Whatever merit, therefore, be in this celebrated measure, and there is unquestionably much, the larger proportion of it, beyond all doubt, belongs to Mr. Burke.

His labours at the commencement of this troubled session had been equally arduous, though less personally agitating than those which occurred towards its close. An important constitutional question was mooted, whether the impeachment had not abated by the dissolution of Parliament in 1790? He maintained, with great vigour and ability, that it did not; Mr. Fox, Mr. Pitt, Mr. Dundas, Mr. Addington the Speaker, Mr. Adam, and the chief talent of both Houses, supporting the same views. Nearly all the lawyers, however, were of an opposite opinion, and among them Mr. Erskine, who laboured hard to support this unconstitutional doctrine. This circumstance drew from the chief manager many sarcastic remarks, especially after Mr. Erskine, who had been professionally retained in a cause on the other side, and who of course was not free from bias on the question, had remarked that they were not at home in that House, when Mr. Burke said, he believed they were not; "they were birds of a different feather, and only perched in that House on their flight to another-only resting their tender pinions there for a while, yet ever fluttering to be gone to the region of coronets; like the Hibernian in the ship, they cared not how soon she foundered, because they were only passengers-their best bower anchor was always cast in the House of Lords." In another sentence he expressed a wish "to see the country governed by law, but not by lawyers." On the 14th of February, when Mr. Erskine, who had already sustained many of his biting sarcasms, complained of the length of the trial, Mr. Burke, after an able defence of the managers, upon whom certainly no blame rested in the opinions both of Ministry and Opposition, asked "whether the learned gentleman remembered, that if the trial had continued three years, the oppressions had continued for 20 years? whether, after all, there were hour-glasses for measuring the grievances of mankind? or whether those whose ideas never travelled beyond a nisi prius cause, were better calculated to ascertain what ought to be the length of an impeachment, than a rabbit who breeds six times in a year was to judge of the time proper for the gestation of an elephant?" Mr. Fox was equally severe in his strictures upon the legal profession.

The other chief public measures in which Mr. Burke took part were, by an eloquent speech, seconded by Mr. Fox and Mr. Pitt, in support of Mr. Mitford's bill, granting indulgence to protesting Roman Catholic Dissenters, or those who denied the Pope's supremacy in temporal matters; on the slave trade; on the Russian armament; and a very eloquent one (May 12th) on Mr. Grey's motion for a committee to inquire into the effects of imprisonment for debt-a practice to which his humane propensities were at all times keenly alive; and the legislature of the present day by pass

ing the Insolvent Act seems to have adopted the spirit of his ideas. They had, he said, not only their prisons full, but they had a commonwealth of debtors, a commonwealth of prisoners; a commonwealth as numerous as many that had existed in ancient history. These prisoners were not distinguished from slaves, but actually were slaves, existing in a country valuing itself on its laws, and boasting of its freedom, but in which they endured a greater portion of slavery than ever had been exercised by the most despotic powers. It certainly was a blemish in our law that it produced all the effects of the most abject slavery. It was a paradox strange and irreconcileable. One thing he wished to suggest, which was, that it was not to be held that this business was in all cases connected with commerce. The contracting of debts often happened among the lower classes of men in the common transactions of life, and were deemed civil suits founded on false credit. Commerce was too cautious to act upon such a fallacious principle; in cases of commerce the creditor only wished to secure the cessio bonorum. Not only the trading part of the community, therefore, but every man in the kingdom was deeply interested in the inquiry."

In the early part of the summer he paid a visit to Margate, for the benefit of the warm salt-water baths for Mrs. Burke, whence an anecdote is related indicative of his strict sense of propriety in the performance of religious duties. At church, one day, he was unexpectedly saluted with a political sermon, which, though complimentary to his own views of public affairs, was so little suited in his opinion to the place, that he displayed unequivocal symptoms of disapprobation by rising frequently during its continuance, taking his hat as if to depart, and re-seating himself with an air of evident chagrin. "Surely," said he, on another occasion, "the church is a place where one day's truce may be allowed to the dissensions and animosities of mankind."

During the stay of the family here, his niece, Miss French, who had come from Ireland to reside with them, was accustomed to relate a little incident of the ingenuity and knowledge of small things possessed by her uncle, being unexpectedly put to the test. A ball being to take place at the rooms, the ladies, who had been little in public in consequence of Mrs. Burke's indisposition, became anxious to ascertain the prevailing colours and modes in that then very fashionable place of resort, but were sadly puzzled to find a fit messenger to dispatch upon this important errand. Mr. Burke overhearing the conversation, immediately removed the difficulty by jocularly offering himself as Embassador extraordinary on the occasion, and when he found that much merriment was excited by the proposal, and some remarks made upon his unfitness for a mission requiring a special knowledge of caps, dresses, flounces, tuckers, and all the paraphernalia of female dress, good-humouredly replied, "Come, come, I know more of these things than you give me credit for; my knowledge must not be undervalued until

it is tried." To the rooms accordingly he went duly instructed by the ladies, made his remarks, according to his instructions, and returned with a humorous, and, as it proved, very correct account of all he had observed.

Toward the end of August Sir Joshua Reynolds published a print of him, engraved by Benedetti, from the best portrait painted by himself in 1775; underneath it the president caused to be engraved the following lines from the fifth book of Paradise Lost-the conduct of the good Abdiel; a strong allusion, it will be perceived, to the recent political quarrel, and expressive of his own sense of the proceedings of Opposition, as well as of their treatment, on that occasion, of his friend:

Mr. Burke, whose humility was as distinguished as any other of his qualities, and who did not see the plate until a considerable number of impressions had been worked off, urged the strongest remonstrances against the application of such lines to him; and insisted, almost as the condition of continued friendship, that they should be obliterated, or the plate and all the impressions from it which had not been distributed, destroyed. Sir Joshua submitted to this determination of his friend with great reluctance, and it was so unrelentingly carried into effect that very few are now to be found. So far did Mr. Burke carry this feeling, squeamish or affected as some may consider it, that whenever he met with one of these prints in the house of a friend, he used to beg it as a particular favour, in exchange for one without the lines, and it was no sooner obtained than destroyed.

At this period also it may be remarked, that the war of caricatures which had been carried on against him for many years with some wit and address, as well as against Mr. Fox and others of the Opposition, now turned in some degree in his favour. The Jesuit's dress, by which and by his spectacles he had hitherto been commonly represented was omitted, and he was afterwards chiefly drawn as confounding or exposing in debate the apologists of the Revolution. A collection of these graphic though fleeting memorials of the whims or satire of the day, made by an admirer of Mr. Burke and an acquaintance of

the writer, affords some amusing scenes at this period of time; the likenesses preserved in them are as faithful as caricature pretends to be, and some of his oratorical attitudes are very correctly caught.

This pictorial wit, however, even when most hostile to him, far from inflicting pain, frequently became a source of amusement to himself and his friends, as the following anecdote will testify. Some years since, when dining at Lord Tankerville's, the conversation turning on caricatures, a gentleman remarked, that he believed Mr. Fox had been oftener exhibited in that way than any other man in the kingdom-"I beg pardon," said Mr. Burke, "but I think I may put in my claim to a greater number and variety of exhibitions in that line than my honourable friend." "I hope," observed Mr. Fox, "they give you no uneasiness." "Not in the least," was the reply, "I have, I believe, seen them all, laughed at them all, and pretty well remember them all; and if you feel inclined to be amused, and it would not be trespassing on the indulgence of the company, I can repeat the different characters in which I have figured in the shops, obedient to the mimic powers of the pencil." Accordingly he began, and detailed them all in so humorous a manner as to keep the table in continual laughter during his description.

CHAPTER XII.

Anecdote of Burke's unobtrusive spirit-Appeal from the New to the Old Whigs -French Emigrants-Letter to Mr. (now Baron) Smith-Writings on French Affairs, and on the Roman Catholic Claims-Sir Joshua Reynolds-Parlia mentary Business-Letter on the Death of Mr. Shackleton-War with FranceLetter of Mr. R. Burke, Jun. to Mr. Smith.

ALLUSIONS having been made in this work to that unobtrusive spirit, which, whether called humility or modesty, constantly actuated Mr. Burke in restraining his partial and admiring friends from giving to the world through the customary channels, those biographical notices and domestic details and anecdotes so well calculated to exhibit him in an amiable light, and many of which are necessarily lost, an instance of the fact may be given, though it occurred some time before the period at which we are now arrived.

One of these friends, the very oldest and one of the very warmest he possessed, finding his name to occupy so frequently and so highly a large share of the public attention, conceived it might gratify general curiosity, and pay a debt at once to eminent merit and long friendship, by communicating more at large a few of those personal and domestic circumstances which impart

RIGHT HON. EDMUND BURKE.

the only true knowledge of character, and which his opportunities for observation enabled him very well to supply. This was accordingly done, and inserted in a newspaper of the day. Here the piece met the eye of the orator, and though no more than justice had been rendered by it to the characters of himself, his lady, and family in the way of eulogy, the circumstance caused him no small degree of annoyance, and even unusual irritation. Suspecting the quarter whence it proceeded, by the information it contained, he instantly wrote to the presumed author, reprehending him most severely for taking the unwarrantable liberty of intruding what he termed his "bed and board" upon the public eye-of impertinently meddling with what the of world had no concern whatever-of doing that which the malice and faction however busy with his political character, had never dared to touch-and for this unjustifiable officiousness in the garb of praise, renouncing almost in positive terms, any further acquaintance or correspondence.

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Surprised, and beyond measure hurt, at a result so little to be anticipated, the unlucky friend returned a dejected, though pathetic and extremely well-written reply, confessing his offence, urging that though perhaps open to the charge of officiousness, he could not divine that so venial an error should excite so much displeasure; that in doing as he did, he had no other motive than to evince the sincere love and honest admiration for his talents and character which had ever been the ruling passions of his breastand if for this cause he was to be deprived of the honour of his future correspondence and regard, a regard springing up from their most boyish days, and never yet for a moment interrupted, he should regret it as the heaviest misfortune of his life, but if the determination was finally taken as the tenor of his letter seemed to imply, he bade him sorrowfully indeed and unwillingly on his part, a long, but an affectionate and respectful farewell. This appeal completely subdued Burke. He wrote off instantly a letter of apology much more humble in its terms than that of his friend, deprecating the loss of his regard, desiring to recall his hasty and improper communication, and to bury in oblivion its harsh tone, and sincerely begging his forgiveness for displaying towards him even for a moment that constitutional irritability, which he so well knew was a failing of his nature, but which he should take care should never again be permitted to interfere with their long and he hoped unfailing friendship.

His early and esteemed acquaintance, Mr. Shackleton, of Ballitore, who visited London very frequently in the spring, to attend the annual meetings of the Friends' Society, spent a considerable portion of his time either at Butler's Court or at the house of the family in town, and when business or other claims upon his time carried him elsewhere, Mr. Burke always regretted