His memory was wonderful, and his reading extensive and
diversified. He had so improved the defective education of his youth
as to be not only classical, but learned. Impulsive and impetuous, he
was sometimes severe and arrogant toward his inferiors who presumed
too much upon his forbearance. In his feelings and social associations
he was aristocratic and select. He could not tolerate presumptuous
ignorance; but to the modest and unobtrusive he was respectful and
tolerant. For the whining hypocrisy of pretended piety he had the
loftiest contempt, while he gave not only his confidence, but his most
sincere respect, to him whose conduct squared with his religious
professions. He was a Protestant in religion, as his father had been;
but was superior to bigotry or the intolerance of little minds and
lesser souls. Like all men of exalted genius, he was erratic at times,
and uncertain in his temper. He died without pain, bequeathing his
large estate to his brother, with legacies to his sister in Ireland,
and to some friends there. To Mr. Clay he left his great diamond ring.
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