formality, which was a third and last time repeated as he reached the steps of the altar. Then he made his offering, which, according to the order of the original institution, was ten pounds in gold and silver, and delivered in a purse: he then knelt down, and made a silent prayer, after which, in the same measured steps, he returned to his stall, when the whole ceremony concluded by another slow movement on the organ. The air of piety, and the unaffected grace and dignity, with which the King per private, to have the answers prepared. Nevertheless, this public tribute of loyalty to the King, and of respect to herself, went gratefully to her heart, and filled her eyes with tears-which she would not, however, encourage, but, smiling through them, dispersed them with her fan, with which she was repeatedly obliged to stop their course down her cheeks. The Princesses, less guarded, the moment their father's danger was mentioned, wept with but little control; and no wonder, for I question if there was one dry eye in the theatre. The tribute, so just, so honour-formed this rite, surprised and moved me; Mr. able, so elegant, paid to the exalted character of the Queen, affected everybody, with joy for her escape from affliction, and with delight at the reward and the avowal of her virtues. When the address was ended, the King took a paper from Lord Harcourt, and read his answer. The King reads admirably; with ease, feeling, and force, and without any hesitation. His voice is particularly full and fine. I was very much surprised by its effect. When he had done, he took off his hat, and bowed to the Chancellor and Professors, and delivered the answer to Lord Harcourt, who, walking backwards, descended the stairs, and presented it to the Vice-Chancellor. Smelt, the most affectionate of his many loyal We wish Miss Burney could have given us more of such scenes as these, instead of her squabbles with the Crutchleys, the Turbulents, and the Schwellenbergs. We have already intimated that, though living in the same house and in daily intercourse with their Majesties, her station did not enable her to form any part of their society; but still a woman of observation and sagacity might, if not wholly absorbed in selfadmiration, have given us, without any undue betrayal of private confidence, or any deficiency in duty to her royal patrons, many more valuable anecdotes than the few which these pages afford. We fully admit that in all she says of the royal family her narration is in better taste than any other portion of her Diary. We only lament that, talking so much, she says so little; and finding all the pages of the third volume so The following is interesting in a different studded with the names of the King and style : After this, the Vice-Chancellor and Professors begged for the honour of kissing the King's hand. Lord Harcourt was again the backward messenger, and here followed a great mark of goodness in the King; he saw that nothing less than a thorough-bred old courtier, such as Lord Harcourt, could walk backwards down these steps, before himself, and in sight of so full a hall of spectators; and he therefore dispensed with being approached to his seat, and walked down himself into the area, where the Vice Chancellor kissed his hand, and was imitated by every Professor and Doctor in the room. Vol. iii., pp. 95-97. Monday, January 1st.-The king was to make an offering as Sovereign of the Garter. He was seated in the Dean of Windsor's stall, and the Queen sat by his side. The Princesses were in the opposite seats, and all of them at Queen, we really have not been able to extract anything more interesting than we have presented to our readers. The result of all is that we are conscientiously obliged to pronounce these three volumes to be-considering their bulk and pretensions-nearly the most worthless we have ever waded through, and that we do not remember in all our experience to have laid down an unfinished work with less desire for its continuation. That it may not mend as it proceeds, we cannot-where there is such room for improvement-ven the end of the church. When the service was over, the offering ceremony began. The Dean and the Senior Canon went first to the communion-table: the Dean then read aloud, "Let your light so shine before men," &c. The organ began a slow and solemn movement, and the King came down from his stall, and proceeded, with a grave and majestic walk, towards the communion-table. When he had proceeded about a third of the way, he stopped, and bow-ture to pronounce; and there is thus much ed low to the altar: then he moved on, and to be said for it, that it can hardly grow THE LONDON QUARTERLY REVIEW. No. CXL. FOR SEPTEMBER, 1842. speech which the night before has made the whole House ring with enthusiastic cheers; or, on the contrary, has wondered at the slight effect produced at the time, by what he afterwards reads with so much pleasure. We have heard a most eminent living statesman observe how very erroneous an idea, as to the comparative estima tion of our public characters, would be formed by a foreigner who was unacquainted with our history, and who judged only from 啡 Who, for instance, Hansard's Debates." ART. I.-Correspondence between Mr. Pitt to discover-with the 'Times' or the 'Chroand the Duke of Rutland, Lord-Lieute- nicle' in his hand-any good points in the nant of Ireland, 1781-1787. (Privately printed.) London. 1842. pp. 174. IT has been laid down as a rule by a great orator of ancient times, that writing well is the best and surest preparation for speaking well. Stilus optimus et præstantissimus dicendi effector et magister are the words of Cicero. On the other hand it seems natural to suppose that a man able and ready with his tongue should be still more able and ready with his pen. If he can without premeditation pour forth acute arguments in eloquent language, surely the advantages of leisure will supply the same acuteness and the same eloquence in at least equal perfection. now remembers the name of Mr. Charles Marsh? Yet one of the most pointed and vigorous philippics which we have read in any language stands in the name of Mr. Marsh, under the date of the 1st of July, 1813. Neither of these conclusions, however, It has, therefore, always been a subject of is entirely borne out by experience. Burke, doubt and discussion, notwithstanding the whose writings will delight and instruct oratorical eminence of Mr. Pitt, whether the latest posterity, often delivered his he likewise excelled in written composition. harangues to empty benches or a yawning Up to this time the general impression, we This impresaudience, and was known to his contempo- believe, is, that he did not. raries by the nickname of 'the Dinner-Bell.' | sion has, in part perhaps, proceeded from the example of his father, the great Lord Chatham, whose style in his correspondence appears by no means worthy of such a mind -swelling, empty, cumbrous-and, even Too deep for his hearers, he went on refining; And thought of convincing, while they thought of dining ! Fox, so pre-eminent as a debater, appears with small distinction in his authorship. Nay more, even the high skill of the Reporters' Gallery fails to give any just idea of the real merits of a speech as well or ill adapted to its hearers. Every one must have frequently felt surprise at his inability * De Oratore, lib. i. c. 33. 21 VOL. LXX. * We cannot mention Hansard's' Debates' without noticing the valuable addition to them now in course of publication-Sir Henry Cavendish's Reports. These Reports (1768-1774) contain much curious matter-inter alia, upwards of one hundred new speeches of Burke;-they, in fact, go very far to fill up a hitherto hopeless gap in our Parliamentary history-and the publication, with its important appendices, does great honour to the skill and industry of the discoverer and editor, Mr. Wright. to his own family, seeking metaphors and epithets instead of precision and clearness. Another cause of that impression may have been, that Mr. Pitt, whenever it was possible, preferred transacting business in personal interviews rather than in writing. Of this usual course in Mr. Pitt a strong proof came under our own observation. Once, when the writer of this article was on a visit at Lowther Castle, the venerable Earl, who amidst advancing years never wearies in acts of courtesy and kindness to all around him, indulged his friend's curiosity with a large packet of letters addressed by Mr. Pitt to himself, and to his kinsman Sir James. These letters had been most properly preserved as autographs; but, with one or two remarkable exceptions, they were very short, and nearly in the following strain:-'Dear Lowther, Pray call on me in the course of the morning.'-'Dear Lowther, Let me see you at the Treasury as soon as you can.'-'Dear Lowther, When shall you be next in town,as I wish to speak to you?'-in short, referring almost every subject to conversation instead of correspondence. many of them were, in the very height of the session, or the utmost hurry of business-they appear to us models in that kind of composition. We can scarcely praise them more highly than by saying that they rival Lord Bolingbroke's celebrated diplomatic correspondence, of which, as we know from other sources, Mr. Pitt was a warm admirer. They never strain at any of those rhetorical ornaments which, when real business is concerned, become only obstructions, but are endowed with a natural grace and dignity-a happy choice of words, and a constant clearness of thought. Although scarce ever divided into paragraphs, they display neither confusion, nor yet abrupt transition of subjects, but flow ou, as it were, in an even and continuous stream. Of these merits, however, we shall now give our readers an opportunity of judging for themselves. Here, for example, is a confidential inquiry, which was addressed to the Duke of Rutland as to some faults imputed to his secretary, Mr. Orde," and which, as it seems to us, most justly combines a zeal for the public service with a tenderness for personal feelings : : 'Mr. Pitt to the Duke of Rutland. [Secret.] Brighthelmstone, Oct. 28, 1785. But whatever doubts may have been entertained as to Mr. Pitt's abilities for writing, are now, as we conceive, set at rest by a fortunate discovery in the House of Rutland. It may be recollected, that the late My dear Duke,—I would not break in upon Duke was appointed by Mr. Pitt, in 1784, you in the course of your tour, if the business I wish to bring under your consideration was less Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, and died as pressing and important than it is. You will be such, in 1787, at the early age of thirty-three. so good to understand what I have to say upon The Duchess, his widow, survived till 1831. it as being in the most entire confidence and seNot long since, as their eldest son, the pre- crecy, as indeed the subject itself sufficiently sent Duke, was arranging her Grace's pa- implies. Various accounts have reached me pers, he unexpectedly lighted upon a long from persons connected with Ireland, too mateseries of confidential communications be- rial to the interest of your government, and, tween Downing Street and Dublin Castle. consequently, to us both, to make it possible for me to delay communicating the substance imIn this case it was manifestly impossible mediately to you, and desiring such farther infor the Prime Minister to hold personal formation and advice as you alone can give. interviews with the Lord Lieutenant: in While all quarters agree in eulogiums, which this case, therefore, Mr. Pitt wrote, and do not surprise me, on every part of your own wrote most fully and freely. The greater conduct, and on the prudence, spirit, and firmpart of the letters are marked 'private,' ness of your government, the picture they give most private,''secret' most secret,' and of the first instrument of your administration is are evidently composed, not merely as be- very different. They state that Mr. Orde has incurred the imputation of irresolution and ti tween official colleagues, but familiar friends. midity, and a suspicion even of duplicity, still The value of these documents to illustrate more prejudicial than his want of decision; and the history of the times and the character that if the management of the House of Comof Mr. Pitt could not fail to be apparent, mons, and the duties of secretary, are left in his and although there might be some ground hands, it will be impossible to answer what against their publication at present, the may be the consequences to Government even Duke of Rutland has in the most liberal man-imagine does not come directly to me; and I in the next session. This information you may ner consented that a certain number should neither know how far it is to be depended upon, be printed for the gratification of his friends. nor have any means myself of ascertaining it, Of the letters thus printed in the course but by stating it to you, who may be able to do of the present summer, we have had the honour to receive a copy, and we feel no hesitation in saying that-written though *The Right Hon. Thomas Orde. He had been Secretary of the Treasury, in 1782. In 1797 he was created Lord Bolton, and died in 1807. SO. I receive every such intimation with great | Orde's conduct, and you will be best able to allowance for a thousand prejudices or secret judge whether there is any probability of its motives in which it may originate; but I still being founded. And, above all, you will have think it too serious to be wholly disregarded. the goodness to tell me freely, whether, if (from From all I have had an opportunity of seeing, such materials as we can collect) the opinion I give Mr. Orde credit for considerable abilities here should incline to remove Mr. Orde, you and industry, and for perfect good intention. I feel in your own mind any objection, provided am, therefore, inclined to think such representa- you can pitch upon a proper person to succeed tions as I have mentioned at least greatly exag- him; and be persuaded that the knowledge of gerated. But I am sensible that his manners do your inclination in this respect will be decisive, not lead him to be direct and explicit in doing both on my opinion and my wishes. The only business, and that his temper is not decisive. other way by which I can be enabled to judge This may make him not distinct enough in his farther on this subject is by calling on Mr. Orde dealings with men or personal objects, and con- himself (as may naturally be done in the present tent, without knowing as distinctly as he ought, circumstances) to state, more precisely than he on the other hand, what he has to trust to from has hitherto done, the strength and reliance of them; and these circumstances will sometimes Government, and the prospect he has of carryhave the appearance, and generally the bad ef- ing through the public service in the House of fect, of the qualities imputed to him. It is stated Commons. By this means, one material part of particularly, that when the commercial bill was the consideration may, I think, be ascertained brought forward he had neither taken sufficient with a good deal of accuracy. pains to ascertain who were the friends of Government, nor to collect those who were certainly so, but had trusted to vague assurances and general expectations, which produced the consequences we saw. This I am more apt to believe, because I think, even now, after that session, he is not prepared to give any clear and satisfactory statement of the support on which Government may rely. I do not mention what passed on the commercial question as a thing to be lamented in the event: on the contrary, if the effect of more exertion in Mr. Orde had been to procure twenty or thirty more votes in the House of Commons, it would, as events have proved, perhaps have been a misfortune; but occasions might arise in which the same want of address or vigour might be fatal. Upon the whole, if there is any reasonable ground for the suggestions I have mentioned, I think you will agree with me that it would be very desirable to open a retreat for Orde, and to endeavour to find some other person whom you would approve of to take his place. But, at the same time, this is not a resolution to be lightly taken, because, although the pledge for the continuance of the same system, and the main grounds of confidence, would still continue, (where they have hitherto existed), in your own person, yet even the change of the secretary must interrupt and derange for a time the machine of government in a way which ought to be avoided, if there is no strong necessity for hazarding it. All, therefore, that occurs to me, under these circumstances, is, first, what I have now done, to state the whole to you, and to desire the most confidential communication of your opinions and wishes concerning it. You may, perhaps, in your situation, find it difficult to obtain from the truest friends of Government their real sentiments on so delicate a point; you may have a difficulty in endeavouring to sound any of them; and I know not whether there are any whose integrity and good sense you would trust sufficiently to communicate with them on such points; but it is possible that you may find opportunities of doing so without committing yourself too far. At all events, you can compare what I have stated with the result of your own experience and observation of Mr. It may seem premature to proceed already to talk of the person to succeed before the preliminary point is ascertained. In mentioning it, however, I do not mean to anticipate your decision on the prudence of making the change (in which my own opinion is in no degree settled), but I wish, in order to avoid delay (whatever may be the final result), that the whole subject should be at once before you. I need hardly say, that, if the change should take place, any person whom you could select for this trust would be sure to be at once acquiesced in here. But from what has passed formerly I must doubt whether you have any one to name, Fitzherbert* being, from his situation, so far out of the question. Only three names have occurred to me, which I mention to you that you may turn them in your mind. The first is W. Grenville; † I do not know that he would take it, and rather suppose that he would not. I think, too, that his near connexion with Lord Buckingham is itself perhaps a sufficient objec tion, though in temper and disposition he is much the reverse of his brother, and in good sense and habits of business very fit for such a situation. The second I have to name is Steele: I know as little whether he would take it, having never hinted a syllable to him on the subject, and I could very ill spare him from his present situation in the Treasury; but if no other good arrangement could be found, I believe I should make the sacrifice, for such it would be. He has exceeding good abilities, great clearness and discretion, the most manly disposition, the best temper, and most agreeable manners possible, and speaks well in public. The third person is Faulkner, whom I believe you know quite as well as I do. He has the reputation of uncommon cleverness, is very accomplished, and seems a man of spirit. I have had some opportunity of seeing him in business * Alleyne Fitzherbert. He became Secretary for Ireland under the Duke of Rutland's successor, and in 1801 was created Lord St. Helen's. + William Wyndham Grenville, afterwards Lord Grenville. The Right Hon. Thomas Steele, for many years Secretary of the Treasury. |