Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-02-09
c. J. Fox and Walter Scott

Under this heading, in the Wing of the 8O,h January
there appeared the letter Of "W Napier Lcuenan, Gene
raj Lately published in the London Times repeatpa
publicly the charge, (ong snoe communicated by him to
Tom Moore, and dscreded by Moore and Lord Holla,d
that Scott, at the time when Fox dying wrote song
for the P Club, the burden Of VIII ch was Tay bo, n,
the Fox" Lieut. Cen Napier has 1t, "Iark! bark
TO the death ofthe Fox"
IL must have seemed strange to every candid mind that
such charge shall be made and persisted in by an au
,hony so respectable in opposition to the express denial
by Lord Holland himself Of The truth of the story and M
less strange that conduct brutal and uneeng could be
imphted TO man, who was ALWAYS BILE for nj, no
neYoence and humanity. But reference to Lockhart.
life OF Scott affords key to the enigma and while The
explanation presents Scott in tho character oT
song writer which even his in law and biographer feels
to have been unworthy Of hm-yet it wholly eioneraes
him from the gross aud offensive imputaons of Gen N.
pier.
The song was composed in honor OF the acoui,ts Of
LORD hevile,who had been mpeached by the Wing Min
sry; and, according 10 Lockhar 81" was sung by 1m,,
Bdilantye and received with camorous applause At A
P"oc dinner greH IN honor Of The event "a, Elinburgh)
Lord Aeys'-it contained eight versss-and in helas,
hafof the la't the only auson 10 For in
which he s coupled with Whitbread the celebrated Wing
brewer aud memb,r Of parliament. II thug
''Tn Granville and Spencer
And some few good men, sir
High talents We honor, slight difference forgive
But the Brewer well hoax,
JdftU hO-tO the FOL,
And drink Melville Tor ever, as long az va live
(See Isl voL LoekhdTfs Life of Seon-chop IVA
The identity Of the words above i,acised with the bu,
de a' reported 70 Tom Moore proves this to have been
the song IN question and proves also that Cen Napie
memory has been impaired by prejudice in rendering IL
llark bark 10 the death Of the Fox ~ A hurrS of
encouragement TO attack formidable adversary In the
summit OF his power " thus converted into a veil of saw
age triumph over the dying agony Of noble foe Nei.
ther walter Scott, a0y other gentleman could have
zone such Decd and maintained his place IN society for
quarter OF century afterwards
was not therefore the death Of FoI but the acaual
OF Melville which the subject ofhc song: was sung
not at the FIT Club, but at dinner given 10 honor Of e
and 80 far from making Fox the burden of H. he
IS mentioned bat once, aud with that degree Of proni.
nence which might have been expected in some hat
rancorous production The tone OF the piece az Lock.
mart plainly sates gave at the time little umbage 70
some o. SCOTS friends and suc passage as Mrs
Dugad Stewart mentioned TO Napier possibly did
betEeen her husband and the poet.
toI died on the 18th September, 1906, nearly three
months after the song sung. He did not give up his
attendance in Parliament till the middle Of July and con.
tnued 70 discharge his duties the Foreign Office for
some time afterwards. led vol. Alisons Hist Of Europe
chap MILD To suppose that Scott foresaw bis death 30
long before occurred aud before II spprehended by
himself or his riends would be to invest the offender
with the Pre'eieuee Of MepbisophOes, well as his
malice.