48 SIR PRANCIS BUEDETT. 



after his experience of the mutability of the Vox 

 Poptdi, he woukl have abandoned pohtics altogether, 

 save from the instigation of his political friends ; 

 for I well recollect an observation he made to me, 

 on receiving a packet of letters on this subject, 

 when sitting with him one morning in his library. 

 " Confound these fellows ! I wish they would let 

 me alone." That his opinions underwent a very 

 great change during his latter days was well 

 known. 



At that early period of my life, knowing little, 

 and caring less about the movements of the two 

 different parties in the House of Commons, I can 

 only speak of Sir Francis Burdett as a sportsman 

 and a country gentleman, in both of which cha- 

 racters he stood very conspicuous; more promi- 

 nently, perhaps, in the latter than the former, being 

 a man of unbounded hospitality, and an excellent 

 landlord. It was my good fortune, when a youth, 

 to spend many happy days under his roof; and the 

 recollection of his kindness, with that of one of 

 the most gentle, affectionate, and tender-hearted, as 

 well as highly talented of woman-kind, dear Lady 

 Burdett, whom I loved as my own mother, will 

 never l^e obliterated from my memory. 



During the time the family resided at Rams- 

 bury Manor, in Wiltshire, the dinner-table was 



