pressed with his usual beauty and felicity of language; and are of so general a nature, that, with some trifling alterations, they may be extended to all practical pursuits of life.

Mr. Grenville, Burke afterwards shews, considered revenue too exclusively; and, from his eagerness to improve the finances, laid the foundation of much political evil to Britain.

In the character of Lord Rockingham Mr. Burke discovers very great address, as he had in Mr. Grenville's consummate ability. He does not dwell on the talents of his patron, but enters into the detail of his measures, and deduces them from patriotism and independence. He lays the principal stress on the qualities of that noble person's heart, as he was much more eminently distinguished for his integrity and virtuous intentions, than for his parts and knowledge.

The character of the illustrious Chatham is not altogether so distinctive and complete a picture as that of his friend, Mr. Grenville. Burke draws that great man no farther than he thinks necessary to account for his formation of the Ministry which succeeded Lord Rockingham's; but he gives a very striking description of the heterogeneous materials of that Administration. The State,' he says, was delivered into the hands of Lord Chatham-a great and celebrated name; a name that keeps the name of this country respectable in every other part of the globe. It may be truly called

• Clarum et venerabile nomen,

Gentibus, et multum nostræ quod proderat urbi."

Sir, the venerable age of this great man, his merited rank, his superior eloquence, his splendid qualities, his eminent services, the vast space he fills in the eye of mankind, and, more than all the rest, his fall from power, which, like death, canonizes and sanctifies a great character, will not

suffer me to censure any part of his conduct, But what I do not presume to censure, I may have leave to lament. FOR A WISE MAN, HE SEEMED to me, at that time, to be GOVERNED ΤΟΥ MUCH BY GENERAL MAXIMS. I speak with the freedom of history, and, I hope, without offence. One or two of these maxims, flowing from an opinion not the most indulgent to our unhappy species, and surely a little too general, led him into measures that were greatly mischievous to himself; and for that reason, among others, perhaps fatal to his country: measures, the effects of which, I am afraid, are for ever incurable. He made an Administration, so chequered and speckled; he put together a piece of joinery, so crossly indented and whimsically dovetailed ; a cabinet so variously inlaid; such a piece of diversified mosaic; such a tesselated pavement without cement-here a bit of black stone, and there a bit of white-patriots and courtiers; King's friends and republicans ; Whigs and Tories; treacherous friends and open enemies;-that it was indeed a very

curious shew, but utterly unsafe to touch, The colleagues

and unsure to stand on.

whom he had assorted at the same boards stared at each other, and were obliged to ask, "Sir, your name?-Sir you have the advantage of me.-Mr. Such-a-one,-I beg a thousand pardons." I venture to say, it did so happen, that persons had a single office divided between them, who had never spoke to each other in their lives; until they found themselves, they knew not how, pigging together, heads and points, in the same truckle-bed.'*

The picture of Charles Townshend is just, discriminative, animated, and strong. He is drawn a man of great talents; but from an immoderate passion for fame, rather employing his abilities in supporting measures and principles most in vogue, than in devising or maintaining the wisest and

The remark concerning maxims came with peculiar propriety from Burke, of whose wisdom it was a distinguishing characteristic, not to adopt any general, principle implicitly, but to modify its application according to the diversity of circumstances.

most salutary. Burke, that goddess (Fame) wheresoever she appeared; but paid his particular de. votion to her in her favourite habitation, in her chosen temple,-in the House of Commons. Perhaps there never arose a man in this country of a more pointed and finished wit, and (where his passions were not concerned) of a more refined, exquisite, and penetrating judgment. If he had not so great a stock, as some who flourished formerly, of knowledge long treasured up, he knew, by far better than any man I am acquainted with, how to bring together, within a short time, all that was necessary to establish, to illustrate, and to decorate that side of the question which he supported. He stated his matter skilfully and powerfully. He particularly excelled in the most, luminous explanation and display of his subjects. His style of argument was neither trite and vulgar, nor subtile and abstruse. He hit the house between wind and water. Not being troubled with too anxious a zeal for any matter in question, he was never

He worshipped,' said