ornaments and curiosities of Hatton. On his death, in March 1825, it was transferred by bequest to Dr. John Johnstone, of 'Birmingham, in whose possession it now is.

Butler's Court was burnt down on the morning of the 23d April, 1813, having been let to a clergyman named Jones, for the purposes of a school, in whose occupation the accident took place. It is remarkable that Cliefden, the seat of his intimate friend the Marquis of Thomond, only five miles distant, shared the same fate a few years before, being burnt down in May 1795. Cliefden is celebrated by Pope; and there his

present Majesty passed some of his younger days. This house as well as Butler's Court were built upon the plan of Buckingham House, with a grand centre connected to wings by corridors.

CHAPTER VII.

His Person.-Manners.-Habits.-Conversational Powers and Sallies. Private Character.-Ardour of Temper and reputed Irritability. Contemporary Opinions formed of him.

IN adverting to some of the public and private characteristics of this celebrated man, there will be found so much to commend, that simple justice may run the risk of being deemed indiscriminate panegyric. Against this the writer is solicitous to guard himself by giving, in addition to any estimate of those merits he may himself form, the opinions of others more competent perhaps to convey a correct judgment upon the matter, and who were well acquainted with the original, as well as with the facts they respectively state, and several of whom being opposed to him on political topics will not be suspected of bestowing undeserved praise.

To give a just representation of a great political character, whose life has been spent in the constant contention inseparable, in England at least, from the calling he pursues, is a laborious indeed, but not an impracticable undertaking. To give such a representation as shall be universally acceptable, is impossible. A statesman is at all times to the mass of the world, an object of suspicion during, or near to, the time in which he lives. If there be two ways of construing his conduct, the unfavourable side is commonly taken; yet the contrary impression would be

unquestionably nearer to the truth, for of all public men he is the most interested in doing, or in aiming to do, right, whether he looks to the continuance of present power, or to the possession of that which every man would have, if he could, namely, posthumous reputation. It is the duty, therefore, of the biographer or historian diligently to attend to this; to give even to a questionable character an attentive and impartial, if not a favourable consideration. This is the business not merely of common charity but of strict justice; for there is, notwithstanding such constant exclamations against poor human nature, much more of good among mankind than we are always willing to acknowledge. Many statesmen, therefore, however unpopular or imprudent in their politics, have not been without their public as well as private virtues. But, on the other hand, where no crimes are charged, where no suspicion attaches, and where even adversaries have been compelled to render praise, the task of the narrator is as easy as it is agreeable. Such is the case with Mr. Burke. Judged therefore by this standard, he will be acknowledged to be not merely a great man, but an eminently good one, in whose character or conduct there will be found little which the most devoted admirer need be afraid to probe, little of human infirmity over which an enemy can triumph; for his errors, whatever they were, chiefly arose from pushing the passions of virtue to excess.

In person, he was five feet ten inches high, erect, well-formed, never very robust; when young, expert in the sports of his country and time, active in habits suited to his years until his last illness, and always, it scarcely need be added, particularly active

in mind, having nothing of what he called "that master-vice, sloth" in his composition.

His countenance in early life possessed considerable sweetness, and by his female friends was esteemed handsome. At a later period, it did not appear to be marked, particularly when in a state of quiescence, by that striking expression which from the well-known qualities of his mind many persons expected to see; but the lines of thought were evident, and when excited by discussion there was an occasional working of the brow, occasioned partly by being nearsighted, which let the attentive observer into the secret of the powerful workings within. From this defective state of vision, he almost constantly, from about the year 1780, wore spectacles. An Irish literary lady of talent-and ladies are possibly the best judges of these matters-who enjoyed the pleasure of his acquaintance, thus describes him at the age of 50 in a letter to the present writer:

"He was the handsomest man I recollect to have seen; his stature about six feet, well-made, portly, but not corpulent. His countenance was such as a painter would find it difficult precisely to draw (and indeed I always understood they complained of the difficulty); its expression frequently varying, but always full of benevolence, marked, in my opinion, by strong intellect and softened by sensibility. *** A full length portrait of him hangs in the Examination Hall of Dublin University; the figure, features. and complexion are like his, but the countenance as a whole by no means does him justice. *** He was a most delightful companion, and had the art of

rendering the timid easy in his company. His conversation, which was often serious and instructive, abounded at other times with wit, pleasantry, and good humour; whatever subject he spoke upon, and he spoke upon all, he excelled in, as if it had formed a particular study; and his language, though sometimes considered ornamented on public occasions, was distinguished by a fascinating simplicity, yet powerful and appropriate beyond what I can tell."-Another lady, with whose husband, who was a relation, he occasionally spent a day in Lamb's Conduit-street, in London, describes him nearly in the same terms"His address frank, yet dignified; his conversation interesting and various; and, particularly to female society, playful and amusing in a high degree."The best picture of him is that painted by Reynolds in 1775, from which the engraving which accompanies this volume is taken; the original is in the possession of Earl Fitzwilliam, being bequeathed to him by Mrs. Burke. That which hangs in the Examination Theatre of the University of Dublin was taken at a much later period of life, the face shorter than in Sir Joshua's, with something of contemplative severity in the expression. A better likeness, as is commonly said, is that modelled in wax, and finely finished by T. R. Poole, who was medallion modeller to his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, but it should be remembered that it was taken at a much later period of life than the picture by Sir Joshua.

Of the bust by Hickey, which has been noticed as having been recently presented by his nephew,