182 
to offer himfelf a candidate for the lucrative 
office of chamberlain of the city, then vacant 
by the death of Mr. Wilkes. His motives 
for altogether declining this invitation, ac- 
companied as it was by the ftrongeft affu- 
rauces of fuccefs, he publicly expreffed in 
a manly and feeling addre(s to the Livery of 
London; from which it clearly appears that 
every confideration of his own private emo- 
lument, though now become to him an ob- 
ject of more ferious intereft than in the 
former parts of his lite, immediately gave 
way, in his mind, to a previous promife of 
fupport, in cafe of a vacancy, to the prefent 
worthy Chainberlain. He had long, prior 
to this, frequently addrefled the Liverymen 
of London in the fame manner, and with the 
fame happy effect, particularly on his quitting 
the reprefentation of the City m 1774. His 
addrefs on that occafion, is peculiarly ex- 
prefiive ef that manly fteadmess and con- 
fiftency of character, and ftrongly marked 
with that clear difcernment and vigour of 
intelle&, by which he was at all times, both 
in public aud private life, eminently diftin- 
guifhed. Having now entirely quitted his 
commercial purfuits, and finding a further. 
attendance on the duties of Parliament in- 
compatible with his advanced vears and de- 
clining health, he foon aiter this removed 
altogether irom London, exchanging the 
bufy and laborious feenes of public hte for 
the tranquil retirement of domeftic and pri- 
vate enjoyment. He had many years before 
purchated a confiderable Janded eftare in 
his native county, which he had from time 
to time greatly enlarged and improved, pat- 
ticularly by the erection or an elegant mo- 
dern manfion.- Being naturally fone of the 
country, and at all times peculiarly attached 
to agricultural purfuits, he had, for many 
years of his hfe, regularly removed from 
London during the periodical imtermiffions 
of parliamentary bufinefs, and the occafienal 
ceffation of his mercantile avocations.. 
Here, while in the enjoyment of health, 
he had ufually paffed nis fummer vacation, 
amidf the fociety of the principal gentlemen 
of the county, whom he always received 
with the moft liberal hofpitality, in the 
bofom of his own family, or in familiar inter- 
courfe with his more immediate neighbours 
and numereus tenants; to the latter of whom, 
in particular, he was kmd, aifable, and con- 
deicending. -And here, at length, after 
having endured the fevereft and, for the laf 
two years of his lite, almoft onremitted bodily 
fufferings, with the moft exemplary patience 
and truly Chrifian refignation of mind, he 
cloted his days, furrounded by an affectionate 
family, and fincerely lamented by all to 
whom he was known. No flight panegyric, 
itis hoped, bas been already expretied in the 
above faithtui memoir of a life attively and 
ufefully employed. To whatever praife, 
however: the fubje& of it was juftiy entitled 
in the eftimation of well-informed and re- 
fecting mez, it cannot be denied, that in 
Marriages and Deaths in and near Londan. 
(March 1, 
confequeuce of the peculiar temper of the 
times, and the imperious duty thence fre- 
quently. impofed upen him of firmly refift-* 
ing the headftrong career of popular licen- 
tioulnefs, his conduct was frequently ex- 
pofed, as might reafonably be expected, to un- 
merited obloquy and grofs mifreprefentation. 
Of this a ftrong nftance was afforded in the 
cate of the prefs-warrants in 1770 and 1771. 
As he never courted popular favour, nor _ 
practiled thofe difingenuous artifices by 
which the fleeting applaufe ofa giddy mul- 
titude is too oiten obtained, it was net 
in the, tranfient popularity of a day that 
he fought the reward of his exertions, but in 
the approbation of his own confcience, and, 
neat to that, in the well-founded and per- 
manent praife of thofe whofe praife he juflly 
valued. * Laudari a laudatis’ was ever the 
object of his ambition. At this difance of 
time, however, when the ebullitions of popu- 
lar tury have, together with their effects, 
long fince happily fubfided in this kingdom, 
and when the lamentable confequences. 
of uncontrouled democratic frenzy have 
been fo abundantly exemplified, in the 
total ruin and defolation of neighbouring, 
ftales, it will hardly be thought to derogate 
from Mr. Harley’s public charatter when we 
ftate that, in the vigilant difcharge of his 
official duties, he was_ frequently expofed 
to infult and oppofition from a lawlefs and 
irritated mob ; that, in burning “ The North 
Briton,” while he was fheriff, m 1764, he 
was violently and tumultuoufly aifaulted; 
that, on more than one occafion, during his 
mayoralty, he enceuntered with a charac- 
teriftic coolnels, and with the moft deter-' 
mined intrepidity, very ferious perfonal' 
danger; and that when afterwards, in 1776 
he was going up, with a number of his fel- 
Icw-citizens, to prefent a loyal addrefs to 
his Sovereign on the birth of a princefs, he 
was even forcibly torn from his chariet, and 
prevented irom proceeding to St. James’s. 
It is more pleafant to relate, that, in later 
and better times, a very different fentiment 
had univerfally prevailed in the metropolis ; 
and itis a fact, that even his former political 
opponent, Mr. Wiikes himlelf, who will 
probably be as httle fufpected of partiality 
11 this as of want of difcernment in any in- 
ftance, has’ been frequently heard to bear 
honourable teftimony, in the latter periods 
of his life, to the inerits of Mr. Harley’s pub- 
lic conduct, declaring it to have been at all 
tines uniform, manly, and confiftent. It 
has been frequently too objeéted, in the 
language of cenfure, by thofe from whom 
he generally differed in political fentiments, 
that, in the courfe of a long parliamentary 
hfe (for, although he feldom appeared as a 
public fpeaker, he was for many years an 
ufeful and active member of the Houfe of 
Cominois), he was, on all occafions, an in- 
diieriiumate and unvarying fupporter.of the 
meatures of Adininifiration. This charge, 
however, muft, even in point of fat, be ad- 
mitted | 
