m

F O X

F O X

.. . - * 1 * r " ' "—

he other a physician. lie wrote many pieces: but his principalwork is, the Acts and Monuments of the Chlirch, Sec. commonlycalled Fox’s Book of Martyrs.

Fox, Charles .Iames, one of the greatest statesmen in Eu-rope , was the third son of Henry, the iirst Lord Holland, andLady Gporgiana Carolina Lenox, daughter of the late Duke ofRichmond. He was horn Jan. 2-1, 174y; and the union of his parents,conferred on him a descent from rival kings. To pourtray any thinglike the character of this most distinguished senator, the limits ofa volume would scarcely suffice. At the early period of nine yearsof age, the dawn appeared of that vast genius, which has sinceproved the admiration of the world ; his father, who was a man ofsuperior capacity, was then prime-minister; and having left in hisstudy a political treaty which was for the approbation of a foreignpower, Charles having eagerly perused it, threw the documentinto the fire, declaring it was unfit for the purpose intended. Whenabout fifteen, lie w'as permitted during the vacation month fromcollege to visit the gay and luxurious city of Paris , hut to returnupon the expiration of that time ; he immediately entered into allthe gaiety of the scene which that capital affords with the ardourof a fashionable amateur ; but quitted those fascinating attractionswithout reluctance, and once more returned to the seat of learn-ing, where his industry was equally prominent: there it was ob-served, lie had “ no cotemporary so erudite in knowledge, noneso elegant in mirth, and that to have seen him in either one or theother, it must have been supposed, that each was his peculiarstudy;” and from his fellow-student, the Earl of Carlisle, he re-ceived the following pleasing anticipation of his future abilities:—How will my 1* ox alone, by strength of partsShake the loud senate , animate the heartsOf fearful statesmen ' while around you stand,

Both peers and commons, listening your command ;

While Tuily’s sense its weight to you affords,

JJ is nervous sweetness shall adorn your words:

What praise to Pitt, to Townshenu, e’er was due,

In future times, my Fox, shall wait on von,

Ilis father never suffered him to be contradicted, that his toweringgenius should follow its own bent. In 1768, about twelve monthsbefore he had attained bis 21st year, he took his seat in parliamentunder the banners of the Mini-ter, as representative of Midhurst, inSussex ; but soon quitted the Toryside, to join theanimated standardof a Burke and Dunning, imbibing those Whig principles w hichproduced that strong and lastina attachment to the British Consti-tution, that has immortalized Lis memory. Mr. Fox’s coalitionwith Lord North for a long time obscured his political integrity,and occasioned him much obloquy. Power, it should seem, wasnever long in his possession ; and the transcendant abilities of hisgreat rival Mr. Pitt, placed him as the honorable leader of theOpposition for manv years; and he was looked up to as the “ Manof the People.” Ifis memorable bill upon the administration ofaffairs in India, which he introduced into the House of Commons on the 18th of November, 1783, drew from the celebrated Mr.Burke, the following high eulogimn: “ I must say, then, that itwill he a distinction honorable to the age, that the rescue of thegreatest number of the human race that ever were so grievouslyoppressed from the greatest tyranny that was ever exercised, liasfallen to the lot of abilities and dispositions equal to the task ; thatit has fallen to one who had the enlargement to comprehend, thespirit to undertake, and the eloquence to support, so great a mea-sure of hazardous benevolence. But he has put to hazard his ease,his security, his interest, his power, even his darling popularity, forthe benefits of a people whom he has never seen. He has faults;but tin,y are faulL which though they may in a small degree tar-nish the lustre, ami sometimes impede the march, ot his abilities,have nothing in them to extinguish the tire of great virtues. Inthose faults there is no mixture of deceit, of hypocrisy, of pride, offerocity, of complexional despotism, nor a want of feeling for thediatres-es of nn nkir.d:” and again, in 1790, upon the Army Esti-mates, that illustrious man, after those wide and important dif-ferences of opinion had been observable, which dissolved the longand clo,e connexion of those two celebrated persons; he thus ex-pressed himself—“ he wished, as among the greatest benefits liecould wish the country, an eminent share, of power to the Rightlion. Gentleman (Mr. Fox) because Jie knew that, to his greatand masterly understanding he had joined the greatest possible share

of that natural moderation, which is the best corrective of power ;that he was of the most open, artless, candid, and benevolent dis-position; disinterested in the extreme; of a temper mild and pla-cable even to a fault; without one drop of gall in his whole com-position.” On Mr. Fox’s avowing his intention of retiring fromoffice, Mr. Pitt observed, “ he could not think his retreat war-rantable; and that his abilities marked him to be public property.”No man ever received the stamp of public approbation more thanhe did ; his fame travelled far before him ; and if he was the par-ticular object of attention in his own country, lie was no less so inother nations. In Russia, Catherine the Great , animated by hislively interference to prevent a war, and improve the relation be-tween the two countries, requested Mr. Fox to sit for a bust ofwhite marble to he placed between those of Demosthenes and Ci-cero at Petersburg!]. During his lour through Switzerland , thepeaceful natives ot that once happy soil, those brave defenders oftheir liherlies, came out for miles in myriads to behold this pro-digy of a man, and hail this great champion in freedom’s cause,which the elegant author of the “ Decline and Fall of the RomanEmpire,” thus pleasingly describes:—“Mr. Fox (Sept. 1788Jgave me two days of free and private society. He seemed to feel,and even to envy, the happiness of my situation ; while 1 admiredthe powers of a superior man, as they are blended in his attrac-tive character, with all the softness and simplicity of a child. Per-haps no human being was ever more perfectly exempt from thetaint of malevolence, vanity, or falsehood.” In France , (Sept.1802,) when Mr. Fox was presented to the First Consul (Bona-parte), lie publicly declared, “ that he was extremely happy inhaving the honor of seeing a man, whose fame as a statesman tilledall Europe ; and in being the enlightened friend of peace and con-ciliation between the tw o countries.” tie had been through lifethe most intimate and confidential friend of the heir apparent tothe crown ; and on one particular occasion received the mostheart-felt thanks from the king for that sound and constitutionaladvice he had given his son; his conversation, it should seem,had made a deep and lasting impression upon the mind of his royalhighness, for on his late birth-day (1810) upon the health of hisdaughter being drank, he most eloquently expressed himself to thefollowing effect: “ that he had made it his first care to instil intothe mind and heart of his daughter the knowledge and love of thetrue principles of the British Constitution; and he had pointed outto her young understanding, as a model for study, the politicalconduct of his most revered and lamented friend, Mr. Fox, whohad asserted and maintained, with such transcendant force, the justprinciples upon which the government, under this excellent Consti-tution,ought tobe administered for the true and solid dignity of thecrow n, and the real security, freedom, and happiness, of the peo-ple.” The French Revolution by its alarming progress struck apanic amongst the great men of tins countiy, and Mr. Fox was de-serted by many of his friends, but the secession of Mr. Burke af-fected him even to tears, and he candidly acknowledged in theHouse of Commons , “that during the conversation of only atwelvemonth with that distinguished senator, he had gained moreuseful knowledge, than by all his experience,learning, and hooks:yet notwithstanding he remained inflexible in bis opinions ; andduring the extraordinary convulsions of a neighbouring nation, andthe political feuds and animosities that agitated this country;dition at home, and mutiny in the fleet; a rebellion in Ireland , bywhom he lost one of his dearest connections ; the voting away theIrish parliament, and the measure of a Union—an ;vra, the mostdifficult and dangerous for a leader to steer clear; but lie preservedthe true dignity of his great chaiaeter, triumphed at length over In 5enemies,was sought as the land-mark for the nation to rally round,and once more (Jail. 31, 1806,) became the servant of his kii>S -Unfortunately for the nation, he enjoyed this station but for a fc^months; when lie was deprived of serving that country, the fi> >and nearest object of his heart. Yet it must not be forgot tbaduring that short period, the abolition of the Slave Trade,bill respecting which was introduced into parliament so long bac ^as 1701,) was accomplished ; a traffic so disgraceful to an enlighten^ed ami free people 1 IIis last scene was marked with fortitudecomposure : in speaking to a friend who anxiously hung over <>pillow, about the state of the soul after death, he observed, “ B yimmortal, 1 am convinced ; the existence of the Deity is a J ,t0 ^that spirits exist', why not therefore the soul cf man? and it &u