8 EARLY YEARS. 



contrary, would In my judgment have made him 

 a great success in pubHc Hfe. Mr Greville says 

 that " Lord George never was, and never would 

 have been, anything like a statesman." With all 

 deference to Mr Greville, I cannot but think that 

 Lord George had one gift which few statesmen 

 possess — a determination never to speak upon any 

 subject until he had mastered its every detail. I 

 never saw or heard of his equal in industry, per- 

 severance, and powers of long - sustained applica- 

 tion. Like all of his race, he became sleepy after 

 eating heartily, and it was his practice not to 

 touch food, after partaking of a very moderate 

 breakfast at half-past eight o'clock in the morning, 

 until he left the House of Commons at night. It 

 was then his habit to dine at White's Club, in St 

 James's Street, at a very late hour, varying 

 between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. I have heard that 

 the cook at White's Club gave warning to throw 

 up his engagement • — - a very lucrative one, as I 

 believe he was in receipt of £500 a -year — on 

 account of the late hours at which Lord George 

 dined. To show Lord George's indomitable energy, 

 I remember that after his lamented death, Gardner, 

 his valet, told me that his Lordship's positive 

 orders were that, however sound asleep, he was 

 to be called at half-past seven a.m., although he 

 often did not sret to bed until four or even half- 



o 



past four in the morning. 



Furthermore, I find the following passage in Mr 



