782 A N N U A L R E G I S T E R, 1809. 



sion. Dr. Paley, on the other 

 hand, though never professing him- 

 self the indiscriminate partisan and 

 admirer, has been often heard to 

 speak, in terms of very high ap- 

 probation, of the genius, the ex- 

 tensive knowledge, the liberality 

 and candour of Mr. Fox. To a 

 friend, who was expressing his sur- 

 prise at the extraordinary acquire- 

 ments of that celebrated statesman, 

 considering the well-Jinown follies 

 of (his early life, he once pointedly 

 replied, — " Why, sir, some men 

 are never idle, and Mr. Fox is 

 one of these ; whether engaged in 

 business, in study, or in dissipation, 

 his mind has been actively employ- 

 ed. Such men lose no time ; they 

 are always adding to their stock of 

 information ; whilst numbers, with 

 grave appearance, trifle life away, 

 and pursue nothing with advantage 

 or effect. " 



The character of Dr. Paley, 

 however, can never be justly esti- 

 mated from his public exertions 

 alone ; for he appeared, at all 

 times, with still greater advantage 

 in the intercourse of private life. 

 He was a good husband, an affec- 

 tionate father, an indulgent master, 

 ajid a faithful friend. He was 

 ready on all occasions to promote 

 the general interest of society, or 

 to accommodate his more imme- 

 diate neighbours with any civili- 

 ties or kind offices in his power. 

 Though economical from principle 

 as well as from early habit, he was 

 liberal, and even generous in all 

 his pecuniary transactions with 

 others. He was charitable to the 

 poor, and known to be in the habit 

 of serving street-beggars, on this 

 avowed principle, that the hard- 

 heartedness which might arise from 



an indiscriminate rejection of aii 

 who thus implore assistance, was a 

 far greater evil than the chance of 

 being sometimes imposed upon. 

 He was invariably more high!)' 

 esteemed and beloved, in propor- 

 tion as he was better known ; for 

 he had none of those seeming vir- 

 tues, which dazzle only at a dis- 

 tance, but shrink from more accur- 

 ate examination : he acted on no 

 false pretences, and assumed no dis- 

 guise. His little defects, it is possi- 

 ble, might strike the common obser- 

 ver more forcibly ; but they were 

 not only such as might well be 

 borne with, but such as afforded his 

 friends continual opportunities of 

 discovering under them the good- 

 ness of his heart. 



In his latter days he appeared to 

 the greatest advantage at home, 

 particularly when surrounded by 

 an interesting family who looked 

 up to him at once with reverence 

 and affection, and by their young 

 visiters, who frequently formed 

 the happy inmates of his house. 

 To those who were honoured with 

 his more intimate acquaintance, his 

 domestic circle then afforded an 

 unrivalled treat. The master of the 

 house was himself the most import- 

 ant actor in the social scene ; and 

 his conversation being constantly 

 fraught either with intelligence or 

 with humour, he was listened to 

 with undivided attention, whether 

 engaged in serious observations, or 

 indulging in more lively anecdotes 

 and unpremeditated sallies of wit. 



Dr. Paley was the farthest man 

 in the world from any of that form- 

 ality which dulness puts on to 

 conceal its ignorance ; he was a 

 master in the art of accommodating 

 himself to the reach of all capaci- 

 ties 



t 



