Page:Sketches of the life and character of Patrick Henry.djvu/329

 action: the people approved of the constitution: the suffrage of their constituents in the last convention, had proven it — the people wished, most anxiously wished, the adoption of the constitution, as the only means of saving the credit and the honour of the country, and producing the stability of the union: the gentleman, on the contrary, had placed himself at the head of those who opposed its adoption — yet, the gentleman is ever ready and ivilling, at all times and on all occasio7is, " to boiv to tJie rnajesty of the iieople:^' (with another profound and graceful bow.) Thus he proceeded, through a number of animated sentences, winding up each one with the same words, sarcastically repeated, and the accompaniment of the same graceful obeisance. Among other things, he said, " it was of little import- ance, whether a country was ruled by a despot, with a tiara on his head, or by a demagogue in a red cloak, a caul-bare wig, &c.^^ (describing Mr. Henry's dress so minutely, as to draw every eye upon him) " although he should jjrofess on all occasions, to boiv to the majesty of the peopW A gentleman who was present, and who, struck with the singularity of the attack, had the curiosity to number the vibrations on those words, and the accompanying action, states that he counted thirteen of the most graceful bows he had ever beheld. The friends of Mr. Heniy, considered such an attack on a man of his years and high character, as very little short of sacrilege; on the other side of the house, there was, indeed, a smothered sort of dubious laugh, in which enjoyment. Mr. Henry had heard the whole of it, without any apparent mark of attention. The young gentleman having finished his philippic, very much at least to his own satisfaction, took hi>s seat, with the

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