56S 



rangement, in respect to tlic statutes. 

 >i'li«n it IH considered how inanv livi' by 

 tlieir obscurity, it is a matter o? '.vonder 

 that his lordship siionld have succeeded un 

 tbis occasion. 



We have now to consider Lord Stanhope 

 as a man of science. It has been seen 

 that, wiiile yet a hoy, he cxiiibited talents 

 well adapted tor philosopliical enquiry; 

 and the procecdiiiL's of the Rojal Society 

 bear ample itstiniony that tiie pnrsuits of 

 Ins nioic mature years fully roahzed the 

 promise of his youth. As it would require 

 an EncycloPjEdia to record and explain 

 all Ins plans,niventi(/ns, and discoveries, we 

 shall iheicfore be content merely to enu- 

 nierale them, 



1. He proposed to detect, and even to 

 prevent, all tiaudnletit piacticcs, both iu 

 respect to fuina;;e and banknotes, by 

 employ inj; a superior cla-s ot artists; so as 

 to preclude the possibility of imitation on 

 the part of burglars and incompetent 

 persons. 



•2. He institHlcd a variety of experi- 

 ments for the best and eheapfst methods of 

 secui iufi buildings fioiii (ire, the pariiciilars 

 -of ■which aie detailed in the Philosophical 

 Traii^aciions for ITTH. This object was 

 elfecled by means " of mider-tlforing," or 

 a total fxclusioii of the eurient of air, and 

 the trial was performed in presence of 

 thousamls, at his seat at Clieveniii,;, lu 

 Kent; on which occasion a wooden siair- 

 case, and, indeed, a wooden hoiue, which 

 )iad been previously seemed by his conipo- 

 sitioii, seemed to be indestructible by fire. 



3. A new method of burning' liuie, by 

 means of n kiln, ai<lid by a wiod-fiirnace. 

 The cPiiK.'it, by this opeiation, becomes 

 more hard and durable. 



4. A mndc of roofing houses, by means 

 of a coii;pc.sitiQn of tar, chalk, and well- 

 washed sand. 



;i. Several new electrical experiments 

 vere made, and the idea of " the le- 

 tinning slioke," tirst suj;gesled by hia 

 lerdsliip. 



6. The arithmetical machine. By means 

 of which, |>robleii rS in multiplication and 

 divisHui may be solved to any extent. 



7. The steam-boat, His lordship ex- 

 pended a large sum of mom y, in the con- 

 Siiuction of vessels to be moved with this 

 new power. The fiis^t expennient of this 

 kind was made on the river Thames; and 

 lie thus, doubtless, gave birth to the idea 

 in this country, that tli' most pondeious 

 vessels mi;;lit be dispatched lo distant 

 countries without the aid of eilhcr wind, 

 or tide, or oJirs. 



8. The double imlliied plane, for the 

 purpo.se criemedyiiig the inconveniences 

 attending on locks. The idea of this 

 invention was su;rRested to him during an 

 aiteuipi to cut a canal in the county of 

 J)ev.(Ui,. for the purpose Ct." betielitii. 



Memoirs of Earl Stanhope, [.Tan. I» 



9. An invention fnlly designated by tlie 

 title of the work descriptive of it ; TO8. 

 •' Principles of the Science of tuning in- 

 struments with fixed notes." 



10. Experiments on the stereotype mode 

 of printing. 



And, 11. The Stanhope Press, which 

 possesses many singular advantages, and ia 

 allowed to be a great-improvement in the 

 noble art of the printer. 



While planning new works, honorable to 

 science and his country, Earl .Stanhope wa» 

 seized with the disease, which proved fatal" 

 to him, on Saturday, 14th Dec. 1816, in 

 the 03d year of his ase. His lordship was 

 twice married ; first to Lady Hester Pitt, 

 daughter of William first Earl of Chatham, 

 by whom lie had three daughters, viz. 

 Hester Lucy, boru in 1776; Grrselda, mar- 

 ri''d to INlr. 'I'ickell ; and Lucy Kaohel, the 

 wife of Mr. Taylor, for whom the late Mr. 

 Pitt obtained a lucrative place. This 

 lady having died in 1780, in 1781 his lord- 

 ship married Louisa, only daughter and 

 heiress of Mr. Grenvdle, formerly Governor 

 of Baibadoes, and uncle to the first Mar* 

 r,iiis of Buckingham, Lord Grenville, &c, 

 IJy his second wife he had — the present 

 earl ; Major Charles Hanks Stanhope, 

 killed at the battle of ('orunua; and Jamev. 

 a lieutenant-colonel in the army. 



Lord Sianhrpe wai> singular in his peN 

 son, his dress, and liis manners. As a phi, 

 losopher, i.e conferred honour on the coun« 

 try in which he was born, and the ag« in 

 wliich he lived : as a statesman, he was en- 

 lightened, bold, and decisive, in so far at 

 concerned the elaims of the public liberty, 

 and liie ri;;lirs of private conscience; at 

 times he was eloquent, but, in general, 

 there was a certain qiiaiiitness in his man« 

 ner that produced laughter, even from tlie 

 woolsack. He was assuredly learned in 

 every thing that respected the constitution 

 and ecclesiastical polity of England, and 

 he had a right, perhaps, to exclaim, " that 

 he had taught the judges law, aud the bi» 

 shops icligion!" 



The following is a list of his works : 



1. A Tieaiiseoiithe Means of prevent log' 

 Fiaudulent Practices, in respect to the" 

 Gold Coin. 



i. Principles of Electricity ; 4to. 1779. 



o. Observations 011 Mr, Pif's Plan for 

 the Jvoductiooofthe Naiioual Debt. 



4. Letter to Mr. Burke on the French 

 Revolution. 



5. The Rights of Juries defended ; and 

 the opposition to Mr. Fox's Libel Bill re^ 

 futed. )• . 



6. Principles of the Science of Tuning 

 Instruments. 



7. An AddrcFS tp t!<c People of Great 

 Britain and Ireland, on the subject of ai^ 

 Union. 



8. Various Papora io the Philosophic^ 

 '^runsactions, . -. . -' 



\m 



