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Beaumont　and　Fletcher　he　induced　light　dreams。　　He　would　deliver

critical　touches　on　these；　like　one　inspired；　but　it　was　good　to

let　him　choose　his　own　game；　if　another　began　even　on　the

acknowledged　pets　he　was　liable　to　interrupt；　or　rather　append；　in

a　mode　difficult　to　define　whether　as　misapprehensive　or

mischievous。　　One　night　at　C…'s；　the　above　dramatic　partners　were

the　temporary　subject　of　chat。　　Mr。　X。　commended　the　passion　and

haughty　style　of　a　tragedy　（I　don't　know　which　of　them）；　but　was

instantly　taken　up　by　Elia；　who　told　him　'THAT　was　nothing；　the

lyrics　were　the　high　things　…　the　lyrics！'





One　side　of　his　literary　career　deserves　especial　notice。　　Modern

journalism　may　be　said　to　owe　almost　as　much　to　him　as　to　any　man

of　the　early　part　of　this　century。　　He　was　the　pioneer　of　Asiatic

prose；　and　delighted　in　pictorial　epithets　and　pompous

exaggerations。　　To　have　a　style　so　gorgeous　that　it　conceals　the

subject　is　one　of　the　highest　achievements　of　an　important　and　much

admired　school　of　Fleet　Street　leader…writers；　and　this　school

JANUS　WEATHERCOCK　may　be　said　to　have　invented。　　He　also　saw　that

it　was　quite　easy　by　continued　reiteration　to　make　the　public

interested　in　his　own　personality；　and　in　his　purely　journalistic

articles　this　extraordinary　young　man　tells　the　world　what　he　had

for　dinner；　where　he　gets　his　clothes；　what　wines　he　likes；　and　in

what　state　of　health　he　is；　just　as　if　he　were　writing　weekly　notes

for　some　popular　newspaper　of　our　own　time。　　This　being　the　least

valuable　side　of　his　work；　is　the　one　that　has　had　the　most　obvious

influence。　　A　publicist；　nowadays；　is　a　man　who　bores　the　community

with　the　details　of　the　illegalities　of　his　private　life。



Like　most　artificial　people；　he　had　a　great　love　of　nature。　　'I

hold　three　things　in　high　estimation；'　he　says　somewhere：　　'to　sit

lazily　on　an　eminence　that　commands　a　rich　prospect；　to　be　shadowed

by　thick　trees　while　the　sun　shines　around　me；　and　to　enjoy

solitude　with　the　consciousness　of　neighbourhood。　　The　country

gives　them　all　to　me。'　　He　writes　about　his　wandering　over　fragrant

furze　and　heath　repeating　Collins's　'Ode　to　Evening；'　just　to　catch

the　fine　quality　of　the　moment；　about　smothering　his　face　'in　a

watery　bed　of　cowslips；　wet　with　May　dews'；　and　about　the　pleasure

of　seeing　the　sweet…breathed　kine　'pass　slowly　homeward　through　the

twilight；'　and　hearing　'the　distant　clank　of　the　sheep…bell。'　　One

phrase　of　his；　'the　polyanthus　glowed　in　its　cold　bed　of　earth；

like　a　solitary　picture　of　Giorgione　on　a　dark　oaken　panel；'　is

curiously　characteristic　of　his　temperament；　and　this　passage　is

rather　pretty　in　its　way：…





The　short　tender　grass　was　covered　with　marguerites　…　'such　that

men　called　DAISIES　in　our　town'　…　thick　as　stars　on　a　summer's

night。　　The　harsh　caw　of　the　busy　rooks　came　pleasantly　mellowed

from　a　high　dusky　grove　of　elms　at　some　distance　off；　and　at

intervals　was　heard　the　voice　of　a　boy　scaring　away　the　birds　from

the　newly…sown　seeds。　　The　blue　depths　were　the　colour　of　the

darkest　ultramarine；　not　a　cloud　streaked　the　calm　aether；　only

round　the　horizon's　edge　streamed　a　light；　warm　film　of　misty

vapour；　against　which　the　near　village　with　its　ancient　stone

church　showed　sharply　out　with　blinding　whiteness。　　I　thought　of

Wordsworth's　'Lines　written　in　March。'





However；　we　must　not　forget　that　the　cultivated　young　man　who

penned　these　lines；　and　who　was　so　susceptible　to　Wordsworthian

influences；　was　also；　as　I　said　at　the　beginning　of　this　memoir；

one　of　the　most　subtle　and　secret　poisoners　of　this　or　any　age。

How　he　first　became　fascinated　by　this　strange　sin　he　does　not　tell

us；　and　the　diary　in　which　he　carefully　noted　the　results　of　his

terrible　experiments　and　the　methods　that　he　adopted；　has

unfortunately　been　lost　to　us。　　Even　in　later　days；　too；　he　was

always　reticent　on　the　matter；　and　preferred　to　speak　about　'The

Excursion；'　and　the　'Poems　founded　on　the　Affections。'　　There　is　no

doubt；　however；　that　the　poison　that　he　used　was　strychnine。　　In

one　of　the　beautiful　rings　of　which　he　was　so　proud；　and　which

served　to　show　off　the　fine　modelling　of　his　delicate　ivory　hands；

he　used　to　carry　crystals　of　the　Indian　NUX　VOMICA；　a　poison；　one

of　his　biographers　tells　us；　'nearly　tasteless；　difficult　of

discovery；　and　capable　of　almost　infinite　dilution。'　　His　murders；

says　De　Quincey；　were　more　than　were　ever　made　known　judicially。

This　is　no　doubt　so；　and　some　of　them　are　worthy　of　mention。　　His

first　victim　was　his　uncle；　Mr。　Thomas　Griffiths。　　He　poisoned　him

in　1829　to　gain　possession　of　Linden　House；　a　place　to　which　he　had

always　been　very　much　attached。　　In　the　August　of　the　next　year　he

poisoned　Mrs。　Abercrombie；　his　wife's　mother；　and　in　the　following

December　he　poisoned　the　lovely　Helen　Abercrombie；　his　sister…in…

law。　　Why　he　murdered　Mrs。　Abercrombie　is　not　ascertained。　　It　may

have　been　for　a　caprice；　or　to　quicken　some　hideous　sense　of　power

that　was　in　him；　or　because　she　suspected　something；　or　for　no

reason。　　But　the　murder　of　Helen　Abercrombie　was　carried　out　by

himself　and　his　wife　for　the　sake　of　a　sum　of　about　18；000　pounds；

for　which　they　had　insured　her　life　in　various　offices。　　The

circumstances　were　as　follows。　　On　the　12th　of　December；　he　and　his

wife　and　child　came　up　to　London　from　Linden　House；　and　took

lodgings　at　No。　12　Conduit　Street；　Regent　Street。　　With　them　were

the　two　sisters；　Helen　and　Madeleine　Abercrombie。　　On　the　evening

of　the　14th　they　all　went　to　the　play；　and　at　supper　that　night

Helen　sickened。　　The　next　day　she　was　extremely　ill；　and　Dr。

Locock；　of　Hanover　Square；　was　called　in　to　attend　her。　　She　lived

till　Monday；　the　20th；　when；　after　the　doctor's　morning　visit；　Mr。

and　Mrs。　Wainewright　brought　her　some　poisoned　jelly；　and　then　went

out　for　a　walk。　　When　they　returned　Helen　Abercrombie　was　dead。

She　was　about　twenty　years　of　age；　a　tall　graceful　girl　with　fair

hair。　　A　very　charming　red…chalk　drawing　of　her　by　her　brother…in…

law　is　still　in　existence；　and　shows　how　much　his　style　as　an

artist　was　influenced　by　Sir　Thomas　Lawrence；　a　painter　for　whose

work　he　had　always　entertained　a　great　admiration。　　De　Quincey　says

that　Mrs。　Wainewright　was　not　really　privy　to　the　murder。　　Let　us

hope　that　she　was　not。　　Sin　should　be　solitary；　and　have　no

accomplices。



The　insurance　companies；　suspecting　the　real　facts　of　the　case；

declined　to　pay　the　policy　on　the　technical　ground　of

misrepresentation　and　want　of　interest；　and；　with　curious　courage；

the　poisoner　entered　an　action　in　the　Court　of　Chancery　against　the

Imperial；　it　being　agreed　that　one　decision　should　govern　all　the

cases。　　The　trial；　however；　did　not　come　on　for　five　years；　when；

after　one　disagreement；　a　verdict　was　ultimately　given　in　the

companies'　favour。　　The　judge　on　the　occasion　was　Lord　Abinger。

EGOMET　BONMOT　was　represented　by　Mr。　Erle　and　Sir　William　Follet；

and　the　Attorney…General　and　Sir　Frederick　Pollock　appeared　for　the

other　side。　　The　plaintiff；　unfortunately；　was　unable　to　be　present

at　either　of　the　trials。　　The　refusal　of　the　companies　to　give　him

the　18；000　pounds　had　placed　him　in　a　position　of　most　painful

pecuniary　embarrassment。　　Indeed；　a　few　months　after　the　murder　of

Helen　Abercrombie；　he　had　been　actually　arrested　for　debt　in　the

streets　of　London　while　he　was　serenading　the　pretty　daughter　of

one　of　his　friends。　　This　difficulty　was　got　over　at　the　time；　but

shortly　afterwards　he　thought　it　better　to　go　abroad　till　he　could

come　to　some　practical　arrangement　with　his　creditors。　　He

accordingly　went　to　Boulogne　on　a　visit　to　the　father　of　the　young

lady　in　question；　and　while　he　was　there　induced　him　to　insure　his

life　with　the　Pelican　Company　for　3000　pounds。　　As　soon　as　the

necessary　formalities　had　been　gone　through　and　the　policy

executed；　he　dropped　some　crystals　of　strychnine　into　his　coffee　as

they　sat　together　one　evening　after　dinner。　　He　himself　did　not

gain　any　monetary　advantage　by　doing　this。　　His　aim　was　simply　to

revenge　himself　on　the　first　office　that　had　refused　to　pay　him　the

price　of　his　sin。　　His　friend　died　the　next　day　in　his　presence；

and　he　left　Boulogne　at　once　for　a　sketching　tour　through　the　most

picturesque　parts　of　Brittany；　and　was　for　some　time　the　guest　of

an　old　French　gentleman；　who　had　a　beautiful　country　house　at　St。

Omer。　　From　this　he　moved　to　Paris；　where　he　remained　for　several

years；　living　in　luxury；　some　say；　while　others　talk　of　his

'skulking　with　poison　in　his　pocket；　and　being　dreaded　by　all　who

knew　him。'　　In　1837　he　returned　to　England　privately。　　Some　strange

mad　fascination　brought　him　back。　　He　followed　a　woman　whom　he

loved。



It　was　the　month　of　June；　and　he　was　staying　at　one　of　the　hotels

in　Covent　Garden。　　His　sitting…room　was　on　the　ground　floor；　and　he

prudently　kept　the　blinds　down　fo