The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-10-27 00:00:00

SUDDEN DEATH OF LORD HOLLAND.

We have to announce the sudden demise of Lord Holland,
Which occurred on Thursday morning, at Holland House,
Refisington. His lordship, with Lady Holland, were out in
their carriage on Tuesday, on which day his lordship appeared
much in his usual state of health. On Wednesday morning
ne complained of indisposition, which, however was but
slight until towards evening, when Drs., Holland, Arnott,
and Allen, and other medical gentlemen were called in, but
their efforts were of no avail, an obstruction of the bowels
defying medical skill, and occasioning death a few minutes
after six o'clock this morning. His lordship was in his 67th
Year, having been born on the 21st Nov. 1773. He was the
third Baron Holland, succeeding to the titles on the 16th De-
eernber, 1774, on the demise of nis father. In 1797 he married
Elizabeth Vassal, the daughter and heiress of Richard Vassal,
Esq., by whom he has issue—Col. J. Fox, Lady Lilford,
and the Uon. Henry Fox, secretary of legation to the court
of Vienna, who succeeds him in the titles. His lordship, in
addition to having filled several offices under various admin-
istrations, was, we believe, President of the Council, Chan-
cellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and Recorder of Notting-
ham.
The noble lord, whose somewhat unexpected decease we
have announced above, was at the head of the class of poli-
ticians in the upper house who are termed liberal Whigs, and
on many noted occasions has amply earned the distinction
Which he thereby enjoyed. Of late years, owing to personal
infirmity, his lordship, though a tolerably constant attendant
in the House of Lords, has not been very often induced to
address the house ; but formerly he was accustomed to
take a part in most of the debates that arose out of the events
of the time. His public conduct was on many occasions
Marked by a considerable degree of courage in running coun-
ter to the opinions which prevailed at the moment, and he
was one of the most strenuous advocates for the release of
Napoleon-Bonaparte from what he termed the odious and un-
just confinement of that individual at St. Helena. He also
took an active part in procuring the repeal of the test and
corporation acts, and in the abolition of the catholic disabili-
ties, for which latter service, his lordship, in common with
Earl Grey and his colleagues in office, received the due re-
ward, by being included with that statesman in the sweeping
Phrase, the " base, bloody, and brutal whips," which was
showered upon the then ministry by the great demagogue of
Ireland. Lord Holland's talents as a public speaker were
above mediocrity, his matter being sometimes marred by his
rapid, breathless delivery, in which he emulated his more cele-
brated uncle, Charles James Fox, whose periods, however,
if tradition may be credited, were never spoiled, but were
rather improved by this rapidity, which gave the appearance
of fluent enthusiasm to the most studied and recondite
Phrases. Lord Holland was fond of epigrammatic terms,
and was rather apt to introduce into his speeches in the house
the Jots that every now and tbeu must have escaped from
one or other of the guests at his celebrated convivial board,
aq invitation to which has long been the ne plus ultra of dis-
tinction to literary aspirants and political partisans of a cer-
tain class.

Lord Holland's celebrity as a literary man rests principally
upon a life of the prolific Spanish dramatist, Lope de Vega,
1f whose compositions he gave a few specimens (translated)
,3
the work in question. There is no doubt, however, that
the taste for literature, as well as the judgment by which
that taste was guided, that prevailed at Holland House, justly
entitled this distinguished abode to the reputation which it
has enjoyed for the last quarter of a century—a reputation
Which might almost be deemed traditional, from the circum-
atance of the mansion having been formerly inhabited by Ad-
dison. In the literary re-unions of Holland House, Lady
Holland was always understood to take a prominent part, and
her ladyship has the reputation of being not unworthy of pre-
siding over the " feast of reason" that occupied the attention
of the guests.
The peculiar circumstances which marked the marriage of
the deceased nobleman with the lady in question are too well
"own to need any detailed recapitulation at this moment ;
and in justice to the parties it must be admitted that, subse-
quent to the union which took place in 1797, her ladyship
performed the duties of her high station with unblemished
laMe, and though never generally recognised amongst her
own class, was rigourously exact as to the character and re-
Autatiou of the visitors of her own sex who visited Holland
House.
„Henry Richard Vassal Fox, Lord Holland, was Baron
f!olland, in Lincolnshire, and Baron Foxley, county Wilts.
He was born Nov. 23, 1773, and succeded his father, Stephen,
thVassal
late lord, Dec. 26, 1774. He married July 9, 1797, Miss
anal (whose marriage with her former husband, Sir God_
fray
Webster, Bart., was dissolved by act of parliament, June,
and by her had several ehildren.—Morning Herald