Page:Sketches of the life and character of Patrick Henry.djvu/433

 and entertaining; always, however, good humoured, and calculated to amuse without wounding.

As a specimen of this light and good natured plea- santry, the following anecdote has been furnished. Mr. Henry, together with Mr. Richard H. Lee, and several other conspicuous members of the assembly, were invited to pass the evening and night, at the house of Mr. Edmund Randolph, in the neighbourhood of Richmond. Mr. Lee, who was as brilliant and copious in conversa- tion as in debate, had amused the company to a very late hour, by descanting on the genius of Cervantes, particu- larly as exhibited in his chefd'wuvre, Don Q^uixote. The dissertation had been continued rather too long: the company began to yawn, when Mr. Htnry, who had observed it, although Mr. Lee had not, rose slowly from his chair, and remarked, as he walked across the room, that Don Q^uixote was certainly a most excellent work, and most skilfully adapted to the purpose of the author: " but/^ said he, " Mr. Lee, (stopping before him, with a most significant archness of look,) you have over- looked, in your eulogy, one of the finest things in the book. " What is that? asked Mr. Lee. " It is," said Mr. Henry, " that divine exclamation of Sancho, ' blessed be the man that first invented sleep: it covers one all over, like a cloak.' " Mr. Lee took the hint; and the company broke up in good humour.

His quick and true discernment of characters, and his prescience of political events, were very much ad- mired. The following examples of each, have been furnished by Mr. Pope:

Mr. Gallatin came to Virginia when a very young man: he was obscure and unknown, and spoke the English language so badly, that it was with difficulty he could be understood. He was engaged in some agency

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