Burke was certainly in his principles no moderate man, and when his party did not interfere, generally leaned towards the more arbitrary side, as had appeared in the late debates on the Church, in which he had declared for the clergy. He laid his chief stress on the impropriety of allowing men to have children till they were of an age by strength and prudence to maintain them. He spoke with a choice and variety of language, a profusion of metaphors, and yet with a correction of diction, that were surprising. His fault was copiousness above measure; and he dealt abundantly, too much, in establishing general positions. Two-thirds of this oration resembled the beginning of a book on speculative doctrines, and yet argument was not the forte of it. Charles Fox, who had been running about the house talking to different persons and scarce listening to Burke, rose with amazing spirit and memory, answered both Lord North and Burke, ridiculed the arguments of the former and confuted those of the latter with a shrewdness that, from its multiplicity of reasons, as much exceeded his father in embracing all the arguments of his antagonists, as he did in his manner and delivery.* Lord Holland was always confused before he could clear up the point, fluttered and hesitated, and wanted diction, and laboured only one forcible conclusion. Charles Fox had great facility of delivery; his words flowed rapidly; but he had nothing of Burke's variety of language or correctness, nor his method,

"He (Charles Fox) said ingeniously that the clandestine marriages made in Scotland had prevented some of the bad effects of the bill, and yet that he disliked those marriages, because by preventing those mischiefs they had prevented the repeal of the bill. He maintained what Burke denied, that it was an aristocratic bill: and he asked if it was the mildness of the aristocracy that had saved the bill when a repeal of it had twice passed the House of Commons."-H. W.

yet his arguments were far more shrewd. He was many years younger. Burke was indefatigable, learned, and versed in every branch of eloquence; Fox was dissolute, dissipated, idle beyond measure. He was that very morning returned from Newmarket, where he had lost some thousand pounds the preceding day; he had stopped at Hocherel, where he found company, had sat up all night drinking, and had not been in bed when he came to move his bill, which he had not even drawn up. This was genius, was almost inspiration. Being so very young, he appeared in that light a greater prodigy than the famous Charles Townshend. Townshend's speeches, for four or five years, gave little indication of his amazing parts; they were studied, pedantic, and like the dissertations of Burke, with less brilliancy. Charles Fox approached to Charles Townshend only in argument. Charles Townshend grew idle; he had taken pains: both could illuminate themselves from the slightest hints. But Townshend's wit exceeded even Burke's, and he could shine in every science, in every profession, with a quarter of Burke's application. All three were vain, and kept down by no modesty. Townshend knew his superiority over all men, and talked of it; Fox showed that he thought as well of himself; Burke endeavoured to make everybody think so of him. Burke had most ambition and little judgment; Townshend no judgment and most vanity; Fox most judgment in his speeches, and none of Townshend's want of courage and truth. If Fox once reflects, and abandons his vices, in which he is as proud of shining as by his parts, he will excel Burke; for, of all the politicians of talents that I ever knew, Burke has the least political art. None of the three were well calculated to command adherents. No man could trust or

believe Townshend; and though he would flatter grossly, he would the next moment turn the same men into ridicule. Fox was too confident and overbearing; Burke had no address or insinuation. Men of less talents are more capable of succeeding by art, observation, and assiduity. The House dividing, Lord North was beaten by 62 to 61, a disgraceful event for a Prime Minister. Since he would oppose Fox's motion contrary to his declaration, he ought to have taken care to have his members about him; but he daily showed that he was only a subservient Minister. The Scotch cabal and the Tories could sway him as they pleased, and his negligence demonstrated that he followed their dictates, not his own objects. In fact he disliked his post, and retained it only from hopes of securing some considerable emolument for his family. He was indolent, good humoured, void of affectation of dignity, void of art, and his parts and the goodness of his character would have raised him much higher in the opinion of mankind if he had cared either for power or applause."*

At the end of 1772 a new disposition of offices was made expressly to open a place for Charles Fox, who was named one of the Commissioners of the Treasury.

But it was soon found that a subordinate situation in office was not suited to his talents, his activity, or, we must say, his daring temper. Within little more than a year of his acceptance of office, on a question of committing Woodfall the printer to the custody of the Sergeant-at-Arms, Mr. Fox burst out against the Press and the City, and moved that Woodfall be committed to Newgate. Lord North promised his support, tried to retract, owned himself bound to vote with Fox if he persisted, and finally was dragged off *"Corr. of C. J. Fox," p. 83.

by his junior Lord of the Treasury in a minority of 68 to 152. The King noticed the transaction in the following terms:

"I am greatly incensed at the presumption of Charles Fox in forcing you to vote with him last night; but approve much of your making your friends vote in the majority. Indeed, that young man has so thoroughly cast off every principle of common honour and honesty, that he must become as contemptible as he is odious. I hope you will let him know that you are not insensible of his conduct towards you."*

On the 24th of February Charles Fox was dismissed from the Board of Treasury. It is said that on this occasion Lord North wrote him the following laconic note: "His Majesty has thought proper to order a new Commission of Treasury to be made out, in which I do not see your name. -NORTH."

Horace Walpole says, speaking of Lord North: "With his usual hurry after indolence, he turn'd out Charles Fox, as a threat to those who might incline to desert, but without effect."+

It is to be lamented that during this period of his life Mr. Fox entered deeply-almost madly-into the pursuit of gaming. Lord Egremont afterwards suspected that he was the dupe of foul play. Be that as it might, he borrowed to such an extent, that the purchase of the annuities he had granted cost his fond and indulgent father no less a sum than 140,000%.

Dr. Parr has truly said, in his somewhat pompous Latin:Erupisse in eo fatebor illum impetum ardoremque, qui, sive ad literas humaniores, sive ad prudentiam civilem, * "Corr." vol. i. p. 99. "Corr." vol. i. p. 101.

sive ad luxuriam amoresque inclinaret, id unum ageret, id toto pectore arriperet, id universum hauriret."*

Horace Walpole, in less stately phrase, tells us: "As the gaming and extravagance of young men of quality had arrived now at a pitch never heard of, it is worth while to give some account of it. They had a club at Almack's, in Pall Mall, where they played only for rouleaus of 50%. each, and generally there was 10,0007. in specie on the table. Lord Holland had paid above 20,000%. for his two sons. Nor were the manners of the gamesters, or even their dresses for play, undeserving notice. They began by pulling off their embroidered clothes, and put on frieze greatcoats, or turned their coats inside outwards for luck. They put on pieces of leather (such as are worn by footmen when they clean the knives) to save their laced ruffles; and to guard their eyes from the light and to prevent tumbling their hair, wore high-crowned straw hats with broad brims and adorned with flowers and ribbons; masks to conceal their emotions when they played at quinze. Each gamester had a small neat stand by him, to hold their tea, or a wooden bowl with an edge of ormolu to hold their rouleaus. They borrowed great sums of Jews at exorbitant premiums. Charles Fox called his outward room, where those Jews waited till he rose, his Jerusalem Chamber."

* Dr. Parr's Preface to "Bellendenus," &c.