would frequently afk young fellows, at their first appearance in the world, while their honest hearts were yet untainted, "Well, are you to be an old Roman? a patriot? you will foon come off of that, "and grow wifer." And thus he was more dangerous to the morals than to the liberties of his country, to which I am perfuaded he meant no ill in his heart.

He was the eafy and profufe dupe of women, and in fonie instances indecently fo. He was exceffively open to flattery, even of the groffest kind; and from the coarfest bunglers of that vile profeffion; which engaged him to pass most of his leifure and jovial hours with people whofe blasted characters reflected upon his own. He was loved by many, but refpected by none; his familiar aud illiberal mirth and raillery leaving him no dignity. He was not vindictive, but, on the contrary, very placable to thofe who had injured him the most. His good-humour, good-nature, and beneficence, in the feveral relations of father, husband, master, and friend, gained him the warmest affectious of all within that cirele.

His name will not be recorded in history among the best men," or the "best mi"nisters;" but much lefs ought it to be ranked among the worst.

Chesterfield.

§122. Character of Lord GRANVILLE. Lord Granville had great parts, and a most uncommon fhare of learning for a man of quality. He was one of the best fpeakers in the house of lords, both in the declamatory and the argumentative way, He had a wonderful quickness and precifion infeizing thestrels of a question, which no art, no fophistry, could difguife in him. In bufinefs he was bold, enterprising, and overbearing. He had been bred up in high monarchical, that is, tyrannical principles of government, which his ardent and imperious temper made him think were the only rational and practicable ones. He would have been a great first minister in France,little inferior, perhaps, to Richelieu: in this government, which is yet free, he would have been a danger ous one, little lefs fo, perhaps, than Lord Strafford. He was neither ill-natured, nor vindictive, and had a great contempt for money; his ideas were all above it. In focial life he was an agreeable, good-humoured, and instructive companion; a great but entertaining talker."

He degraded himself by the vice of drinking; which, together with a great stock of Greek and Latin, he brought away with him from Oxford, and retained and practifed ever afterwards. By his own industry, he had made himself master of all the modern languages, and had acquired a great knowledge of the law, His political knowledge of the interest of princes and of commerce was extensive, and his notions were just and great. His character may be fummed up, in nice precifion, quick decifion, and unbounded prefumption. Ibid.

§ 123. Character of Mr. PELHAM,

Mr. Pelham had good fenfe, without either fhining parts or any degree of literature. He had by no means an elevated or enterpriùng genius, but had a more manly and steady refolution than his brother the Duke of Newcastle. He had a gentleman-like franknefs in his behaviour, aud as great point of honour as a minister can have, especially a minister at the head of the treatury, where numberlefs sturdy and unfatiable beggars of condition apply, who cannot all be gratified, nor all with fafety be refufed.

He was a very inelegant fpeaker in parliament, but spoke with a certain candour and openness that made him be well heard, and generally believed.

He wished well to the public, and managed the finances with great care and perfonal purity. He was par negotiis neque Jupra: had many doinestic virtues and no vices. If his place, and the power that accompanies it, made him fome public enemies, his behaviour in both fecured him from perfonal and rancorous ones. Thofe who wifhed him worst, only wished themfelves in his place.

Upon the whole, he was an honourable man, and a well-wishing minister.

Ibid.

§ 124. Character of RICHARD Earl of SCARBOROUGH.

In drawing the character of Lord Scarborough, I will be strictly upon my guard against the partiality of that intimate and unreferved friendship, in which we lived for more than twenty years; to which friendhip, as well as to the public notoriety of it, I owe much more than my pride will let my gratitude own. If this may be fufpected to have biaffed my judgment, it must, at the fame time, be allowed to have. informed

informed it; for the most fecret movements of his whole foul were, without difguife, communicated to me only However, Iwill rather lower than heighten the colouring; I will mark the thades, and draw acredible rather than an exact likeness.

He had a very good perfon, rather above the middle fize; a handfome face, aud, when he was cheerful, the most engaging countenance imaginable: when grave, which he was oftenest, the most refpectable one. He had in the highest degree the air, manners, and addrefs of a man of quality; politenefs with eate, and dignity without pride.

Bred in camps and courts, it cannot be fuppofed that he was untainted with the fashionable vices of thefe warm climates; but (if I may be allowed the expreffion) he dignified them, instead of their degrading him into any mean or indecent action. He had a good degree of claffical, and a great one of modern, knowledge; with a just, and, at the fame time, a delicate taste. In his common expences he was liberal within bounds; but in his charities, and bounties he had none. I have known them put him to fome prefent inconveniencies. He was a strong, but not an eloquent or florid fpeaker in parliament. He spoke fo unaffectedly the honest dictates of his heart, that truth and virtue, which never want, and feldom wear, ornaments, feemed only to borrow his voice. This gave fuch an astonishing weight to all he faid, that he more than once carried an unwilling majority after him. Such is the authority of anfufpected virtue, that it will fometimes thame vice into decency at least.

He was not only offered, but preffed to accept, the post of fecretary of state; but he constantly refufed it. I once tried to perfuade him to accept it; but he told me, that both the natural warmth and melancholy of his temper made him unfit for it; and that moreover he knew very well that, in those ministerial employ ments, the courfe of bufinefs made it neceffary to do many hard things, and fome unjust ones, which could only be authorifed by the jefuitical cafuistry of the direction of the intention: a doctrine which he faid he could not poffibly adopt. Whether he was the first that ever made that objection, I cannot affirm; but I fufpect that he will be the last.

He was a true constitutional, and yet

practical patriot; a sincere lover, and a zealous afferter of the natural, the civil, and the religious rights of his country: but he would not quarrel with the crown, for fome flight stretches of the prerogative; nor with the people, for fome unwary ebullitions of liberty; nor with any one for a difference of opinion in fpeculative points. He confidered the constitution in the aggregate, and only watched that no one part of it fhould preponderate too much.

His moral character was fo pure, that, if one may fay of that imperfect creature man, what a celebrated historian fays of Scipio, nil non laudandum aut dixit, aut fecit, aut fenfit; I fincerely think (I had almost faid I know), one might say it with great truth of him, one fingle instance excepted, which shall be mentioned.

He joined to the noblest and strictest principles of honour and generofity, the tenderest fentiments of benevolence and compaftion; and, as he was naturally warm, he could not even hear of an injustice or a bafenefs, without a fudden indignation: nor of the misfortunes or miferies of a fellow creature, without melting into foftuefs, and endeavouring to relieve them. This part of his character was fo univerfally known, that our best and most fatirical English poet fays,

When I confefs there is who feels for fame, And melts to goodnets, need I Scarborough name?

He had not the least pride of birth and rank, that common narrow notion of little minds, that wretched mistaken fuccedaneum of merit; but he was jealous to anxiety of his character, as all men are who deferve a good one. And fuch was his diffidence upon that fubject, that he never could be perfuaded that mankind really thought of him as they did; for furely never man had a higher reputation, and never man enjoyed a more univerfal esteem. Even knaves refpected him; and forls thought they loved him. If he had any enemies (for I protest I never knew one), they could be only fuch as were weary of always hearing of Aristides. the Just.

He was too fubject to sudden gusts of paffion, but they never hurried him into any illiberal or indecent expreffion or action; fo invincibly habitual to him were good-nature and good-manners. But if

ever any word happened to fall from him in warmth, which upon fubfequent reflection he himself thought too strong, he was never ealy till he had made more than a fufficient atonement for it.

He had a most unfortunate, I will call it a most fatal kind of melancholy in his nature, which often made him both abfent and filent in company, but never morofe or four. At other times he was a chearful and agreeable companion; but, confcious that he was not always fo, he avoided company too much, and was too often alone, giving way to a train of gloomy reflections."

His constitution, which was never robust, broke rapidly at the latter end of his life. He had two fevere strokes of apoplexy or pally, which confiderably

affected his body and his mind.

I defire that this may not be looked upon as a fuil and finished character, writ for the fake of writing it; but as my folemn deposit of the truth to the best of my knowledge. I owed this fmall deposit of justice, fuch as it is, to the memory of the best man I ever knew, and of the dearest friend I ever had. Chesterfield. § 125. Character of Lord HARDWICKE. Lord Hardwicke was, perhaps, the greatest magistrate that this country ever had. He prefided in the court of Chancery above twenty years, and in all that time none of his decrees were reverfed, nor the justnefs of them ever questioned. Though avarice was his ruling paffion, he was never in the least fufpected of any kind of corruption: a rare and meritorious instance of virtue and felf-denial, under the influence of such a craving, infatiable, and increafing paflion.

He had great and clear parts; understood, loved, and cultivated the belles let

tres.

He was an agreeable, eloquent fpeaker in parliament, but not without fame little tincture of the pleader.

Men are apt to mistake, or at least to feem to mistake, their own talents, in hopes, perhaps, of misleading others to allow them that which they are confcious they do not poffefs. Thus Lord Hard wicke valued himself more upon being a great minister of state, which he certainly was not, than upon being a great magistrate, which he certainly was.

All his notions were clear, but none of them great. Good order and domestic details were his proper department. The

great and fhining parts of government, though not above his parts to conceive, were above his timidity to undertake.

By great and lucrative employments, during the courfe of thirty years, and by still greater parfimony, he acquired an immenfe fortune, and established his numerous family in advantageous posts and profitable alliances.

Though he had been folicitor and attorney general, he was by no means what is called a prerogative lawyer. He loved the constitution, and maintained the just prerogative of the crown, but without stretching it to the oppreflion of the people.

He was naturally humane, moderate, and decent; and when, by his former employments, he was obliged to profecute state-criminals, he difcharged that duty in a very different manner from most of his predeceflors, who were too justly called the "blood-hounds of the crown."

He was a chearful and instructive.companion, humane in his nature, decent in his manners, unstained with any vice (avarice excepted), a very great magiftrate, but by no means a great minister, Chesterfield.

The Duke of Newcastle will be so often mentioned in the history of thefe times, and with fo strong a bias either for or against him, that I refolved for the fake of truth, to draw his character with my ufual impartiality: for as he had been a minister for above forty years together, and in the last ten years of that period first minister, he had full time to oblige one half of the nation, and to offend the other..

We were cotemporaries,near relations, and familiar acquaintances; fometimes well, and fometimes ill together, according to the feveral variations of political affairs, which know no relations, friends, or acquaintances.

The public opinion pot him below his level: for though he had no fuperior parts, or eminent talents, he had a most indefatigable industry, a perfeverance, a court craft, a fervile compliance with the will of his fovereign for the time being; which qualities, with only a common fhare of common fenfe, will carry a man fooner and more fafely through the dark labyrinths of a court, than the most fhining

parts

parts would do, without thofe meaner talents.

He was good-natured to a degree of weakness, even to tears, upon the flightest occafions. Exceedingly timorous, both perfonally and politically, dreading the least innovation, and keeping, with "a fcrupulous timidity, in the beaten track of bufinefs, as having the fafest bottom.

I will mention one instance of this difpofition, which, I think, will fet it in the strongest light. When I brought the bill into the houfe of lords, for correcting and amending the calendar, I gave him previous notice of my intentions: he was alarmed at fo bold an undertaking, and conjured me not to stir matters that had been long quiet; adding, that he did not love new-fangled things. I did not, however, yield to the cogency of thefe arguments, but brought in the bill, and it paffed unanimoufly. From fuch weakneffes it neceffarily follows, that he could have no great ideas, nor elevation of mind.

His ruling, or rather his only, paffion was, the agitation, the bustle, and the hurry of bufinefs, to which he had been accustomed above forty years; but he was as dilatory in difpatching it, as he was eager to engage in it. He was always in a hurry, never walked, but always run, infomuch that I have fometimes told him, that by his fleetnefs one fould rather take him for the courier than the author of the letters,

He was as jealous of his power as an impotent lover of his mistrefs, without activity of mind enough to enjoy or exert it, but could not bear a fhare even in the appearances of it.

His levees were his pleasure, and his triumph; he loved to have them crowded, and confequently they were fo: there he made people of bufinefs wait two or three hours in the anti-chamber,while hetrifled away that time with fome infignificant favourites in his clofet. When at last he came into his levee-room, he accosted; hugged, embraced, and promifed every body, with a feeming cordiality, but at the fame time with an illiberal and degrading familiarity.

He was exceedingly difinterested: very profufe of his own fortune, and abhorring all thofe means, too often ufed by perfons in hisstation,either to gratify their avarice, or to fupply their prodigality; for he retired from bufinets in the year 1762, above

four hundred thousand pounds poorer than when he first engaged in it.

Upon the whole, he was a compound of inost human weakneffes, but untainted with any vice or crime. Chesterfield.

§ 127. Character of the Duke of BED

FORD.

The Duke of Bedford was more con fiderable for his rank and immenfe fortune, than for either his parts or his virtues.

He had rather more than a common fhare of common fenfe, but with a head fo wrong-turned, and fo invincibly obstinate, that the fhare of parts which he had was of little ufe to him, and very troublefome to others.

He was paffionate, though obstinate; and, though both, was always governed by fome low dependants; who had art enough to make him believe that he governed them.

His manners and addrefs were exceed

ingly illiberal; he had neither the talent nor the defire of pleafing.

In fpeaking in the houfe, he had an inelegant flow of words, but not without fome reafoning, matter, and method.

He had no amiable qualities: but he had no vicious nor criminal ones: he was much below fhining, but above contempt in any character.

In fhort, he was a Duke of a refpectable family, and with a very great estate.

§ 128. Another Character. The Duke of Bedford is indeed a very confiderable man. The highest rank, a fplendid fortune, and a name glorious till it was his, were fufficient to have fupported him with meaner abilities than he poffefied. The ufe he made of these uncommon advantages might have been more honourable to himfelf, but could not be more instructive to mankind. The eminence of his station gave him a commanding profpect of his duty. The road which led to honour was open to his view. He could not lose it by mistake, and he had no temptation to depart from it by defign.

Anindependent, virtuous Duke of Bedford, would never prostitute his dignity in parliament by an indecent violence, either in oppreffing or defending a minister: het would not at one moment rancorously perfecute, at another bafely cringe to the fa

vourite

vourite of his fovereign. Though de ceived perhaps in his youth, he would pot, through the courfe of a long life, have invariably chofen his friends from among the most profligate of mankind: his own honour would have forbidden him from

mixing his private pleasures or converfation with jockeys, gametters,blafphemers, gladiators, or buffoons. He would then have never felt, much lefs would he have fubmitted to, the humiliating neceffity of engaging in the interest and intrigues of bis dependants; of fupplying their vices, or relieving their beggary, at the expence of his country. Ile would not have betrayed fuch ignorance, or fuch contempt of the constitution, as openly to avow in a court of justice the purchafe and fale of a borough. If it fhould be the will of Providence to afflict him with a domestic misfortune, he would fubmit to the stroke with feeling, but not without dignity; and not look for, or find, an immediate confolation for the lofs of an only fon in confultations and empty bargains for a place at court, nor in the mifery of ballotting at the India-house.

The Duke's history began to be important at that aufpicious period, at which he was deputed to the court of Verfailles. It was an honourable offee, and was exe cuted with the fame spirit with which it was accepted. His patrons wanted an ambaffador who would fubmit to make conceffions their bulinefs required a man who had as little feeling for his own dignity, as for the welfare of his country; and they found him in the first rank of the nobility. Junius. $129. Character of Mr. HENRY Fox, af terwards Lord Holland."

Mr. Henry Fox was a younger brother of the lowest extraction. His father, Sir Stephen Fox, made a confiderable fortune, fomehow or other, and left him a fair younger brother's portion, which he foon pent in the common vices of youth, gaming included: this obliged him to travel for fome time.

When he returned, though, by education a Jacobite, he attached himfelf to Sir Robert Walpole, and was one of his ablest elves. He had no fixed principles either of religion or morality, and was too unwary in ridiculing and expofing them.

He had very great abilities and indefatigable industry in bufinefs; great skill in

managing, that is, in corrupting, the houfe of commons; and a wonderful dexterity in attaching individuals to himself. He promoted, encouraged, and practifed their vices; he gratified their avarice, or fupplied their profufion. He wifely and punctually performed whatever he promifed, and most liberally rewarded their attachment and dependence. By thefe, and all other means that can be imagined, he made himfelf many per fonal friends and political dependants.

He was a most difagreeable speaker in parliament, inelegant in his language, hefitating and ungraceful in his elocution, but skilful in difcerning the temper of the houfe, and in knowing when and how to prefs, or to yield.

A constant good-humour and feeming franknefsmade him awelcome companion in focial life, and in all domestic relations he was good-natured. As he advanced in life, his ambition became fubfervient to his avarice. His early profusion and diffipation had made him teel the many inconveniencies of want, and, as it often happens, carried him to the contrary and worfe extreme of corruption and rapine. Rem, quocunque modo rem, became his maxim, which he obferved (I will not fay religiously and fcrupulously, but) invariably and fhamefully.

He had not the least notion of, or regard for, the public good or the constitution, but defpifed those cares as the objects of narrow minds, or the pretences of interested ones: and he lived, as Brutus died, calling virtue only a name.

Chesterfield.

§ 130. Character of Mr. PITT. Mr. Pitt owed his rife to the most confiderable posts and power in this kingdom Gingly to his own abilities; in him they fupplied the want of birth and fortune, which latter in others too often fupply the want of the former. He was a younger brother of a very new family, and his fortune only an annuity of one hundred pounds a-year.

The army was his original destination, and a cornetcy of horfe his first and only commiflion in it. Thus, unaflisted by fayour or fortune, he had no powerful protector to introduce him into bufinefs, and (if I may ufe that expreffion) to do the honours of his parts; but their own strength was fully fufficient. His constitution refufed him the afual

pleasures,