650 
_ the commencement of the American 
disputes,.he burst forth to the sup- 
port of the then minister, lord 
North, in.a manner which soon 
gave him not only the lead amongst 
the lawyers of the house, but raised 
him to the first rank of parliamen- 
‘tary orators. In June 1778 he was 
created a peer, by the style and title 
‘of lord: Thurlow, baron of Ashfield 
dn Suffolk, and next day was con- 
stituted lord high chancellor of 
‘Great Britain. “He continued in 
this situation till the year 1783, 
«when, upon the success of the Coa- 
dition ministry, he was ejeéted from 
‘his office, and the seals put in com- 
mission. ‘However, upon the final 
triumph of Mr. Pitt, he was rein- 
stated in the chancellorship, and 
possessed the seals till 1793, when, 
-wpon some quarrel with the pre- 
imiery he resigned them, and was 
succeeded by lord Loughborough. 
Since that period, his lordship has 
‘retired to'private life. His lordship 
‘fias left three daughters; two of 
whom are married. Asa lawyer, 
a man of sounder knowledge, 
‘quicker penetration, more decisive 
and correct judgment,or of more in- 
dependence of professional charac- 
.ter, and firmness of opinion, never 
ascended the bench. But to these 
“qualities, were certainly opposed a 
‘roughness of manner, a demeanour 
sharsh and uncivil, sometimes barely 
-decent, towards his ‘brethren at the 
‘\barj"and a considerable laxity in pri- 
vate ‘life? ~As a pelitician, he was 
-ovérbearing’in the extrenie, but firm 
-to his partys" aud, in ome instance, 
he evinced a regard for his sovereign 
which it would be unjust net to dis- 
tinguish by a higher name than that 
‘of mere loyalty and duty. Asa 
patron to men of learning; he was 
‘ene of the most munificent that ever 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1806... 
sat upon the bench.’ fi vestowthy 
church perferment he was singularly 
honest and disinterested; aud-many 
anecdotes are related of him'which 
place his character in a very shining 
light. As a genéral sckolar; ‘he 
possessed much more knowledge 
than the worldigave hinv credit for; 
and his profound acquaintanté’ with 
the Greek language is testified’ in a 
dedication toi him~ by his ‘stedfast 
friend. bishop Horsley. As aman, 
he had his virtues and his failings. 
His speech on the American de- 
claratory act is inserted in the Gen- 
tleman’s Magazine vol. XLVIII. p. 
399; on a cause tried in the house 
of lords, idéd. vol. LILI. p. 446; on 
the bill for regulating the- East India 
company’s. affairs, bid. vol- LEV: p. 
55, 207. - The’next time we trace 
him in the debates was in‘that ine 
teresting one on the regency, tbid. 
vol. LIX. p. 46; 48, 332, distin- 
guished by his gratitude and loyalty 
to his sovereign, and truly charac- 
terized in the account of the thanks- 
giving procession, p. 367. 
speech on the right of the Scotch 
freeholders may be seen in the same 
work vol. LXX. p. 625, "The 
Thurlow peerage:is entailed. iw the 
first instance on the sons of the late 
bishop of Durham, whose eldest son 
(in the 26th year of his age) Edward, 
is now lord Thurlow. © It is second- 
ly entailed on the rey. South Thur- 
low, prebendary of Norwich, the 
son of another brother of the late ~ 
venerable peer, who has several 
children. Fees 
His remains were removed on‘the 
25th at noon, from His house: in 
Great George-strect, Wéstmiuster, 
tothe Temple church? ‘Phe ‘pro- 
cession moved. down. Parliament- 
street, and up the Strand; in ‘the fol- 
lowing order : 
The. 
His © 
