LORD OXFORD.

Two circumftances occurred in the impeachment and acquittal of this Nobleman, which should be a memento to all ftatefmen and others of the very great uncertainty of popular favour. Lord Oxford being out of town on the day of his being impeached by Lord Coning by he took his feat on the next day, and appeared at firft very ferene and unconcerned; but, obferving all the Lords as they came in pafs off from the Earls Bench, where he fat, on purpofe to avoid him, it was too much for his fpirits, and

he retired.

Two years afterwards, when this No. bleman was brought from the Tower to be tried, and was acquitted on the fame day, the fhoutings and huzzas of the Public (who took the horses off his car. riage and drew him to his own houfe) were fo great, that Erafmus Lewis, his quondam fecretary, writing to a friend of this circumftance, fays, at prefent Lord Oxford has more friends than ever he had in his life."

DAVID HUME.

Hume having afferted in his Hiftory of England, that if ever the National debt came up to one hundred millions this country would be ruined, was asked by a friend, how he could make fuch a mistake, feeing that the debt was then far above that lum, and likely to be much more? "Owing to a mistake, Sir (fays he), common to writers by profeffion, who are often obliged to adopt ftate. ments on the authority of other people."

When Hume was complimented by a Noble Marquis now living, on the correctness of his file, particularly in his Hiftory of England-he obferved, "If he had fhewn any peculiar correctnefs, 'twas owing to the uncommon care he took in the execution of his work, as he wrote it over three times before he fent it to the prefs."

On the appointment of the late Fieldmarshal Conway to be Secretary of State in the year 1766, Hume was asked, if he was not much furprised that a general officer fhould have that promotion. "Not at all, Sir (fays Hume);-confider the political interefts of Great Britain are always best fupported by men of war.',

Th following picture of Fanaticifm, as given by Hume, is perhaps the beft key to the character of Cromwell, and

the leading perfons of that age, that has yet been given:

"Hypocrify," fays he, "quite pure, and free from fanaticiím, is perhaps as rare as ture of hypocrify: fo congenial to the hu fanaticifm entirely purged from all mix. 'tis impoffible to counterfeit long thefe man mind is all religious fentiment, that holy fervours, without feeling fome share of the affumed warmth;-and, on the other hand, fo precarious and temPorary, from the frailty of human na. ture, is the operation of those spiritual views,that the religious extafies, if conftantly employed, must often be counterfeit, and must be warped by the moft familiar motives of intereft and ambition, which infenfibly gain upon the mind."

LATE LORD GUILDFORD.

To

unfortunate) Nobleman went into bufi. This very amiable (though politically nefs very early in life, and attached himself to the duties of his office with unremitting care and affiduity. an excellent claffical education,and many focial qualities, he joined a knowledge of the German, French, and Italian lan guages, with a temper of that naturally conciliating difpofition, that the feverek of his parliamentary opponents were no longer fuch out of the fphere of politics.

When he was young in office, as one of the Lords of the Treafury under the old Duke of Newcastle, he was met one morning by the late George Grenville, and another gentleman, walking in the Park, and muttering fomething to himfelf, feemingly as if rehearfing an ora tion. "Here comes blubbering North," fays the latter to Mr. Grenville; "I wonder what he is getting by heart, for I'm fure it can be nothing of his own." "You're mistaken (fays the other); North is a young man of great promife, and high qualifications; and if he does not relax in his political purfuits, is very likely to be the Prime Minister of this country." This prediction was fulfilled twelve years afterwards.

Of his political acumen in the con duct of the American war, a subject that nearly engroffed the whole of his Administration, the best that can be faid of it was, that he was miftaken :-if otherwife, it cannot be denied, even by his moft intimate friends, it was his duty to refign. The arcana of fu recent and complicated a tranfaction, as they refpe&t the interior of this great question, however, are difficult at prefent to unravel. Hiftory will have better materials to work

with, and less partialities to encounter. Of his wit and good-humour we have too many inftances to doubt.-He never ftrained for either: like the great Earl of Bath, he had them always at command; nor had he the fordid vices of avarice and ambition to balance

thefe pleafing qualities. Mr Burke paid a just tribute to the former one day coming out of the House of Commons, after his Lordship had kept them in a roar of laughter for tome minutes before. "Well, there's no denying it, this man has more wit than all of us (meaning the Oppofition) put together." One day, when the late Aiderman Sawbridge was haranguing on his anBual motion in favour of annual parliaments, looking over to the Treafury Bench (the day being extremely hot) he obferved Lord North with his head reclining on his left thoulder, feemingly afleep; upon which he stopped short and cried out, “But what fignifies my endeavours to come at the root of this political evil, when the Noble Lord in the blue ribband is fo little attentive to me that he has fallen into a profound Beep!" This raised a laugh with the Alderman's party, which his Lordship immediately turned against them, by obferving, loud enough to be heard, "No, I was not afleep, but I wish to God I had been."

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Coming up to the door of the Houfe of Commons one evening rather late, Pearson, the late door-keeper, ftopped him, and, in his lac nic free manner of fpeaking, faid, "No, my Lord, you can't come in here." Why fo?" faid his Lore hip, fomewhat furprifed. " Because they are now balloting for an Election Committee, and the doors of courfe are locked." "Aye," fays his Lordship with a fmile," and yet this is rather hard, confidering fome people call this my Houfe of Commons."

Having had fome prefcience of a fit of the gout coming on him, he defired his man to get him his large gouty shoes. The man looked for them for fome time, but, not finding them in the ofual places where he generally put them, concluded they were stolen, and began curfing the thief. "Poh," fays his Lordship, feemingly very gravely (though at the fame time agitated with fome pain),how can you be fo ill-natured, John-Now all the harm I wish the poor rogue is, that my fboes may fit bim." Lord North being one of the GoverB9rs of the Charter-Houfe,a formal com

plaint was made to him by one of the penfioners of that hofpital, that the vic tuals were not fo good as they should be, particularly the beef, which at times was not eatable. This complaint being renewed, his Lordship went privately one morning to the Charter-Houfe, and afking the houfe fteward whether he had any cold beef in the house (fuch as the pensioners ufually eat), defired he would bring it up. The beef was ac cordingly introduced, the look of which fo pleafed his Lordship that he immedi ately afked him, if he could provide him with mustard, bread,and small-beer, which being likewife brought, his Lord. fhip took a chair, and eat a very hearty luncheon: after this he ordered the complainant to be brought up, and then afked him, whether that was the fame kind of beef ufually ferved? The man faid, "Yes." "And the fame smallbeer, bread, muftard, &c, ?" "Yes," fays the man, "I believe pretty much the fame." "Why then," fays his Lordship, "all I have to fay is this: If you have any complaint to make in future about fuch provifions, you must apply to another governor, and, as there is no difputing tafies, he might perhaps redrets you; but as for my part, as you may fee, my friend(pointing to his plate), have decidedly given it against you.' When his brother, the prefent Bishop of Winchester, was married to his prefent lady, who was a Mifs Bannifier, a con fidential friend was afking his Lordship, what could be his brother's motive for the match? "Sire is no profeffed beau ty, no great fortune, or no great fa mily." "Why, in refpect to her beauty and fortune I have not much to fay of either; but I muft beg your pardon in refpect to blood, as I hear the is very nearly related to the Stairs."

Towards the clofe of the American war, a Noble Lord in the other Houfe having, in the warmth of debate, called Lord North "this thing of a minister," fome injudicious friends exaggerated the matter to him, wanted to make it a perfonal quarrel, and faid, they thought his Lordship fhould refent it," And fo I will," fays his Lordship very coolly, by continuing in office; as I know his Lordthip has no other refentment against me, than withing to be the thing I am."

On the evening of that day when he moved an adjournment of the Houfe for a few days, for the purpose of refigning his office, coming through the lobby of the Houfe, arm in arm with one of his

M &

friends

Upon his retirement from office, he went down to Bath for the recovery of his health, and particularly for his fight, which was nearly left. The converfation turning one day after dinner, on the perishable condition of party zeal and political enmity, his Lordship thoroughly agreed in the principle; and, as a proof of it, fays he, "There is Colonel Barré (who by the by was as blind as his Lordship), no man has oppofed me more in the Houfe of Commons than he has, and I, of course, him; and yet I can fairly answer for myfelf, and I dare fay I may equally do fo for him, we fhould be both very glad to fee one another at this moment.'

The caufe of Lord North's blindness, it is faid, originated from the frequency of fanding his difpatches. He was naturally very near-fighted, and carried up every paper he looked at immediately under his eye; the papers which were fresh written he fanded in this pofition, which being fo frequently repeated, the duft fettled in his eyes, and ultimately produced a total blindness.

The natural civility and good-humour of this Nobleman left him no enemies out of the Houfe of Commons.-Even the principals of Oppofition knew thefe qualities to be fo predominant in his Lordship,that they frequently petitioned him as Firft Lord of the Treafury for little favours and indulgencies for their friends and confiituents, which he as readily granted, when he could do it

SIR,

with propriety; and this they frequently acknowledged.

To the brother of one of his principal opponents in the House of Commons he continued a very valuable Collection in the Colonies almoft during the whole of his Adminiftration. He was often fpoke to about difplacing him, and he as conftantly answered, "Why thould vifit the fins of the brother upon a man who does his duty, and has given me no particular offence?"

In fhort, like his predeceffor Sir Ro bert Walpole, though very much baited during his Administration, he had no enemies as a man; he lived long enough out of office to be reconciled to all his political oppofers, who, when the cause of contention ceafed, had candour enough to acknowledge his private worth and integrity.

He met his blindnefs and increafing infirmities with great firmness in the bofom of his family, and even with a goodhumour, and flashes of wit and merriment, that made his table one of the moft defirable places to be a guest at.

In his laft moments he only regretted not having it in his power to fee his favourite and youngest fon, who the morning of his father's death landed at Dover from his travels, but could not be in town time enough to receive the blefling of an affectionate and indulgent parent.

The fon above alluded to is the prefent Honourable Frederick North, now fecretary of ftate under his Excellency Sir Gilbert Elliot, Viceroy of Corfica; a gentleman who unites to the moftami able and feductive manners, a travelled knowledge, an extenfiveness of learning, and an induftry of mind, that we think cannot fail of rendering him an orna ment to his country..

(To be continued.)