BUR

BUR

was born in Dublin, on the first January, in the year 1730. His father was an attorney, first in Limerick, and afterwards in Dublin. Young Burke received the first rudiments of his education at Ballytore, in the county of Kildare, under the tuition of Abraham Shackleton, a Quaker of considerable celebrity. Committed to the care of a master so admirably qualified for the important business of instruction, young Burke applied to his studies with commendable assiduity, and became one of the numerous examples that might be adduced, to demonstrate the falsehood of that popular but dangerous maxim, that young men of genius are always destitute of application.

In this seminary he laid the foundation of his knowledge in the languages of antiquity; whence he was hereafter to borrow the elegance of his taste, and the models and imagery of his eloquence. From this source was also, most probably, derived that love of liberty, which, germinating at certain periods in his bosom, so often pointed his oratory, inflamed his passions, and animated his sentiments; and which in his best days acquired him a reputation almost unequalled in our times.

At this respectable school several years of his life were spent and the attachment of the master, and the gratitude of the pupil, reflect honour on both. The former lived to see his scholar attain a considerable degree of reputation; and he on his part was accustomed to spend a portion of his annual visit to Ireland at Ballytore.

From a provincial seminary Edmund was sent to the university of Dublin. Here, however, he does not appear to have distinguished himself either by application or talents. His character, as a student, was merely negative. He exhibited no symptoms of early genius, obtained no palms in the academic race, and departed even without a degree. During this period, however, he commenced author. His first essays were of a political nature.

Mr Burke now addicted himself to other pursuits, particularly logic and metaphysics: and is said to have planned a refutation of the systems of Berkeley and Hume. While thus employed in treasuring up the means of attaining a species of celebrity, which far diffe rent avocations prevented him afterwards from aspiring to, he was not inattentive to the grand object of obtaining a suitable settlement in life; for his family was not VOL. V. Part I.

accordingly became a candidate for a vacant chair at the university of Glasgow. The immediate reason of his failure is not directly known; but on this he repaired to the metropolis, and enrolled his name as a student of the Inner Temple.

It appears from his speeches, his writings, and his conversation, that he studied the grand outline of our municipal jurisprudence with particular attention ; but it may be doubted whether he ever entered into the minutiæ. Indeed, the versatility of his talents, and his avocations, were but little calculated for that dull and plodding circuit which can alone lead to an intimate knowledge of our laws. Besides, if he had been gifted with the necessary application, both time and opportunity were wanting for it is well known that at this period of his life the "res angusta domi" did not permit the student to dedicate his attention solely to this, or indeed to any other single object.

The exhausted state of his finances called frequently for a speedy supply; and, instead of perusing the pages of Bracton, Fleta, Littleton, and Coke, he was ob liged to write essays, letters, and paragraphs, for the periodical publications of the day. But if these pursuits diverted his attention from graver studies, they acquired him a facility of composition, and a command of style and of language, which proved eminently serviceable in the course of his future life.

His health, however, became at length impaired, and a nervous fever ensued. This circumstance induced him to call in the aid of Dr Nugent, one of his own countrymen, a medical man, whose manners were more amiable than his practice was extensive. This gentleman, who had travelled on the continent, and was an author himself, readily discovered the source of his malady, and, by removing him from books and business to his own house, soon effected a cure. That event is said to have been hastened, if not entirely completed, by a physician of another kind; the accomplished daughter of his host. This lady was destined to become his wife; a circumstance particularly fortunate for him, as her disposition was mild and gentle, and she continued through a long series of years, and many vicissitudes of fortune, to soothe and tranquillize passions always violent, and often tumultuous.

Our student seems at length to have determined once more to endeavour to distinguish himself as an auA thor,

Burke. thor, and he accordingly took advantage of the death of a celebrated peer to write a work after the manner of that nobleman; in which, by exaggerating his principles, he should be enabled to bring them into contempt: but this effort proved unsuccessful, for the treatise in question was for a long time consigned to oblivion, and would never have been heard of, had it not been resuscitated by his future fame. Another performance made ample amends: his "Essay on the Sublime and Beautiful" attracted a high degree of reputation, and acquired him considerable celebrity as a man of letters. In addition to the profits of the publication, he is said on this occasion to have received a present from his father of 100l. But his circumstances must have been greatly embarrassed about this time, as he was obliged to sell his books; and surely nothing but the extremity of distress could have forced a man of letters to such a measure.

The work we have just mentioned, having an immediate relation to taste, excited a desire in Sir Joshua Reynolds, even then at the head of his profession, to become acquainted with Mr Burke; and a friendship ensued which continued uninterrupted during the life of the painter, and was unequivocally testified by a handsome bequest in his will. Dr Johnson also sought and obtained an intimacy with him, and he now became the constant frequenter of two clubs, composed of some of the most celebrated men of that day. One of these met at the Turk's Head tavern in Gerrardstreet, and consisted of the following members: Dr Johnson, Mr (afterwards Sir Joshua) Reynolds, Dr Goldsmith, Mr Topham Beauclerc, Dr Nugent, Sir John Hawkins, Mr Bennet Langton, Mr Chamier, Mr Garrick, and Mr Burke.

The other assembled at the St James's coffee-house, and besides many of the above, was composed of the following members: Mr Cumberland, Dr Douglas bishop of Salisbury, Dr Bernard dean of Derry, Mr Richard Burke, Mr William Burke, Mr Hickey, &c. Dr Goldsmith, who was Mr Burke's contemporary at Dublin College, was a member of both, and wrote the epitaphs of those who composed the latter. That on Mr Burke has often been praised.

Here lies our good Edmund whose genius was such,
We scarcely can praise it or blame it too much;
Who, born for the universe, narrowed his mind,
And to party gave up what was meant for mankind.
Though fraught with all learning, yet straining his

throat

To persuade Tommy Townshend to lend him a vote;
Who, too deep for his hearers, still went on refining,
And thought of convincing while they thought of
dining;

Though equal to all things, for all things unfit ;
Too nice for a statesman, too proud for a wit;
For a patriot too cool, for a drudge disobedient;
And too fond of the right, to pursue the expedient.
In short, 'twas his fate, unemployed, or in place, Sir,
To eat mutton cold, and cut blocks with a razor.

A literary work on a new plan, first suggested in 1750, and by some attributed to the Dodsleys, and by others to Mr Burke, became, for some time, a considerable source of emolument to him. This was called

the "Annual Register;" a publication that soon ob- Burke. tained considerable celebrity, and of which he had the superintendence for several years.

He was at length called off from his literary labours by avocations of a far different kind. A gentleman who afterwards derived the cognomen of "singlespeech Hamilton," from a celebrated oration, having been appointed secretary to the lord-lieutenant of Ireland, invited his friend Mr Burke to accompany him thither; this offer he readily complied with, and although he acted in no public station, and performed no public service while he remained in that country, he was rewarded with a pension of 300l. per annum, which he soon after disposed of for a sum of money.

On his return to England he amused himself, as usual, with literary composition. A series of essays, written by him in a newspaper, which, at one time, obtained great celebrity, attracted the notice of the late Marquis of Rockingham; and Mr Fitzherbert, a member of parliament, and father of the present Lord St Helen's, in consequence of this circumstance, introduced him to that nobleman. From this moment he was destined to become a public man, and to dedicate his studies, his eloquence, and his pen, to politics.

Lord Rockingham having proved more compliant than the Earl of Chatham, the former nobleman was brought into power, and seated on the treasury bench. On this occasion he selected Mr Burke as his private secretary, an office of no power and very little emolument, but which naturally leads to both. As it was now necessary he should have a seat in parliament, although it cannot be supposed that he was legally qualified in respect to property, he applied to Lord Verney, who was patron of Wendover, a borough at that time dependent on him, and principally occupied by his tenants.

Having thus obtained a seat in 1765, he prepared to fit himself for his new situation. He was already provided with all the necessary talents, and was only deficient in the forms of business, and the facility of expressing his sentiments before a public audience. The first of these was mastered by sedulous attention; and as to the second, if we are to give credit to those who pretend to be intimately acquainted with this period of his life, he overcame all difficulties by a previous initiation elsewhere. In short he had acquired celebrity at the "Robinhood," before he attempted, to speak in the British senate, and vanquished an eloquent "baker" ere he began to cope with the great orators of the nation.

Holding a confidential place under the Rockingham administration, he of course supported all its measures. A former ministry, anxious to increase its influence by means of increased imposts, had conceived the idea of taxing America through the medium of a parliament in which she was not represented. Having attempted to carry this into effect by means of the famous stamp act, the Americans, alarmed at what they conceived to be a flagrant violation of every principle of the English constitution, made such a spirited resistance to the measure that it was abandoned, and the Rockingham party readily consented to the repeal. Under the pretext, however, of vindicating the honour of the crown, they unfortunately proposed and carried the de

claratory