making inquiries of others as I had opportunity; for it always struck me with wonder that a man of his great intellect and superior moral qualities should ever have fallen into such a practice. I am perfectly satisfied that it was only an occasional thing, not a habit. I speak confidently, for, as 1 have said, I closely scrutinized the matter. It is clear to me, that the evil grew out of a highly excitable, morbid temperament, acted upon by social stimulus and the pressure of associates not always of the wisest stamp. Indeed, it is not to be denied that Mr. P. was extremely unfortunate in some of the men with whom, from a variety of causes, he was thrown into intimate relations and companionship. It was his weakness-though owing in part also to his good nature-that he could not readily say "no to this class of his acquaintances.

The fact here alluded to, that he was not always fortunate in the character of his associates, furnishes a key to much that was faulty in his life. Some, who affected to be his friends, were in truth his worst enemies. After he became rich, especially, such false friends swarmed about him, gained his confidence, searched out the weak points of his character his pride of will and morbid craving for excitement-played upon his artless, unsuspecting temper, and generous self-oblivion, ministered diligently to his love of mirth-and then did what they could to despoil him of his money, or which pleased some of them still better, to draw him down to their own level.

The design of the foregoing remarks has been to explain, not to palliate. The narrative itself, as we proceed, will supply a further clue to the case, by shedding new light upon the character of its subject.

The disgust, with which Mr. Prentiss sometimes referred to his Congressional life, was doubtless owing, in no small degree, to the causes just mentioned. The brilliant success which marked his entrance upon the national arena, never

effaced the painful associations connected with it. He then had such an experience, both of his own moral weakness, and of the greedy selfishness, depravity and meanness of others, as cast a dark shadow over many coming years.

But there was a bright side also to his recollections of Washington. Some of his warmest and noblest friendships were there formed. When, in a genial mood, he delighted to relate anecdotes of the great men of the nation, of both parties, to describe their characters, and say what he thought of their political opinions or of their oratory. The portraits he would sometimes draw of Clay, Webster, White, Crittenden, Preston and other of his political friends whom he admired and honored, were very spirited. He once gave me a charming description of John Quincy Adams, and of the almost boyish eagerness with which the members would gather around him whenever that "old man eloquent" rose to speak. His portraitures of this kind indicated a rare faculty for observing and individualizing character.

CHAPTER XV.

Reminiscences of Mr. Prentiss by Henry A. Wise.

THIS seems to be an appropriate place for the following reminiscences, furnished by the Hon. Henry A. Wise, of Virginia, one of Mr. Prentiss' colleagues in Congress, and since United States Minister to Brazil. They relate chiefly to the period embraced in the four preceding chapters, and supply many incidents not contained in them. They also touch upon some points already mentioned; but not at all in the way of bare repetition. Such an effusion of true-hearted friendship is too rare a gem to be broken; and I feel sure every reader will thank me for giving it just as it is, entire and undivided.

MY DEAR SIR:

RICHMOND, VA., Feb. 21, 1851.

This moment brought me yours of the 19th inst., and I pause not to give you some reminiscences of your lamented brother, my friend S. S. PRENTISS, as they rise and revive him and the past to my mind's eye. Oh! that I could depict him as he really in heart was, far above his own lofty genius, and further still above his external self, as he appeared to the world. A deep interest, indeed, I do take in his memory. I shall give you the simple truth of the impressions he made upon me-impressions as strong as ever were made upon me by any man-but without reference, particularly, to dates or chronological order of events. Most of the scenes I went through with him must remain unwritten; but I can safely say, that not one was bare

of incidents, rich and rare-not one was stained by grossness, or soiled with shame. He was a study to me from the beginning to the end of our intimacy. That intimacy is still cherished as one of the precious pearls which I was so fortunate as to find on the desert-strand of life. I loved him, I honored him, I mourn him.

The first I knew of him was in the Mississippi contested election. When Congress met, he and Word, his colleague, had not arrived. A caucus of the party to which I then belonged, was called in respect to what should be done with that contest. I remember the debate well. The plan of proceedings was discussed and settled upon; when some one proposed that, on the arrival of the two new members, Messrs. Word and Prentiss, they should be taken somewhat in pupilage, and be put in training for their parts; that some able and experienced members should be selected to procure for them the precedents, prepare arguments, and aid them before the Committee and the House. At this suggestion, Wm. C. Dawson, now Senator from Georgia, rose and said: "Oh! gentlemen, you need be at no such pains; you will have no babes to nurse. One of those men is a host in himself, who can take care of Mississippi and rather help us to boot, than require our pap-spoons. He is not only full-grown, though low in stature and very lame in gait, but a giant, who is a head and shoulders taller than any man I know, here or elsewhere, for the task of prompting and defending himself. We need not say Up-a-diddy to him." Well, thought I, he must be something more than I am accustomed to among men, to deserve this extravagant boast of him. We'll see, when this giant-dwarf comes, whether a little aid won't help him, like other men.

Soon afterwards he came. I saw him; that was enough to show me that he was a singularly marked man. His eye was deep in his head-large, clear, full of animation and of hidden fires. It had a look deeper than its set; when looked into, it returned a glance, which, like that of Lara, "dared you to forget." But there was a buoyancy in his presence, which seemed as if it would leap from battle to play, from play to battle; and a goodness, which said to me at least, "Let's you and I be friends!"

Spirit responded to spirit at the first sight without a word. I thought of this our instant liking for each other-though we were both prepared for it—when I afterwards heard Daniel Webster tell the anecdote of a transcendental sudden love between two German strangers: "Sir, a sudden passion seizes me!" But between your brother, and myself it was true and approved by time and trial. His head, I saw, was two stories high, with a large attic on top, above which was his bump of comparison and veneration. Of the latter he had a vast deal. He actually admired, and reverenced often, gifts and genius far inferior to his own. My habits were not like his, and at first we were not thrown much with each other in social contact. He was, at that time, excessively convivial. The moment he arrived, a set of roisterers challenged him at once to a continued round of revelry, and I said to myself and others: "This Mississippi wonder will cease, if he does not take heed!" Word, his colleague, was a modest and amiable, and very sensible man, who without reserve acknowledged his superiority. When I spoke to Word about the need of study and preparation on PRENTISS' part for the approaching debate, his eye twinkled with mirth. "Let him alone! Never do you mind! Wait and hear him!" That was all the return I got for my apprehension. Well; I did wait to see; it was all that I was allowed to do. The day at length arrived. PRENTISS' turn came. He threw himself on the arena at a single bound, but not in the least like a harlequin. He stepped, no stranger, on the boards of high debate-he "raised the eye to heaven and trod with giant steps." Never did I see the "gaudia certaminis" so beam and shine and glow from mortal face. I never shall forget the feelings he inspired, and the triumph he won. But there's the speech, or at least a fragment of it, surviving him. There's the figure of the star and the stripe; go read it-read it now that his eye is dim and his muscles cease to move the action to the word; then imagine what it was as his tongue spoke it, his eye looked it, his hand gesticulated its thoughts!

He at once, after this first effort, ascended to his pinnacle of place in the House of Representatives. The contested election