and obvious, and his frequent admixture of coarse and low expressions, even into his most splendid passages The effect of those was sometimes great, and then redeemed them; but they sometimes deformed and disgusted: "The

"Venus of Phidias," Wilkes used to say,

" was

so lovely, that the Athenians called her the "Venus of roses: Lovely too, speaking generally, is the Venus of Burke, but she sometimes "is the Venus of whisky."

In familiar conversation, the three great men, whom we have mentioned, equally excelled: but even the most intimate friends of Mr. Fox complained of his too frequent ruminating silence. Mr. Pitt talked;-and his talk was fascinating. A good judge said of him, that he was the only person he had known, who possessed the talent of condescension. Yet his loftiness never forsook him; still, one might be sooner seduced to take liberties with him, than with Mr. Fox. With each the baton du général was in sight, but Mr. Pitt's animation and playfulness frequently made it unobserved: this was not so often the case with Mr. Fox. Mr. Burke's conversation was rambling, but splendid, rich and instructive beyond comparison.

*The " pigging together in a truckle bed," and "the sow of imperial augury," will occur to every reader of these lines.

XII. 5.

Miscellaneous Observations on Mr. Pitt, Mr. Fox, and Mr. Burke.

IN a Critique of Mr. Pitt's ministerial conduct, written by the pen of a master, in the Edinburgh Review, for the month of June in the year 1821, it is observed, that," the scenes, in "which Mr. Pitt acted so conspicuous a part, "are fast vanishing from the view, --thrown by "others into the shade, rather than obscured by "distance."

Lord Thurlow also is said to have remarked that," Burke would be remembered after Pitt "and Fox were forgotten."*-Even "*-Even now, while the ashes of Fox and Pitt are yet warm, and their eloquence may be said yet to sound in our ears,

* The meaning of lord Thurlow is evident; but the same phrase was used by the late Mr. Porson, with a happy ambiguity. When Mr. Cumberland presented his poem, entitled "Calvary," to that gentleman, " Your poem," said Mr.Porson, "will certainly be read and admired, when Milton and Shakespear shall be forgotten."

Mr. Porson was not profuse of compliments-" Sir," said a gentleman to him, at the dinner of the Literary Fund Society, "I have the honour to present to you Mr. Fitz"gerald."-A dead silence." Sir, I have theh onour to pre "sent toyou Mr. Fitzgerald, who recited the verses which you "have just heard."-A second dead silence." Sir, I have "the honour to present to you Mr. Fitzgerald, who himself composed the verses which you have just heard."--“ Sir,” said Mr. Porson, "I am quite deaf."

how much more are the speeches of Burke read, how much more of them is generally remembered.

But both Pitt and Fox have left some memorials of themselves, the remembrance and effects of which will certainly endure to the latest moments of the existence of Great Britain.

Mr. Pitt's resiling from the coalition,-his opposition to the India bill,-his consolidation. of the customs-his protection of the constitutional rights of the sovereign during his malady, -and his partial emancipation of the romancatholics, will be mentioned in the pages of history with universal commendation. The Irish Union, (which broke an injurious aristocracy, but, by increasing its absentees, both increased and perpetuated the calamity of Ireland), his sinking fund,—and some other parts of his administration, will always have both advocates and detractors. On the great disaster of his ministry-the unsuccessful war,-which revealed to France the secret of her strength; to the other continental nations, the secret of their weakness; to England, the distressing consequences, then a secret to her, but, which she now so lamentably feels, of her excessive, though perhaps necessary exertions,-public opinion, both at home and abroad, is said by many to have decided against him,—and, on the supposition that the war was necessary, in favour of Burke.

.

Some time in the month of August 1791, the

Reminiscent called on that great man, and found him, as he usually was at this time, surrounded by many of the French nobility, and haranguing, with great eloquence, on the horrors of the French revolution, and the general ruin with which it threatened every state in Europe. One of his hearers interrupted him by saying, with somewhat more of levity, than suited either the seriousness of the subject, or the earnestness with which Burke was expressing himself,-" Mais "enfin, Monsieur, quand est ce que nous re"tournerons dans la France ?"-" Jamais," was Mr. Burke's answer.-It was a word of woe: he pronounced it in a very impressive manner, and it evidently appalled the whole audience. After a short silence, during which his mind appeared to be labouring with something too big for utterance,--" Messieurs," he exclaimed," les fausses esperançes ne sont pas "une monnoie, que j'ai dans mon tiroir :-dans "la France vous ne retournerez jamais."—"Quoi donc," cried one of the audience, "çes coquins!"-Coquins !" said Mr. Burke, “ils sont "coquins; mais ils sont les coquins les plus 66 terribles que le monde a connu!" "It is "most strange,”—he then said in the English language," I fear I am the only person in "France or England, who is aware of the extent "of the danger, with which we are threatened." -"But," said. the Reminiscent, wishing to prolong the very interesting conversation, "the

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"I

"Duke of Brunswick is to set all right."—" The "Duke of Brunswick!"* exclaimed Mr. Burke, "The Duke of Brunswick to do any good! "A war of posts to subdue France !"-Another silence," Ce qui me désespéré le plus," he then said," est que quand je plâne dans l'hémisphère politique je ne vois guerre une tête"ministerielle à la hauteur des circonstances." He once called Mr. Pitt, "the sublime of "mediocrity."

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It may, however, be thought that, in recommending his own plan, Burke did not sufficiently attend to his own representations of the selfish temporizing views of the continental powers,† on whose energetic and public spirited co-operation, the success of it depended altogether; it may therefore be lamented that the pacificsystem recommended by Mr. Fox, was not adopted.

On this, the admirers of Mr. Fox will ever dwell: they will observe that it is highly probable, that if that gentleman's peaceful system had been pursued, and France left to herself, the

† See Mr. Burke's two Letters on a Regicide Peace,(139-156.) This publication is the best exposition and defence of Mr. Burke's system on the war with France: the critique of them in the Monthly Review for November and December 1796, attributed to Sir James Mackintosh (aut Erasmi aut Diaboli),—is the ablest exposition and defence of the opposite system of Mr. Fox. A similar exposition and defence of Mr. Pitt's system is expected from the Bishop of Winchester.