this house; after seeing them give to ministers their confidence and support, after convicted failure, imposition, and incapacity; after seeing them deaf and blind to the consequences of a career that penetrates the hearts of all other men with alarm; and that neither reason, experience, nor duty, are sufficiently powerful to influence them to oppose the career of government, I certainly do think that I may devote more of my time to my private pursuits, and to the retirement which I love, than I have hitherto done; I certainly think that I need not devote so much of it to fruitless exertions and to idle talk in this house. Whenever it shall appear that my efforts may contribute, in any degree, to restore us to the situation from which the confideuce of the house, and an incapable administration, has so suddenly reduced us, shall be found ready to discharge my duty. Sir, I have done; I have given my advice. I propose the remedy and fatal will it be for England, if pride and prejudice shall much longer continue to oppose it."

Conformably to this declaration, Mr. Fox retired from his ordinary service in parliament, and even signified his readiness to resign his seat, if he should be called on to do so by his constituents. About this period he was daily pestered with abusive letters, under the signature of "An Elector of Westminster." For this vexation there was no remedy. On receiving the letters he used to throw them on the table and say, "There are another score of elect

ors." On opening them and looking at the subscription, if he found the word Elector: "Here's more paper for the cook," he would exclaim, and throw one after the other upon the floor. "Lord North," he observed on one of these occasions, "read every thing that was written against him, and rewardedthose who wrote wittily, but I cannot imitate him, for I could wish to believe that I have no enemies."

Mr. Fox now steadily adhered to his resolution of coming forward in parliament only on important occasions. One of these presented itself on the discussion of the assessed tax bill, when he resumed his seat, and appeared in strenuous opposition to that measure.

If Mr. Fox discontinued his attendance in the House of Commons, still his exertions were not wanting to cheer and animate his party. At the numerous meetings of the Whig Club, by which the anniversary of his birth-day, and of the first election for Westminster, had been for many years celebrated, he never failed to be present. At these convival assemblies, it is not improbable that their libations to Bacchus heated their imaginations to such a degree, as to cause Mr. Fox and his friends to transgress those limits which prudence in their cooler moments would have prescribed.

The anniversary of his birth-day was held on the 24th of January, 1798, at the Crown and Anchor. Tickets, to the number of eighteen hundred, were issued; and several who had paid for admission, were obliged to seek enter

tainment elsewhere. So great was the crowd, that many were hurt in attempting to gain admission. The principal leaders of the Corresponding Societies attended.

The Duke of Norfolk presided as chairman. After dinner his Grace addressed the meeting"We are met," said he, "in a moment of difficulty, to celebrate the birth of a man dear to the friends of freedom. I shall only recall to your memory, that, not twenty years ago, the illustrious George Washington had not more than two thousand men to rally round him when his country was attacked. America is now free. This day full two thousand men are assembled in this place. I leave you to make the application."-The Duke then gave this toast Our sovereign's health, the majesty of the people." The consequence of this intemperate and indecent conduct, (to say no more of it) in the first peer of the realm, was, that in a few days his Majesty signified his pleasure, that the Duke should be displaced from his appointment of lord-lieutenant of the West-Riding of the county of York, and also from the command of the militia of that Riding.

So far from being daunted by this mark of royal displeasure, Mr. Fex not long afterwards by a similar conduct, incurred a like disgrace. On the 3d of May a great number of the members of the Whig Club dined together at Freemason's Tavern. Mr. Fox was in the chair; and after the ordinary toasts, he said: "I will

give you a toast, than which I think there cannot be a better, according to the principles of this club-I mean the Sovereignty of the People of Great Britain." He then in a speech fully declaratory of his sentiments, condemned ministers in the most pointed manner for the strong measures at that time adopted in Ireland, and which measures, he said, they certainly intended should soon be enforced in England. He, however, declared, that he would be one of the first in repelling any foreign enemy under whatever government England might be. He compared the ministry to the Directory of France; affirmed that he was resolved upon retirement; but that he would be happy to come forward whenever the country demanded his services, He entertained no apprehensions of an invasion, (the country being then menaced by the French,) and was fully parsuaded, that should the enemy be rash enough to land even with a formidable force, the people would soon rout them and destroy the invaders. The opinion entertained by his Majesty of the sentiments avowed by Mr. Fox on this occasion, was immediately manifested in the erasure of his name from the list of privycounsellors.

Turning now from scenes of clamorous opposition, we shall follow the statesman into the privacy of domestic life, at St. Ann's Hill, where he spent the principal part of his time in profound retirement during his secession from parliament. Here he was able to resume

those literary pursuits which pleasure and dis sipation, or the performance of his senatorial duties, had so long interrupted.

His mode of life was regulated with great uniformity. Contrary to the practice of former times, he rose very early. Habits of regularity, more suited to his advancing years, were now substituted for the watching of the gaming-houses. Burke, before his rupture with Mr. Fox, used to call on his friend on his way to the house, and found him at three o'clock beginning his breakfast." There's Charles," he would say, "while I am exhausted by reading and business, he is quite fresh; it is no wonder that he is so much more vigorous in the house."

In his retirement Mr. Fox became acquainted with the pleasures and advantages of early rising. On the western extremity of St. Ann's Hill stands a solitary beach-tree, which grows upon a narrow platform elevated above the general surface of the hill. This point commands an extensive view of the vale through which Father Thames winds his majestic course from Chertsey to Windsor. This was a favourite spot with Mr Fox, who caused seat to be made around the tree, and this was his usual walk before breakfast.

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Such was his attachment to study, that he had formed a certain daily plan, to which ke adhered so inflexibly, that he was sometimes impatient when interrupted. He dedicated an hour before breakfast either to the acquisition