a 
: 
1811.] 
‘at that time have ruined all his influence 
in the cabinet. The duke of Grafton 
had always been an enemy to the hope- 
ful project of resorting to coercion, in 
respect to America. fle opposed the 
Stamp Act in 1765, with great energy, 
and was one of those who declared warm- 
ly in favour of its repeal. No sooner 
did lord North attempt to gull the coun- 
try gentlemen, by proposing to throw 
part of the burthen of the land-tax off 
their shoulders, and load the unrepre- 
sented colonies with it, than His’ Grace 
revolted at the idea, and demanded par- 
liamentary documents. His motion for 
that purpose was negatived by his col- 
leagues, and it was officially signified to 
him next day, that it was the wish of a 
great personage he should retire. Ac- 
cordingly, after having presided as lord 
privy seal about three years and a half, 
the duke once more betook himself to a 
private station, happy in being thus able 
to confute those writers who had so long 
accused him as the tool of the earl of 
Bute; doubly happy in being exempt 
from the disgrace and remorse of acting 
as an accessory to the most impolitic, 
most unjust, and most disastrous, war, 
that had ever, been waged by the most 
besotted adnpinistration of either ancient 
or modern filmes: \ 
- From this meniofable epoch, the duke 
of Grafton, resuming the principles which 
had distinguished his first outset in life, 
became, in. the true and best sense of the 
word, a “patriot. He was. seen some- 
times speaking, andalways voting, against 
the unhappy and unjust contest with our 
colonies. Qn that occasion he once 
more acted with lord Chatham, the 
earls of Rockingham and Shelburne; in 
fine, with all who were most dear to, and 
most respectable, in the nation; and these 
formed such a compact, formidable, and 
upright, phalanx, that it was evident they 
must finally succeed.- Unlike the oppo- 
sition of the present day, they courted 
the city of London; they conciliated the : 
great body of the nation ; they united all 
in favour of all. Unlike them too, there 
Were no private interests to be gratified, 
no unpopular claims to be maintained: 
the country was to be saved from a most 
extravagant expenditure, as well as a 
most odious conflict, and the government 
itself was to be reformed, so as to prevent 
the recurrence of: similar calamities. 
The critical and untimely death of one 
great man,* alone prevented the com. 
* The marquis of Rockingham, 
Montury Mac, No, 241. 
Memoirs of the late Duke of Graftone 
241 
pletion of such desirable results. At 
length, on the overthrow of lord North, 
and the ministers who supported him, a 
total change was effected, and the mi-« 
nority, as usual, became the majority. 
On this oceasion, the duke of Grafton 
was restored to his former office of lord 
privy seal; but he was again obliged to 
resign, and that very suddenly, 
As the duke of Gratton now retreated 
from public strife to the bosom of 
his family, we shall follow him thither. 
His Grace was twice married, first in 
1756, to the honourable Miss Liddell,* 
the only daughter of the late lord: Ravens- 
worth, by-whom he had three sons, and 
a daughter, From this lady he was 
divorced in March 1769, by act of pars 
liament, and she immediately after be- 
came countess of Upper Ossory. Ina 
very short time, His Grace chose for ase- 
cond consort Elizabeth, daughter of the 
Rev. Sir Richard Worsley, bart. dean of 
Windsor, and niece both to the late 
duchess of Bedford, and earl ,Gawer, 
father of the marquis of Stafford, by whom 
also he had issue, to the amount of no less 
than thirteen children, making iv all-se- 
venteen, and exhibiting such a family as 
is rarely to be met with.. Amidst the 
evils that aftlicted either the state or him- 
self, the duke found a refuge in domestic 
comforts, while in the society of those 
dear to him, and in the education of his 
daughters, as well as the cares incident 
toa numerous offspring, he found a con= 
stant and most grateful employment. 
Other objects also occupied his atten- 
tion, and occasionally employed his time 
and his talents, His Grace, in 1768, suc- 
ceeded Thomas Holles, duke of New- 
castle, who had been educated at Claré 
fall, as Chancellor of the University df 
Cambridge. On his installation, Gray, 
a naime not second to any of our day in 
the list of English poets, impressed with 
gratitude for the professorship of modern 
history, just conferred upon him, cele- 
brated the event in an. ode, which was 
set to music, and performed on that oc- 
easion. From this we shall extract one 
or two passages : 
o_o. ee, 
* With the first duchess of Grafton, who 
was mother to the present duke, the subject 
of this memoir travelled for some time-on the 
continent. About the year 1762, they re- 
paired to the court of Turin, where they re 
mained during eight weeks. On this acca- 
sion, the duke was much noticed by the king 
of Sardinia, and the duke of Savoy, -both of 
whem acknowledged him as their cousin. 
ait « But 
