It is remarkable that, though both lord Mansfield and lord Thurlow spoke most slowly and deliberately, yet their periods were strangely confused, and often ungrammatical; while lord Ashburton, whose volubility was marvellous, and was the despair of shorthand writers, never offended against grammar: his periods, though often quaint and apparently entangled in endless parentheses, were uncommonly neat and perspicuous; and, what is of so much consequence to an orator, gave him an appearance of speaking without preparation, and from the feelings of the moment.--Something of this was observable in Mr. Pitt's speeches; his long amplifications, with his savings and reserves, frequently made his hearers think him involved in an inextricable labyrinth; but light was sure to break in, to irradiate all he had said, and to lead to the brightest close.-There never was a moment in which Mr. Fox was, either intentionally or unintentionally obscure. This certainly speaks a volume in his praise.

XII. 8.

Mr. Sheridan-Mr. Dundas.

STRANGE as it may appear, it nevertheless is true, that common sense and dignity were possessed by Mr. Sheridan in an extraordinary degree; but they were so counteracted by habitual procrastination and irregularity*, that he was scarcely known to possess

* On the failings of eminent men, it is painful to dwell: the best reflection, which they suggest, seems to be that, with which

them. He had very little information;-had even little classical learning;-but the powers of his mind were very great. He had a happy vein of ridicule,he could, however, rise to the serious and the severe ; -and then his style of speaking was magnificent; but even in his happiest effusions, he had too much prettiness.

One of the greatest tributes ever paid to eloquence, Mr. Sheridan received from Mr. Pitt, when, after Mr. Sheridan had, in opposition to him, advocated the prosecution of Mr. Hastings, Mr. Pitt moved an adjournment, that "the house might have time

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father Bourdaloue opened the part of his funeral oration on the Grand Condé, which turned on the failings of his hero, "There is not," said the eloquent preacher," a luminary in "the heavens, which does not sometimes suffer an eclipse: “and the sun, which is the most splendid of them, suffers the greatest and most remarkable: two circumstances in these particularly deserve our consideration; one that, in these "eclipses, the sun suffers no substantial loss of light, and pre"serves his regular course; the other, that, during the time of "the eclipse, the universe contemplates it with most interest, "and watches its variations with most attention. The prince, "whom we lament, had his eclipses'; it would be idle to attempt concealing them; they were as visible as his glory: but he

never lost the principle of rectitude which ruled his heart. "That preserved him in his wanderings, and restored him to "religion and loyalty: thus the eclipse was temporary, and "the golden flood remained unimpaired." Those, who are most disposed to be severe on these eminent characters, should reflect on this circumstance. After a little self-examination, they will generally find that, if they themselves are not equally exposed to public censure, it is owing less to the undeviating rectitude of their conduct, than to the happy obscurity of their destinies.

"to recover from the overpowering effect of Mr. "Sheridan's oratory."

Mr. Sheridan objected to the coalition, to Mr. Fox's secession from parliament, to his strong language in favour of the French revolution, and predicted, as is said, the disastrous consequences of his India bill still, he uniformly adhered to Mr. Fox, and supported his politics. He required great preparation for the display of his talents: hence he was not a debater,-one, who attacks and defends on every occasion that calls him forth. It is observable that, of this kind of oratory, antiquity has left us no specimen; and that, in modern Europe, it has not existed out of England. Lord North, Mr. Pitt, and Mr. Fox, excelled in it: the first, perhaps, surpassed the two others in this useful, it may, perhaps, be called, most useful species of oratory. But, though Mr. Sheridan was no debater, he was sometimes most felicitous in an epigrammatic reply.

Mr. Dundas had not those occasional displays, which raised Mr. Sheridan so high in public estimation ;-but he went out in all weathers, was always able, and often triumphant. His Scottish accent was very strong, and, on the whole, rather served than injured his oratory.

XII. 9.

Mr. Grattan.

NATURE denied to Mr. Grattan many of the most important qualifications of an orator, and his taste was not that of Cicero; but she gave him genius

and industry. The consequence was, that he was generally thought to be the first of the second class of orators in our time. His speech in 1810 in favour of catholic emancipation may be considered as a complete specimen of his peculiar,-very peculiar style of oratory. It presents, as the writer has observed on another occasion, an union of eloquence, imagery and philosophy, which is rarely found in any composition. Nothing can show more strongly than a comparison between Mr. Grattan and his imitators, the vast space which is ever discernible between a man of real genius, philosophy and business, and a mere artist in language.

At the end of May 1820, Mr. Grattan came, for the last time, to London :- On the first day of the following June, the writer of these pages called upon him; and, being informed that he was extremely ill, was retiring, without having seen him; but Mr. Grattan, having heard that he was in the house, sent for him. It was evident that he touched the moment of his dissolution :-but the ethereal vigour of his mind was unsubdued, and his zeal for the catholic cause unabated. He pressed the writer by the hand" It is," he said, "all over!-Yes,-all "over-but I will die in the cause.I mean to be "carried to the house of commons to-morrow :- -to "beg leave of the speaker to take the oaths sitting, "-and then, to move two resolutions." These he mentioned to the writer; but spoke so indistinctly, that the writer could only perceive generally, that they were substantially the same as the clauses which he had prefixed to the bill, which, in 1812, he

brought into parliament for the relief of the catholics. He again pressed the writer by the hand, repeated the intention of being carried to the house, and desired the writer to attend him to it :-But-he died in the ensuing night!

He was buried in Westminster abbey :-his funeral was most honourably attended: the charity boys of all the catholic schools in London were present, and behaved with a seriousness, which affected every beholder.

As a public orator, Mr. Grattan was equalled by very few ;-in public or private virtue, he was surpassed by none. He reflected honour on the country, which gave him birth in the parliament of Ireland he had but one rival: the parliament of the united empire felt that he added to its lustre, and admired, respected and loved him.