been as inefficacious on their part, as the efforts of some of the best friends of-the Volunteers were unavailing in checking their progress. Many of the delegates, however, who were chosen, in a good measure soothed the fears of Government. Lord Charlemont, Mr. Brownlow, and three other gentlemen of rank and consequence, were appointed from Armagh. Mr. Stewart from Tyrone. Several of known loyalty, and inimical to all anarchy, were nominated. Others, indeed, of very dissimilar principles, procured seats in the convention. The county of Derry appointed four respectable members, with whom they associated their Bishop, Frederick, Earl of Bristol. If this work should chance to survive the present day, those who come after us may not be incurious to learn something, however slight, of that singular man. He was the son of Lord Hervey, so generally, but so imperfectly known, by the malign antithesis, and epigrammatic lines of Pope. His mother, Lady Hervey, was also the subject of that poet's muse; but his muse when playful and in good humour. Two noblemen of very distinguished talents, the Earls of Chesterfield and Bath, have also celebrated her in a most witty and popular ballad. Lord Bristol was a man of considerable parts, but far more brilliant than solid. His, family was indeed famous for talents, equally so for eccentricity; and the eccentricity of the whole race shone out, and seemed to be concentrated in him. In one respect, he was not unlike Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, "Every thing by starts, and nothing long." Generous, but uncertain; splendid, but fantastical; an admirer of the fine arts, without any just selection; engaging, often licentious in conversation; extremely polite, extremely violent: it is indubitably true, that amidst all his erratic course, his bounty was not seldom directed to the most proper and deserving objects. His distribution of church livings, chiefly, as I have been informed, among the older and respectable clergy in his own diocese,

must always be mentioned with that warm approbation which it is justly entitled to. It is said, (how truly I know not) that he had applied for the Bishopric of Durham, afterwards for the Lieutenancy of Ireland; was refused both, and hinc illa lacrymæ, hence his opposition. But the inequality, the irregular flow of his mind, at every period of his life, sufficiently illustrate his conduct, at this peculiar and momentous period.-Such, however, was this illustrious prelate, who, notwithstanding he scarcely ever attended Parliament, and spent most of his time in Italy, was now called upon to correct the abuses of Parliament, and direct the vessel of state in that course, where statesmen of the most experience, and persons of the calmest judgment, have had the misfortune totally to fail. His progress from his diocese to the Metropolis, and his entrance into it, were perfectly correspondent to the rest of his conduct. Through every town on the road he seemed to court, and was received, with all warlike honours; and I remember seeing him pass by the Parliament House in Dublin, (Lords and Commons were then both sitting) escorted by a body of dragoons, full of spirits and talk, apparently enjoying the eager gaze of the surrounding multitude, and displaying altogether, the self-complacency of a favourite Marshal of France, on his way to Versailles, rather than the grave deportment of a Prelate of the church of England.

The convention met in Dublin, at the Royal Exchange, when, as preparatory, to every thing else, they chose Lord Charlemont their President. "The same reason," says his Lordship, "which had induced me to accept the nomination from Armagh, and to persuade many moderate friends of mine, much against their wishes, to suffer themselves to be delegated, namely, that there should be in the assembly, a strength of prudent men sufficient, by withstanding or preventing violence, to secure moderate measures, induced me now to accept the troublesome and dangerous office of Presi

dent which was unanimously voted to me. Another reason also concurred to prevent my refusal. The Bishop of Derry had, I knew, done all in his power to be elected to that office, and I feared that, if I should refuse, the choice might fall on him, which would indeed have been fatal to the public repose." The delegates being very numerous, the place of meeting was altered from the Exchange, the rooms of which were too small, to the Rotunda, in Rutland-Square. Lord Charlemont, as President, led the way, accompanied by a squadron of horse; then followed the delegates, who walked two and two, and formed a procession altogether as novel as imposing.

The convention now sat in form, and presented according to Lord Charlemont, r a numerous, and truly respectable body of gentlemen. For, though some of a lower class had been delegated, by far the majority were men of rank and fortune, and many of them Members of Parliament, Lords and Commoners; a circumstance which may be in some de gree attributed to my endeavours. For, though I never cordially approved of the meeting, yet, as I found it impossible to withstand the general impulse towards it, and, as for reasons already assigned, I did not chuse to exert my against it, especially as there was cause to fear my exertions would be fruitless, and if so, might prevent my being useful towards moderating and guiding those measures which I could not with efficacy oppose, & directing that torrent which might otherwise have swept down all before it, I had, upon mature con sideration, determined that to render the assembly as respectable as possible, was the next best mode to the entire prevention of it; and this, not only for the sake of public tranquillity, but the measure also which it meant to forward."

Such were the well-meant efforts of Lord Charlemont. But when the convention proceeded to business, it was soon found, that his moderation and good sense, aided by the most

respectable in that convention, would too often prove altogether inefficient. Though Mr. Brownlow, a wise man, and - carrying with him that authority which wisdom and integrity, supported by large possessions, will very generally command, was chairman of the committee, into which the convention resolved itself: though other gentlemen, the most respectable, formed the sub-committee, whose business it was to receive plans of reform, the violent, untutored, and unprincipled, sometimes prevailed, and carried resolutions, totally contrary to the wishes of the president, or chairman.

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A singular scene was soon displayed, and yet, such a scene as any one, who considered the almost unvarying disposition of an assembly of that nature, and the particular object for which it was convened, might justly have expected. From every quarter, and from every speculatist, great clerks, or no clerks at all, was poured in such a multiplicity of plans of reform, some of them ingenious, some which bespoke an exercised and rational mind, but, in general, as I have been well assured, so utterly impracticable, "So rugged and so wild in their attire," they looked not like "the offspring of inhabitants of the earth, and yet were on it," that language 'would sink in pourtraying this motley band of incongruous fancies, of mis-shapen theories, valuable only if inefficient, or execrable, if efficacious. All this daily issued from presump. tuons empirics, or the vainly busy. minds of some political philanthropists, whom the good breeding alone of their countrymen permitted to be regarded as not totally out of their senses. The committee shewed a perseverance almost marvellous, but the murky conceits, and solemn vanities of such pretenders would have put even the patience of the man of Uz to flight, At last, after being for several days bewildered in this palpable obscure of politics, and more and more theories flitting round the heads of the unfortunate committee, that which must for ever take place on such occasions, took place

here. A dictator was appointed, not indeed in name, but substance. The Bishop of Derry moved, that Mr. Henry Flood, who had not been one of the committee, should be nominated, as an assessor, or joint member. And here was displayed the potency of oratorical talents in such a body of men, and the justice of Lord Bolingbroke's observation, that the House of Commons, or in short, any assembly partaking of the nature of the House of Commons, is like a pack of hounds. They will always follow the man who shews them most game. So rapid and decisive was the superiority which Flood obtained, that, without his concurrence, nothing was approved of. The Bishop now, as has been often experienced, found himself undone by his auxiliary. All his hopes of pre-eminence in the convention, and elsewhere, rested on his ill-timed support of the elective franchise, as a measure then, and at once, to be conceded to the Catholics. The grossest adulation would blush to say, that this support arose from superior discernment, or superior benevolence, His family had always cultivated Whig principles, and however the necessity of "The descendants of the Princess Sophia being Protestants," might have formed an article of his political creed, as well as that of his predecessor's, yet, when we consider his volatility, his long resi dence on the Banks of the Tiber, and general society there, we may justly conclude that, at any period of our history, Tros, Tyriusve, Catholic or Protestant Electors, or Statesmen, would have been objects of the most entire indifference to him. They, in truth, were so, and his propositions, as to the Catholics, though dignified by his adherents, with the terms of highly philosophical, were resisted by Flood, with that gentleman's usual success. This rejection of the Catholic, brought forward various plans of reform in or the electors as they then stood. angry comments, exiled them all.

favor of the Protestants, Flood's angry frown, and

Adieu to all the theories,

phlegmatic, or airy, of the learned and the unlearned! They