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LYTTELTON.

EORGE LYTTELTON,' the son of Sir Thomas Lyttelton of Hagley in Worcestershire, was born in 1709. He was educated at Eton, where he was so much distinguished, that his exercises were recommended as models to his school-fellows.

From Eton he went to Christ-church,2 where he retained the same reputation of superiority, and displayed his abilities to the publick in a poem on "Blenheim.” 3

He was a very early writer, both in verse and prose. His "Progress of Love," and his "Persian Letters," were both written when he was very young; and, indeed, the character of a young man is very visible in both. The Verses cant of shepherds and flocks, and crooks dressed with flowers; and the Letters have something of that indistinct and headstrong ardour for liberty which a man of genius always catches when he enters the world, and always suffers to cool as he passes forward.

He staid not long at Oxford; for in 1728 he began his travels, and saw France and Italy. When he returned,* he obtained a seat in parliament, and soon distinguished himself among the most eager opponents of Sir Robert Walpole,

1 See Boswell on Johnson's feeling against Lyttelton, with "various readings" in this life.-Boswell's Johnson, vol. iv. pp. 19, 20.

2 George Lyttelton was entered as a Gentleman Commoner of Christchurch, 4th Dec., 1725.

3 Folio, 1728.

✦ April, 1735. He sat for Okehampton.-P. CUNNINGHAM.

though his father, who was Commissioner of the Admiralty, always voted with the Court.

For many years the name of George Lyttelton was seen in every account of every debate in the House of Commons. He opposed the standing army; he opposed the excise; he supported the motion for petitioning the King to remove Walpole. His zeal was considered by the courtiers not only as violent, but as acrimonious and malignant; and when Walpole was at last hunted from his places, every effort was made by his friends, and many friends he had, to exclude Lyttelton from the Secret Committee.

The Prince of Wales, being (1737) driven from St. James's, kept a separate court, and opened his arms to the opponents of the ministry. Mr. Lyttelton became his secretary, and was supposed to have great influence in the direction of his conduct. He persuaded his master, whose business it was now to be popular, that he would advance his character by patronage. Mallet was made under-secretary, with 2007. and Thomson had a pension of 100l. a year. For Thomson Lyttelton always retained his kindness, and was able at last to place him at ease.1

2

Moore courted his favour by an apologetical poem, called "The Trial of Selim," for which he was paid with kind words, which, as is common, raised great hopes, that at last were disappointed.

Lyttelton now stood in the first rank of opposition; and Pope, who was incited, it is not easy to say how, to increase the clamour against the ministry, commended him among the other patriots. This drew upon him the reproaches of Fox, who, in the house, imputed to him as a crime his intimacy with a lampooner so unjust and licentious. Lyttelton supported his friend, and replied, that he thought 1 Life of Thomson, vid. supr. p. 163.

2 Edward Moore, author of The Gamester, and editor of The World, died 1757.

it an honour to be received into the familiarity of so great a poet.

While he was thus conspicuous, he married (1741) Miss Lucy Fortescue of Devonshire, by whom he had a son, the late lord Lyttelton, and two daughters, and with whom he appears to have lived in the highest degree of connubial felicity: but human pleasures are short; she died in childbed about five years afterwards, and he solaced his grief by writing a long poem to her memory.

He did not however condemn himself to perpetual solitude and sorrow; for, after a while, he was content to seek happiness again by a second marriage with the daughter of Sir Robert Rich; but the experiment was unsuccessful.

At length, after a long struggle, Walpole gave way, and honour and profit were distributed among his conquerors. Lyttelton was made (1744) one of the Lords of the Treasury; and from that time was engaged in supporting the schemes of the ministry.

Politicks did not, however, so much engage him as to withhold his thoughts from things of more importance. He had, in the pride of juvenile confidence, with the help of corrupt conversation, entertained doubts of the truth of Christianity; but he thought the time now come when it was no longer fit to doubt or believe by chance, and applied himself seriously to the great question. His studies, being honest, ended in conviction. He found that religion was true, and what he had learned he endeavoured to teach (1747), by "Observations on the Conversion of St. Paul;" a treatise to which infidelity has

1 Observations on the Conversion and Apostleship of St. Paul in a Letter to Gilbert West, Esq., Lond. 1747, 8vo; but Lyttelton, in the Letter to Thomson, May 21, 1747, accompanying the pamphlet, says— "I writ it with a particular view to your satisfaction."-Phillimore's Lyttelton, vol. i. p. 307.

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