From himself in after-years I never heard mention of it;nor were his pursuits connected afterwards with those of Mr.Crawford,though the mutual good-will continued unbroken.
In fact,however splendid and indubitable Sterling's qualifications for a parliamentary life,there was that in him withal which flatly put a negative on any such project.He had not the slow steady-pulling diligence which is indispensable in that,as in all important pursuits and strenuous human competitions whatsoever.In every sense,his momentum depended on velocity of stroke,rather than on weight of metal;"beautifulest sheet-lightning,"as I often said,"not to be condensed into thunder-bolts."Add to this,--what indeed is perhaps but the same phenomenon in another form,--his bodily frame was thin,excitable,already manifesting pulmonary symptoms;a body which the tear and wear of Parliament would infallibly in few months have wrecked and ended.By this path there was clearly no mounting.
The far-darting,restlessly coruscating soul,equips beyond all others to shine in the Talking Era,and lead National Palavers with their _spolia opima_captive,is imprisoned in a fragile hectic body which quite forbids the adventure."_Es ist dafur gesorgt_,"says Goethe,"Provision has been made that the trees do not grow into the sky;"--means are always there to stop them short of the sky.