"fliction." Upon which Dr. Douglas burst into tears, and related the fatal catastrophe. It was a moving melancholy scene to see this great good old man in such agonies of grief upon so just and trying an occasion, and would have affected even those who were much more indifferent than the parties who beheld it. After giving some vent to his passion and to his tears, he desired leave to retire and to lie down upon the bed, and left them to finish their wine, but they were much more disposed to discourse and lament over what had happened. The next time the Bishop of Bristol saw him, he was more calm and composed, and they had a good deal of religious discourse together. Among other things the Bishop cited that passage in the Psalms, "Man walketh in a "vain shadow, and disquieteth himself in vain; "he heapeth up riches, and cannot tell who shall gather them: And now, Lord, what is my hope, "truly my hope is even in thee." "This, my "Lord, is your case, and you can have no solid "and rational hopes but in God and religion. "Acquaint thyself with him, and be at peace. "Your acquaintance is not now first to be ❝formed, it is only to be improved." It was indeed a severe blow, and the more severe because irreparable, to be deprived of his only son, and. heir to such a title and estate, who though he was not equal to his father, yet having been several years,

years, both at home and abroad, under the tuition of a most able instructor, an universal scholar, and one of the most knowing intelligent men in the kingdom, Dr. Douglas, he had much improved a natural good capacity, and would have very well become his rank and station.

The Earl of Bath did not survive his son a year and half, Lord Pulteney having died February 12, 1763, and Lord Bath dying July 7, 1764. At this time the Bishop of Bristol was at Bristol, but was informed by Dr. Douglas of the manner and circumstances of his death. He was truly a great and wise, and what is more, a good man; and of all men he was the best and easiest to be with and live with at all times and upon all occasions. An inferior naturally appears before a man of his uncommon parts and talents with some degree of awe and diffidence; but so familiar and engaging was his address, that you could not be with him half an hour, but you felt yourself entirely at ease, your apprehensions lessened, and your respect increased. Whether he was in a lesser or in a larger circle, in conversation with a few or in a mixed company, he was equally excellent in both; and was universally allowed by the most judicious of both sexes to be one of the most, if not the most agreeable, entertaining and instructive companions of his time. He did not, like Lord Bolingbroke, dictate and dogmatize and

talk

talk essays, nor like Lord Granville, overwhelm you with discourse though excellent, and engross the whole to himself; but invited and encouraged every one to bear his part, tossed the ball that it might be returned again, and delighted not so much in displaying his own powers, as in calling forth the exertions of others. He did not, like Lord Chesterfield, affect quaint conceits, and lay traps and baits to introduce witty sayings and stories which he had prepared before hand; but gained admiration by not seeking it, his wit all natural and easy, arising from something then said or done, and the more pleasing because sudden and unexpected. When the great men in opposition met, as they sometimes did, at Lord Cobham's at Stow, and there passed some days together, Mrs. Grenville used to say, that the family thought none of them comparable to Mr. Pulteney; his easy and engaging address, his lively and entertaining discourse, his pleasant and ready vein of wit and humour, far exceeded them all. He was not only a most instructive and agreeable companion, but was also a most eminent and able speaker in parlament; and not only a most excellent speaker, but also a very fine writer, of which there are abundant proofs in the Craftsman and other papers and pamphlets. The Craftsman may be said without exception to consist of some of the best political papers that ever

were

were published; and anong other things to recommend them, preserved a decency, to which our modern papers are strangers. They had better seasoning to make them palatable than personal reflections. Wit and satire only bore the second part. There was great knowlege of the world and of mankind, of government and laws, of trade and commerce, of public funds and taxes, of treaties and negociations, of the interests of Europe in general, and of Great Britain in particular. And the manner of writing was as excellent as the matter, with all the beauties and graces of language, some of the first and ablest pens in the kingdom being employed besides his own. His own papers were marked with the letter C. Those marked with CA were written by him and Amherst jointly, or by Amherst from his dictation. Lord Bolingbroke's were distinguished by the letter O: and happy would it have been for Lord Bolingbroke, if he had written nothing but history and politics. He would then have been admired and honored as one of our most classical writers, whereas his First Philosophy (as he calls it) has tarnished all his glory, has depreciated the value of his works, and fixed an indelible stain upon his name and memory. All the charms of fine writing cannot make amends for so much false reasoning. and such gross infidelity. Mallett, the editor of his works, expected that they would prove a trea

sure,

suré, and refused three thousand pounds for the copy; but so little did they answer his and the world's expectation, that the first impression was not sold off in twenty years. Mr. Pulteney had other able coadjutors besides his cousin Daniel Pulteney, and several excellent letters were sent with the signature of Walter Raleigh, the author whereof he never knew, nor could ever discover.

But though he thus opposed and pursued Sir Robert Walpole, both in the House and out of the House, by speaking and by writing; yet he was not moved thereto by any personal enmity or envy, or by any interested and ambitious views of supplanting and succeeding him, as appeared from his repeated declarations at different times, and (what are a stronger proof) from his actions afterwards. He liked the man, but disliked his measures; he really thought that he was a dangerous minister; that he too much neglected the House of Austria; that he was too closely connected with France; that he sacrificed too much to Hanover; that he did not preserve inviolate the honor even of his own child, the Sinking Fund, but prostituted it for his own particular purposes; that his expences in peace were almost equal to those in times of war, and that he had improved and established the system of bribery and corruption beyond any minister before him. In other respects he admired his parts and abililities, and particularly his great skill and know

VOL. II,

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lege