are poetical, without being close to their divine originals; Cowper unites more of the two qualities than either of them; Lord Holland and Mr. Roscoe stand at the head of the class; and all that can be said in impeachment of this title is, that their efforts have only been directed to small pieces of poetry, and that on a larger scale they might not have been equally successful. I have mentioned Lord Holland's forte as a poet; but he wrote several original pieces; and I remember his showing me some political sonnets in the manner of Milton (the first of English sonneteers) which appeared, at least to so indifferent a judge as myself, possessed of very great merit. It is remarkable that, like his uncle, though so fond of poetry, he had no relish for the kindred art, the other branch of harmony. Music was positively disagreeable to them both-a remarkable instance of Shakspere's extravagant error in a well-known passage of his plays.

His prose compositions were distinguished by the same severe taste, and the same strict regard to the purity of his English diction, which Mr. Fox is by some, certainly not by me, thought to have cherished in excess. But Lord Holland's prose style had still higher merits. It was luminous, animated, flowing, and free from the defect under which his illustrious relative's certainly laboured, not that which he him

poetical English as well as literal version; Mr. Carey's is nothing like poetry, nor very English.

self was afraid of, its resembling a speech, for that it wholly avoided by running into the opposite extreme; it was somewhat stiff and constrained, betokening a want of practice in writing, and at the same time a fear of writing too naturally and easily, as he spoke; for nothing can be more easy and flowing and graceful than the style of Mr. Fox's letters. Lord Holland's prose style had all this grace and flow it may be well judged of, not only by his Life of Lope de Vega,' but by his excellent 'Preface to Lord Waldegrave's and Lord Orford's Remains,' and, above all, by the admirable protests which he entered upon the Lords' journals, and by the publication of which in a volume Mr. Moylan has rendered an acceptable service both to politics and letters.

6

After all, it was in his private and domestic capacity that Lord Holland's principal charm lay. No man's conversation was more delightful. It was varied, animated, passing " from grave to gay, from lively to severe;" full of information, chequered with the most admirable vein of anecdote, but also with deep remark, and aided by a rare power of mimicry, never indulged in a way to offend by its harshness. Whoever had heard him represent Lord Thurlow, or the late Lord Lansdowne, or the famous Duke of Brunswick, or George Selwyn, little needed to lament not having seen those celebrated personages. His advice was excellent; he viewed with

perfect calmness the whole circumstances of his friend who consulted him; he foresaw all difficulties and consequences with intuitive perception and never-failing sagacity; he threw his whole soul into the discussion; and he was entirely free from the bias as well of selfishness as of prejudice in the counsels which he gave. The great delight of those who approached him was certainly in the amiable disposition of his heart, and of a temper so perfectly sweet, so perseveringly mild, that nothing could ruffle it for an instant, nor any person, nor any passing event, make the least impression upon its even surface. Many tempers are equal and placid constitutionally, but then this calm results from their being cold; the waters are not troubled, because their surface is frozen. Lord Holland's temper, on the contrary, like his uncle's, was warm, excitable, lively, animated. Yet I knew him intimately for five-and-thirty years, during a portion of which we had political and even party differences; I had during the most of these years almost daily intercourse with him; I can positively assert that though I saw him often sorely tried, and fear me I was now and then among those who tried him, I never for one moment perceived that there was in his composition the least element of anger, spite, peevishness, or revenge. In my whole experience of our race I never saw such a temper, nor anything that at all resembled it.

VOL. VI.

I

His was the disposition of the Fox family. They have a noble and lofty character; their nature is generous and humane. Selfishness, meanness, craft, are alien to their whole composition. Open, manly, confiding, combining the highest qualities of the understanding with the best feelings of the heart, and marked throughout by the innocent simplicity of infancy; no wonder that they win the affections of all who approach them-that is to say, who approach so near and know them so long as to be familiar with them-for both Mr. Fox and his nephew had the manners, somewhat repulsive at first, of patrician life; and the uncle, especially, was for a while even severely forbidding to strangers. It must be added that their aristocratic propensities were not confined to manner; they had the genuine Whig predilection for that kind of support, and regarded, perhaps justly regarded, the union of great families as absolutely necessary to maintain the popular cause against the Court. Mr. Fox, however, went a little further; and showed more complacency in naming highly-born supporters, than might seem altogether to consist with a high popular tone, or with the tenets of a philosophical statesman. It is to be added that with the simplicity of an infantine nature, they had the defect, as regards their affections, of that tender age. Their feelings were strong, but not deep; the impressions made on their heart were passing, and

soon effaced. I have often rallied and sometimes remonstrated with my friend on this peculiarity, when I saw him as I thought regarding men rather with the eyes of a naturalist than a brother, and rather taking an interest in observing their habits and marking their peculiarities, than feeling as deeply as their relation to us required.* But with these imperfections (how trifling compared to his virtues!) it is painful to think he is gone for ever; and cruel to survey the blank he has left. Once more one is forced mournfully to exclaim,- -"Eheu! quanto minus est cum aliis versari quam tui meminisse !"

It would be a very imperfect account of Lord Holland which should make no mention of the friend who for the latter and more important part of his life shared all his thoughts and was never a day apart from him, Mr. John Allen; or the loss which in him the world of politics and of science, but still more, our private circle, has lately had to

*One of the most able and learned men whom I have ever known, and one of the most sagacious observers, Mr. R. P. Smith, who read these pages, and well knew Lord Holland, with whom he was nearly connected by marriage, while he acknowledged the general accuracy of the portrait I had drawn, objected to this portion, unless an addition were made, in which I entirely concur, that after ever so long an absence from any of his friends his warmth of affection revived, and was as great as before the separation.