and influence the objects of the other. Men of fashion are to
be seen everywhere: a pure and mere gentleman is the rarest
thing alive. Brummel was a man of fashion; but it would be a
perversion of terms to apply to him "a very expressive word
in our language,--a word, denoting an assemblage of many real
virtues and of many qualities approaching to virtues, and an
union of manners at once pleasing and commanding respect,--
the word gentleman."* The requisites to compose this last
character are natural ease of manner, and an acquaintance
with the "outward habit of encounter"--dignity and self-
possession--a respect for all the decencies of life, and
perfect freedom from all affectation. Dr. Johnson's bearing
during his interview with the king showed him to be a
thorough gentleman, and demonstrates how rare and elevated
that character is. When his majesty expressed in the language
of compliment his high opinion of Johnson's merits, the
latter bowed in silence. If Chesterfield could have retained
sufficient presence of mind to have done the same on such an
occasion, he would have applauded himself to the end of his
days. So delicate is the nature of those qualities that
constitute a gentleman, that there is but one exhibition of
this description of persons in all the literary and dramatic
fictions from Shakespeare downward. Scott has not attempted
it. Bulwer, in "Pelham," has shot wide of the mark. It was
reserved for the author of two very singular productions,
"Sydenham" and its continuation "Alice Paulet"--works of
extraordinary merits and extraordinary faults--to portray
this character completely, in the person of Mr. Paulet

* Charles Butler's Reminiscences