Osborne, of Newton Anmer, Tipperary, and had thus become connected with large landed property in Ireland. He had taken the name of the heiress he married, and became from henceforward "Bernal Osborne." During Sir Robert Peel's administration he became a constant critic

of its Irish policy, particularly during the disastrous famine of 1846. On the disso lution of Parliament in 1847, Bernal Osborne tried again the constituency of Wycombe, but the rebellion against Lord Carrington had been a cause of such suffering to the independent electors, that they were now induced to support his nominees. Bernal Osborne, however, on the advice of Wycombe notabilities, stood for Middlesex against Colonel Wood, and was triumphantly returned.

In the new Parliament Bernal Osborne became one of its favorite orators. He particularly distinguished himself in the Pacifico debate. His speech on behalf of Lord Palmerston was considered by all parties as an immense success. Bernal Osborne was selected to take the chair at the banquet given to Lord Palmerston in honor of his victory. In the course of his speech he quoted as descriptive of his hero the following lines of Sir Edward Bulwer:

A lady once asked Professor Wilson for an explanation of these lines. He was very indignant, read the lines aloud, and declared they were splendid. Well, sir," said the lady, "what do they mean ? » Dashing the book on the floor, he exclaimed in his broad Scotch accent: "I'll be daumed if I can tell!" No wonder that at a meeting of the district Browning Society, assembled to explain the unexplainable, a disturbance took place closely resembling the row which occurred in Bret Harte's scientific society when Ab ner Dean of Angel rose to order, and received instead of thanks for his pacific intervention a chunk of old red sandstone in the abdomen. George the Second has been much abused for saying, "I hate boets and bainters too." The fact is a poet puzzled his very small mind.

Shortly afterwards Lord Palmerston was dismissed from office, and Lord John Russell's administration was soon snuffed out by his late colleague. Lord Derby was called to the helm. The Derby Cabinet consisted of thirteen members, and was called, Mr. Bagenal tells us, the "Who? Who?" ministry, because when Lord Derby was telling the Duke of Wellington the names of the Cabinet, the duke, who was rather deaf, after each unfamiliar name said, "Who? Who?" Bernal Os66 a baker's dozen borne attacked them as leagued together to put a tax on bread." In fact, during the short-lived existence of the Derby ministry, there was no more successful critic of it, its doings and mis doings, than Bernal Osborne.

Dear Osborne, It was extremely flattering to me on such an occasion as the dinner given to the honor of Lord Palmerston, that you should have thought anything that I had written worthy of illustrating the transcendent talents of that great statesman. Much, however, as I was flattered by this notice, I could have wished that you had selected any other passage of my works for quotation, for, on the life of me, on reading it I could not understand, "And met his foes, no vizor to his helm." I certainly wrote it, but what has a vizor to do At the dissolution in June, 1852, Lord with a helm and a helm with a vizor (and yet Blandford was proposed in opposition to the company cheered)? The line might have run, and not altogether inappropriately-for him for Middlesex, and was only defeated my hero, if I recollect rightly, although enby a small majority. Bernal Osborne's dowed with great talents, was rash, indiscreet, opposition to the Ecclesiastical Titles And met each foe, no wiser than the Bill, and his support of the Maynooth last." If the speeches should be printed, let | Grant, had been very unpopular with some

etc.—"

of the rabid Protestants in his constitu- collisions with Lord Palmerston, in which ency. the old statesman held his own.

BERNAL OSBORNE, OR THIRTEEN SHILLINGS time expressing surprise at it, when he an

Lord Amberley and Mr. Cossham were the nominees of No. 30, and Bernal Osborne rattled his jokes about their heads at the nomination. 66 It is reported I am no Liberal," said Bernal Osborne. "Why I was a Liberal when Lord Amberley was in his perambulator." This jest at poor little Lord Amberley, who looked as if he ought never to have got out of his perambulator, moved the paternal heart of Lord Russell, who wrote a letter of mild remon

strance.

But it was on the devoted head of Mr. Handel Cossham, the Radical, that Bernal Osborne poured the vials of his wrath. If I had had Lord Osborne for my father, picture to yourself the cringing sycophancy of Mr. Handel Cossham. There is no worshipper of rank so abject as a recreant demagogue. Remember this, men and women of Nottingham, for the women form a large portion of my party, and many of those I see before me are well dressed, and I have no doubt their principles are as beautiful as their faces.. Men and women of Nottingham, upwards of two centuries ago a despotic monarch reared on Standard Hill the flag of despotism against independence. That monarch was supported by the oligarchy, the No. 30 of his day; but they fought a vain contest against the people. Cossham has raised his standard of civil war in this town; Cossham, like Charles I., will not lose his head, but he will lose his election.

The ladies were violent against Mr. Handel Cossham on account of his teetotal principles, for their favorite song, according to Mr. Bagenal, was,

which there was an amusing discussion
between Bernal Osborne and one of the
leaders of the mob, one "Red Lights,"
who would not let Sir Henry Barron, the
rival candidate, have a hearing.

Red Lights-Hurraw for Grubb, the poor
man's friend!
Osborne-speak up.
Another voice- Come on, if you please, Mr.

whole world to a man if his wife's a widow?
Red Lights (waving his cap) - What's the

Another voice Three times three for O'Donovan Rossa!

Another voice-And for Captain Mackey, be the hokey.

Mr. Osborne-'Tis one man only that is interrupting Sir Henry Barron-I have my eye on him-he ought to be turned out-'tis you, Red Lights-and if you are men you will turn him out.

man; didn't I cheer for you? I'm here to Red Lights (indignantly)-Go to blazes, support the tenant-farmer.

Mr. Osborne-Red Lights, will you hold your tongue?

e'er a man, except the peelers, to turn me out. Red Lights-Turn me out! I defy you or Berwick-Shut up, boy, and hear the gentleman- he's comin' on.

Red Lights- We'll hear you, Mr. Osborne, my boy, and three cheers for the poor man's friend all through. whatever he's chattin' about. Let Sir Henry finish

At this point Red Lights, with clothes all disordered, opened out his arms and fell back upon his admirers, who carried him to the

rear.

A too enthusiastic supporter is a trouIf she take a glass often, blesome appendage at election times, for There's nothing can soften though he may be a fool he is still a The heart of a woman like Nottingham ale. friend. Once when Sir David Salomons Supported by sirens like these, and by at Greenwich began a speech, "GentleBendigo, the prize fighter, who, though men, circumstanced as I am," a friend now a temperance lecturer, became a vic- below, in order to encourage him, roared tim to Osborne's eloquence, Bernal Os-out, "Go on, old boy, circumcised as you borne was returned at the head of the poll. are; all right." But alas! when he stood again for Nottingham he was at the bottom of it. Like Prince Rupert, on returning to the field of victory, he generally found his camp in possession of the enemy.

We have heard that an English candidate for an Irish constituency was very much amazed to see at the end of his adversary's address the diabolical advice, "Poll early and often." He wisely bolted, and sought fresh diggings. It would have been better for Bernal Osborne if he had never stood for the town of Waterford. The scenes which took place at the three contests, as related by Mr. Bagenal, are almost incredible. We give an extract from the account of the nomination, at

The first election terminated in the defeat of Bernal Osborne, but he again returned to the charge when Mr. P. J. Smyth, the Nationalist orator, was his op

ponent.

The local Homer in the Waterford Chronicle thus describes the nomination.

But when Osborne arose, such hooting and
cheering and hissing

Never before had been heard in the hall of the
Waterford Court House.

Not mine to tell of his speech, for his words
were absorbed in the tumult.

Then followed Smyth, and harangued and ad-
jured them to turn out the stranger.
"Let him go back," shouted he, "to the land
that enslaves and torments us."

So the day passed on with loud and dissonant
clangor,

Chaff and nicknames, and yells, and question-
ings hard to be answered;

While from the outer grounds the deep-voiced
neighboring people
Spoke, and in accents cantankerous answered

the roar of the Court House.

Bernal Osborne, although victorious, had to fly for his life, escaping through a second-floor window over the roof into the skylight of a draper's shop, and having thus effected a burglarious entry, he found shelter stowed away in a bundle of blankets. "I am slowly recovering," he wrote afterwards to a friend, "from the success of an Irish election."

In 1874, at the dissolution, he again stood for Waterford, but was defeated by the celebrated Major O'Gorman, who stood on the liquor interest, declaring that "a man had a right to drink as much as he could walk away with." The major lost his seat at the next election for coquetting with the teetotallers and voting for Sunday closing!

tongues, mingled with shouts of laughter and roars of "Divide," until at last Whalley, having spoken for some few minutes, sat down panting but satisfied.

66

This was a good practical joke, but with other exploits of the same nature, it made people doubt Bernal Osborne's capacity for business. Mr. Rolfe, afterwards Lord Cranworth, was in court one day when the leader of the circuit was keeping his audience in a roar of laughter. How glad I am," said Mr. Rolfe, "I am not so clever as that!" Mr. Rolfe, by a discreet use of his talents, became lord chancellor, although his legal abilities were of no high order. Mr. Bethell, afterwards Lord Westbury, had a poor opinion of them, for one day, when Lord Cranworth said he could not at present make up his mind on some legal question, Mr. Bethel said contemptuously to his junior counsel, "His Lordship says he will turn it over in what he is pleased to call his mind."

Mr. Bagenal tells us that Lord Macaulay said that in order to get on in society it is necessary to be dull and supercilious. There was some years ago a nobleman thought to be "Absolute Wisdom" because he spoke in monosyllables and raised his eyebrows scornfully when any intricate subject was discussed. Some body who sat next this magnificent being at dinner complained to Lord Durham that he was disappointed with him. "Good heavens," said Lord Durham, "you don't mean to say he talked!"

Bernal Osborne's Parliamentary career was now closed. Society, Mr. Bagenal An absurd attack was once made on tells us, pressed the displaced politician in- Bernal Osborne as a tuft-hunter. Diners. to its service, and he was the most sought-out are jealous of one another. Mr. Hayfor guest at the best dinner-tables in London. This seems to us to have been a poor compensation for his absence from the House. If he did not succeed in his career, it was not from want of conspicuous ability, but partly from lack of ambition and partly, perhaps, from the English notion that wit and business are not compatible. He had failed in his career and he knew it. He would often exclaim to an intimate friend, "Oh, S-, if you only knew how much my jokes cost me!

Mr. Whalley was always rising to address the house. One night he had risen at stated periods during the whole sitting. At about two o'clock, when it was the evident sense of the House that the question should be put, the Speaker arose and amid dead silence began to put the question. Suddenly Osborne shouted, "Now's your time, Whalley!" and such was the commanding tone of his voice, ringing as it did through the whole House, that Whalley rose like a machine and began: "Mr. Speaker, Sir, -" Then burst forth a babel of

ward was in the same way scandalously
attacked, and figures as Venom Tuft in
Mr. Samuel Warren's "Ten Thousand a
Year." Now Mr. Warren was himself not
exempt from the charge of liking great
people. There is a bar story told of him,
that once when sitting in court by the
side of a brother barrister, he said to him,
"I must go now, Davison, as I am going
to dine with Lord Lyndhurst."
1," said Davison. Warren looked discon-
certed, but went out of court, and quickly
came in again, and said to Davison,
"When I said I was going to dine with
Lord Lyndhurst, I was joking." "Well,"
said Davison, "so was I!"

"So am

Bernal Osborne had no respect for rank per se, and he would have chaffed a duke with the same pleasure as a costerHere is a terrific encounter monger.

which he had with a sneezing archbishop at Dublin Castle during the reign of Lord Carlisle.

is

A lady whose rendering of some of Moore's well murmur sadly to themselves, "Oh melodies gave great satisfaction to the Viceroy, for one half-hour of Bernal Osborne !" was singing one of his particular favorites, We do not wonder at this, for a duller "One dear Smile," whilst his Excellency sat House of Commons than the present was listening attentively at the piano beside her. Suddenly there was heard a terrible fit of never assembled; and the best debates sneezing. Every one looked up, and the cul- have certainly this year been in the House prit was discovered to be no less a personage of Lords, which we venture to say has lost than Archbishop Whateley. The famous prel- no popularity with the country from its ate had always been notorious for his uncere- firm stand against ministerial menace. monious manners, and on the present occasion People who care not about politics, read he gave a further illustration of them. Again the debates in the Commons for what is and again was the sneezing repeated, and as amusing; but, alas! they do not find it, the Archbishop was in close proximity to the except when the "Grand Old Man piano, and assisted his sneezing efforts with a drawn by Lord Randolph, Mr. Ashmead large red silk handkerchief, the situation be- Bartlett, or Mr. Warton. How delighted came first painful and then ridiculous. Finally the fair songstress was obliged to cease sing- Bernal Osborne would have been with ing, and "One dear Smile" was transformed the two latter worthies! into a very broad and irrepressible laugh. Ber- have enjoyed a pinch from Mr. Warton's nal Osborne's musical sensitiveness was out- snuff-box! How he would have revelled raged to such an extent that he remarked in in a skirmish with the fourth party, who, his most caustic manner, "I trust your Grace's we believe, would have given a banquet next sermon will not be cut short by a sternu-in his honor! The only amusing speaker tatory obligato of the same description, or you now is Sir Wilfrid Lawson, and his will certainly blow the whole of your congrega- speeches are beginning to smack of the cold water which he advocates, rather than of the sparkling champagne which he We differ from Mr. keeps in his cellar. Bagenal on one point. Instead of "Oh "Oh for an for one half-hour," we say, hour of Bernal Osborne!"

tion out of church."

The archbishop was rather uncouth. Once good Dr. Murray, when seated by him at the Education Board, felt something moving in his coat pocket, which turned out to be Dr. Whateley's foot.

Here is an extract from Bernal Osborne's note-book, which is apposite at the present time.

THE CABINET COACH,

Driven by a Gladstone, with rather a scratch political team. The wheelers of the old Whig breed, slow, but not remarkably sure, and given to stumble. The leaders apt to overpull the driver, and do all the work. The coachman too fond of galloping down hill, and the rising guard disappoints the steady-going passengers by blowing his horn instead of looking to his drag.

We are afraid unless Lord Hartington blows his horn louder and dispenses with the drag altogether, he will be summarily dismissed by his Radical leaders.

Bernal Osborne died in 1882, at the seat of his son-in-law, the Duke of St. Albans.

The duke, in his excellent preface, writes that it is impossible to do justice to Bernal Osborne's never-failing wish to serve a friend. When a member of Parliament, we know he did innumerable kindnesses in pressing the claims of deserving people on the government. anybody had been ill-used, he could not chose a more energetic advocate.

How he would

From St. James's Gazette. MODERN CATHEDRALS.

The Church of

THE present is, for Englishmen, a cathedral-building age. In saying this there is no need to reckon the Roman Catholic cathedrals, some very small and others more worthy of their name, which within the last forty years have sprung up in many of our towns. England itself has during the present generation built many cathedrals in the colonies; it has one (Truro) now in progress at home, another (Liverpool) in immediate prospect, and a third (Manchester) in contemplation. The new cathedral at Cork, too, is hardly yet complete; and the same may be said, with even less reserve, of that at Edinburgh.

Remembering what our old cathedrals are, it is not surprising if the attempt to build new ones presents itself to certain minds as a sort of forgery of antiques. The time was, two or three generations If since, when no gentleman's park was considered quite complete without a ruin, and when those gentlemen who were not for tunate enough to possess one sometimes had an imitation set up of bricks and

Mr. Bagenal tells us that those who sit in the House of Commons now may