Transcriber's Notes
The cover image was created by the transcriber and is dedicated without reservation to the public domain.
On page 122 there was duplicated text of about 28 lines, which hasbeen deleted.
The page references in the footnotes do not correspondent to the page numbers in the used edition of the book.the targets of the hyperlinks have been set to the most probable positions
Variations in spelling, punctuation and hyphenation have been retainedexcept in obvious cases of typographical error (see list after text).
Lord Munster devoted himself entirely to ambition: what hasbeen said of Cinna might be applied to him, he had a head tocontrive, a tongue to persuade, and a hand to execute any mischief.Weak people are only wicked by halves; and whenever we hear ofhigh and enormous crimes, we may conclude that they proceededfrom a power of soul, and a reach of thought, that are altogetherunusual.
He stuck at nothing to accomplish his political plans; and hissuccess rendered him still more enterprising: But being at lastrefused a favor from his Sovereign, he retired disgusted with thecourt, and in vain sought that happiness in a retreat, which hiscrimes made it impossible he should ever find. He was sochagrined that everything became intolerable to him; and hecontinually vented his spleen on those of his friends, whosecircumstances rendered them subservient to his caprices. Hepossessed good health, a large estate, and had fine children, thatequalled his most sanguine expectations. In the opinion of theworld, therefore, he was a very happy man, but in his own, quite thecontrary. No man can judge of the happiness or infelicity of hisneighbour. We only know the external causes of good and evil,which causes are not always proportionable to their effects: thosewhich seem to us small, often occasion a strong sensation; andthose which appear to us great, often produce only a faintsensation. The great advantages Lord Munster possessed, as theyexcited in him only indifference, in reality were inconsiderable inthemselves. But the small evil, his having been refused a ribbon byhis Sovereign, exciting in him insupportable uneasiness, was inreality a great evil. Lady Munster had been dead many years: Lord[4]Finlay and Lady Frances were the only surviving children.Engrossed as the earl had been in public affairs, he still paidparticular attention to their education. Though a man of theworld, he was at the utmost pains in selecting those ofdistinguished worth, to whom only he committed the care of hischildren. Lord Finlay had promising parts; but force of mindmakes a man capable of great vices or great virtues, butdetermines him to neither.
Education, discipline, and accidents of life, constitute him eithera profound philosopher, or a great knave. The probity anddisinterestedness of Mr Burt's principles recommended him toLord Munster, for a tutor to his son.—He had been brought up tothe ministry, with a