His Lordship, in return, thought he could not do better for his particular friends, bound to England, than to consign them to the care of one so celebrated, and so capable of affording them instruction and amusement. Among these, about this time, was Mr. Hardy, a member of the Irish House of Commons, and destined to be his Lordship's biographer, who, although already known to Mr. Burke, seemed to feel the charm of his society and amiable qualities, with additional force, during this visit.

"He was," says that gentleman, "social, hospitable, of pleasing access, and most agreeably communicative. One of the most satisfactory days perhaps that I ever passed in my life, was going with him tête a tête, from London to Beaconsfield. He stopped at Uxbridge whilst his horses were feeding, and happening to meet some gentlemen of I know not what Militia, who appeared to be perfect strangers to him, he entered into discourse with them at the gateway of the inn. His conversation at that moment completely exemplified what Johnson said of him, 'That you could not meet Burke under a shed without saying that he was an extraordinary man.'

"He was altogether uncommonly attractive and agreeable. Every object of the slightest notoriety as we passed along, whether of natural or local history, furnished him with abundant materials for conversation. The house at Uxbridge, where the treaty was held during Charles the First's time; the beautiful and undulating grounds of Bulstrode, formerly the residence of Chancellor Jeffries; and Waller's tomb, in Beaconsfield churchyard, which, before we went home, we visited, and whose character as a gentleman, a poet, and an orator, he shortly delineated, but with exquisite felicity of genius, altogether gave an uncommon interest to his eloquence; and although one-and-twenty years have elapsed since that day, I entertain the most vivid and pleasing recollection of it."

The most flattering testimony yet borne to the superiority of his public and private character, and to his senatorial and literary talents, appeared in 1787, in the celebrated Latin preface to Bellendenus, by its celebrated author Dr. Parr;* an offering certainly of no common value either in the terms in which it was expressed, or in the quarter from which it came; a characteristic tribute of unfeigned admiration from the most learned to the most eloquent man of the age. It is known that the Doctor has written an epitaph for him which, however, he has not yet thought proper to make public.

Alluding to Mr. Burke in conversation with a friend in 1814, he mentioned this epitaph, saying it was written with the whole collected force of his mind, with his choicest Latinity, and consequently that it cost him more effort than any thing else he had

* Since this was written, Dr. Parr has paid the debt of nature.

written. But he continued, on showing it to a sagacious friend, the latter said, "it is very good, but there is no heart in it." "True," rejoined the doctor, "I had no heart when I wrote it;" the explanation of which is, that the doctor thought Mr. Burke had sinned so much against liberty when he attacked the French Revolution, that his warmer feelings towards him were become deadened or extinguished.

His own taste in epitaph, or rather character-writing, was again put in requisition by the completion, in August, 1788, of the splendid, and in this country unequalled, mausoleum to the memory of the marquis of Rockingham, erected about a mile in front of Wentworth House, in Yorkshire, from which, as well as from the surrounding country, it forms a noble and interesting object, ninety feet high. The interior of the base is a dome supported by twelve Doric columns, with niches for the statues of the deceased nobleman and his friends, among whom the distinguished writer of the following piece now takes his stand. The inscription, for force, precision, and fitness, has perhaps, like the mausoleum itself, no equal among the mortuary remains of the country:

"CHARLES, MARQUIS OF ROCKINGHAM.

"A statesman in whom constancy, fidelity, sincerity, and directness, were the sole instruments of his policy. His virtues were his arts. A clear, sound, unadulterated sense, not perplexed with intricate design, or disturbed by ungoverned passion, gave consistency, dignity, and effect to all his measures. In Opposition, he respected the principles of Government; in Administration, he provided for the liberties of the people. He employed his moments of power in realizing every thing which he had promised in a popular situation. This was the dis. tinguishing mark of his conduct. After twenty-four years of service to the public, in a critical and trying time, he left no debt of just expectation unsatisfied.

"By his prudence and patience he brought together a party which it was the great object of his labours to render permanent, not as an instrument of ambition, but as a living depository of principle.

The virtues of his public and private life were not in him of different charac ters. It was the same feeling, benevolent, liberal mind, that, in the internal relations of life, conciliates the unfeigned love of those who see men as they are, which made him an inflexible patriot. He was devoted to the cause of liberty, not because he was haughty and intractable, but because he was beneficent and humane.

"Let his successors, who from this house behold this monument, reflect that their conduct will make it their glory or their reproach. Let them be persuaded that similarity of manners, not proximity of blood, gives them an interest in this statue.

"Remember-Resemble-Persevere."

CHAPTER X.

Anecdote of Burke at Mr. Crewe's-Adventure with a poor Artist-Regency Question-Letter to Mr. Pitt-Letter to Mr. Montagu-French RevolutionLetters to M. Menonville-Letters from Edmund, the two Richards, and Mrs. Burke, to Mrs. French-Rupture with Mr. Sheridan-Correspondence with Mr. Mercer-Parliamentary Business-Mr. G. Hamilton.

DURING the period of the application to Parliament of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales for an increase of income in order to the liquidation of his debts, Mr. Sheridan, who was then supposed to stand high in the confidence of the illustrious personage, was commenting in strong terms, when dining one day at the table of Mr. Crewe, on the hardship of the case, and the disinclination shown by the executive government to assist him; concluding with a kind of authoritative assertion, that if not granted, His Royal Highness must discontinue the necessary repairs of Carlton House, and must retire from the dignity of his public station into the obscurity of private life.

Mr. Burke, who with several other members of Opposition was present, observed in reply, that though no one could wish more heartily than himself that no obstacle should be thrown by Mr. Pitt in the way of an amicable accommodation, yet even were the application refused, he saw no perfectly satisfactory reason for adopting the threatened alternative. "Admitting," said he, "that some inconveniences may be occasioned to His Royal Highness, yet on the whole it will be more wise to submit to them than to resort to retirement, which I consider extremely impolitic and ill-judged, and may induce people to believe that there is in such a mode of proceeding more of petulance than prudence; while many will be induced to question whether dignity thus easily and voluntarily thrown aside, may not in time be dispensed with altogether. Besides, submission is in itself a virtue, and ultimately will have its effect.'

Considerable discussion ensued upon the point. It was urged that it was better not to appear in public at all, than to appear with diminished splendour; and at any rate the expenses of the public establishment alone would absorb the whole of his Royal Highness's income, leaving nothing for those private enjoyments which royalty as well as private men, look to as the chief soothers and sweeteners of life. "Taking the question even on this showing," replied Burke, "if we inquire very minutely, something may be found even for this purpose. But I must continue to think, that a Royal personage ought, in some cases, to make this among his other sacrifices. My idea is, Sir (alluding to the paramount duty of supporting the royal dignity in preference to any private gratification) that we should starve the man in

order to fatten the prince, rather than starve the prince in order to fatten the man."

"But after all, he continued, there will be no necessity for this now; I think I can make it out very satisfactorily; let us trace the outline on paper." Paper was accordingly brought. "To a palace three things are indispensable-a chapel, a library, and a riding house, to provide for the wants of religion, of the understanding at large, and of the health of the body, but our views being economical, the chaplain must likewise perform the duty of librarian. Another point I deem essentially proper, if not politically useful, that is for His Royal Highness to give a dinner once a fortnight to all the leading members of both houses of Parliament without distinction of party." He went on to state his ideas of a royal establishment on many other matters connected with public display; continuing the detail to the description and quality of the officers of the household, the number of servants, of horses, of carriages (he limited the latter to two as sufficient for all useful purposes) the necessary annual repairs of the royal residence, proceeding through every other item of probable expense down to the most minute, showing an extraordinary acquaintance with the customary wants of a palace, though so little acquainted practically with its interior-a knowledge probably acquired from the minute research necessary to perfect the details of the economical reform bill. The result of his calculation was, that after paying all state expenses, upon a scale which the company present seemed to think sufficiently liberal, there would still be a residue of £10,000, which might be appropriated to private purposes. "I always knew Burke's capacity to comprehend great things," said Mr. Courtenay, who was present on the occasion, "but I was not so well aware that he had leisure enough to master the small."

Of his desire to encourage and assist unfriended talent, or any thing that bore the semblance of talent, another instance, which occurred about this time, ought not to be omitted.

Travelling from town toward Beaconsfield during the summer, he overtook on the road a person almost overcome with heat and fatigue, and whose habiliments having evidently seen more than their due period of service, tacitly hinted that their owner found it inconvenient to provide any other conveyance than that which nature had given him. Mr. Burke, believing he saw something of character in his countenance, offered him (no uncommon thing with him to occasional travellers of not absolutely disreputable appearance) a ride in his carriage as far as their way lay together, which was of course gratefully accepted. The pedestrian proved to be a poor artist-or rather what is termed a piece of an artist; for having been brought up to something else, he had but lately intruded into the regions of taste, and had met with from the world the usual fate of all intruders, a cool reception. Speci

mens of his abilities probably meant to "shame the rogues" for their defect in judgment, he carried with him. These the orator examined; and finding some germ of talent that might in time become respectable, though not at all likely to be great, he carried him to Beaconsfield, kept him for a day or two, and dismissed him with a little money and much good advice, "to study hard and work diligently, for those alone constituted the foundations of all excellence and all success."

The man, however, having too good an opinion of himself to believe that so much work was necessary, or perhaps conceiving how much easier it was to live by the liberality of a patron than by his own plodding industry, became troublesome in his applications for pecuniary assistance. This, Mr. Burke plainly told him, it was not in his power to give to any extent; but if determined to be industrious, he would by his influence among the chief artists in the country, take care to ensure him constant employment. He also wrote him two letters of advice-one of them the writer is informed very excellent for though promised to him, he has not yet seen it; the other is transcribed from the original now before him.

"Sir,

"I have received your letters, and if I have given you offence by not answering your first in proper time, I am sorry for it, and beg your pardon.

"You will be so obliging to recollect that the most I ever gave you the least hope of was some occasional assistance whilst you perfected yourself in drawing at such hours as you could spare from your business; as you showed me some essays in engraving by which it appeared to me (though it was too late to think of painting) you might possibly by application obtain a livelihood, or some help towards it by that art, which is lately come into very great request. More than that I could not honestly give you the least hope of; and this, I think, I repeated to you more than once. When I come to town, I shall, so far as such a trifling aid as I can afford, give you a little help.

"As to your arrangements in other respects, I am not all entitled, and feel as little disposed, to abridge your liberty by any direction of mine. It is not my custom to take upon me the regulation of any person's conduct, even of those who are better known to me than you are. It is impossible that I should have any objection to your application to the gentleman you mention, who is a man of undoubted merit, and one for whom I have much

esteem.

"As to what you write about other matters, I must beg leave to suggest to you, that if you can reconcile it to your own mind to have any meddling with prophecies and prophets,* it were more

* Alluding to an inclination of the artist to become a follower of the prophet Brothers.