost entirely to general literature and history. He was a considerable Anglo-Saxon scholar, this being with him a favourite pursuit; but he had a vast knowledge on all subjects, and was a most instructive companion. At Holland House, also, I became acquainted with Lord Holland's son Charles, now General Fox, and he has continued one of my very best friends down to the present day. Without his literary attainments

he has many of his father's qualities—sincere, open, generous with a character so transparent that whoever knows him must know him thoroughly.

I had previously, although not apparently a very strong person, enjoyed sufficiently good health, and had been able to go through a good deal of rather severe labour; but in the autumn of 1814 my health began to fail. I became dyspeptic, and lost flesh, and altogether looked so ill that many of my acquaintance believed that I laboured under some serious organic disease. I was told of a medical dinner-party in which the question arose as to who would make the next vacancy at St. George's Hospital, and they all agreed that it would be myself. I attribute my illness to unceasing occupation of mind and body for a long period, and partly to having been during ten years in London, never breathing the air of the country for more than two or three days at a time, and even then only on some rare occasions. My indisposition was not sufficient to prevent my attending to my profession as usual; but it depressed my spirits, made