sessions of 1802, 1803, and 1804, although he took very little part in its proceedings. He did not at all assist in judicial business, as, without any open quarrel, there was no cordiality between him and his successor; and he merely, like the great bulk of our hereditary legislators, came to lounge in the House a short time before dinner, that he might inquire after news, when he had not any more lively occupation. He now and then spoke a few sentences in a conversational tone, but never aimed at an oration. Having once or twice heard him on these occasions, I remember being rather at a loss to conceive how he could have been the formidable opponent of Dunning and Thurlow, of Fox and Burke, although it might be discovered that he had become unnerved by listlessness, and that, if excited, he might still have been capable of great things. CHAP. CLXXV. 1801–1804. His subsequent inglorious career in of Lords. the House He first opened his mouth as Ex-Chancellor to express his 1802, 1803. approbation of Lord Thurlow's doctrine, that a divorce should be granted on the petition of the wife for the adultery of the husband with the wife's sister.*-When the bill was brought in to indemnify those who should be sued for any thing done under the "Habeas Corpus Suspension Act," he took merit to the late Administration for having saved the state, and boldly justified their habit of employing spies and informers. † — He supported against Thurlow the bill introduced when the Reverend John Horne Tooke was returned to Parliament, to prevent a priest in orders from ever again sitting in the House of Commons, and with some historical research he showed that this regulation was according to ancient usage. The articles of the peace of Amiens coming on to be debated, he censured them, but chiefly confined his objection to the omission of an article to recognize the honour to which the British flag was entitled in the narrow seas "an important right, which implied our dominion of the sea, and the maintenance of which warmed the heart of every times in July the last of these being the day of the prorogation; and I do not find his name afterwards in the Journals; so that I presume he never again appeared in Parliament. * 35 Parl. Hist. 1433. † Ib. 1540. Ib. 1549. CLXXV. A. D. 1801. war, and CHAP. British seaman.' "When hostilities were recommenced, he supported the Government, saying that Buonaparte's rudeness to Lord Whitworth was a sufficient cause of that his whole conduct since he signed the treaty had been a uniform system of arrogance, insult, and injury.†—In 1804 he made a few unimportant observations on the proceedings against Judge Fox ‡, -on the mode of maintaining the London clergy §,- and on the Insolvent Debtors' Bill. — He never again spoke in the House. Such is the inglorious termination of his Parliamentary career! He is treated with neg lect by the new Adminis tration. Oct. 1801. of Port land's com man. He appears to have been treated with neglect by all parties which is not much to be wondered at, considering the little pains he took to preserve his importance as a public The Duke of Portland, the President of the Council, having heard of his complaints of the slights he experienced from the Government, and of his saying that "he now knew The Duke nothing except what he read in the newspapers," became alarmed lest he might actually join the Opposition, and thus passion for wrote to Lord Chancellor Eldon: "The most perfect means should be taken to put an end to the sort of language which is held by Lord Rosslyn to remove from him all cause of complaint upon the ground of want of attention, or shyness, on the part of those who compose the Administration. With permission, I cannot help thinking that the station you hold gives you a particular title to commiserate and consult with him; and excuse me for adding, that I am very anxious that the suggestion I have ventured to throw out respecting Lord Rosslyn may be approved and adopted by you.” him. But it is not wonderful to see him so fallen as to be a fit object for the commiseration of his former friends, when we find that his great object of ambition now really was the personal notice of the Sovereign. We have observed that as he became alienated from Mr. Pitt he enlisted himself in the band of "King's friends." His Majesty, who, notwithstanding his apparent bluntness, had considerable powers of dissimulation, thenceforth treated him with such seeming confidence as to lead the wary Scotsman into the delusion † Ib. 1511. * 35 Parl. Hist. 723. Parl. Debates, vol. xi. 925. || Ib. 1130. CHAP. CLXXV. His residence at Baylis, near Wind sor. that he was a special favourite. Even when superseded by Eldon, the King still induced him to believe that this was only for political reasons, and that personally his Ma- 1801-1804. jesty was affectionately attached to him having taken an opportunity to tell him that "the Queen, likewise, found much pleasure in his society, and that they both desired to see him as much as possible at Court." This conversation, which he took au pied de la lettre, was the cause of his hiring the ugly villa of Baylis, near Slough, that he might be near Windsor*, and he did frequently throw himself in the way of the Royal Family while they were resident there. He likewise followed them to Weymouth, where they spent a considerable part of every summer, and was greatly delighted to be noticed by them on the Esplanade, or to be invited to join their excursions on the water. In August 1801, from Weymouth, he writes a letter to Lord Auckland tendance which, after touching on some private matters, and showing on the that he was on very familiar terms with the Queen and the Weyprincesses, thus proceeds: "I can with perfect satisfaction mouth. confirm to you all that you may have heard of their Majesties' perfect health. The King, I think, has at no time when I have had the means of seeing him every day, and often all the day, appeared to be in so steady a state of health. He might at times appear, to those who have always seen him in high spirits, to be rather low; but the case really is, that his manner is much more composed, and he is always ready to enter into conversation when it is going on, though he * He likewise had a farm at Baylis, which he seems to have bargained for with great deliberation. I find the following memorandum in his handwriting: "1. What should be a fair rent? "2. How far, at a rent of 40s., parts might be underlet? "3. What number of horses would be necessary for the farm? Expense of their keep? "4. What number of men? Whether two to each team sufficient for all the work, as ploughing, &c.? "5. What the allowance to bailiff? "6. What ought to be the produce to cover rent, taxes, tithes, and the charge of management ?" Among his papers are very minute accounts of the farm, the number of labourers employed, and the operations of each day throughout the year.-Rossl. His at King at CHAP. CLXXV. A. D. 1804. May, 18C4. storation to power. Court of George III. at Weymouth. does not always start it. He is become also more moderate in his exercise, and admits that it is possible to be fatigued. -Public events seem at present to give no occasion for uneasiness, and I trust they will continue in such a state as not to ruffle his mind, the composure of which is the great point on which the fate of our country depends. The weather here is delightful for sailing, but rather warm for any other exercise."* I do not find that he took any part in the ministerial crisis which was terminated by the resignation of Mr. Addington. After Mr. Pitt's return to power, he neither actively opposed nor supported that minister, but continued more sedulously than ever to cling to the Court. Whether he thought that, in party vicissitudes, which were likely to arise, the King's favour might restore him to office, or he considered the King's favour his supreme and ultimate good, I know not; but thus he continued to trifle away his existence: when the royal family were in London, residing at a villa which he had near Hampstead,-fixing himself at Baylis when the Court was at Windsor, and following in their suite when they removed to the sea-side. † In the autumn of 1804, after his return * In a letter from Weymouth, dated Sept. 1800, he gives an interesting picture of the Court of George III. there. Having discussed the question on which his opinion had been asked, "Whether, after a divorce obtained collu. sively in Scotland, a marriage of one of the parties would be valid?" he says, "The course of life at this place has agreed so well with me that I wish to prolong my stay, if I should not feel it a necessary duty to return to London, where I am afraid the Lord Mayor is proceeding like his predecessor in 1780, and will produce similar excesses. I was the only person at sea this evening without a great coat, and without a wish to have had one. The great advantage of the attendance here is the constant movement in the open air, and the short meals. When I arrived, I was horribly fatigued by the pedestrian exercise ; but I am become a very stout walker. A continental peace would be very desirable; but, in truth, no peace which could be expected in the present state of things would amount to more than an armistice." † I have received an amiable and interesting explanation respecting Lord Loughborough's retreat in a letter from his niece, Miss Cotes:-" 19th Nov. 1846. I am sorry to say that my aunt, Lady Rosslyn, being in the constant habit of burning all letters, I have no written documents to produce that would throw any light upon Lord Rosslyn's life. However, I will state my own impression, as derived from my recollection of what passed at the period to which you refer. From all I saw and heard, I believe that George III. was at all times most gracious and kind to Lord Rosslyn, and particularly so at the time of his resigning the Seals, and during the remainder of his life. Lord Rosslyn was sincerely attached to George III.; and this feeling was probably one great inducement to him, after his retirement from office, to exchange his villa at Hamp CLXXV. His illness in the au tumn of 1804. His re from Weymouth, where, as usual, he had been gratified by CHAP. walking with his Majesty on the Esplanade, and accompanying him in little trips to sea in the royal yacht, he was seized with a severe fit of illness in London, but he soon rallied, and, by the advice of his medical attendants, he went to Baylis, where the air is supposed to be very salubrious. Here, his recovery being soon completed, he continued his usual mode of life, frequently paying his duty at the Castle, kindly covery. receiving his relations under his roof, keeping up a friendly of life. intercourse with several agreeable families in the neighbourhood, and amusing himself with all the new works of any merit which issued from the press. His constitution, although not robust, seemed unbroken, and his friends hoped that he might reach extreme old age. We are told (no doubt on authority which appeared satis- stead for the place he took near Windsor, from whence he had frequent oppor- "In the autumn of 1804 Lord Rosslyn was for some weeks at Weymouth, when he was continually in the society of the royal family, and attended his Majesty in his almost daily sailing excursions, as well as at the parties on shore, in which all his family were included. Their Majesties were so gracious as to admit me to the sailing parties; and in so confined a sphere I had more favourable opportunities of witnessing his Majesty's manner than I could otherwise have had, and his behaviour was at all times such as to give me the impression that he had a great regard and esteem for Lord Rosslyn." His mode Q. whether his Scotch dialect reappeared in his old. age? |