The National Register.
London, England, 1812-05-24 00:00:00

THE N ATION A
_R _EGISTER.

for whose satisfaction they were intended. He voted
against smch conces,.ions at the outset, and had since found
no cause to alter his opinion ; but he denied that the pro-
visions of the act of 1801, were at all analogous to the
propose.' measure. Sii:ce in that instance, there was no
cle, on to al.point a Catholic to any of our Civil Offices.
I\tothing so monstrous ill ininciple," he exclaimed,
o-as ever avowed." Tolerant towards all sects, Mr.
PErci.v 1. was ways particularly cam oful of the interests
and stability of our ecclesiastical establishment, and sub-
ou.oitly tzrouglit in a bill to increase the salaries of the
stipendiary curates, This bill, however, was lost
A.pmil 1808, but the condition of the poorer clergy has
s;nce been ameliorated by the monies voted for their re-
in Parliament, at the particular recommendation of the
Crown.
The sudden burst of patriotism in the Spanish penin-
sula now attracted every eye, and awakened throughout
the land feelinp.s cf sympathy and exultation, except
among those who think they would commit a breach of
party decorum , if they were to express joy at our tri-
umphs, or sotrow at our misfoitunes. Liberal in their
aid to the Sparish and Portuguese nations, Mr. PERCEVAL
and his colleagues had incessantly to contend with the
evil forebodiogs and terrors of the Opposition, who re-
echoed Bos.AnAlurE's threats of destroying our armies in
the peninsula, with great fidelity of mwation both in
feeliog- and in tone. The Tang list of British victories
gained wherever cur heroes have fought ; the rescue of
Portugal from the grasp of its oppressors ; the capture Of
two of the strongest fortresses in Spain, defended by the
bravest troops and officers the enemy could appoint, and
the flattering prospects of Spanish independence, have hi.
therto sowed but few seeds of hope in the minds of those
politicians, who, however, begin to think that it is possi-
-1,1-' for our troops to encounter the fury of the Gallic eagles,
,out bring instantly annihilated.
i'he disastrous fate of the Walcheren Expedition, the
dissentions in the Cabinet, to which the death of the Duke
of PORTLAND (succeeded by Mr. PERCEVAL) gave rise,
by bringinA to light the conduct of Mr. CANNING to-
wards Lord CASTLEREAC;II, and occasioning a duel be-
tween those two Statesmen, and their consequent seces-
sion from office, the revolutionary commotion excited by
the resistance c f an Honourable Baronet to the laws of his
cour:try, would have been sufficient to overturn a Minister
le -s deeply grounded on just principles ; less powerfully
flied by the Ikeight of his own integrity; endowed with
less energy of character, less undaunted firmness of mind,
and le:,s eminent abilities. Surrounded with political
storms, Mr. PESCI:VAL passed through them unshaken.
His Administration maintained the honour, secured the
independence, and augmented the power of his country.
Nay, its beneficial influence was extended beyond the li-
mits of the British empire. Foreign nations frequently
hesitated in becoming our allies on account of the insta-
bility of our Administrations. Mr. PERCEVAL'S integrity
as a roan, and spirit as a Minister, attracted both their
respect and their confidence. They saw that his private
character was sufficient to procure him the support of
every virtuous man : They knew that his public vigour
had power to coutroul the most discordant elements, and
to command success. They beheld him armed at all
points—with sincere affection for his King, love for his
country, veneration for her laws, zeal and activity in her
defence, with strength to repel enemies, and to assist
friends, re-olution to encounter, skill to elude, and ability
t..) conquer) difficulties. They saw him, towards his

MAY 42

God, obedient and submissive, towards his fellow-man,
benevolent and blameless, and they not only reveled, but
trusted him. Hence they welcomed our assistance wilh
joy ; they learned to conquer by the side of our warriors;
and, with the blessing of Providence, will ultimately
restore that indeiTnderice for which they now so worthily
-contend.

Such was the Minister whom the hand of an assassin
has snatched from the service of iris country. Unassisted,
like Mr. PITT, by men of superior talents, he had borne
the chief weight of Government through a period of pe.
culiar difficulty and danger. Yet, never had he appeared
so great as when he stood forth the champion o! his
afflicted Monat ch, against, wh it to every human eye
.
must have seemed, his obvious interest. His conduct, it
was supposed, would offend a Prince, eager to enter en
the unrestrained exercise of Royal power. Short-sighted
mortals ! His Prince rewarded his loyalty and patriotism,
by giving him all his confidence. The grave has LOVI
closed over him, let us trust his God has granted him a
still brighter crown, an unfading eternity of bliss.
Charity, which St. Paul so beautifully illustrates as the
first of Christian virtues, formed a marking feature ia
Mr. PMICEVALIS character. It was not in him an osteeta-
tious profuseness that gives in order to be seen ; but a 2ri-
rit of benevolence that endeavours to conceal the good it
performs. His charity was not that of the purse alone,
but of the heart. Hence it was not confined to necuniaiy
assistance to deserving persons, but operated' through
the wh.)le of his conduct. It repressed the natural in;- •
petuosity of his temper, and armed him on all occa,ions
with unalterable good•nature. This was never mere re.
1 markable than in the Senate, where, notwithstanding t!
many provocations he received, he never allowed Ys mist
violent antiagonists to tiiamph over his temi.er. 'il3c.y
might rage, and he would rebut their charges, but w']l•
argument, not abuse. They might assail him with
the virulence of passion, and find him still possessed il
that perfect self-command, which provoked their anger,
i and defeated their attempts. Spirited in the service of I. c
country, and the support of the measures which lie cor,
ceived best calculated to promote her interests, he ecaLi
make his opponents feel the weight of his eloquence a:.(1
the sharpness of his wit, without ever forgetting the lan•
guage or the deportment of a gentleman. He disarmed
party discussions of their rancour, and obtained Iron tl;e
hearts of his antagonists that tribute of praise which ther
klips denied. Regard for the feelings of others, Iljd "1
him counteracted nature, that had endowed him witi;
: 'pd losvp' lear )s e c7f-wrhaeillllerayctisielgidoimn 5 exceeded,cit.
ci
eiene b
• ommons. In private life his wit enlivened conversattc,m
in, wthieliill
without inflicting any wound on his fellow-creatures ; avd,
we have been informed, that a friend who had lived in th,
closest intimacy with him for thirty-five years, could DU:
had beta
recollect a single instance, in which his raillery ,h) let s °enlJf
personal.

Few men, estimated their abilities more humbly, tl''l
Mr. PERCEVAL did.his own. The consciousness of t
rectitude of his motives and designs, supplied and
unbending firmness to defend them, and ci.ergy
ii,,•..
vity to carry them into execution. Bat even hi success (1
not change his opinion respecting his own merits, .w-:
he denied to exist. Censuring his own conduct 3,v,th 11,
most inflexible severity, he was a most charitable a11,.l:;
nignant critic of the conduct of others. Ills d
i
'
c'e`
1 to truth was so steady, that even during the courbe (A ..!

r

N

I

117 24.

political life, he never was induJed to deviate from it, to
gain any advantage however important.
His kind-lieartedness was displayed towards all, what-
ever be their sex, age, or condition, who approached him
in want and distress. No pressure of important occupa-
tions prevented the exercise of his friendly attentions and
sympathies t()wards the humblest of his acquaintance.—
Relief was made doubly sweet by the delicacy with which
it was gra:ited. Whenever it was possible, the hand of
benevolence was concealed, and the grateful heart knew
not for whom to address supplications to the throne of
heavenly mercy. 'We hay*/ to add the following instances
of beneficence, to those we gave in our last ; they are
equally g►eat, and hitherto secret :
When Mr. PERCEVAL lived in Lincoln's-Inn-fields, pre-
viously to his being a member of Administration, he de-
shed Mr. AsiiFIELD, the clerk of the parish, to apply to
him for money whenever he could find opportunities of
relicvinos deserving families in distress. Mr...A.snnimn
~cc~irwntily received from Mr. PERCEVAL) very conside7

table swn►y or money for this benevolent purpose, awl
one funny in particular received at least 1001. in that
way. It is supposed that this branch of charity cost Mr.
PlinciivA L upwaids of 5001. per annum, and this out Of
the earnings of a most laborious profession, whilst he had
to provide for a numerous and growing family. A Bar-
rister, with whom Mr. PERCEVAL was slightly acquaint-
ed, and who, during a short time that he was in Parlia-
ment, voted on the different side from that on which he
did, beillg encumbered in his affairs, so as to be unable to
go the circuit,. Mr. Pt:ma:vat. sent him five hundred.
pounds..

When Mr. - (about the year 1808 or 9) solicit-
ed a remuneration tin- having saved the KING from the
insults of the mob, in October 1795, in St. James's Par k,
Mr. I'EacEvAr. declined granting any remuneration out of
the public money, but voluntary gave towards a private
subscription, the sum of 1001.
An application was made to Mr. PERCEVAL, a very
few years ago, for an increase of allowance to Mr. Dr
Lisit,r, a French Emigrant, who was then 104 years of
age, and in great want of some additional attendance and
comfort. Mr. PI:RCEVAL said to the person who made the
applicaticar, that he considered the case to be so very dis-
tr,sing that the poor man should, in future, have 501.
pa an in addition to his former small allowance. This
Alms. DE Lisr,E has hitherto received, and as he and his
friends believed, horn the public pbrse. But since Mr.
PEitcsvalfs death, it has been discovered, that rather
thax break through any regulations regarding allowances
to Emigrants, Mr. PERCEVAL has actually paid the above
additbnal allowance to Mons. DE LISLE, from his own
pocket.
Mr. PracrVaes piety was not less sincere and fervent
than his charity was great. A constant attendant on di-
vine worship, his devotion was unaffected and most ex.
emplary. When high in the law he would never permit
consultations to be fixed on a Sunday, unless on business •
that could not admit of delay, and then not till Divine
service was over.
Mr. PEIiCEVAL was of small stature, he had a round
face with rather a pallid complexion, in which, however,
was strongly depictil the amenity c.f his disposition. His
(Jtportment was not commanding, but it was gentlemanly
and attractive.

In the early part of hii professional career his oratory
Via% strongly marked with diffidence, and the timidity of
4'5 disposition. There was, however, a cleArness and ele-

309

gance in his mode of delivery, by which he arrested and
engaged the attention, if he did not ccrmmand it by the
fo; Cc of eloquence. But when he became a Statesman, and
took the lead in the Senate, his oratory grew much
more imprcs4ive. _

Those who knew Mr. PERCEVAL most intimately, were
the warmest admirers of his perfections. Never did any
man carry into public life so much of piety and of vir-
tue. He might be said to have been Christianity per-
sonified. A striking example of what elevation of cha-
racter in public, as well as private life, true Christian
piety reduced ir►to practice, is capable of producing.

Quando ullum invenies parem ?

Two or three years ago Mr. PLOWDEN, author of the
History of England, had discovered a mode of preserving
meat without salt.—An application was made to Mr. PER-
CEVAL to obtain his sanction to this invention, with a view
to its being adopted by the navy. A reference was made
to the Victualling Board, which did not, however, give
it much countenance. Mr. PEIICKVAL then suggested
that Mr. Pi.owDEN had better obtain Patents ia three
parts of the United Kingdom, that the usefulness of the
discovery might be fairly tried. On Mr. PLowDEN's
declaiing that he was unable to comply with this sug-
gestiOn, for want of friends, Mr. PERCEVAL immediately
wrote him an order, on his banker, for 300 guineas.
About seven or eight years ago, when Mr. PERCEVAL
was Treasurer of Lincoln's Inn, he was applied to by a
*..friend of his to give his vote, as Treasurer of that Inn, for
a young-Man to be elected a Tancred Student. His an.
sever was, it being some time before the vacancy was to
happen, that he would not then engage his vote, as he
did not know who would be the candidates, and that he
meant to give his vote to the most proper object. A few
days before the election, Mr. PEACEVAL told his friend that
he had had many applications, and that, therefore, he
wished his friend would inquire into the circumstances Of
the young man he had interested himself for, that Mr. P.
might ascertain whether he was as proper an object as the
other applicants. The result of the inquiry was, that he
was as proper an object, and Mr. P. promised his vote.
The next day; however, Mr. P. sent a note to his friend,
to say lie was vexed and mortified to find that a prior pro-
mise had been urged to him, which had been made long
before he ever supposed he should be in that situation, and
which he must, therefore, pe.tform ; but that he had a
plan, if his friend would confer with him upon it, and
assist him in executing it, by which he thought, if the
young man should lose his election from Mr. P. not Voting
for him, his disappointment might, in some degree, be
lessened. .Accordingly his friend conferred with him, and
Mr. P. having inquired how much the income of the
Studentship was, and for what length cf time it was
held, and being answered that it was 601. per annum, and
was holden for 8 years, he they. replied, that he had made .
up his mind to enter into a bond for the payment of that
sum for eight years, if the young man should lose his elec-
tion by his not voting for him. .On his friend urging that
there was no necessity for this, he said, on that head he
;grad determined, and all he wished of his friend was, that
he would so contrive, that if the young man should lose
his election, he might receive this sum annually, without
knowing to whom he was obliged, and in a manner not
to injure any feelings of delicacy.
\Viten the Tellership of the Exchequer became vacant
by the death of Mr. IiDEM, Mr. PititegVAL offered it to
Mr. Foxes, wilco declined it, urging him to gilts it to ilia