fore Facilis descensus Averni. 
Sed revocare gradum superasaue evadere 
ad auras, : 
lic labor, hoc opus est.” 
It was net dificult. for Mr. Pitt, 
with all the influence of the crown, 
added.to the most energetic support ;on 
the part of the peopie, to render them 
odious to their constituents; but it was 
almost impossible, even when the po- 
pular current, in consequence of his 
own notorious defection, had taken ano- 
ther direction, to reinstate them in their 
respective boroughs and counties. In 
the course. of events, however, it was 
probable, that circumstances might oc- 
cur, and favourable opportunities inter- 
vene, so as to impede the course of this 
bold -adventurer, who, after pretending 
to clip the wings of prerogative, had fur- 
nished fresh pinions to the royal bird, 
that now soared aloof, regardless of all 
yestraint. But the finances of some of 
the principal personages, in this political 
drama, were supposed to be in a des- 
perate state; and it was thought but fair, 
that those who had embarrassed their 
estates to support a party, might bid: 
adieu to their old friends, whenever a fa- 
vourable epportunity occurred. Mr. Pitt, 
alter the lapse of many years, was firmly 
seated in the arm-chair of the Treasury, 
with his right foot placed on the cushion 
of the Exchequer, and a powerful host 
of volunteers and Janissaries at his com- 
mand; the former! of whom were col- 
lected by their fears, the latter by their 
1795), he was estranged from the party with 
‘which he had hitherto acted, although 
doubtless united, closer than ever, with Mr. - 
Burke, the original author and prime mover 
of that measure. 
In respect to the proceedings of Parlia- 
ment, inthe great question of the regency, 
his Grace was more intimately connected 
-with the result; but even then he does not 
appear to have spoken once. On Wednesday, 
Dec. 3, 1788, he was one of the Privy Coun- 
cillors summoned to hear, and take into consi- 
deration, the report of the physicians relative 
to the state of his Majesty’s health; he was 
‘also one of the twenty-one peers, selected by 
the House of Lords, to form a committee 
for the same purpose; and one of the sixty- 
six, two of whom were of the blood royal, 
that divided in favour of Lord Moira’s amend- 
ent. He, however, did not subscribe the 
-protest, to which two princes of the blood 
had affixed their names, together with 47 
other peers. Yet, on the 23d of January, 
1789, we findthe Duxe’s name in the list of 
those who were ¢ dissentient” to the report 
- ef the committee. 
/ 
Memoirs of the late Duke of Portland. 
594 
interests. It would have been as easy to 
have dispossessed the heathen Jupiter of 
Olympus, as to have overturned the Mi- 
nister from his exalted station; but a 
was not difficult to coalesce with him, 
and not at all unpleasant to share his au-~ 
thority. Besides, the times were ‘ out 
of joint,” and it was easy, either to find 
ormake a pretext for an alteration of 
conduct, at atime when Europe itself 
was about to subinit to a new destiivy, ma 
consequence of the French revolution, 
- But although a few lawyers, as usual, 
were afirighted into office, and Mr. Burke 
at Jength become prudent,in respect to his 
motives, obtained about thirty thousand 
pounds, a consequence of his change 
of opinions, the Duke of Portland re- 
mained for awhile firn and undaunted— 
the very Abdiel of the party, It has been 
said, that during a debate in the House 
ot Commons, when one of his Grace’s 
rear relatives sent a note to Burlingtow 
House for instructions, in consequence 
of the sudden hostility of tox and Burke, 
which was first publicly declared thet 
evening, the reply was ‘‘ Follow #ox.” 
Yet some circumstances occurred that 
raised suspicion, anterior to this, from 
the death of the Earl of Guilford. The 
Duke of Portland, on the Sth of August, 
1792, succeeded him as Chancellor of 
the University of Oxford, without so 
much as a struggle, although the influ- 
ence of the Minister was supposed to be 
very great among the Members of that 
learned body. in the course of a 
short time, however, what was only 
suspicion, became certainty, for Lerd 
Loughborough having accepted of the 
seals in 1793, the Duke of Portland, in 
1794, was yvazetted as Secretary of 
State for the Home Department. 
From this moment the conduct of his 
Grace must, in some measure, be con- 
founded with that of his old enemy, Mr. 
Pitt; for although the former executed 
all the duties of a high office under him, 
yet the latter still retained his premiere 
ship, and? allowed no man to be. his su- 
perior, or even his equal, in the manage- 
ment of the empire. How far the Duke 
might have consented to the trials in 
England, and the military puninishments 
tn Ireland, we know not; but certain it 
1s, ‘nat during the period alluded to, the 
searching eye of a Tacitus might have 
discovered, aud his pen, if in such times 
it would have been allowed to inove, 
could alone have described with suf- 
ficient force, “ that energy beyond the 
law,” as it was happily termed by Me. 
Wiadhain, 
