in behalf of the Stuart family, who claimed the succession to the crown, on the obsolete, and ridiculous pretexts of “passive obedience, non-resistance, and indefeasible succession." Three years after, as if to prove the manifest propriety of the means then recurred to, this Irish nobleman came over to this country, and became the husband of Anne, second daughter and coheiress of Sir John Robinson of Farmingwood in the county of Northampton, Bart. by whom he had issue, one son and three daughters.

John, his only son, was created Earl of Upper Ossory, in 1751. He also married into an English family, having chosen for his wife, Evelyn, daughter of John, first Earl Gower, the ancestor of the present Marquis of Stafford. But the nuptials appear to have been concluded in an evil hour ; for a separation and divorce took place, and she soon after became the wife of Richard Vernon, Esq. by whom she had two daughters, one of whom was the Countess of Warwick, and is, we believe, still alive.

John Fitzpatrick, second Earl of Upper Ossory, and son of the first Earl by Lady Evelyn Gower, was born May 7, 1745. After the usual preliminary studies *, under the title of Lord Gowran, he succeeded to the family honours and estates, while yet a minor, his father having died in 1758. As he was a young man of some promise and considerable pretensions, he was sent on his travels at an early age, and visited most of the courts of Europe, in company with a tutor. It was not then, as now, the fashion, to wander beyond the limits of Italy, in order to visit Constantinople, and reside for some time at Athens; the grand tour, therefore, was deemed sufficient.

· Soon after his Lordship’s return, and when only twenty four years of age, he became the husband of the Honourable Anne Liddel, only child and heiress of Lord Ravensworth, whose former marriage with Augustus-Henry, late Duke of Grafton, had been dissolved by act of parliament. By this

* We believe he passed some time at Eton, along with his brother Richard,

lady the issue consisted of only two daughters, Anne and Gertrude.

The Earl of Upper Ossory now settled at his family seat of Ampthill in the county of Bedford, and continued to reside there, during the long period of half a century, with the exception of about eighteen months. In the winter he came to London, but a country life appeared to agree best with his health and his habits. Soon after the death of John, Duke of Bedford, on Jan. 24, 1771, he was nominated Lord Lieutenant of that county, whence that illustrious house derives its ducal title. This high and honourable office was accepted, not courted by him, on the implied condition, that he should be permitted to resign it, on the late Duke's attaining the legal age. His lordship was so amiable, however, that notwithstanding his own readiness, sincerely and repeatedly expressed, a performance of this agreement was never exacted, either from the former or the present Duke. It was not until his own death, when it was conferred on another family, that these circumstances were disclosed by a letter, which has since been published. *

As to politics, like his younger brother the late General Fitzpatrick t, he usually voted with the opposition. Indeed they were both firmly attached to, and intimately connected with Mr. Fox, the Dukes of Devonshire, Portland, and Bedford, and all the great whig families in the kingdom. Until he obtained an English peerage, His lordship was constantly returned for the county in which he resided.

Of this nobleman, the following character is extracted from the tenth edition of a popular work, published in 1792, which was more celebrated for satire, than panegyric:

“ There are men, who, possessing eminent talents, suffer them to rust in obscurity. The present nobleman may be reckoned of this description. Lord Ossory is certainly a sensible well-informed man; but whatever his merits may be, a knowledge of them is confined merely to the circle of his

* See a letter from the Duke of Bedford, published in 1818.

+ See an account of the Right Hon. Richard Fitzpatrick annexed. VOL. III.

T

own private friends and acquaintance, and he seems even desirous to conceal them from the public.

“ Many years ago, when David Hume was chargé des affaires at Paris, he pronounced him the most promising young nobleman of all the English then abroad; yet he has represented the county of Bedford in several parliaments, and never given any specimen of his abilities, further than as a mover or seconder of those fulsome addresses, which degrade the dignity of the senate, and are equally dishonourable to either party; to those who offer, and to him who consents to receive such flimsy compositions of adulation and absurdity.

“ The countenance of this nobleman denotes a cold phlegmatic disposition, which we believe to be his true character ; nevertheless he has occasionally relaxed from his native severity, by repeated acts of liberal indulgence conferred on an extravagant brother.

“ He once seemed very much devoted to the pleasures of the turf, where he united the utile dulci, being uncommonly successful. His stoical apathy qualified him to succeed eminently in that line, and we are therefore surprised, that he has of late years wholly given it up, which we must ascribe to disgust, at the many infamous characters introduced into the society. At present, he lives chiefly in retirement, making London his residence only during the months that parliament is sitting, where his (political) conduct is wholly guided by his friend and relation Mr. Fox, in whom he reposes implicit confidence.

“ Had this latter gentleman continued in office, Lord Ossory would have been a British Peer, but His Majesty is reported to have set his negative on any addition to the peerage, nominated by that administration, and perhaps such an exclusion forms its most brilliant panegyric.

“ It is natural to suppose a good brother to be a kind and hospitable neighbour, and we have heard nothing to contradict the presumption. He has been long married to the divorced

a

lady of the (late) Duke of Grafton, and we believe has always enjoyed a considerable portion of domestic happiness.”

At length, on August 12, 1804, the English peerage, so long promised, was conferred: for the Earl was created Baron of Upper Ossory of Ampthill, in the county of Bedford. On this occasion his brother Richard was returned in his room for the county. His lordship died, February 5, 1818, leaving behind him, the character of a good and amiable man. His remains were interred in the family vault in Bedfordshire; and of his estates, those in Ireland, descended to his two daughters, while those in Bedfordshire, with the house at Ampthill, according to the term of settlement, are now the property of Lord Holland.

As reference has been made more than once, in the course of this memoir, to Lord Upper Ossory's brother, who died some time since, a short memoir is here annexed.

276

No. XII.

RIGHT HON. LIEUT.-GEN. RICHARD FITZPATRICK.

MR. FITZPATRICK was born Jan. 24, 1748, and sent wher almost a child to Eton, a circumstance not a little favourable to his future views and advancement in life:

"Salve, magna parens doctrinæ, Etonia Tellus

magna virum !"

Here he became acquainted with Lord Morpeth, now Earl of Carlisle; Mr. Hare, famous for the elegance and correctness of his verses, which were hung up in the hall as models of composition; Mr. Anthony Storer, a Creole of the island of Jamaica, who united a taste for chemistry with a love of literature; Lord Ophaly, afterwards Duke of Leinster; and Charles James Fox, his junior by a year.

At the age of eighteen, young Fitzpatrick obtained an ensigncy in the Guards, and soon after a lieutenancy, which enabled him to rank as a captain in the army; while scarcely of the age allowed by law, he also acquired a seat in the House of Commons, as M. P. for the borough of Oakhampton, which, strange as it may appear, to those unacquainted with the fascinations of hunting, was afterwards exchanged by one of his ducal friends, for a dog kennel and stables!

In 1774 he was nominated for Tavistock, and returned for that same borough, during the seven following parliaments; until, at length, he nearly became the father of the House of Commons.

Captain Fitzpatrick was so peculiarly and so delicately situated, as to be obliged, as we have been told, from a high sense of honour, to fight in favour of that cause in America, against which he had voted in St. Stephen's chapel, West