On the 10th of June, 1795, this thorough-going partizan of the court was created earl of Clare; and on the 24th of September, 1799, he took his rank as an English peer with the title of Lord Fitzgibbon of Sudbury in Devonshire. He died on the 28th of January, 1802. His funeral sermon was preached by Dr Magee. We shall present the reader with an extract from this very eulogistic discourse :

"Details of political conduct are not the proper subjects for this place; and perhaps, in all cases, the actions and motives of political men should be viewed from a distance, to reduce them from the exaggerated standard of party-feeling to their true and natural dimensions. This much suffice it to say, that having once chosen the line of his public exertions, his conduct was uniformly firm, manly, and consistent. Equally insensible to the acclamations and the menaces of popular zeal, he pursued undaunted his onward course; and it is not impossible, that an indignation conceived against the gross and often mischievous sacrifices to popularity, which in his political experience he must have too frequently witnessed, might have thrown the bias to the contrary side, and confirmed in him an indifference to popular opinion.

"That unshaken firmness which marked his character, and directed his steps through life, was discernible on particular occasions, in proportion as they brought with them the difficulty or the danger that called forth its display. Of these occasions, two may be sufficient to notice; one of them endangering his political, and the other his personal existence. On the former, we behold him risking station, emolument, and power, in the cause of loyal attachment to his sovereign, and in the maintenance of his rights, at a time, when the hopeless recovery of the monarch could leave no expectation of recompense; at a time, when wily calculation repudiated the side of the crown, as a sinking cause; and when, in his most sanguine speculations, he could have looked to no other issue than that which must have dismissed him from political confidence. On the other occasion to which I allude, we behold him exposing himself to still more serious hazard, in the joint de- fence of the king and the constitution, against the furious onset of rebellion. We all may remember, that when treason wore the air of triumph, and the friends of loyalty and order hung their heads, he stood prominent and erect: when many, even of those whose fidelity was unimpeached, seemed to feel, that prudence required of them a more softened accent of reprobation, and reserving their tones of boldness until the danger had passed by, did not scruple to shrink from an open avowal of their sentiments: when many, even of unquestioned fortitude, deemed it not inconsistent with that fortitude, to seek a momentary shelter from the storm: when treason and loyalty hung trembling in doubtful scales, and not a few paused to see which would preponderate: when it appeared to many not unlikely, that rebellion might through success change its title to revolution :-in times, and under circumstances such as these, whilst he was known to be the object eminently selected for vengeance by the ferocity of an ensanguined rabble, he remained firm and unmoved: he stepped not, for a moment, from the post of duty and of danger; and sought no safety from the perils which

The measure of the regency that to which reference is here made.

assailed him, save what might arise from presenting to them a bold and manly front.

"If from his political we pass to his judicial conduct, we shall find the firmness of the former equalled by the decision, the promptness, and the rectitude of the latter. Here indeed is the high ground of this distinguished character. Uniting an ardent love of justice with a rapid intuition of truth, he combined in himself the two great qualities of the judicial station, integrity and despatch; and thus, as far as lies in the power of man, he diminished the evils of litigation, by taking from law all its delay, and much of its uncertainty. Neither did the labours of his exalted station terminate with himself. His comprehensive view embraced the whole circle of the profession: and it was not more his study to discharge his own immediate duties with fidelity, than to enforce on others the due observance of theirs. To purify the courts of justice was with him an object of unremitting attention: and amongst the unprincipled part of the lower order of legal practitioners, it will not easily be forgotten, with what unwearied vigilance he detected and punished every attempt to defeat the claims of equity, by the technical dexterities of a fraudulent chicane. Nor were the salutary effects of his superintending care confined to the subordinate ranks of the profession. To the honest exercise of that authority, which the eminence of his station and services must have secured to his official representations, we may, in no small degree, attribute that chasteness of selection, which is allowed for many years to have guided the judicial appointments. The disinterested friend of real talents and true legal knowledge, to the zeal and moment of his recommendations is the public in a great measure indebted for the many splendid ornaments of which the judicial bench of this country can boast; for it may safely be pronounced, that in a majority of instances at least, the wisdom of the government took the direction of its choice, from the opinions and views of him, whom all knew to be so well-qualified to discern, and so warmly interested to promote, what was most conducive to the respectability of the bar, and the interests of justice. An enemy to pretenders of all descriptions,-to those who, by indirect means, would intercept the rewards of professional ability and worth,-he must naturally have left behind him not a few who will labour to traduce his character and vilify his motives: but from all that is liberal, judicious, and respectable in the profession; from all who know how to appreciate the value of an upright and able dispensation of justice in the land; from the general voice of the nation, which may have long indeed to wait for a successor possessed of similar endowments; the most honourable and lasting testimony will be borne, not more to his excellencies as a judge, than to his beneficial exertions as superintendent of the whole department of the law.

"On remaining particulars I must not too long detain your attention. As to his private life, it is well-known, that the same steadiness which sustained his public conduct governed his personal attachments. His friendships were sincere and fixed: and although in a character marked by such strength of features, the lineaments of the softer virtues could scarcely be expected to mix, yet they who knew him in the unbendings of his retirement have often witnessed the genuine indication of their existence, and can fully attest the spontaneous and animated

emotions of a latent tenderness, which it seemed as much his study carefully to conceal, as, in this age of affected sensibility, it is that of others to display. In this, indeed, as in other parts of his character, it is to be lamented, that an habitual disgust against all hypocritical appearances had so far wrought upon his mind, as to render him generally anxious to suppress, lest he might be supposed to affect, feelings and qualities the most honourable and endearing. The occasions, however, have not been few, in which, even to the public eye, the milder affections of his nature have broken through this restraint. And if the charities of domestic life be received as evidence of the kindly dispositions of the heart, perhaps in no case can such proofs be adduced more abundant and convincing.

"In all matters of pecuniary concern, his dealings were directed by a strict and punctual regard to his engagements; and, at the same time, distinguished by a liberality which, without indulging in those excesses that beget embarrassment and sacrifice independence, manifestly evinced a mind aloof from the sordid love of accumulation. In him, indeed, honesty and liberality can scarcely be said to have claimed the rank of virtues. They required no effort, and could boast no triumph, where a rooted contempt of wealth precluded all means of their counteraction. And it deserves to be remarked, that amongst the numerous calumnies which a vindictive malice has endeavoured to cast upon the fame of this distinguished person, the tongue of slander has never whispered the imputation of a single act of mercenary meanness."

Francis, Duke of Bridgewater.

BORN A. D. 1736. DIED A. p. 1803,

FRANCIS EGERTON, duke of Bridgewater, was born in 1736, and succeeded to the dukedom on the death of his elder brother John, in 1748. The chief merit of this nobleman consists in the impulse which he gave to the internal navigation of England: indeed, he may be regarded as the creator of that extensive system of canal-navigation by which the principal manufacturing towns and districts of England have been brought into such cheap and speedy communication with each other. His grace's plans were ably carried into execution by Brindley, the engineer, and have, in every instance, realized more than the advantages originally contemplated in them.

Among other estates," says the writer of a brief notice of the duke in the Monthly Magazine for April, 1803, "he had one at Worsley in the county of Lancaster, rich in coal mines, but which, on account of the expense of land-carriage, although the rich and flourishing town of Manchester was so near, was of little value. Desirous of working these mines to advantage, he formed the plan of a navigable canal from his own estate at Worsley to Manchester. For this purpose he consulted the ingenious Mr Brindley, who had already given some specimens of his wonderful abilities, on the probability of executing such a work. That artist, having surveyed the ground, at once pronounced it to be practicable. Accordingly, in the session of parliament 1758-9, the

duke applied for a bill to make a navigable canal from Salford, near Manchester, to Worsley. His grace met with great opposition in its passage through the two houses, and it would now appear inconceivable that such strong prejudices should have been entertained against a plan of public utility, so apparently advantageous. The duke however succeeded, and immediately set about his work, which appeared to promise so well, that the next year he applied for, and obtained another act to enable him to extend the line, and to pass from Worsley over the river Irwell, near Barton-bridge, to the town of Manchester. The duke of Bridgewater had not only the merit of having spirit to commence works of such immense magnitude, but also for having called into action the great abilities of the late Mr James Brindley, who, with little aid from education, and less knowledge of the mathematics, planned and executed works which would have done honour to the first and best of artists. The duke was repeatedly advised to drop the business, but confiding in the assurances of Mr Brindley, he persevered, and the aqueduct over the river Irwell will remain as a monument of the public spirit of the duke of Bridgewater, and the abilities of the artist, for ages. An idea may be formed of the immense profit arising from this undertaking by a recent event. When the loan, commonly called the loyalty loan, was negotiating, his grace was able to subscribe for, and actually paid down immediately, the sum of £100,000. Besides the duke's concern in this canal, he has been a liberal promoter of, and subscriber to that great work, the Grand Trunk-navigation, which extends from his own navigation at Preston-brook, to the river Trent near Derby. He was, indeed, so convinced of the utility of these kinds of undertakings, as to be always ready to assist with his parliamentary influence for the furthering of any well-digested plan. In politics, the duke of Bridgewater did not take any very active part. Yet we sometimes found him at his place in the house of peers. In 1762 his name is in the division on a motion to withdraw the British troops from Germany, and on the loss of the motion joining in a protest. When the repeal of the American Stamp-act was in agitation, his grace was a strong opposer of that measure; and in 1784, when a certain powerful interest was made use of to prevent Mr Fox's India-bill from passing into a law, the duke was active therein. In general his politics were guided by that of his noble brother-in-law the marquess of Stafford."

The duke's property in Lancashire was entailed on Earl Gower's second son. Dying unmarried, his title of duke became extinct, but that of earl of Bridgewater, with the other minor titles, descended to Major-general John William Egerton, eldest son of Dr Egerton, bishop of Durham, who also succeeded to his estates in Buckinghamshire, Shropshire, and Yorkshire, and a large portion of his funded property.

Lloyd, Lord Kenyon.

BORN A. D. 1733.—died a. d. 1802.

LLOYD, LORD KENYON was born at Gredington, in Flintshire, in the year 1733. He was the eldest surviving son of Lloyd Kenyon, Esq, originally of Brynn, in the same county, and one of the younger sons

He received

of the ancient family of Kenyon, of Peele in Lancashire. the elementary part of his education at Ruthin in Denbighshire, whence he was taken at an early age, and articled to Mr Tomlinson, an attorney, at Nantwich in Cheshire. On the expiration of his articles, Mr Kenyon determined to enter into a line which afforded a more ample scope to his industry and talents, and, accordingly, he became a member of the society of Lincoln's Inn, in Trinity term, 1754 and after a sedulous application to the requisite studies, was called to the bar in Hilary term, 1761.

In the early part of his professional career, the advancement of Mr Kenyon was but slow; he was unassisted by those means which powerful connexion and interest afford; added to this, the branch of his profession to which he chiefly applied himself, namely, that of conveyancing, was not calculated to bring him forward into public notice. But the sterling merit of genuine abilities and persevering industry were not to be overlooked. Mr Kenyon rose gradually into practice; few opinions at the bar, at that time, carried more weight and authority; and he was frequently recurred to as an advocate.

In 1773, Mr Kenyon formed a matrimonial connexion with his relative, Mary, the third daughter of George Kenyon, of Peele in Lancashire; and not long after, he contracted an intimacy with Mr afterwards Lord Thurlow. About this period too, and for some years after, his practice in the court of chancery was very extensive, and of the most lucrative kind. In 1780 a circumstance occurred which not a little contributed to establish his reputation as an advocate and public speaker, namely, his being employed as leading counsel for the defence of Lord George Gordon, on a charge of high treason. On this interesting occasion, Mr Kenyon's second was Mr Erskine, who on that day distinguished himself in such a manner as in a great degree laid the foundation of his future fame. In April, 1782, soon after the accession of the Rockingham party to ministerial power, Mr Kenyon was, without serving the intermediate office of solicitor, appointed to the important situation of attorney-general, and at the same time chief-justice of Chester. The circumstance of Mr Kenyon's direct promotion to the office of attorney-general was regarded as a singular case; similar promotions however had before occurred.

In parliament Mr Kenyon took a decided part in politics, warmly attaching himself to the party of Pitt, and he distinguished himself not a little by his speeches on the noted affair of the coalition, Mr Fox's India-bill, &c. He conducted the prosecution against Horne Tooke; and he opposed a motion for a committee to inquire into the administration of criminal justice. "If," said he, "we allow every pitiful patriot thus to insult us with ridiculous accusations, without making him pay forfeit for his temerity, we shall be eternally pestered with the humming and buzzing of these stingless wasps. Though they cannot wound or poison, they can tease and vex. I hope we shall now handle them so roughly, as to make this the last of such audacious attempts." He took an active part in a debate on the suspension of the habeas corpus act, in the course of which he exclaimed, "Treason and rebellion are properly and peculiarly the native growth of America!" One of the last occasions on which he spoke in the house of commons, was the debate on a bill for the relief of the Roman Catholics,-a incasure 3 H

VI.