The National Register. — London, England, 1812-05-17 00:00:00

~~~ 111 E NATIONAL REGISTER. sentations of enemies, the desertion, or peevishness of friends, and sometimes the m istaken cen looks beyres of th ond the e peo ple. It is the honourable ambition that e, and support a p r esent time, that mus t create, encourag Nirtnoui and enlightened Statesman, that must confer on his mind the uprightness and purity that th rise a State bove from foreig n hostility f o r internal action ; the firmness t hat Trust often resist th e wishes, to 'ensure the safety of the people." Of such a Minister, so regardless of profit, that whilst performing the duties of two most imp of offices in the State, he voluntarily received only the salary of one; so sparing of pa trona g e, that. he bestowed no appointment on his own children ; so firm in wthehil execution of his duty, and S 9 upriglit in his conduct, whilst the country the loss, the pen of biography will endeavour to display the public and private actions. Th , ! late SPENCI' R PERCEVAL, Ch a ncellor of the Exche quer, and of the Duchy of Lancaster, and First Lord of the Treasury, Oescended from an ancient and illustrious family, was second son to the late L Earl o an d f EGM OLLAN ONT, of t he kiitzdoin of Ireland , and Baron ovEn HD, of Enmore , in S oers etshire ; by the Earl's second mar of riage to the sister of Lord NORTHAMPTON, CATHERINE COMPTON, who, May 19, 1770, was created a Peeress in her own right , b y the style of Lady ARDEN, (Baroness AIIDEN, of Lohart Castle, in the County of Cork, but dying in 1781 , , she was succeeded by her eldest son CHAS. GEORGE, called Lord AItDEN, who, July the 20th, 1802, was raised to the Peerage of England, by the title of Baron ARDEN in Warwickshire. SPENCER PERCEVAL, se cond son of the late Baroness ARDEN, and brother to the pre;ent Lord ARDEN, was born Nov. 1, in the year 1762, at his father's house, in Audley-square, London. He is said to have been named after his uncle SPENCER, the e'g)ich, and late Earl of NorernAmpTorz. He descended horn the House of Ivery, which originally sprung, it .liould seen), from Ronv.wr, the younger son of EIJDES, Sovereign Duke of BRITTANY, in France, and which, transplanted into Normandy, was possessed of the Castle of leer}', at the period of the Normanstudieq Con iss uest. no w be- The seat of Mr. PERCEVAL'S early come that of his grave. His infans are sported at ChFarltom on, in Dent, and there h is rem ai thence lie removed to Harrow, ilnd at the pro t p ßishgoer ae p of to 'Trinity College, Cambridge, where the presen T wa s BRISTOL, Dr. W I LLI AM LORI' MANSELL, hi s tutor. There be distinguished himself id both by his Il attention to study, and the displ a y of s p a bilities. ls exertions were not unrewarded. In 1781, lie obtaind the degree of Master of Art s, and on the 16th of Dec. e of the follow ing year, was admitted of Lincoln's Inn. His usual appli cation carried him successfully through the necessary stu dies, and he wa s called to the Bar in Hilary Term, 1786. Having now passed the threshold of h eis Midland profession Circuit. , he ac companied the Judges through th Here he was generally opposed by Mr. Serjeant Vnuoli AN ) and notwithstanding the excess of his modesty, which at that period might almost have been construed into timi dity, he displayed encouraging promises of forensic ex cellence, which displayed itself' with much splendour on the trial of G I.ORi:E THOMAS, of Bra ley s , re Noainertham tor tonshire, for f o rgery. In this case, he wad the ro pse cution, and had the honoudot ontend wit w h Mr. LAW, since Lord Ch itf Justice ENUH ho appeared for the defendant. This trial excited much public attention, and the ability evinced by Mr. P. greatly increas :1 00 ed the number of his clients. In 1796, hewas invited to the Court of King's Bench, and appoin;ed King's Council, yet he soon after removed to the H Cou is rt d of Chaomestic nceryai, where his practice b ecame extensive. ha, however, antedated his rapid advances in his proo that of fession. Owing to th e vicinity of his father's residence t the late Gen. Sir T. SPENCER 'WILSON, Bart. an active and spirited Officer, w ho had distingui shed himself at the bat tle of Minden, where he ser ved as Aide - de - C am p to General, since Earl WALDEGRAVE, and who held the lordship of the manor of Charlton, the PERCEVA LS and WinsoNs had for many years lived in the utmost intimacy. An attachment, formed in infancy, between SPENCE:: PERCEVAL and Miss JANE WILSON, the youngest of the Baronet's daughters, was matured with their years into love, and crowned in 1790, by their union. It may be considered as no incurious coincidence of family affection, that about four years before, the elder brother of our oung barrister, Lord ARDEN , should have married the y eldest of the Sir T. S. WILSON'S daughters, MARGAIti3 ELIZABETH. The progress of Mr. SPENCER PERCEVAL in his pro- I fession, now grew still more rapid. After his appoint sity, iment of Counsel to the Admiralty, his own Uni ver ' Cambridge, gave him a flattering testimony of esteem ils nominating him one of itS MO COLIIIseI. . His abilitieL expanded with their field of action. They were nol(nger confined to the bar, and now burst out in the ;ien,ce. Mr. PEACEVALIS love for his country, and detestation c) . French principles, had long inspired him with the wish of joining the Parliamentary hosts that supported the Throne and the Constitution against the attacks of faction at borne and the attempts of enemies abroad. An opportunity soon occurred to gratify his laudable ambition. Lent COMPTON succeeded to the Earldom of Northampton, in April 1796, owing to the demise of his the b mat orouernagh of l u ncle, t an d co nsequently vacate d his seat for tba name. Students at the same college together, the Earl and Mr. PERCEVAL were besides first cousins, and a'; closely united by the ties of friendship as by thus?. of blood. The influence of their families had great weigllt in the borough of Northampton, and Mr. Pt...ttc EN i.i., who had previously been nominated Devuty Recorder, Was immediately returned for the vacant represeroation. Cii. stant in his political attachments, be received in retnin from his Constituents the most satisfactory pledge f their regard and approbation. He was elected by tteni to serve in three Parliaments; and continued their tepritti tative, when the unprovoked and want on inhumanity of an assassin, hurried him from the busy life, into the silent inactivity of the pave. No sooner bad Mr. PERCEV AL Obtained a oat in the House of Commons, than lie hastened to avow his poli . tical creed. A fervent admirer of the eloquence of Nr: PITT, and a zealous supporter of the principles oil wllicil. that gi eat Statesman acted, he declared himself a friend to his administration, and powerfully advocated his nic . A . sures. The first time he took an important share ill the \ debate, was on the '3d of June, 1797, when he are ill. support of Mr. all Bill, for the better prevention and St:age of public \ punishment of all traitorous attempts to excite seed land mutiny in his Majesty's service, and prcposecl sll, beneficial amendmen_ts, which were severally cons;,ler. land finally adopted. It is remarkable, that a lmost 1 , 1 first and last public act, should have had the same end!. `tileview : for one of the last subjects on which he sp(ko a . House of Commons, was Mr. Ryder's Bill flr nvi c I 1 0 11 efrectnally preventing the administration of unLmf., MAY 17 .•0 011 "' MAY 17 vas invited to the King's Council, Chancery, where nestle happiness, in his profession. sidence to that of art. an active and iimself at the bat- Aide-de-Camp to lld who held the e P ERC EVA I,S and .e utmost intimacy. between S PEN cr..% he youngest of the th their years into union. It may be of family affection, ,der brother of our i have married the ighters, MARCAIti3 AiCEVAL in his pro- After his appoint. his own University, itimony of esteem ifs luirsel. ' His abilities They were no t out in the ;ien,ce. ry, and detestation . him with the wish of supported the Throne .cks of faction at home ad. An opportunity iable ambiticin. Le rd n of Northampton, ia )f his maternal uncle, for the borough of that .!ge together, the Earl fi rs t cousins, and :ndship as by thus?. of tu nnies had grew: -seigllt int] Mr. P EN who Devuty Recorder, was .nt represen'ation. s, he received in ietinn Lisfactory pledge cf . their ras elected by ttera to continued their teprosta. d wanton inhumanity of the busy stage of public ;he grave. obtained a goat in the - ----,1 •• a vow his