He was fond of schemes, stratagems, and plots--they amused and excited him--his power of sarcasm, and of argument, too, was great, and he usually obtained an astonishing influence over those with whom he was brought in contact.
His high spirits and a most happy frankness of bearing carried off and disguised his leading vices of character, which were callousness to whatever was affectionate and insensibility to whatever was moral.
Though less learned than Maltravers, he was on the whole a very instructed man.

He mastered the surfaces of many sciences, became satisfied of their general principles, and threw the study aside never to be forgotten (for his memory was like a vice), but never to be prosecuted any further.

To this he added a general acquaintance with whatever is most generally acknowledged as standard in ancient or modern literature.

What is admired only by a few, Lumley never took the trouble to read.

Living amongst trifles, he made them interesting and novel by his mode of viewing and treating them.