The Press.
London, England, 1853-05-28 00:00:00

THE PRESS

and musical thunder of graway terrible de-
elamation. might have contorted with jealousy
the heart of Demosthenes. Here is that king
of men—that ruler of ms time—who. long be-
fore thirty summersAave passed. has changed
the fate of pietist —erushed the Whigs—re-
construeted of nel principles the party of
the Court—atied the Tories to the (simmer
sip/ energy of the land— unfurled his banner
of " British Empire." and inscribed it with
his motto, " Ships, Colonies, and Commeree."
For three hours. with unfidtering force, he
has defied his adversaries, and defended his
resolves, anti, amidst reverberating volleys of
cheers. resumes his seat. himself the only
unmoved human hieing in that spellbound
assembly.
Well, Fox never can answer that. display.
You cry—" What a pity that. he spent all his
day sauntering shunt ! And last night. too.
how he wasted it in the orgies where Captain
Morris sung his bacchanalian strains !" You
think that Fox must break down. and yon feel
for him, as with heavy, lumbering air he ad-
valleys slowly to the table. emit fumbles
awkwardly with his fingers. There he stands,
amidst a dead silence of expectation. Look at
his careless half-buttoned vest. his erumpled
linen. his almost slovenly attire. 'What is he
saying? We cannot hear him distinctly. He
seems quite confused, and his sentences are
all entangled. Ah !he must fail, as his father
before him did when " battling it our witlt
another Pitt.* His voice, too, how different
is its coarse and husky sound from the moms
roux organ of his gifted foe. Ills gestures,
also. bow commonplace—his whole air, how
ungainly, as we contrast it with the statefi-
netes of the last speaker. But how very still the
House is ! The Opposition do not seem dispi-
rited, iu'r does the Treasury bend' look pre-
maturely elated. Both sides know by
experience the nature of the man before them.
His voice is getting more clear—he has got
rid of that unseemly obstruction to his
uttetance. We find that ►he is saying, in
very plain and uttaffeeted woe its. that the
minister, thought adroit and artful, is, after
sill, very superficial in his views. He—
Charles Fox—does not mean to deny that
a case of apparent strength mid reason might
be made by the minister. Well, he fan-
cies the case—and we are surprised to find
him restating his adversary's case. He does
it with clearness, precision, and transparent
simplicity of style. This ease multi not be
put more strongly for the other side than Fox
has put it. lie enlists attention and sympathy
by the equity of his statement. 'Tit his art!
'the his matchless art, which died with Fox.
Now, then, he has thel ease fairly before the
House—now the matter in dispute is clearly
seen. Ha ! with what overwhelming vehe
menee, what terrific impetuosity he anuthe
matises the contemptible sophistry of the clime
which he had recently just restated ! He
scouts its utter absurdity, and rends to pieces
the whole argument. lie analyses it, and re-
futes each assertion separately ; he returns
again and again to the main proposition, never
gliding away with ambiguous language or
skulking from IL difficulty. This plain down-
right manner disarms all suspicion of sophistry,
and you evidently see that he is making havoc
with the substance of Pitt's speech. Now how
he glows with ardour as he approaches a part
of the question where humanity be concerned !
He becomes more intense every moment. A
new view of the whsle question, nut thought
of before, is bursting upon the astonished
House. The speaker's masculine sense is trans-
lating into psrliainentary English the over
subtle and obstructed etinelumions of the
"E. 11." paper. Vast prospects of great social
good flash into the speakers soul, and be pours
forth all his thoughts with the fiery impulsive-
ness of an enthusiast. Ills argument becomes
impassioned ; his reasoning blends into the
speaker's soul. This is the ignited logic—the
Greek fire of heart-stining eloquence—the
tongue to plead for the injured and oppressed—
to speak of human anguish. This is the man
who would burn to break the shackles of the
dusky tribes of Africa. Those near him see
the tears bursting front his eyes—those tits off

• " Old ox I ant. 1 hope tf, Kee pot both battling it out lo there
%%MN it‘ f hose done your fathers before you.".-4neolotc (if
(.rneral (irrnt, in liNJ lvoi. P. 262).

hear the voice faltering with SyMpatby, and
the genuine sensibility of a strong man had
magic power over the sympathies. He is car-
rying the House with him : how he revels in
his power ! II e realises to his mind the plea-
sure described by an anonymous essayist of
antiquity—the heart-stirring joy of sumessful
extempore speaking : " Sed extemporalis
autiacile. atque ipsius tenteritatis, vel prieeipu*
jucunditas est. * * gratiora tamen gine
stta sponte naseuntur.",:: Completely cooled
away himself by his own enthusiasm and by
that which he has raised, his pulse at fever
heat. soil his heart knocking aganot his ribs,
amid it tempest of cheers he iiivito back into
his seat. exultant in the glory of stifling to
the very depths the deep-lyin4 passions of the
Commons of England!
Pitt's speech now seem• like the recollection
of a mighty sound in x•ur ear. Fox has left
up you tho improgoott that he had all the
reason anti arguntelt on his side. Pitt gave
you little materiat4 for thinking upon, and l
ox .
poured forth icassett of thought. But you
not stop to oriticise. Your eyes are fixed on
the rush to eat, and on the eager crowd
of Whigsreveille( who seek to grasp .their
champiat's hand : and you leave the itonsc,
astonished how a man of his apparently idle
halos can show himself the mate% for Pitt,
avother prodigy of powers—" not(1 in their
eparate excellence, wonderful in( their epeeist
eombituttion." Yon wonder ilttill noire, when
yon find that. Fox's speech %DIM scarcely told
upon the division. The nitinister has gained
by three to one, and Fox',4 glory is to inspire
his beaten party in the, hour of defeat with
hopes of faun. victory/
Follow the orator i s he drives to Boodle's.
i where he sups. The e again he is first amongst
.
the first, revelling in spirits, not. presuming in
the least upon his it tellectual superiority. As
in the morning at Revokes's, so now at Boodle's,
he is welcomed by all, and makes himself happy
amongst them. Will, he is entitled to Close
tthe night with plc arc, and repose from his
labours. Close th night ! Who talks of doing
it ? Why, thou rustne novice, know that Charley
Fox (again he is Charley) is now only beginning
it ! See his countenance beaming with gratiti-
ration as he drains the flowing beakers. How
he enjoys and takes part in the rattling talk
and vehentetttly vivacious gaiety of the wits
anti talkers ;kround hint. Ho makes us think
of the description by Beaumont of the nights
at the Mermaid :-
- Ileartl words that have been
S.ininilan and ou inn of subtle !buns,
As ie that every on, front whence they chine
114.6 want t,. put his whole wit in *Jett,
- • • ' ' - - ' the rest

() An had resolved to live a fool .._
Of I is didl life."
But what i strange look Fox's face is getting
now ! We, have not seen him the whole day
exhibit dot sinister expression. He fixes his
eye on Lord Foley, and heeds not Courtenay's
artificial wit and classical puns, nor does he
lltilid " lll4e Hanger's"t aphorisms about the
art of dres:sing, nor Fitzpatrick's raptures on
'town punch. EVell tilt ungh fresh news from
Newmarket' bas conic to-night, lie does not care
about it. ;Ve do not like that hard, callous
expression ; it seems quite unnatural to his
countenance. There is it vicious rigidity
creeping over it that is very displeasing. He
nods to lord Foley, and the pair leave the
room, after a hackney-coach has been ordered.
When the door has been closed upon them,
Com-lenity, coarsely enough, with a toss of his
bead, winks itt Lord Besborough, and unites,
significant gestures.
And now there is a chorus of sounds echoing
the ofroin, " What a man that Fox is to he
sore !" Ills talents sure extolled to the skies.
and the state °lbis alliiirs is commented upon.
Ile lists Ho doming fattler now to pay 140,0001.
for his gambling. But he still is deep on tho
turf, and has shares in blood horses,: and his
cards may yet turn up trumps—and, better
than all, Billy Pitt may loe turned out. Another
hour has passed away Hine e that joyous supper
at the club. The summer Inoming ham dawned.
and the early market-gardeners ate Collll4l*
into town, The eastern sky is streaked with,

• NIP 1111. t rnet. " I Pr ttratotibus," commonly bound up with ILO
work., of Inchum, but nut believed to be front his pea.
f Loyd i•olerwitte.
S., Into all 1790 rot and partner liad thirty h.dsan en the
turf. In 17M9 it was thought that he wg.ti at thr Ppring Sleeting
at Newmarket 00,9001. Ili had great canalise, la Lard Iralora
judigueut.