THE HONOURABLE LEWIS WINGFIELD, BOHEMIAN AND GENTLEMAN.

One of the cleverest and most noted Bohemians of his time was the Honourable Lewis Wingfield, who for some years was next-of-kin to the earldom and estates of Powerscourt, in Ireland. But, strange to say, he never, at least during the several years I knew him, showed any desire to inherit the title or estates—in fact, much preferred to be known as Lewis Wingfield; and, as I shall show in one of his always interesting letters to me, he much preferred that anyone addressing him should omit the prefix of Honourable.

However, much to the delight of Wingfield, a son and heir was born to the then and perhaps now Earl of Powerscourt, and so he was not burdened with a title and estates he had no wish for. In fact, I believe Wingfield was a man of good fortune, so much so that he did not crave for more, and so lived and died a thorough Bohemian in letters and arts. In fact, I think he was the only man I ever met who was more than willing to shunt the prefix of Honourable to his name. I several times jokingly asked him if I should dispose of his title for him, for I knew several men ready to buy a title of some kind, at almost any price in reason. But, unlike Esau, he would not sell his own or anyone's birthright, though, if he could have given it away, I think he would have done so willingly.