gard to the observance of their own promises when they arrived at years of maturity

The brightness of Charles's genius was seen with gladness by his fond and delighted father, whose attention was unremitting to the care of his education, while his tenderness for him rather inclined to feminine weakness: he threw aside the reins of paternal authority, and suffered him to riot at large; content to have the love of his darling boy, he sought not to excite his fear, and never did Charles know what it was to approach his father with awe. The following incident will serve to shew the temerity of the lad, and the forbearance of the parent.

When secretary of state, in the midst of the war, having one night a great number of important expresses to dispatch, he took them home from his office in order the more attentively to examine their contents before he sent them away. Charles, then about nine years old, came into the study, and taking up one of the packets which his father had examined and laid apart for sealing, he perused it with much seeming attention for a time, then expressed his disapprobation of its contents, and thrust it into the fire. Far from being ruffled at this incident, or from attempting to reprimand him, his father turned immediately to look for the office copy, and with the utmost composure made out another.

Lord Holland was in the habit of treating his children as men, introducing them as men into every company, and accustoming them to delivthus iner their sentiments on all occasions

spiring them with a confidence which increased in their riper years, and which, in all situations, rendered them masters of themselves.

At the age of fourteen Charles accompanied his father to the continent and visited Spa, at that time a place of fashionable resort of the most distinguished characters from all parts of Europe. Here it is said that Lord Holland indulged his favorite with five guineas a night to be spent in games of hazard. The truth of this circumstance we are the less inclined to dispute, as it would account in the most satisfactory manner for the origin of that inordinate love of gaming which took possession of his mind.

Lord Holland, in compliance with his son's future destination, preferred a public to a private education, and accordingly Charles had been sent to Westminster school. On his return from the continent he was placed at Eton, where Dr. Bernard, the late provost, found him not only uncommonly eager after amusements, but eminently successful in classical attainments. His private tutor, while he belonged to that celebrated institution, was Dr. Newcome, the late Archbishop of Arinagh, who, while he was frequently vexed at the dissipation of his pupil, had at the same time occasion to be highly gratified with his progress. His rapid advancement in classical learning while at school, gave him a decided su periority in every class he entered; and as his powers of oratory were superior to that of any boy in the school, he, whenever eloquence was found to be necessary, was always chosen as

their leader. The strength of his constitution kept pace with that of his mind, and both were fully exercised. Study and dissipation alternately engrossed his whole attention; nor did the apparent preference of one, hinder the advancement or indulgence of the other. Never contented with mediocrity, he sought the extent of whatever excited his attention-cold in nothing, but ardent in every thing. He soon discovered his bias to humanity, by always espousing the weakest side in those contests which so frequently disturb the harmony of juvenile society. He sat as judge in their disputes, and when he saw a school-fellow rejected or oppressed by partiality or prejudice, he frequently exerted his maiden eloquence in favour of justice : thus did he live, the young Solon and Demosthenes of his little state.

Charles, while a boy, delighted in arch tricks, which the following anecdote affords a specimen. In his walk on Easter Monday, meeting a blind woman, who was crying pudding and pies, he took her by the arm and said: " Come along with me, dame, I am going to Moorfields, where, this holiday-time you may chance to meet with good custom."-"Thank you kindly Sir," replied the woman. On this the youn,, ster conducted her into Cripplegate Church, and placing her in the middle aisle: "Now" said he, "you are in Moorfields." She immediately began to cry: Hot puddings and pies! hot puddings and pies!-come, they are all hot!" to the no small entertainment of the congregation. The sexton went up to her

and told her she was in church. "You are a lyag son of a we," answered the woman. The man, enraged at this reply, dragged her out of the church, she cursing him all the way; nor would she believe him till the sound of the organ convinced her where she was.

At Eton young Fox formed a connection with Earl Fitzwilliam, the Earl of Carlisle, the late Duke of Leinster, and many other young noblemen and gentlemen who have since distinguished themselves in both houses of parliament. Here too, he is said to have developed a peculiar taste for dissipation. Notwithstanding this, as his mind was always occupied with pleasure or business, he was accustomed during the vacation to enter into the political topies of the day, and converse with full-grown politicians and statesmen about national affairs. Nor was this all; he now began to declaim, and while he was thus obliged to pay some attention to his subject, he, at the same time acquired that faculty of expression, as. well as appropriate arrangement of matter, neither of which it is possible to attain without much previous study and experience.

Lord Holland, being, in the uncourtly language of those days, a rank tory, Charles was sent to'fin ish his education at Oxford, where he was entered of Hertford College. Here, though his time seemed devoted to gaming and every species of dissipation, he excelled all of his standing in literary acquirements. He was a profound classical scholar. He read Aristotle's Ethics and Politics with an ease uncommon in those who have

principally cultivated the study of the Greek writers. His favourite authors were Longinus and Homer. With the latter he was particularly conversant and retained through life his knowledge of the Greek language. He could discuss the works of the Ionian bard, not only as a man of exquisite taste and as a philosophical critic, which might be expected from a mind like his, but also as a grammarian. No professed philologist could be more accurately acquainted with the phraseology and versification of the poet. A clergyman, eminent for his knowledge of the Greek language, was one day endeavouring to prove that a verse in the Iliad was not genuine, because it contained measures not used by Homer. Mr. Fox instantly recited twenty other verses of the same measure, to shew that deviation from the usual feet was no evidence of interpolation. He was indeed capable of conversing with Longinus, on the beauty, sublimity, and pathos of Homer; with an Aristotle of his delineations of man; and with a pedagogue on his dactyles, his spondees, and his anapaests. Such was the universality of his genius that he could meet men of the most extensive knowledge, on at least equal terms, in their peculiar departments of science.

man.

History, ethics, and politics were his particu lar studies, and it is obvious that he early considered himself destined to be a senator and a statesHis residence at Oxford was not of long duration. The dull uniformity of a college but ill agreed with the ardor of his mind. The languid enjoyments of a contemplative life were not adB