ties, or the dangers, of his situation; it is in the approbation of his sovereign, and in the suffrage of his countrymen, added to his own conviction of having done every thing to deserve it, that he must look for that reward which is to console him for all the cares and troubles of his station; the opposition of rivals, the misrepresentation of enemies, the desertion or peevishness of friends, and sometimes the mistaken censures of the people. 'Tis the honourable ambition that looks beyond the present time, that must create, encourage, and support a virtuous and enlightened statesman; that must confer on his mind, the upright. ness and purity that rise above all self-advantage; the courage that guards the state from foreign hostility or internal faction; the firmness that must often resist the wishes, to ensure the safety of the people.

"This is the legitimate ambition of a statesman; and that Mr. Pitt possessed it, his friends are convinced; but he has been sometimes accused (by those who, although their opposition was active and systematic, yet knew how to honour the man) of a less laudable, and less patriotic ambition, that wished "to reign alone," to exclude from the participation of office and of power, other men, whose counsels might have assisted him to guide the country amidst its difficulties and embarrassments, or might have contributed to its safety in the hour of its danger. It is, however, per. fectly well known to some of, the highest characters in the kingdom, that Mr. Pitt, after the resignation of Mr. Addington, in the summer of 1804, was most anxiously desirous that lord Grenville and Mr. Fox should form a part of the new ad

ministration, and pressed their admission into office in that quarter where only such earnestness could be effectual; conceiving the forming a strong government as important to the public welfare, and as calculated to call forth the united talents as well as the utmost resources of the empire; it which, endeavour he persisted fill within a few months of his death. I am aware of the delicacy of such a statement, but I am bold in the certainty of its truth. My profound respect for those by whom such averment, if false, might be contradicted, would not suffer me to make it, were it not. called for, to do justice to that great and virtuous statesman, whose unrivalled qualitics, both in private and in public life, will ever be in my recollection.

"Dum memor ipse mei, dum spiritus hos regit artus."”

Memoirs of the Right Honourable Charles James Fox.

Charles James Fox, second surviving son of Henry, the first lord Holland, and lady Georgina Carolina Lenox, daughter of the duke of Richmond, was born on the 24th day of January, 1749.

His lordship's immediate ancestor, sir Stephen Fox, was the youngest son of William Fox, of Farley, in Wiltshire, and born there the 27th of March, 1627. He married his first lady, Elizabeth, the only surviving issue of Mr. William Whittle, of Lancashire, and afterwards went abroad with king Charles the Second in his exile. While accompanying the king abroad, Stephen, his eldest son by this marriage, was born and

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buried

buried in France. His second son by this marriage was born in 1659, and the king standing for his god› father, was christened Charles. After the restoration he had five other sons born in England; Stephen, who was buried in Westmin. ster Abbey; William, who was buried by him, aged 20; Edward, buried in the same place, aged 7; James, who died, aged 13; and John, who died aged one. He also by the same marriage, had three daughters, Elizabeth, married 27th of December, 1673, in Henry the Seventh's Chapel, to the Honourable Charles Cornwallis, who succceded to the peerage, 1676, and from which marriage the present marquis Cornwallis is descended; Jane, the youngest daughter of sir Stephen Fox, by his first wife, married George Compton, fourth earl of Northampton, from which marriage the present earl of Northampton is lineally descended; Margaret, the second daughter, was buried in Westminster Abbey, unmarried. Charles, the eldest surviving son of sir Stephen Fox, by his first mar riage, held several offices and honourable employments to the end of his life. He was joint paymaster general of the forces, at the age of twenty-three years, and his abilities, candour, integrity and honour, were so conspicuous, that he held the same office of pay-master general under the successive reigns of Charles II. James II. and queen Anne. He was vice-treasurer to king William, and treasurer to Catherine of Braganza, the queen dowager. He married Miss Trollop, daughter of sir William Trollop, by whom he had no issue, and he died in his 54th year, A. D. 1713. A very fine portrait of him is preserved at the family

seat of Holland house, at Kensing ton.

Sir Stephen Fox married his second wife, Miss Hope, daughter of the rev. Mr. Hope, in 1703, and the only surviving issue of the marriage. On the death of sir Stephen, there were two sons, Stephen and Henry, and also one daughter, named Charlotte. The first son was created earl of Ilchester, the second lord Holland, and the daughter was married to the hon. Edward Digby, second son of lord Digby, and was grandfather to the present earl Digby.

Of this sir Stephen Fox, who appears to have been a man of great liberality, as well as high honour, Collins, in his peerage, vol. 6. p. 392. records, amongst others, the following acts of munificence:

"The just profits of his offices enabled him to provide for his family, and exercise those acts of generosity and charity, which in the course of his whole life he gave such extensive and uncommon instances of. His disposition to all who had any claim to his assistance, and that diffusive charity which was visible in him to the last of his life, begun with the increase of his fortune, at an age when most are inclined to pleasures, and at the time when the court was in the greatest gaiety. His first regard was to the place of his birth, for at Farley he built the church at his own charge; and in 1678 built and founded there an hospital for six old men, and six old women; a neat building, with a chapel in it, and handsome, lodgings for a chaplain, who resides there, and hath the title of warden of the hospital. This he endowed with 1881. per annum ; and there is likewise a charity school, wherein are taught six boys and six girls, all at his sole charge.

He

He also built an hospital at Brome, in Suffolk, and another at Ashby, in Northamptonshire.

"In the north part of Wiltshire, he built a chancel entirely new, where he was not at all concerned in the tythes, but the rector being unable, it moved him to build it. He like wise built the church of Culford, in Suffolk; and pewed the body of the cathedral church of Sarum, in a manner suitable to the neatness of that church, to which he was many other ways a great benefactor.

"These are lasting monuments of his piety and generosity; but his whole life was full of good works of all kinds, to the glory of God, the honour of the kingdom, the benefit of the public, and the relief of the poor of all sorts *. He was the first projector of the noble design of Chelsea hospital, and contributed to the expence of it above 13,0001. His motive to it was known from his own words: he said, He could not bear to see the common soldiers, who had spent their strength in our service, to beg at our doors. He therefore did what he could to remove such a scandal from the kingdom. He first purchased some grounds near the old college at Chelsea, which had been escheated to the crown in the reign of king James the First, and which that monarch dsigned for the residence and maintenance of protestant divines, to be employed in the defence of the reformation against all opposers: and on these grounds the present college is erected. In memory of which public benefaction, his name is transmitted to posterity, in a fine prospect and description of

Chelsea college, by Mr. Inglish, then comptroller of the works thereof, inscribed to the right hon. sir Stephen Fox, the earl of Ranelagh, and sir Christopher Wren, with their several coats of arms."

Collins also mentions many others of the family of the Foxes, who served in parliament, and held offices of dignity under several of Our earlier monarchs, and amongst the rest, as the most ancient of the name, mentions Thomas Fox, sheriff of London, in the 8th year of the reign of Edw. I. 1280; and a William Fox, who was employed by Edward III. with Simon de Stanes, in an embassy to treat with the earl of Flanders. It would greatly exceed our limits to follow Collins in his account of the family, or even to add many particulars of the life of that active statesman, Henry lord Holland, the father of Mr. Fox. He possessed at least all the talents of his father, sir Stephen Fox. He was chosen one of the members for Hindon, in Wiltshire, on a vacancy in March 1735, in that parliament which first met Jan. 23, 1734; and being constituted surveyor-general of his majesty's board of works, a writ was ordered, June 17, 1737, and he was re-elected. In the next parliament, which was summoned to meet June 25, 1741, and sat on business Dec. 4th, following, he served for Windsor; and in 1743, being.constituted one of the lords commissioners of his majesty's treasury, a writ was issued, Dec. 21, that year, for a new election, and he was rechosen. Also in 1746, being ap- ́ pointed secretary at war, on a writ issued

of Sarum.

issued May 27, the same year*, he was again re elected. And on his majesty's being present in council at Kensington, the 23d of July following, he was, by his commaud, sworn of his most honourable privy council +, and took his place at the board accordingly. In the parliament, which first sat on business Nov. 12, 1747, he was again chosen one of the members for Windsor; also in the parliament which first met on May 31, 1754.. In December following, he was summoned to be of the cabinet council to his majesty; and on 26 April, 1755, the sovereign declaring his intention of leaving the kingdom, appointed him one of the lords justices for the administration of the government, till his return, distinguishing his integrity and fidelity, by conferring those eminent trusts on him, which no secretary at war ever before held. Nov. 14, 1755, he was appointed one of the secretaries of state, which office he held until 1756, when he was succeeded by the right honourable William Pitt, earl of Chatham. On July 5, 1757, he was appointed pay-master of the forces, in which office he was continued by his present majesty, on his accession, but soon after resigned. His lordship was afterwards a lord of the privy council, and elerk of the Pells in Ireland, granted him for his own life and that of his two sons. April 16, 1763, he was raised to the peerage by the style and title of lord Holland, baron of Foxley, in the county of Wilts, to him and his heirs male.

He married, May 2, 1744, lady Georgina Carolina, eldest daughter of his grace Charles late duke of

Richmond, Lenox, and Aubigny, (created baroness Holland, May 1762, 2d Geo. III.) by whom he had issue, the honourable Stephen Fox, (the late lord Holland) born Feb. 20, O. S. 1744-5, and married April 20, 1766, to lady Mary Fitzpatrick, daughter of John, earl of Upper Ossory, in the kingdom of Ireland, by whom he had issue a daughter, born Nov. 3, 1767; Henry, born Oct. 8, 1746, who died in the January following; Charles James, born Jan. 13, O. S. 1748-9; and Henry Edward, born March 4, 1755.

His lordship died July 1, 1774, and was succeeded by his son Stephen, who succeeded also as baron of Holland, in Lincolnshire, on the death of his mother, July 24, 1774, who dying Dec. 26, 1774, was succeeded by Henry Richard, the present earl of Holland.

Lord Holland early planned a system of education, which, if the accounts given of it be true, was of a very extraordinary kind, and tended to give full scope to the natural character and warm feelings, as well as the genius and talents of his son.

He, however, early perceived the genius of this his favourite son, and placed him first at Hackney, at a school kept by Dr. Newcomb, whence he removed him to Eton, under Dr. Bernard, for his private tutor. His progress was rapid, and of every class in which he entered he was soon the head; while, on every occasion that offered, his juvenile compeers with one accord appointed him their leader.

Among his contemporaries, with many others who have subsequently distinguished

Ibid. No. 9471.

distinguished themselves in parliament, were the duke of Leinster, the earls of Fitzwilliam and Carlisle; from the latter of whom he received the following pleasing testimony of the promise of his future abilities. How will my Fox alone, by strength of parts,

Shake the loud senate, animate the hearts Of fearful statesmen! while around you stand,

Both peers and commons, listening your command;

While Tully's sense its weight to you affords,

His nervous sweetness shall adorn your words.

What praise to Pitt, to Townshend e'er was due,

In future times, my Fox, shall wait on you.

Mr. Fox left Eton with the highest credit, and was entered of Hertford college, in Oxford. Here his time was so divided between learning and dissipation, that of him it might be said, “to have seen him in either one or the other, it must have been supposed that each was his peculiar study."

It has been recorded of him, with no apparent partiality, that, at this time, he read Aristotle's Ethics and Poetics, with an ease uncommon in those who have principally cultivated the study of the Greek writers. His favourite authors were Longinus and Homer, with the latter of whom he was particularly conversant; he could discuss the works of the Ionian bard, not only as a man of exquisite taste, and as a philosophical critic, which might be expected from a mind like his, but also as a grammarian. He was indeed capable of conversing with Longinus, on the beauty, sublimity, and pathos of Homer; with Aristotle, on his delineations of mau; with a pedagogue on dactyls, spondees, and anapests, and all the arcana of

language. History, ethics, and po-, litics, were, however, his particular studies."

Completing his studies, he accompanied his father to Spa, then the fashionable resort on the continent, and afterwards made the grand tour alone, visiting every scene of impor. tance or celebrity, and entering, with his usual eagerness, into every pleasure which they offered. For the vivacity of Mr. Fox, the manners of France and Italy must have possessed no common charm; in the season of gaiety, is it then to be wondered if he exceeded the bounds of propriety.

Lord Holland procured for him a seat in parliament, at the general election of 1768, as representative of Midhurst, in Sussex, anticipating the age of parliamentary competency by at least more than twelve months.

The maiden speech of Mr. Fox took place on the discussion of Mr. Wilkes's petition, to "take his seat and satisfy his constituents," being, at the same time, a knight of the shire for the county of Middlesex,and confined in the king's-bench prison. This speech was not on the popular side of the question, which was, at the same time, strongly argued to be that of justice; nor was it indeed to be expected that he was to make his first appearance in the senate in opposition to the government, of which his own father was in the particular confidence.

Mr. Wilkes had been outlawed, for not appearing to a conviction for a libel in the North Briton, No. 45, and expelled the house of commons for an indecent poem, to which the name of bishop Warburton had been in levity attached; he had, after a tedious exile, obtained the reversal of his outlawry, and an election for

the