580 CHAPTER XIII. General Fitzpatrick, - Death of Mr. Fox,Lord Holland and Lord Grenville,—Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt, Mr. Coke,-Living of Buckingham, -Lord Chedworth,-Rev. Mr. Eyre. On the establishment of the Fox and Grenville administration, although Dr. Parr made no application for his own promotion, he pointed out Mr. Hargrave to the patronage of the Government; and I insert the following letter, as it will prove that he did the same for Mr. Lefanu, who married Mr. Sheridan's sister, and also that he himself was not indifferent to some of the ruling powers, although he had not been forward in obtruding himself upon their notice: From the Right Honourable Richard Fitzpatrick, Secretary of War, to the Rev. Dr. Parr. DEAR SIR, War Office, May 30, 1806. I owe you many apologies for having so long delayed answering your letter, inclosing that of Mrs. Lefanu, which I trust you will have ascribed to its true cause, the great pressure of public business, which has, for some days past, both in and out of Parliament, wholly occupied my time. With respect to the lady's application, I can with truth assure you, that your taking an interest in her behalf, would be, independently of all other circumstances, a sufficient reason to insure my giving it every attention in my power. I have already given Mr. Lefanu repeated assurances that whenever an opportunity should offer itself, which would enable me to remove him from his present to a more eligible and healthful situation, it should not be neglected. I am not sorry, however, that he does not appear to place much reliance on these assurances, since his want of confidence in them has procured me the pleasure of a letter from a person for whom I entertain so high and unfeigned an esteem and respect; and of expressing the regret which I, in common with many of his friends, feel, in not having yet had the satisfaction of seeing amongst them, since the late political change, a person, the value of whose attachment and support all the well-wishers of the present Administration must highly appreciate. You will be glad to hear that your friend Mr. Fox left town last Saturday, in good health, to enjoy, for a few days, some relaxation from the very laborious duties of his official and parliamentary occupations. It is very unnecessary for me to add, that I reckon him in the list of persons to whom I before alluded, as one who will have the greatest pleasure in seeing you, whenever your avocations may occasion your travelling to this part of the world. I have the honour to be, dear Sir, with the greatest esteem, your very obedient humble servant, RICHARD FITZPATRICK. This letter, written the latter end of May, was well calculated to encourage Parr's hopes of preferment; General Fitzpatrick was the confidential friend and relation of the minister, and knew, not only the secrets of government, but the private sentiments of his mind. Of course, he would not have invited him to join friends who did not like his company, and thus to have raised expectations not intended to be gratified. Had Mr. Fox lived, there can be no doubt that he would have advanced him. For great as he was, the amiable qualities of his heart, and the firmness of his friendships, at least equalled his intellectual accomplishments. But at the moment General Fitzpatrick wrote, the seeds of mortal disease were concealed within Mr. Fox's bosom; " and the fatal 13th of February (as Mr. O'Bryen terms it in his letter to Mr. Alderman Combe), with the aid of some kind friends, sent him, within a few months to the tomb." There can be no doubt that the fatigues of office, which began in that fatal February, connected with his anxieties about public affairs, and the bad hours, and harrassing debates of Parliament, hastened on, and at last ripened the mischief. During the whole summer, Mr. Fox was incapable of attending to public business, and it is very remarkable, had he been in the utmost vigour of health, and plenitude of power, that no occasion presented itself of endowing Dr. Parr with high ecclesiastical preferment. I believe that no deanery or canonry in the gift of the Crown became vacant during that time; and certainly the first English bishopric was that of St. Asaph, which became vacant, on the death of Dr. Horsley, early in October, and which was given to Dr. Cleaver, formerly tutor in the Grenville family, while the bishopric of Bangor, from which he was translated, was given to Dr. Randolph, of Christ Church. There was one Irish bishopric vacated also by death during this period. Dr. Parr was deeply affected by the loss he was about to sustain, and with the eager solicitude of friendship, unmixed, as much as it is possible for the human mind to be, with any sordid views, sought and obtained intelligence from his political friends of the declining health of the great Statesman. In the beginning of August some hope was entertained. From Lord Holland, to Dr. Parr. DEAR SIR, August 5, 1806. In hopes this letter may yet reach you at Oxford, I write to thank you for your kind expressions towards me, but more particularly to convey to you the agreeable intelligence that Mr. Fox is sensibly better, and that we have every day more ground to hope and expect that he will be finally restored to his health. It must, however, be the work of time. I have here a volume (which, superficial as it is, I have been induced to publish) directed to you, and if you will do me the honour of accepting it, and let me know where to send it, I will lose no time in forwarding it to you: in doing so, I must deprecate your criticism, or at least lenis incedas, and not in your Gorgon terrors clad, for I assure you it is ill prepared to meet you or any body else in that character. I am, sincerely, your obliged humble servant, HOLLAND. After Mr. Fox's removal to Chiswick, early in September, when the prospect of speedy dissolution was announced to him, Parr wrote to Lord Holland requesting that he might be permitted to perform the last offices of religion. The following is General Fitzpatrick's reply: DEAR SIR, Chiswick House, Sept. 13, 1806. I am sorry to announce to you that our excellent and dear friend has, in all probability, few hours to live. Happily, he appears to suffer no pain, and it seems likely that he will close his days without suffering. I mentioned the subject of your letter to Lord Holland: he concurs with me in feeling that your wish should be complied with, upon every consideration, both public and private; but, at the same time, in the present melancholy moment, when it is impossible to speak upon such a subject to Mrs. Fox and others of his nearest connection, he can say no more than that he feels all the propriety of your performing the last sad and solemn duty upon this grievous and distressing occasion. I am, Sir, with most sincere respect, your very humble R. FITZPATRICK. servant, Dr. Parr was invited to attend the funeral of his illustrious friend, but did not read the service. Upon that occasion, rendered infinitely more solemn by the unaffected, and affectionate, and voluntary homage of sympathy of a train of mourners of the first consideration for rank, and genius, and learning, in the empire, the interest was redoubled by the accident, or the design, which placed the bodies of Mr. Fox and Mr. Pitt within a span of each other. Well might the moralist exclaim, who had witnessed the contention of the orators in parliament, and the eager grasp with which they clung to power: Hi motus animorum atque hæc certamina tanta, Of Mr. Fox's public life, the simple greatness of his mind, his political wisdom, and the transcendent qualities of his oratory, the history of our country cannot be silent, and future ages will judge better of him than we his contemporaries, who see him through the mist of our partialities and our prejudices. Of his private life, I insert an affecting account from the pen of his widow, the Honourable Mrs. Fox, in a letter to Dr. Parr. |