HOLLAND HOUSE 229 



heart at Holland House, which he admired and 

 loved so dearly. 



It was growing time for "the brave Old House " 

 to pass on again into other hands, and when the 

 young Earl of Warwick died without an heir, Mr. 

 Henry Fox (Sir Stephen Fox's second son) took a 

 long lease of it in 1 746 and afterwards purchased it 

 from the Kensington family, living there till his 

 death. Both Pepys and Evelyn, the two great 

 Diarists, have much to say about Sir Stephen Fox 

 and his extraordinary political career, extending 

 over four reigns ; and his popularity is not to be 

 wondered at judging from the description of his 

 character in Evelyn's Diary. " He is generous 

 and lives very honourably, of a sweet nature, well- 

 spoken, well-bred, and is so highly in his Majesty's 

 esteem." 



Mr. Henry Fox (the first Lord Holland) made a 

 most romantic marriage ; he ran away with Lady 

 Caroline Lennox, daughter of the second Duke of 

 Richmond. Of this marriage which turned out 

 most happily Walpole, as usual, has some amusing 

 remarks to make. He also writes to Sir Horace 

 Mann in 1747 : "Mr. Fox gave a great ball last 

 week at Holland House, which he has taken for a 

 long term, and where he is making great improve- 

 ments. It is a brave old house and belonged to 

 the gallant Earl of Holland, the lover of Charles I.'s 

 Queen." 



