Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1868-12-10
CHARLES JAMES FOX

CHARLES JAMES FOX
Charles. James Foz, the great English
orator. enlightened atesnlan, ana rcck-
less man OF pleasure, vas most reckless
gambler, and spent half his wast d lie
knee deep in cards at Brookes' Club
He used to say that the greatest pleasure
in existence WIS the VI ming at h7I'rd
and the next greatest pleasure losing at
hasArd Mr.. Thackeray says he s4uar-
dered 81 ,000 900 at play. Gibton tell
US of Fox once playing for tweatg-tTo
hours at sitting, and losing $3.50 an
hour. Unlike tall, thin, ascetic Pitt,
who liked his bottle Of port, bat despised
'',he deviI's picture book" FIX had Q
broad chest, ana was disorderlg lion Of
q man. capable OF vast physical exertion.
Tue faciuations Of chance. sld the semi
intellectual character Of whist and piquet,
had won bis heart and his fidelity to the
green cloth was unwavcring AT those
games, into which he could throw his ro-
bust mind, Fox was SO pye-enincnt that
it is said he might if he had restricted
hiusclf 10 them, and avoided the dealers,
hare drawn sum Of $40, 900 a year from
lis card purse alone. But at hazard ne
lost hatfulis of money. OF course he
wou occasionally once, 1t is said, SO
000 at sitting; part Of which he Instant
ly paid away TO his ravenous creditors
With the money left from those harpies
and jack4ls. Fox returned, sat down again
at the fatal green cloth, and soon lost his
spoils to those from which he had Won It
half an hour before How could such
desperate at cards rule a nation or oust
cold, cautions Mr.. Pitt, whose whole life
was Que long, restless fever OF ambition =?
Yet 50 stalwart was the Titan Of Bfookes,
tnAt he las been known to pay. thought
less, hour after ho0r, and then stride of
70 the House 10 pour forth one Of the
most ferYid Of his generous speeches.
Dr.. Johu=on's friend, TOpaala B an
clerk, If, Fox one morning after long
night 4, tL5 gaming table. FIX was a.
NOS. mad At his iJ>g3. ; he W! IN "a
bic. hopeless, Sni dangerously @ts( J.
ent Beaa-,vrk, the uc1t Gay carly,
-Ncu- 10 o..4l ou niul, scv...7 a.-g.n-t .,-.,
anxious at his broken spir.;s; to A.z zu
prise he touut his buri, friend cYln.ott--
ply stretched ol sof. rcsl!og e. ee'25ue
OF Virgil.
What would you have ne to DO. my
dear Ioph4m :: -a't lie. I've lost nv
las. sA..Au2'
Had it not been for his privilege as 8
member OF the House, Fox would have
beeu hall his lite pIaylag at Piquct II prl-
son. So lhoughties- and good hrmoFed
,ras Fox, that wien Eis b-os4er's house
x.a on fire he offered 10 BIT the uoble
o,gner which beam, which chimney or
which partition would frst tal. to the
oround-a maguauimi.y aS great as that
of Sheri,!au, wnu. when bis theatre buru-
=, down. st down ana had his bc.t.o Al
an adjacent tavern, saying to wondervrs
..Navn't a man take giaas OF vine by
his owa f.eslde :?
T. was to the mislirectel affection OF
his fYthe-, Lord Holland, Ca theorist on
education. } TIT Fox OVID tlc + st devel-
onmcnt 0. h.z tas,e tor & M 1iing Waen
orlr fourteen he w-,lt - Spa. .rere hs
t.rIer at!oycI tue protoctoG5, unchecked
bow to s4uInI.r Ave sulne,s every nlgat
II hazard. ga l4aytna 01tjrd to MAKE
the grand tour, ac grtw su.I more rtca-
lass about mouey, aud ran into debt II
NAMES aloue to the amount Of $50, ,CQ0,
thouqh he WAS ouly entitled 70 Sc, oQo 1
- s. his fathers death The man uey-
~ sEo,k Of taa vice th4 boy had uahap-
,,;Iv aconired. There can BE- little dy,.Dt
tbat Fox's iucesslut pocu4iary difficulties
led Inn into many OF those political ln-
constituencies whlch uis tra-st sriehds Ia
mapted and for wulcl MS enemies bitter
ly renroached him. He was compelled tc
think of place when he should have
thought only of principle. These dl1fl-
cult ; which were his special snare Ters
chiefly the result OF gsmgling and thai
/ ip3olea, neglect Nhica blunted his facnE-
ties dulled his am mbition, and made hls
life wasted one.
! We have SO many authentic records O
Fox's behavior ana conversation that w.
can almost phot graph him as he sits 3
the card table at Brooke's The cham
pion Of the people" was heavy and silen
until tle vine grew low III the bottle
He then woke up to silence the room wilt
the sustained thuuder of bis CyciePesr
laugh. Full Of radiant good nature, h
thoroughly appreciated the VI, of Sheri
ian ana Ss,wyn ami Sheridan never ex-
est.I hinse.; 50 mu:h as when Fox wa
present.. BurAs s.oass bis'ly of Fox
,oy-5lc ways; ; AMI Rogers, Ehc neTe
ERASED TOO much. expresses admiration
Tor his fne TIC, and feeling, his open' gen
tl5maalIke manner, 50 ful Of candor au'
oitfilvu-e. aud the ard-r anu lnteEes
vl,L which IL always p.aa6ed me coz
lt1sa,lol.
N4lpola. walking n 5. james stree
ia tbs June Of ISL, saw : cart aud Pcc
,ers renewing furniture t.on Eez loIs
ings lie h.4d run q .l.A, an lbs
car.;3r crews. bis creo.,o.s. lad gather
ID t.i.k around the carcass Half 4
hour after this. whom should rslpol
in1 sa0atering past inc same spot b1
Fox, VIC c2se up ani t4lEs1 : 4lal Wit
.1a- trafG atuut tn -na-.i4se LII. !
tie sale e Fox's library, tae frst vc
urc = Gibt>n's 'Ilsc.:ce ard Fall Y
y, y - - - 'e-%- gacsas