tion, he was unrivalled; as, for instance, his dissertations, for such they were, on the law of Poynings, and similar topics. He was in himself an opposition, and possessed the talent (in political warfare a most formidable one) of tormenting a minister, and every day adding to his disquietude. When attacked, he was always most successful; and to form an accurate idea of his excllence, it was necessary to be present when he was engaged in such contests, for his introductory or formal speeches were often heavy and laboured yet still replete with just argument; and through the whole were diffused a certain pathos, an apparent public ear, with which a popular assembly is almost always in unison. His taste was not the most correct, and his studied manner was slow, harsh, and austere; the very reverse of Hamilton, whose trophies first pointed the way to Flood's genius, and whom he avowedly attempted to emulate. But in skirmishing, in returning with rapidity to the charge, though at first shaken, and nearly discomfited, his quickness, his address, his powers of retort, and of insinuation, were never exceeded in parliament. However, it was from the whole of the campaign that his abilities were to be duly appreciated. He entered, as has been observed by his illustrious opponent (Mr.Grattan), rather late into the British House of Commons, and was never fairly tried there. His first exhibition was unsuccess ful, and it seems to have indisposed him, for a considerable time at least, to any subsequent parliamentary effort. Besides, at the moment that he became a member, that

house was completely divided into two distinct contending powers, led on by two mighty leaders; and his declaration, at the onset, that he belonged to no party, united all parties againt him. His speech on the India bill was, as he assured a gentleman from whom I had it, in some measure accidental. The debate had been prolonged to a very late hour, when he got up with the intention merely of saying, that he would defer giving his detailed opinion on the bill (to which he was adverse) till a more favourable opportunity. The moment that he arose, the politeness of the Speaker in requesting order, the eagerness of the opponents of the bill, who knew that Flood was with them, seconding the efforts of the Speaker, the civility always paid to any new member, and his particular celebrity as an orator, brought back the crowd from the bar, from above stairs at Bellamy's, and, in short, from the lobby, and every part adjoining the house. There was much civility in this, mingled with no slight curiosity; and altogether it was sufficient to discompose most men. All the members resumed their places, and a general silence took place. Such a flattering attention, he thought,should be repaid by more than one or two sentences. He went on, trusting to his usual powers as a speaker, when, after some diffuse and general reasonings on the subject, which proved that he was not much acquainted with it, he sat down amid the exultation of his adversaries, and the complete discomfiture, not of his friends, for he could be scarcely said to have one in the house, but of those,

whose

whose minds breathed nothing but parliamentary, indeed almost per sonal warfare, and expected much from his assistance. Altogether the disappointment was universal. He spoke, and very fully, some years afterwards, on two or three occasions. On the French treaty, and on the parliamentary reform. On the last mentioned subject his progress was correspondent to that which has been already stated of him. He introduced it with a heavy solemnity, and great, but laborious knowledge. But his reply, especially to Mr. (now Lord) Grenville was, as I have been assured, incomparable, and Mr. Burke particularly applauded it. Till his acceptance of office, in 1775, he was the uniform friend and supporter of Lord Charlemont, who indeed scarcely took a political step without him. Their intimacy then ceased. It revived again in some measure, when Flood revived his opposition; and was again eclipsed, not extinguished, by their adoption of different sentiments, at the time of what was called the simple repeal, in the autumn of 1782. Lord Charlemont was highly indignant at Flood's journey to Belfast, where he excited a violent ferment, and that even among Lord Charlemont's particular friends. That cloud, however, passed away, and a cordial intercourse of letters took place during the regency. To such vicissitudes are political lives subject. Lord Charlemont was always amiable, and Flood possessed, or certainly could display, most engaging manners. He was extremely pleasing in private intercourse; well-bred, open, and hospitable. His figure was tall, erect, graceful; and in youth, his coun

tenance, however changed in our days, was of correspondingbeauty. On the whole, he made a conspicuous figure in the annals of his country, and he is entitled to the respect of every public-spirited man in it, for, unquestionably he was the senator who, by his exertions, and repeated discussion of questions, seldom, if ever, approached before, first taught Ireland that it had a parliament. Mr. Flood died in December, 1791.

MR. DALY.

Mr. Daly was born in 1747, educated at Christ Church, Oxford, and came into parliament, as the representative of the county of Galway, in 1768. He was uncommonly gifted; for in him were united much beauty and dignity of person, great private worth, great spirit, extensive erudition, and penetrating genius. Seldom was any man more regarded in the House of Commons than he was, not only whilst he continued with opposition, but after he had joined government, and indeed till the time of his death. He was rather an eminent speaker and orator, than a debater. In the general business of the house he did not at all engage; but when he was forced to reply, he spoke, though very shortly, with a promptitude and animation that were almost peculiar to him. His oratory was rapid, unaffected, displaying great energy of intellect, much fortitude of mind, dignified, not austere, nothing morose, but nothing ludicrous, or jesting; still, however, solving grave debate with powers of ridicule, that almost put corruption

ruption out of countenance, and pouring forth itself in sentences so constructed as to style, and invigorated as to sentiment, that his hearers were, in truth, not only convinced, but borne down by him. It is to be lamented that some of his speeches have not been preserved. That on the embargo, in December 1777, when he opposed government, was so completely excellent in every part, as would alone justify the fullest panegyric on his oratory. It was the most perfect model of parliamentary speaking, that, in my opinion, could be exhibited. It is said that in council he was superior. On some great questions he stood almost alone, and he was right.The measures that he advised were bold and rapid. At a meeting of the friends of government in 1783, when Mr. Flood had announced his intention to the House of Commons of bringing forward the reform bill which had been, in fact, prepared by the Convention, Mr. Daly infused his own spirit into the minds of several who were wavering, and prepared the reso lution which Mr. Conolly moved in the House of Commons. If he leaned to any party in the state, it was to a qualified aristocracy, accompanied with the utmost repugnance to jobbing. In fact, he was neither the tool, nor the idol of any party. He served the crown with such a port and dignity, that at particular moments government seemed to be borne along by him. As he loved liberty, he uttered the most poignant sentiments against all public excesses, and, in truth, he seemed to have a horror of all public tumult. The people were ultimately served thereby, for he

acquired an authority with ministers, which checked their excesses also; and as he did not run headlong with either, he seemed to command both. He had pride, but it was a pride that led him to excel, and was not obtrusive, or revolting. He was not only good humoured, but extremely playful. In private society he was above the practice of satire; and if ever he resorted to it, it was only to check the satirist, and with delicacy make him feel, that he himself was also vulnerable. Good manners in him seemed an emanation of good nature; and, as an illustrious friend of his, who lived in great intimacy with him, has more than once remarked to me, to know him, and not to love him was impossible. He was a classical scholar, and not only collected the best editions of the great authors of antiquity, but read books with the ardor of a real lover of literature. His library was uncommonly valuable, and was sold, I believe, at a very high price. It may not perhaps be thought superfluous to state in this place, that, in a conversation which he once had with the author of these memoirs, he said, that as to English prose-writers, the style of Dryden, and that of Andrew Stuart, in his letters to Lord Mansfield, especially the concluding part of them, were, in his opinion, the best models which any young man could attend to, who wished to speak in the House of Commons.

He once made an observation to me, which showed such a general knowledge of the Irish House of Commons at that time, that I never shall forget it. On some question (no matter what), the court was

either

regular flow of his mind at every period of his life, sufficiently illustrate his conduct at this peculiar and momentous period. Such however was this illustrious prelate, who, notwithstanding he scarcely ever attended Parliament, and spent most of his time in Italy, was now called upon to correct the abuses of Parliament, and direct the vessel of state in that course, where statesmen of the most experience, and persons ofthe calmest judgment, have had the misfortune totally to fail.-His progress from his diocese to the Metropolis, and his entrance into it, were perfectly correspondent to the rest of his conduct. Through every town on the road he seemed to court, and was received, with all warlike honours; and I remember seeing him pass by the Parliament House in Dublin, (Lords and Commons were then both sitting) escorted by a body of dragoons, full of spirits and talk, apparently enjoying the eager gaze of the surrounding multitude, and displaying altogether the self-complacency of a favourite Marshal of France, on his way to Versailles, rather than the grave deportment of a Prelate of the church of England.

EDMUND BURKE.

The following is taken partly from Lord Charlemont's hand writing.

"This most amiable and ingenious man was private Secretary to Lord Rockingham. It may not be superfluous to relate the following anecdote, the truth of which I can assert, and which does honour to him, and his truly noble patron.

Soon after Lord Rockingham, up on the warm recommendation of many friends, had appointed Burke his Secretary, the Duke of Newcastle, wishing probably to procure the place for some dependant of his own, waited on Lord Rockingham, over whom his age, party dignity, and ancient family connection, had given him much influence, and even some degree of authority, and informed him, that he had unwarily taken into his service a man of dangerous principles, and one who was by birth and education a Papist, and a Jacobite; a calumny founded upon Burke's Irish con. nections, which were most of them of that persuasion, and upon some juvenile follies arising from those connections. The Marquis, whose genuine whiggism was easily alarmed, immediately sent for Burke, and told him what he had heard. It was easy for Burke, who had been educated at the University of Dublin, to bring testimonies to his Protestantism; and with regard to the second accusation, which was wholly founded on the former, it was soon done away, and Lord Rockingham, readily and willingly disabused, declared that he was perfectly satisfied of the falsehood of the information he had received, and that he no longer harboured the smallest doubt of the integrity of his principles; when Burke, with an honest and disinterested boldness, told his Lordship, that it was now no longer possible for him to be his Secretary; that the reports he had heard would probably, even unknown to himself, create in his mind such suspicions as might prevent his thoroughly confiding in him, and that no earthly consideration should in

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