think herself justified in taking away my pension, I would not, even if I were a beggar, change places with her. As for the Queen's interfering in my affairs, she might just as well go and stop Sir Augustus Forster's salary, on the plea that he had left his tailor's bill unpaid. My debts were incurred very often for tilings I did not care about for myself. For example, what are books to me, who never look into them? If I had been like you doctors, who tell your patients to take turtle soup, and then contrive to be asked to dinner, it were another thing: but my researches were for the good of others, and for no advantage of my own.
"When I think what I have done, and what I could have done if I had had more money! There was a book came into my hands, which the owner, not knowing its value, offered for my acceptance as you would offer an old brass candlestick. I consulted several persons about it; and, when all assured me it was a valuable manuscript, I scorned to take advantage of the man's ignorance, and returned it to him, telling him when I was rich enough I would buy it of him. Ought not a person to act so?" "Undoubtedly," I replied, "a person of principle would not act otherwise." "Principle!" she exclaimed; "what do you mean by principle?—I am a Pitt."
As I did not understand precisely why a Pitt should
