a book which only gives the opinions entertained before the time of these writers has now little chance of finding a reader. But Lyttelton's "History" deserves a better fate than that of becoming thus obsolete. The subject of it is well chosen, the arrangement is good, and the style clear. The great bulk of it is still useful; and an edition which should retrench some superfluities, correct some inaccuracies, and embody the pith of the best recent works on the same subjects, would be a standard book for every student of English or general mediæval history.

Lord Lyttelton died in July, 1773. The physician who attended him drew up a very interesting account of Lyttelton's last days, which, as Johnson truly observes, is the best commentary on his character. Part of it is as follows:

"On Sunday, about eleven in the forenoon, his Lordship sent for me, and said he felt a great hurry, and wished to have a little conversation with me in order to divert it. He then proceeded to open the fountain of that heart, from whence goodness had so long flowed as from a copious spring. 'Doctor,' said he, 'you shall be my confessor. When I first set out in the world, I had friends who endeavoured to shake my belief in the Christian religion. I saw difficulties which staggered me; but I kept my mind open to conviction. The evidences and doctrines of Christianity, studied with attention, made me a most firm and persuaded believer of the Christian religion. I have made it the rule of my life, and it is the ground of my future hopes. I have erred and sinned, but have repented, and never indulged any vicious habit. In politics and public life, I have made public good the rule of my conduct. I never gave counsels which I did not at the time think the best. I have seen that I was sometimes in the wrong, but I did not err designedly. I have endeavoured, in private life, to do all the good in my power, and never for a moment could indulge malicious or unjust designs upon any person whatsoever.'

"At another time he said, 'I must leave my soul in the same state it was in before this illness: I find this a very inconvenient time for solicitude about anything.'

"On the evening, when the symptoms of death came on, he said, 'I shall die; but it will not be your fault. When Lord and Lady Valentia came to see his Lordship, he gave them his solemn benediction, and said, 'Be good, be virtuous, my Lord; you must come to this.' Thus he continued giving his dying benediction to all

around him. On Monday morning a lucid interval gave some small hopes, but these vanished in the evening; and he continued dying, but with very little uneasiness, till Tuesday morning, August 22, when between seven and eight o'clock he expired, almost without a groan." (Johnson's Lives of the Poets.-Chalmers's Biog. Dict.)

HENRY FOX.

ABOUT the year 1720 there were four sons of commoners at Eton, each of whom became an eminent statesman, and the founder of a peerage. These four were William Pitt, afterwards Earl of Chatham; Charles Pratt, afterwards Earl Camden; George, afterwards Lord Lyttelton; and Henry Fox, afterwards Lord Holland.

I have placed them together in this chapter; and the last-named of the four now alone remains for consideration. Henry Fox was the second son of Mr. Stephen Fox, by his second wife, Christian Hope, daughter of the Rev. Charles Hope, of Naseby in Lincolnshire. He was born in September, 1705. He had the misfortune to lose both his parents while he was yet a youth; and was early allowed to rush into the gaieties and frivolities of fashionable life. He became a reckless gamester, and quickly dissipated the greater part of his patrimony. Family occurrences restored him to independence, but the habits of his youth clung to him throughout life.

He left Oxford in 1724, and spent some years on the continent. At Aubigny he became acquainted with the Duchess of Portsmouth, the mistress of Charles II., whose descendant he some years afterwards married; and it is said, that from her own lips he then heard what his son has stated in his historical work, that it was her firm persuasion that Charles died of poison.

He remained on the continent for several years; during which time he formed an intimate acquaintance with Lord Hervey, Pope's literary antagonist, and Sir Robert Walpole's staunch political supporter. On Fox's return to England he was introduced to Walpole, who was pleased with his ready ability, his frank, manly character, and his strong common sense, and who was not easily displeased with faults of the class to which those of Fox

belonged. Walpole ranked him among his friends, and Sir Robert, as has been mentioned in the memoir of him, was singularly warm and cordial in his friendships. By the interest of that minister Mr. Fox was appointed, shortly after his return to England, one of the Commissioners of the Treasury. His robust constitution enabled him to support without illness or inconvenience a close application to business, and a free participation in the convivial indulgences of his Parliamentary friends. In all the graces of elocution, in imagination, and in fluency he was decidedly inferior to his great competitor Pitt; but he was a strong and close reasoner, he was a ready though a careless speaker, had excellent natural abilities, and quickly acquired great skill in Parliamentary tactics. In 1743, on the fall of Sir Robert's opponents, he was appointed one of the Commissioners of the Treasury; and in 1746, soon after the abortive attempt of Lord Grenville to assume the Premiership, he was named Secretary at War. Two years before this latter elevation, Fox had married Lady Caroline Lennox, eldest daughter of the Duke of Richmond. The marriage was a clandestine one, and at first gave great offence to the lady's family; but with the rise of Fox in public life and political influence, his noble father-in-law's prejudices towards him softened, and ultimately he was fully recognised by his wife's relatives.

Fox was a warm adherent of the Duke of Cumberland, and drew upon himself no small share of the unpopularity which attached to that prince. He was accused of arbitrary principles, and branded as one of the most corrupt members of a corrupt political school. Still, his talents, his energy, his habits of business, gave him great influence in the House; nor was the King displeased at Fox's adherence to the Duke. In the discussions which took place after the death of Frederick, Prince of Wales, as to the regency bill, Pitt and Fox, the two most rising men of the day, and upon one or other of whom it was generally expected the Premiership would ultimately devolve, began to manifest considerable discordance of opinion and political views. Two parties were at this time secretly struggling for pre-eminence in the cabinet. One of these consisted of the Pelhams and their adherents; the other was headed by the Duke of Cumberland and Bedford. The former party patronised Pitt; the latter, Fox; and then was begun the rivalry betwixt these two great men which was perpetuated in their sons. The Pelhamites were successful in

the struggle; but Fox was retained in office under them; and on the death of Mr. Pelham, in 1754, was designed to be Secretary of State by the new Premier, the Duke of Newcastle. It seems probable that Pitt would have been preferred in this instance to his rival, but for the inveterate antipathy which the King was known to entertain towards him. Fox, however, insisted on being leader in the House of Commons, and having a voice in the employment of the secret service money, and the nomination of the Treasury members; and on these terms being refused, he declined the higher Secretaryship.

A very dull personage, Sir Thomas Robinson, a follower of the Duke, was appointed Secretary of State and ministerial leader in the House of Commons; and Fox, although he retained his office of Secretary at War, became a leader of one of the opposition parties. In the next session the two rivals, Pitt and Fox, finding themselves equally slighted by the Premier, united in their opposition, after a formal reconcilement. The one singled out Lord Mansfield, the then Solicitor-General, as his victim in debate; the other amused the house at the expense of his colleague in office, Sir Thomas Robinson.

An opposition so formidably headed could not be long resisted; and the Premier made overtures first to Pitt, and latterly to Fox. With the former he failed; but Fox, through the mediation of Lord Waldegrave, was brought to terms, and in November, 1755, appointed Secretary of State. Sir Thomas Robinson was disposed of by being made Master of the Wardrobe. Fox's triumph, however, was but of short duration; the Duke of Newcastle secretly hated him. The King, vexed at the dismissal of Sir Thomas, and still more by the events of the war, and the loss of Minorca, conceived a dislike to the new Secretary. Fox saw the approaching storm, and foresaw also the instability of the Duke's ministry; he resolved to quit the sinking ship, and suddenly threw up his employments. On the 11th of November, the Duke gave in his own resignation, and the Duke of Devonshire became Premier with Pitt as Secretary at War. In the following year Fox was appointed Paymaster of the Forces. In 1762 his lady was created Baroness Holland; and on April 16th, 1763, he himself was raised to the peerage by the title of Lord Holland, Baron Holland of Foxley, in the county of Wilts.

He died at Holland House, near Kensington, July 1, 1775. He

SIR CHARLES HANBURY WILLIAMS.

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is said to have been equally a man of pleasure and of business, formed for social and convivial intercourse; of an unruffled temper and frank disposition. No statesman ever acquired more adherents, not merely from political motives, but by the influence of his agreeable manners. He attached them to him by personal friendship, which he fully merited by his zeal in forwarding their interests. He is, however, justly stigmatised by Lord Chesterfield (no severe censor in such matters) "as having no fixed principles of religion or morality, and as too unwary in ridiculing and exposing them." This is to be borne in mind, not only in order to form a proper opinion of Henry Fox, but also in order to do justice to his celebrated son, Charles James Fox, whose character and career we shall presently have to consider.

SIR CHARLES HANBURY WILLIAMS.

THIS once celebrated statesman and popular writer was the third son of John Hanbury, Esq., a South Sea Director, who died in 1734. Charles Hanbury, who assumed the name of Williams, in compliance with the will of his godfather, Charles Williams, Esq. of Caerleon, was born in 1709. He was educated at Eton, and he there made himself a good classical scholar. After leaving Eton, he travelled through various parts of Europe, and on his return, in 1732, married Lady Frances Coningsby, youngest daughter of Thomas Earl of Coningsby.

In

In 1733, he was elected member of Parliament for the county of Monmouth, and immediately became a warm partisan of Sir Robert Walpole, with whom he lived on terms of intimate personal friendship. Walpole thoroughly liked, and greatly trusted him. 1739 he was appointed to the office of Paymaster of the Marines. His name does not often appear as that of a speaker in the Parliamentary reports; but there are many ways besides speechmaking in which a member may do a minister good service. Williams had an independent fortune; kept up liberal and elegant hospitality; and by the charm of his own manners, and the ready brilliancy of his wit, he was admirably calculated to be the centre of a gay and convivial circle, whose members were united in politics, as well as in pleasure.

But his principal importance as an ally to the minister consisted