[103] Colonel Brereton. His conduct afterwards formed the subject of a court-martial, but the unhappy man forestalled the “finding” by committing suicide.
[104] Mr. à Beckett’s strong point was puns; in later days he found a vehicle for these in the well-known “Comic Histories” of England and Rome, illustrated by John Leech. It was his peculiar good fortune always to be associated with artists of the highest ability.
[105] See Forster’s “Life of Dickens.”
[106] In one account of Seymour’s death the name of the engraver is given as Starling. This is a mistake. The engraving (probably one of the best the unfortunate artist ever executed) represents a sailor captain of Charles the First’s time, showing a casket of pearls to a lady of remarkable beauty.
[107] Act 3, Scene 1.
CHAPTER XI.
THE POLITICAL SKETCHES OF HB.
The years 1830-32 were full of political trouble; men’s minds were unsettled; progress was the order of the day, and a reform in the election of the members who represented or who were supposed to represent the political opinions of the English constituencies was not only loudly called for, but had (as we have seen) for a very long time past been imperatively demanded. The question was shelved from time to time, but sooner or later it must be settled, and as Liberals and Conservatives alike will be amused and astounded at the state of English parliamentary representation half a century ago, we propose just to glance at matters as they existed in 1830.