He also built an hospital at Brome, iu 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 con. stituted 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 appointed secretary at war, on a writ issued

of Sarthe.

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 command, 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 clerk 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 oc casion that offered, his juvenile compeers with one accord appointed him their leader.

Among his contemporaries, with many others who have subsequently distinguished

Ibid. No. 9171.

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 man; with a pedagogue on dactyls, spondees, and anapæsts, and all the arcana of

language. History, ethics, and politics, 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 imporwith his usual eagerness, into every tance or celebrity, and entering, 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

the county of Middlesex, but was precluded from taking his seat by incapacity, arising from the causes of his former expulsion. Notwithstanding this preclusion, Mr. Wilkes continued to threaten and annoy the government with petitions, which, if they obtained not their prayer, served at least to keep him in the public view, and afford new pretexts for tumult; and it was in opposition to the selfish violence of this refined and turbulent person, that Mr. Fox, with that clear perception of character, for which he was afterwards so remarkable, made his maiden speech.

In this first effort he was opposed, among others, to the celebrated Mr. Burke, who, by his tongue and pen, asserted the unconstitutional grounds of the expulsion. Yet such was the immediate effect of his powers, as to attract the attention both of the senate and the world; and through the whole of the proceedings on the different elections for the county of Middle sex, he was an active and useful champion of the government. The result was, an early appointment of Mr. Fox to the office of paymaster of pensions to the widows of land officers; and, in the beginning of 1770, to a seat at the admiralty board.

In March, 1771, when freedom was determined to consist in a rude disdain of superiors, and alderman Oliver was summoned before the house of commons, Mr. Fox is said, in the heat of indignance for unworthy artifice, to have called him assassina circumstance too advantageous to escape the colleague of Mr. Wilkes. His principal parliament. ary operations for the ensuing year, consisted in opposing the marriage

"You have greatly insulted me, and I will resent it, I am about to set out for St. James's, to resign my seal at the admiralty-board to the king.

"I am, my lord,

"Your lordship's humble servant, " C. J. Fox."

This difference lasted but a short time, and Mr. Fox became one of the lords of the treasury.

The genial sympathy of corres. ponding minds, however, had already drawn the young statesman into an union with Mr. Burke. From him Mr. Fox did not hesitate to acknowledge, that " he learned more than from all others." His attraction to the most powerful chief of opposition did not long escape the penetration of lord North, who, without any vulgar censure of his choice, only laughingly argued― "If we see a woman coming fre quently from a bagnio, we cannot swear she is not virtuous, yet we cannot help judging of her from her company." Mr. Fox, nevertheless, was drawn closer into the connec tion, and early became a member of the literary club, established by Johnson and his friends.

In political affairs, Mr. Fox, at this time, stood, if not in an inde pendent, at least in an isolated situ ation. With the opposition ha bore all the obloquy of being a placeman

placeman and supporter of administration, while the government, in whose interest he remained, charged him with the strongest attachment to its enemies. Lord North, with the most amiable private character, possessed not vigour sufficient for the reins of government; in times when, perhaps, no vigour would have been effectual. His lordship was neither insensible to his situation, nor to the talents of his young colleague; but experience does not easily bend to genius, and power is seldom risqued in experiment. In 1774, therefore, when the death of lord Holland had left Mr. Fox unrestrained, having made some remonstrances with considerable spirit, he received in the house of commons, on the next day, his dismissal in the following terms :

"His majesty has thought proper to order a new commission of the treasury to be made out, in which I do not perceive your name.

"North." At this measure, Mr. Fox entertained a sort of contemptuous satisfaction; and he was now in the situation to which his talents and inclinations were forcibly attracted. Much has been said of this conversion to whiggism, as it has been called, and Mr. Fox has not escaped the charge of inconsistency; a political crime of no small magnitude. It is not intended here to confound these points by unqualified panegyric, but it must be remembered, that Mr. Fox never assumed the character of one of sir Robert Walpole's "old Romans." He came from his father, like Pallas out of Jove's head, full armed and mature. From the first he knew and studied human nature, and the knowledge expanded, instead of contracting,

his heart and mind. Hence, as a minister, he was incapable of the artifices of petty policy, and, as an opposer of government, he was free from the vulgarity of contention. He never forgot the relations of either character. He never imbibed the venom of party.

The growing talents of Mr. Fox, while a minister, attracted the notice of Junius. With the great Johnson, Mr. Fox was in habits of familiarity, and of his abilities the English Socrates thought highly.

The dismissal of Mr. Fox took place early in 1774, a year the most pregnant in personal events, perhaps, of any in his whole life. In January his father's residence (Winterslow-house) in Wiltshire, was destroyed by fire. He next attended the Encænia at Oxford, and was so disgusted at the number of illiterate associates for honorary distinctions, that he refrained from taking a degree. In July his father died; in August, his mother; and in November, his elder brother. was afterwards unsuccessful in the election for the borough of Poole. He made an apology for the colonists, which first distin. guished the generous bias of his soul; and lost a considerable part of the fortune he had derived from his father and brother, at play, before the end of the year.

He

In his kindred he had suffered losses which could never be supplied, and of such losses none could be more sensible.

The commencement of his new carcer was, however, marked with spirit; and he soon shone by the side of Burke and Dunning, with increased reputation and success. The dispute with America was growing to a crisis, and Mr. Fox,

whe