THESE two publications throw so much light on the political history of England during the latter part of the last century, that although they are both unfinished, we think it right to give our readers an account of their contents, without waiting for their completion.

The late Lord Holland, having abandoned his original design of writing the life of his uncle, Mr. Fox, made a full compilation of authentic materials for his biography, partly consisting of letters and other documents, partly of records of the recollections of his surviving friends. Lord Holland, unhappily, left this compilation unfinished at his death: but it afterwards passed into the hands of his confidential friend, Mr. Allen, who was in every way qualified to complete the work which had been thus begun. Mr. Allen appears to have brought the materials into a state fitted for publication-but the MS. was

1. Memorials and Correspondence of Charles James Fox. Edited by LORD JOHN RUSSELL. 2

vols. 8vo. London: 1853.

2. Memoirs of the Court and Cabinets of George the Third, from original Family Documents. By

the DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM AND CHANDOS, K.G. 2 vols. 8vo. Second edition, revised. London: 1853. VOL XXXL NO. III

not sent to the press, and it passed into the possession of Lord John Russell by the bequest of the late Lady Holland. Lord John has now given it to the world in the state in which it was left by Lord Holland and Mr. Allen, but with the addition of some ably written and judicious comments of his own. As the work consists of a substratum of original materials, illustrated by the independent annotations of three commentators, which are distinguished by certain typographical marks, it presents (as Lord John observes) "a disjointed and irregular appearance." It has the form of a collection of Fox manuscripts, with variorum notes. Nevertheless, it contains so much authentic information, accompanied with criticism so intelligent and so candid, that no Englishman who desires to understand the history of his country between the years 1768 and 1792, can fail to read it with advantage and pleasure. Lord John, indeed, says of the work which he edits, "that its greatest value will be found in letters of Mr. Fox to Lord Holland, written between 1790 and 1805. These letters are more literary than political, and show how keen was Mr. Fox's enjoyment of poetry, especially Greek

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The materials for the publication to which the name of the Duke of Buckingham is attached, are family papers which have been preserved at Stowe. There are some interesting letters written by Mr. Thomas Grenville when employed in diplomatic service on the Continent; but by far the most valuable portion of the work consists of the letters of Mr. William Grenville (afterwards Lord Grenville) to his elder brother, the Marquis of Buckingham. These letters were evidently written in the strictest confidence, without premeditation, and with no idea that they would ever be given to the public. For this reason they cannot fairly be compared with official or semi-official letters, which are composed in a guarded and reserved style. But, on account of their familiar and unstudied character, they afford the stronger evidence of the sagacity, judgment, and undeviating good temper of their distinguished author. The task of editing the valuable materials which he had extracted from his family archives, has been committed by the Duke of Buckingham to some person whose ignorance of the events and persons of the period, and whose consequent incapacity for the work, almost exceed belief. Most of the errors of this scandal ously incompetent editor have been already pointed out by a contemporary; but are nevertheless, with a few exceptions, faithfully reproduced in the new edition. Before the

There exist two biographical accounts of Mr. Fox. One is entitled "Memoirs of the Public Life of the late Right Honorable C. J. Fox," by R. Fell, in 2 vols. 8vo. 1808. The other is "Memoirs of the latter Years of the Right Honorable C. J. Fox." By J. B. Trotter, Esq., late Private Secretary to Mr. Fox. 1 vol. 8vo. 1811. Neither work is at all satisfactory. Thus the strange blunder that the Marquis of Rockingham "was succeeded in his title by his nephew, the Earl Fitzwilliam," stands uncorrected in vol. i., p. 48, of the new and revised edition. Seeing that the present Earl Fitzwilliam is the son and immediate successor of the Earl Fitzwilliam, who is supposed to have inherited the title of Rockingham, it might have occurred to the editor to doubt the accuracy of his statement.

Even after the rich harvest of blunders gathered in by the Quarterly Reviewer, a few still remain to be gleaned. Thus, in vol. i, p. 185,

Mr. Fox was first returned to the Parlia

ment which met on the 10th of May, 1768, being then only nineteen years and four months old. He sat for the borough of

Lord Grenville, in giving a rumored list of the Coalition Cabinet, says, "Lord Keppel to return. Query, whether he is by this means to be in the cabinet with Twitcher? I think he should appoint St. Hugh a Junior Lord." By Twitcher is meant Lord Sandwich, who is supposed to have instigated the court-martial against Lord Keppel. St. Hugh is evidently a misprint for Sir Hugh; that is, Sir Hugh Palliser, whose bitter feud with Lord Keppel is well known. At the end of the letter, the quotais used sarcastically in reference to Fox, who had tion, "amicitiæ sempiternæ, inimicitiæ placabiles," cited the sentence in the House of Commons as a justification of the Coalition, (Feb. 17, 1788.)

In vol. i., p. 372, the following passage occurs in one of Lord Grenville's letters: "We are a little

uneasy on account of Tippoo, who had made peace

with the Mahrattas, and was collecting his forces with a view of attacking the Nizam, or the Rajah of Gravancore, whom we must protect, or the Camatre itself." For Gravancore read Travancore, and for Camatre read Carnatic.

Again in p. 416: "You have never sent me any answer about the Cranbourne chair proposal, by which means that business is delayed;" where for

chair read chase.

In vol. ii., p. 52, Wm. Gerard Hamilton is, by the interposition of a comma, divided into two persons, Gerard and Hamilton.

In vol. ii., p. 393, Lord Grenville writes on May 25, 1798, "O'Connor's acquittal is imputed to Miller's charge, aud that to his being completely exhausted, so as to omit some of the most material points in the evidence." Who ever heard of Judge Miller at the end of the last century? The reference is to the celebrated case of O'Quigley, Arthur O'Connor, and three others, who were tried for treason at Maidstone, on May 21 and 22, 1798. The judge who summed up was Mr. Justice Buller; O'Quigley was convicted, and afterwards hanged; Arthur O'Connor and the three others were acquitted.

In the following sentence from a letter written by Lord Grenville, in November, 1788, a negative appears to be wanting: "The party in general are so hungry and impatient, that I think they will [not?] act upon the better judgment of their leaders, and prevent them from doing any thing which allows a moment's delay." (Vol. ii., p. 24.)

While the editor details at length those wellknown events which may be found in the "Annual Register," or any ordinary history of the time, he omits to explain those less obvious allusions on which a reader is most likely to desire explanation. Thus in vol. i., p. 258, Lord Grenville writes, on May 7, 1783: "I am in some doubt what to do about coming over to you, as, on account of the prince's death, there is no levee to-day, nor, I fear, on Friday." The prince here alluded to is Prince