GARDENS OF CELEBRITIES 
“Double snowdrops . . . to remind him in March to sow candy, 
tuft, Rock stuff, Venus’ looking glass,”’ ete. 
Though in some respects, as we have seen, Henry Fox dis- 
regarded his mother’s dying advice, his runaway marriage with 
Lady Caroline Lennox proved a happy one. He was an affec- 
tionate, but over-indulgent father, gratifying every foolish whim 
of his children. On one occasion a wall having been pronounced 
unsafe, it was to come down, and he had promised Charles James 
Fox that he should witness its fall. By some chance the boy was 
absent on the day of its destruction, and rather than disappoint 
him the father had the wall rebuilt, and again demolished in his 
son’s presence. Another time the child wanted to break a watch. 
The parent protested. ‘‘ But I must,’”’ persisted the lad. “‘ Oh, 
if you must you must,” replied the father, and the watch was 
smashed. . 
The folly of this sort of bringing-up, and particularly of the 
teaching he had given to the boy at the Continental gaming- 
tables, probably came home to Henry Fox—when he afterwards 
had to pay his son’s gambling debts, amounting to one hundred 
and forty thousand pounds. Charles James had certainly learnt 
his lesson well. 
Nevertheless, to his credit be it told that he never touched a 
card while in office—but, unfortunately, most of his life was spent 
in opposition. His friends who were devoted to him, once collected 
a sum of money for his benefit, and then, considering the matter 
rather a delicate one, ‘‘ wondered how he would take it.”’ ‘‘ Take 
it!’ exclaimed his father’s friend, George Selwyn the wit, “ why, 
quarterly, of course!’ Of Selwyn it is told, that he had an extra- 
ordinary passion for looking upon the dead. When Lord Holland 
was dying he gave instructions with regard to Selwyn’s admission. 
“Tf Mr. Selwyn calls again, let him in; if I am alive F shall be 
very glad to see him, if I am dead he will be very glad to see me.” 
Lord Holland was clever in repartee and epigram. From the 
“Life and Times of Charles James Fox,” we learn that having 
stipulated for an earldom and received only a barony, Henry Fox 
reproached Lord Bute for so great a breach of faith! “It was 
only a pious fraud,” protested Lord Bute; said Fox, ‘“‘ I pereeive 
the fraud, my lord, but not the piety.” He had the faults of 
his class and time—the same may be said of his famous son; but 
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