irregularities, and the bad hours it kept. He is a Whig, I
understand, in politics, and indeed one might guess as much by
looking at him; for I have always remarked, that your Whigs have
something odd and particular about them. On making the same sort of
remark to Argent, who, by the way, is a high ministerial man, he
observed, the thing was not to be wondered at, considering that the
Whigs are exceptions to the generality of mankind, which naturally
accounts for their being always in the minority. Mr. T-, the
saddler's son, who overheard us, said slyly, "That it might be so;
but if it be true that the wise are few compared to the multitude of
the foolish, things would be better managed by the minority than as
they are at present."

The fourth guest was a stock-broker, a shrewd compound, with all
charity be it spoken, of knavery and humour. He is by profession an
epicure, but I suspect his accomplishments in that capacity are not
very well founded; I would almost say, judging by the evident traces
of craft and dissimulation in his physiognomy, that they have been
assumed as part of the means of getting into good company, to drive
the more earnest trade of money-making. Argent evidently understood
his true character, though he treated him with jocular familiarity.
I thought it a fine example of the intellectual tact and superiority
of T-, that he seemed to view him with dislike and contempt. But I
must not give you my reasons for so thinking, as you set no value on
my own particular philosophy; besides, my paper tells me, that I
have only room left to say, that it would be difficult in Edinburgh
to bring such a party together; and yet they affect there to have a
metropolitan character. In saying this, I mean only with reference
to manners; the methods of behaviour in each of the company were
precisely similar--there was no eccentricity, but only that distinct