had been first proposed by another:"* and he once used these very words, "After all, Burke was a damned wrong-headed fellow, through his whole life jealous and obstinate."

Mrs. Crewet told me that, on some occasion, when it was remarked that Fox still retained his early love for France and every thing French, Burke said, "Yes; he is like a cat, he is fond of the house, though the family be gone."

I once dined at Mr. Stone's (at Hackney) with Fox, Sheridan, Talleyrand, Madame de Genlis, Pamela, and some other celebrated persons of the time. A natural son of Fox, a dumb boy (who was the very image of his father, and who died a few years after, when about the age of fifteen) was also there, having come, for the occasion, from Braidwood's Academy. To him Fox almost entirely confined his attention, conversing with him by the fingers: and

*"Cassius. But what of Cicero? shall we sound him?
I think he will stand very strong with us.

Brutus. O name him not: let us not break with him;

For he will never follow any thing

That other men begin."

Shakespeare's Julius Cæsar, act ii. sc. 1.-ED.

† Afterwards Lady Crewe.-ED.

their eyes glistened as they looked at each other. Talleyrand remarked to me, "how strange it was, to dine in company with the first orator in Europe, and only see him talk with his fingers!"-That day I offended Madame de Genlis by praising the Contes Moraux of Marmontel, with whom she had quarrelled violently.

At a dinner-party, where I was, Fox met Aikin. "I am greatly pleased with your Miscellaneous Pieces, Mr. Aikin," said Fox (alluding to the volume written partly by Aikin, and partly by his sister Mrs. Barbauld). Aikin bowed. "I particularly admire," continued Fox, "your essay Against Inconsistency in our Expectations.” "That," replied Aikin, "is my sister's."—" I like much," resumed Fox, "your essay On Monastic Institutions." "That," answered Aikin, "is also my sister's." Fox thought it best to say no more about the book.

I was present at a dinner-party given by William Smith in Westminster, when Fox would not take the slightest notice of Horne Tooke,-would not look at him, nor seem to hear any of the good things he said. It was the most painful scene of the kind I was ever witness to, except what occurred at my

G

own house, when the Duke of Wellington treated Lord Holland much in the same way.

At another of Smith's dinners, the conversation turned on Wilberforce; when somebody put the query,- If Wilberforce were compelled to desert either the cause of the slaves, or the party of Mr. Pitt, to which would he adhere? "Oh," said Fox, "he would be for Barabbas." But that was said by Fox merely as a joke; for he greatly respected Pitt; and I remember that, on another occasion at Smith's, when Tierney, &c., endeavoured to persuade Fox that Pitt was not uttering his real sentiments about the abolition of the slave-trade, he would not be so persuaded.*-Pitt, too, had the highest respect for Fox. One night, after Fox had been speaking, a noble lord, coming out of the House with Pitt, began to abuse Fox's speech. "Don't disparage it," said Pitt; "nobody could have made it but himself."

The Duke of Richmond, Fox, and Burke, were once conversing about history, philosophy, and poetry. The Duke said, "I prefer reading history to philoso

* 66 'During the debates on the war with France, I heard Fox characterise a speech of Pitt as 'one that would have excited the admiration and envy of Demosthenes."" MR. MALTBY (see note prefixed to the Porsoniana in this volume).-ED.

phy or poetry, because history is truth." Both Fox and Burke disagreed with him: they thought that poetry was truth, being a representation of human nature and Fox had some thoughts of writing an essay on the subject.-Lady Glenbervie told me that her father Lord North disliked reading history, because he always doubted its truth.*

In 1792 the Duke of Portland called a meeting of the Whigs at Burlington House, to consider the propriety of their supporting the Proclamation against seditious writings and democratical conspiracies. Francis Duke of Bedford went there. On entering the room, he said to the Duke of Portland, "Is Mr. Fox here?" "No."" Has he been invited?" "No."-" Then," replied the Duke of Bedford, "I must wish you all good morning;" and immediately withdrew. The Duke of Bedford was

66

Thinking to amuse my father once, after his retirement from the ministry, I offered to read a book of history. Any thing but history,' said he ; 'for history must be false." Walpoliana, vol. i. 60. -ED.

† Many years after I had written down this anecdote, Mr. Rogers remarked to me "how poorly" it is told in Lord Holland's Memoirs of the Whig Party, i. 16 (1852): “The Duke of Bedford, on hearing that Mr. Fox was not likely to come, drily observed, 'Then I am sure I have nothing to do here,' and left the room.”—ED.

stanch to his principles till the hour of his death; and we owe him much.

Fox used to declare of himself that he was a most painstaking person." When he came into office, finding that his handwriting was very bad, he took lessons to improve it.

He one day pronounced himself to be a bad carver, and, when Mrs. Fox confirmed it, he said, "Yes, my dear, I thought you'd agree with me."

I saw Lunardi make the first ascent in a balloon which had been witnessed in England. It was from the Artillery Ground. Fox was there with his brother General F. The crowd was immense. Fox, happening to put his hand down to his watch, found another hand upon it, which he immediately seized. "My friend," said he to the owner of the strange hand, "you have chosen an occupation which will be your ruin at last."—"O, Mr. Fox," was the reply, "forgive me, and let me go! I have been driven to this course by necessity alone; my wife and children are starving at home." Fox, always tender-hearted, slipped a guinea into the hand, and then released it. On the conclusion of the show, Fox was proceeding to look what o'clock it was. "Good God," cried he,