HOW LORD BROUGHAM GAME TO BE A SCOTCHMAN.

Tuapeka Times, Volume I, Issue 32, 19 September 1868, Page 5

HOW LORD BROUGHAM GAME TO BE A SCOTCHMAN.

Henry Brougham, of Brougham H>iH, in ilio county of Westmoreland, and of Scale* Hull, in the county of Cumberland, was bora in 1742. He seems to have followed no. pro* fessioa ; and .we have discovered no incident •f his life until he was upon the eve of hia. mirriage. There is a romantic story told ibout that important event. To what degree it is authentic we do not attempt to aay j as we have receivel it, so do we reproduce it i our authority being «« Charnbera's Traditions of Edinburgh." It is there narrate J that he had been betrothed, to a young lady whose. pareilt9 resided in his own, neighborhood. Shortly before the approiching nuptials, she sickened and died. Mr. Brougham waa affected by such poignant grief that his friends feared for his sanity. They urged him to remove for a time from scenes every one ofwhich recalled to him memories which were too cruel for endurance. He accepted theiradvice, and betook himself to. Edinburgh. Having secured a_ tempoiary lodging at an inn, hes.dlied forth to walk through one of themost picturesquo citiea in, the world. He ascended to the ancient castle, and entered; into a conversation with a citizen, or a stranger betteracquainted than himself with th.c neighboring scenery. This person courteously pointed out. to tho Cumberland gentleman the leading points of the magnificent panorama that stretches within the gaza of him who stands upon the Half-moon or the Mons Meg battery. Being impressed with the apparent respectability of hs strange companion, llr^ Brougham requested him to inform him where he could find suitable apartments and accommodation while he remained in the Scottish metropolis. He was recommended to stay at. a boarding-house kept by an estimable widow lady nt the foot of the G-rassmarket and head, of the Cjwgate — the latter bein? now the St. Giles's of Edinburgh. Mr. Brougham followed the stranger's advice, and took up hia. abode under the roof of tho lady who had, been recommended to him. It turned out that, sho was the wi.low of tho Rjv. James Syme, who had been the parish minister of" AUoa, and the sister of no les3 a man tlnn :he very head of Edinburgh society, Dr. Robertson, (lie Principal of the University, and the well-known biographer of Charles. V. Whether the introduction was so casual and fortuitous we know not. This, at le&st, is cer«. tiiin, that Mr 8.-ou^ham did live for a time, in the house of Mrs. .Syme. Equally certain is it that the visit to Edinburgh, whicK had been recom ncnd?d to him to obliterate the memory of his former passion, was entirely successful ; for he fell in love with his land*, lady's only daughter, Eleanor, wooed her, and. married her in the ye.ir 1777. He took his_ permanent abode in Edinburgh. His position in life enabled him to select any pluce he eho*e for a resi lence. His bri.l«, who was. her mother's only surviving ohil I, nviy have, influence I him to select tln.ctfy wha.-e he had . won her, and svherj her moi.her lived. Mr. B ou'ih-un himself was, doubtless, far fronv insensible to the advantages which would spring fiora the introduction to pleasant and profifsible scoietj which his wife's uncle cnuld. not fail to secure him. The lovely New Town of EHnhurgh was jusn at tho time. l)eginnin£ to be built, anJ Mr. Brougham, chose a& his resjlcnce the liou3e north-west corner of St. Andrew's Squire, the firjfc square, built in the New Town. In this house Henry, the eldest chil.l born to Mrs. Brougham, first, snw the light, on the 19th September 1778. — "Cassell's Life of Brougham, by M'Gilchrist.

The Oatnaru people are complaining of' the charge of one shilling for the 4lb. loaf, the cost at Dunedin being onlyniuepence. Crocodiles are in great demand just now, it having been recently discovered that the skin- of these amiable monsters isadmirably adapted for ladies' boots, beingof a peculiarly soft and flexible texture ; and, furthermore, of a nature that takes a. hish varnish. French Wines. — The annual average production of champagne in France is. 52.000,000 gallons; of Burgundy, 75,000,000 gallons; andofclaretßs,ooo,ooo* gallons. France produces wine — all kinds ta'*en toother —to the amount of ■ 831.000,000 gallons every year, besides 165^000,000 gallons distilled into brandy. Terrible Dcith from Over Exertion. — A harrowinfj Blory8 l ory enme to us o£. n hen which went to lav in a new patent hen's nes f -, in which the eg?s drop through a trap-door, and io deceive* " biddy" that she kpepa on- hiving. This particular hen went on the persua'lei\ as the invention is called, and never came offasain. The owner visited the persuader afc nisiht. In the nppp* commitment he foinda handful of ftwthers, a few toe-nails, and & hill. Tn the lower compartment were three dozen nnd eleven c<r<rs. The delicate consHhitnn of the hen had been unequal to the ■effort ; nn 1, fired. by young ambition, sho badt laid hcr-elf all away. An Elopement Prevented. — Courcelles is the favourite locality for young ladies' 1 hoarding-schools. A well-known embassy is in the vicinity, fin employee of which, has just distinguished himself. The arsfus-fivod matron heard a gentle tapping-, at midnight, against her bedroom window. She went to another part of the hous«\ peepiny out, saw a man, who had scaled the garden-wall by maans of a ladder. Having counted her hpa\itie3, and found th^m to be all s^eepin^, she cautiously went out by the street-dnr>r, and returned with two policemen. One accomnained her into the house, the other watched by the garden-wall. Lorelace continued his tannin?, and bein<? invited to steal to the hall-door, he did so, and extending his arms to clasp his love and his prize, found " how sweet's the love that meets return" — from a policeman. Himself and his ladder were hrroierat to the station, when it was found that he was a valet in the embassy alluded to. and his sister(being oook in the school) had arranged/ to wive him with a y«wn» Italian pupil, who has since left for the sunny south. Cabby remained till daybreak, anxiously expecting his **fare," and on carrying •his complaint to the police-office of being swindled, was surprised in learning that he had been " wanted," as an accomplice in the intended abduction.