^V


*  The  prodigy  of  our  school-days  was  George  Sin-
clair, fson  of  Sir  John  ;)  he  made  exercises  for  half
the  school,  (literally^)  verses  at  will,  and  themes
without  it.  •  ♦  ♦  He  was  a  friend  of  mine,  and  in
the  same  remove,  and  used  at  times  to  beg  me  to
let  him  do  my  exercise,— a  request  always  most
readily  accorded  upon  a  pinch,  or  when  I  wanted  to
do  something  else,  which  was  usually  once  an  hour.
On  the  other  hand,  he  was  pacific  and  I  savage ;  so
I  fought  for  him,  or  thrashed  others  for  him,  or
thrashed  himself  to  make  him  thrabh  others,  when
it  was  necessary,  as  a  point  of  honor  and  stature,
that  he  should  so  chjistiso ;  or  we  talked  politics,  for
he  was  a  great  nolitician,  and  were  very  good  friends.
I  havfe  some  of  his  letters,  Avritten  to  me  from  school,
still.*

•*  Clayton  wa§  another  school-monster  of  learn-
ing, and  talent,  and  hope ;  but  what  has  become  of
him  I  do  not  know.     He  was  certainly  a  genius,

"  My  school  friendships  were  Avith  me  passions,
(for  I  was  always  violent,)  but  I  do  not  know  that
th^re  is  one  which  has  endured  (to  be  sure  some
have  been  cut  short  by  death)  till  now.  That  with
Lord  Clare  began  one  of  the  earliest  and  lasted
longest— being  only  interrupted  by  distance— that  I
know  of.  I  never  hear  the  word  '  Clare*  without  a
beating  of  the  heart  eVen  now,  and  I  write  it  with
the  feelings  of  1803-4-6  ad  infinitum.
