Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 08.pdf/267

ber with delight (who, that knew him well, born to influence the destiny of man by in can ever forget?) the charms of his soci culcating principles of constitutional free ety, when relieved for the moment from the dom, calculated to secure to him the liberty severe duties of life, surrounded by a few he has a right to enjoy, and the submission friends, he poured out the riches of his to authority, without which it cannot exist." mind, the playfulness of his fancy, the Professor Felton, in his speech, spoke of charms of his wit, his anecdotes ever so ap a breakfast with the eminent poet, Samuel posite — the goodness of his heart. Look Rogers : — at his firm figure, his stern, mighty brow, "Mr. Rogers sat at the head of the table, promising nothing surrounded by the but intellect, his evi most illustrious lights dently concentrated of English science thought — could the and literature. There tenderness and sus . he sat, over ninety ceptibility of infancy years of age, pale as be there also? Yes, a corpse, and almost it was. I have seen as silent, while the him, when he sup conversation upon posed himself unseen, topics of letters and weep as if his heart science was passing would break at the around him. But death of a senatorial when the name of colleague. His friend Webster was men had been ill for weeks, tioned, he started up; but on that morning a new life seemed to was thought to be course through his convalescent, when in veins; the color came the evening death to his cheek. He was his fate. rose, and taking his knife in his hand, and "The suddenness ringing it down on and unexpectedness the table, said, ' Mr. of the tidings un MRS. DANIEL WEBSTER (GRACE FLETCHER). Webster was a friend nerved Mr. Webster, (From the painting by Chester Harding.) and correspondent of and his nature showed mine. He was the itself as it was, kind, affectionate, loving. Tears, the evidence of greatest man of his age." it, coursed down his manly checks without As early as 1820, when the great ability an effort on his part to check them. of Mr. Webster had only begun to be rec "He is lost to us, and to his country, but ognized, John Adams had said of his Ply his works remain. His speeches are left. mouth oration : — What a rich, invaluable legacy to the cause "Mr. Burke is no longer entitled to the of letters, of eloquence, and of freedom! praise, the most consummate orator of mod They show how mighty a man he was. ern times. . . . This oration will be read They will live as long as the English lan five hundred years hence with as much rap guage survives, intellect is honored, free ture as it was heard." institutions valued, and transmit him to No stronger evidence could be given than after-ages as one of the great of the world, that contained in these extracts from men