CHAPTER CCXII. CONCLUSION OF THE LIFE OF LORD Eldon. ALTHOUGH Lord Eldon's natural existence was prolonged more than two years, he was now politically defunct, and [A. D. 1835.] henceforth he not only entirely abstained from attending in Parliament, but in despair he turned away his eyes from the political occurrences which were happening around him, and he thought only of his family and his private affairs. After having viewed his parliamentary career above half a century, I cannot part without regret from this respectable impersonation of genuine old Toryism. Neither we nor our children shall ever look upon his like again. In the middle of the nineteenth century he appeared a living specimen of a species of politicians long extinct. As a public man he was not only interesting from the rarity of the qualities he exhibited, but it is impossible to have been in his company so long without feeling kindness and even veneration for one who, in the midst of constant changes, had remained unchanged -who, if liable to the imputation of cherishing, when turned of eighty, all the prejudices of eighteen, could not be charged, like many others, with having been led to renounce his principles by false philosophy, or by fashion, or by interest. To prepare for that event which in the course of nature could not long be delayed, he about this time devoted a morning to the examination of his papers, and very properly destroyed much confidential correspondence. There is a class of letters, which, though in some sense confidential, may, after a certain lapse of time, be published without impropriety, and which are the best materials for history; but there are others, written on the implied understanding that they are to be burned as soon as read. Unless such letters may be safely written, government cannot be carried on; and to preserve them for the purpose of gratifying the curiosity of a future generation, would be as great an atrocity as to leave for publication a statement of all the deliberations of a Cabinet. Perhaps Lord Eldon went farther than was necessary, assisted in concealing what might have afterwards been legitimately made known; for, after dinner, when giving an account of his morning's work, he added, "I have been a member of a good many Administrations, and there are many things connected with them which I do not wish to come out." At the same time it must be acknowledged that he spared much which a cautious regard for his own reputation might have induced him to suppress.* and by the observations he had made, and that, on the contrary, he believed that the other Judges had discharged their duty with the greatest assiduity,-meriting, by their exertions, the highest praise he could bestow."-25 Hansard, 3d series, 1270. 1 take this opportunity of declaring my opinion of the fairness and boldness with which his correspondence has been given to the world by Mr. Twiss, under the sanction of his grandson. He was much afflicted by the sad state of things under the roof of his brother at Earley Court. William Scott, Lord Stowell's only son, was dying; and Lord Stowell himself, from being one of the most intellectual of men, had fallen into mental imbecility. He thus wrote to Lord Encombe during the last illness of his nephew: "The intelligence I receive is, that W. S. may linger a little longer; but the worst may be looked for, and soon. Hopes are not entertained. It is impossible to say how this dis- [NOVEmber.] tresses me. If the worst does happen, and soon, I could be of no comfort in such a state as Earley Court would be in. Not to go, however, might be very distressing to myself, and painful to those to whom I ought, if possible, to avoid giving pain. Contemplation on this subject Lord Eldon escaped the acute pain he must have suffered from a visit to Earley Court, and, in the course of a few weeks, received from Lord Sidmouth, who had married Lord Stowell's daughter, the following melancholy notices of the decease both of the son and of the father:"The vital powers are nearly exhausted, and not likely, it is thought, to hold out another day.-Lord Stowell is [Nov. 25.] unconscious of what is passing and impending, but in bodily health is as well as when you last saw him." * * * "The ceremony of this day and all the arrangements connected with it were conducted with the utmost propriety. Lord Encombe was chief mourner. He was received yesterday by [DEC. 2.] Lord Stowell in a manner that was extremely affecting; and it was evident that Lord S. continued pleased with his guest till they parted, at half-past six; though I am confident that all consciousness of who he was did not last many minutes after their first meeting. "Under other circumstances, your presence and advice would have been most welcome and acceptable to us; but, under the present, such a journey would have been highly imprudent and hazardous, and such a risk would have added greatly to our distress." * * * 66 The scene is closed: at half-past two this afternoon, I was called to the bed-chamber, and witnessed the last sigh (for it was no more) of [your beloved brother, and of my highly-valued and respected friend." [JAN. 28, 1836.] When the first pang caused by the sad news was over, Lord Eldon was comforted by the thought that his beloved brother was released from a state in which he could have had no enjoyment himself, and in which he was a melancholy spectacle to his friends The great scholar who had been the boast of Oxford,-the great wit who had been the honoured companion of Dr. Johnson, the great judge, or rather legislator, the author of a code of international law, which defines the rights and duties of belligerents and neutrals, and which is respected over the whole civilized world,-had, for some years, hardly been capable of recognising his nearest relations, and had been nearly unconscious of all that befell them. Lord Eldon continued to write to him when even the hope of being understood by him had fled. Thus he tried to announce to him the birth of a child of Lord Encombe: "MY DEAR BROTHER, "I learn by letter, that my grandson, Lord Encombe,-who is the only son, you know, of my deceased eldest son, poor John, whose beautiful epitaph you wrote,-has had a daughter born the other day, -whose birth renders me a great-grandfather, a title that makes me of venerable years. "Believe me, from my heart, dear brother, "ELDON." It is mortifying to think that, amidst the amiable feelings arising in the mind of Lord Eldon on his brother's death, there should have been one of a different character. The deceased had made a very reasonable disposition of his property, by which, upon the death of his daughter, Lady Sidmouth, without issue, his large estates in Gloucestershire were to come to Lord Encombe. Strange to say, Lord Eldon, at his advanced age and with his enormous wealth, was dissatisfied that he should not at least have had a life-interest in them, and expressed his resentment so loudly, that Lord Encombe wrote him a soothing letter, concluding with this request: "I beg that you will, during our lives (should we survive Lady Sidmouth,) take entire possession in the amplest manner of every right and power over the Stowell estates which is in the will bestowed on me, not for my own merits, but as being your grandson." This prudent step quite melted the octogenarian's heart, and he wrote back: "Of your kindness and liberality I never could think of availing myself in the smallest degree. If, in events which may happen, I live to see you in possession, you may depend upon my best advice to enable you to enjoy that possession, and assistance, if I have the means of rendering that assistance and giving that advice.”* However, like a Sovereign who is apt to be jealous of his successor, Lord Eldon, notwithstanding his grandson's devoted attachment to him and incessant solicitude to please him, viewed him, in his latter days, with some distrust, and in his treatment of him showed the irritability too often produced by age and infirmity in the kindliest natures. He came to London before the meeting of Parliament in 1836, but was not once in his place in the House of Lords during the whole session. I am afraid that he was now wretchedly at a loss for employment, and that he had much reason to regret his neglect of those studies which are the delight of old age. He only looked into books, ancient and modern, to find that he had "no pleasure in them." His ANECDOTE BOOK he had long closed; and he had almost entirely ceased to write letters, except to the members of his own family. Of late years he had amused himself with receiving accounts of the proceedings in the Court of Chancery,-blessing Heaven" that he himself was inclined to the cunctative." When he heard that Lord Cottenham was made Chancellor, he regretted that such a man should be connected with Whigs, and acknowledged that he was exceedingly well fitted to be an Equity Judge. 14th April, 1836. During the mornings, which were dreadfully long, he wished he were again writing letters in Lincoln's Inn Hall, while he seemed to be listening to the oft-repeated tale of the counsel; but his only relief from weary thoughts was an occasional call from an old friend to whom he could repeat old stories, and complain that bad men ruled the state;— not feeling much reconciled, however, to a private station, and often saying, with a sigh, "Now I am nobody." In this state of ennui he was apt to be fretful, to attach importance to trifles which he would formerly have disregarded, and even to be dissatisfied with the most tender attentions of those around him. But when the hour of dinner arrived, and the Newcastle Port-of which, with a constancy that marked all his sentiments and habits, he never took less than three pints-began to cheer his heart, existence still had charms for him; and, going back to the good old times when he was Attorney General and prosecuted traitors and libellers, he forgot for awhile that the Roman Catholics had been emancipated, or that the House of Commons had been reformed,or that Fines and Recoveries had been abolished,—or that stealing to the value of five shillings in a shop had ceased to be a capital crime. In the month of July he paid his annual visit to the North, establishing himself at the inn at Rusheyford, nearly in the centre of his Eldon estates. He was pleased to find that it continued to be kept by Mr. Hoult, the old landlord, who in 1835 had announced his intention of "resigning," on account of his age and the fortune he had made, and to whom he had pleasantly given this advice:-"I hear, Mr. Hoult, that you are talking of retiring from business; but let me advise you not to do so. Busy people are very apt to think a life of leisure is a life of happiness; but believe me, for I speak from experience, when a man, who has been much occupied through life, arrives at having nothing to do, he is very apt not to know what to do with himself. I am interested in this advice, Mr. Hoult, for I intend to come here every year for the next thirty years, and I hope to find you still the landlord. And now, good day; and I trust, if God spares me, we shall all meet again next summer.” When relating this anecdote, Lord Eldon used to say, "Next year, when I again visited Rusheyford, the landlord told me he had taken my advice, and determined not to give up his inn. It was advice given by me in the spirit of that Principal of Brasenose, who, when he took leave of young men in quitting college, used to say to them, 'Let me give you one piece of advice: Cave de resignationibus.' And very good advice too.' Having collected his relations round him for some days, at this inn, he was kind to them as usual; he recovered his cheerfulness, and he retained the remarkable self-complacency which never forsook him to his last hour. His grand-niece, Mrs. Foster, a lady of great talents, to *He might have added old Henry Dundas' advice to Ministers of State: "Beware of resignation; for when you are once out, the Lord Almighty only knows when you may get in again." whom the world is indebted for many interesting anecdotes concerning him, was of this party, and she says: 66 My dear uncle's conversation at Eldon was partly serious; but the greater part of the time, full of fun, joke, and anecdote. Neither in this or any former years did I ever know him omit to speak seriously of what his thoughts and feelings ought to be at the very great age he had now attained,-the uncertainty of his ever reaching Eldon again,the examination of his past life, which the leisure of the last few years had enabled him to make,-the satisfaction that arose from a consciousness of not having sought honours, but of having endeavoured to act in every case from pure motives,-his preparation for death, which must soon take place. I have employed the leisure of my latter years,' he said, in looking back upon my past life, and I hope I may say, without presumption, that my mind is at ease. I may have been in the wrong; but I always tried to judge and to act, by the best powers of my mind, unswayed by any impure motive.' Having created the impression on his hearers, which, as a Christian, he appeared to wish to make, he would then turn to lighter subjects, and, by his wit and his anecdote, keep every one amused the whole of the evening." As usual, he gave a dinner at the inn to his tenants, and after dinner joined them for a little while and socially sat among them. His health being given, "with three times three, and one cheer more," he made them a speech, of which we have the following report from an intelligent friend of his, who was present: "Gentlemen,-I thank God, that it has pleased him to allow me, once more, the happiness and pleasure of meeting you all again. It also gives me great satisfaction to tell you that I have been informed, by those from whom alone I can receive accurate information on the subject, that you have, all of you, made improvements in the management of your farms. For this I thank you: and I cannot but attribute these beneficial effects, in a great measure, to the alteration which you have made in the tenure of your farms, in taking them for a term instead of from year to year. It is evident to me, as it must, I think, be to you all, that a tenant who is liable to be removed in a year from his farm, cannot, satisfactorily to himself, make those improvements which he will do when he is sure that he can remain on his farm long enough to reap the benefit to himself of those improvements. I thank you all for your improved management. I will come among you as long as it shall please God to allow me. I wish you all, yourselves and families, health and happiness; and I shall never, while I live, cease to consider my tenantry as part of myself." Having, in "merry pin," sent a kiss to a young married lady, he desired that it might be given to her "privately, in the absence of her husband," and she having written back instructions to give him a "French kiss" in return, adding, "it is what no English lawyer can object to, it being only justice to make both sides of the face equal,”he said, with a hearty laugh, "I thought I should have lived and died |