he could not let off without a Parthian shot at his awkward legs and round shoulders; Dr. Parr he rated soundly on his mean proportions; and one of the most unfortunate things which ever happened to the Russian Emperor Alexander was to have been seen in London by De Quincey, who, even amid the festivities of national and international congratulation on the fall of Napoleon, could not forget that this imperial ally was a very commonplace-looking fellow, after all.  But, in regard to physical superiority, De Quincey lived in a glass house too fragile to admit of his throwing many stones at his neighbors.  The very fact that he valued personal appearance at so low an estimate takes away the sting from his remarks on the deformities of other people:  he could not have meant any detraction, but simply wished to present a perfect picture to the eye, preserving the ugly features with the faultless, just as we all insist on doing in regard to those we love.  De Quincey and myself, therefore, are likely to part good friends.  Surely, if there was anything which vexed the tender heart of this man, it was “the little love and the infinite hate” which went to make up the sum of life.  If morbid in any direction, it was not in that of spite, but of love; and as an instance of almost unnatural intensity of affection, witness his insane grief over little Kate Wordsworth’s grave,—­a grief which satisfied itself only by reasonless prostrations, for whole nights, over the dark mould which covered her from his sight.

It only remains for us to look in upon De Quincey’s last hours.  We are enabled to take almost the position of those who were permitted really to watch at his bedside, through a slight unpublished sketch, from the hand of his daughter, in a letter to an American friend.  I tremble almost to use materials that personally are so sacred; but sympathy, and the tender interest which is awakened in our hearts by such a life, are also sacred, and in privilege stand nearest to grief.

During the few last, days of his life De Quincey wandered much, mixing up “real and imaginary, or apparently imaginary things.”  He complained, one night, that his feet were hot and tired.  His daughter arranged the blankets around them, saying, “Is that better, papa?” when he answered, “Yes, my love, I think it is; you know, my dear girl, these are the feet that Christ washed.”

Everything seemed to connect itself in his mind with little children.  He aroused one day, and said suddenly,—­“You must know, my dear, the Edinburgh cabmen are the most brutal set of fellows under the sun.  I must tell you that I and the little children were all invited to supper with Jesus Christ.  So, as you see, it was a great honor.  I thought I must buy new dresses for the little ones; and—­would you believe it possible?—­when I went out with the children, these wretches laughed at their new dresses.”

“Of my brothers he often spoke, both those that are dead and those that are alive, as if they were his own brothers.  One night he said, when I entered the room,—­