his deputy; for he may exercise them by his friend. How many things are there which a man cannot with any face or comeliness say or do himself? A man can scarce alledge his own merits with modesty, much less extol them; a man cannot sometimes brook to supplicate or beg; and a number of the like: but all these things are graceful in a friend's mouth, which are blushing in a man's own. So again, a man's person hath many proper relations which he cannot put off. A man cannot speak to his son but as a father; to his wife but as a husband; to his enemy but upon terms: whereas a friend may speak as the case requires, and not as it sorteth with the person: but to enumerate these things were endless; I have given the rule where a man cannot fitly play his own part; if he have not a friend he may quit the stage.

IN

For the Monthly Visitor,

Popular Characters.

MR. ADDINGTON,

PRIME MINISTER OF ENGLAND.

N our Miscellany for August lat, we gave a portrait of the present Prime Minister of England, accompanied with a Sketch of his Character in a public capacity; promising our readers to present them with further particulars as soon as we were able. The opportunity now presents itself, and we are happy in availing ourselves of it. In the volume of Public Characters, lately published by Mr. Phillips, we have the following

Mr. Addington, who was thus destined for the bar, might in time have obtained a silk gown, and

perhaps risen to the dignity of a Welch judge; but he soon found that a wig of another kind suited his head far better than that of the president of a provincial jndicature: nor was he mistaken in his hopes. The brilliant career of his young friend already pointed to the first offices of the state, and Mr. Addington was drawn up to power and consequence in the vortex of his successful ambition.

We soon find him occupying a seat in parliament, declaiming against Mr. Fox's coalition with Lord North, opposing the India bill of that gentleman, and smoothing his friend's way, by an oily eloquence rather than a transcendant oratory, to the summit of power. No sooner was this atained on the part of Mr. Pitt, than Mr. Addington began to taste those crumbs of comfort, in the shape of official emoluments, which he is now enabled so plentifully to bestow: but a more lucrative situation awaited him, which, after a warm struggle, he obtained in 1789, in a manner highly honourable to himself.

Mr. now Lord Grenville, was at this period Speaker of the House of Commons; and it was deemed necessary that he should be elevated to one of the highest departments in the state. The friends of Mr. Addington immediately pointed him out as a proper person to succeed him. The Marquis of Graham accordingly, on Monday, July 8, 1789, after a high eulogium on his talents, moved "that he should take the chair." Sir Gilbert Elliot was proposed by Mr. Welbore Ellis, now Lord Mendip, and on the division the numbers appeared, for Mr. Addington 215, for Sir Gilbert Elliot 142majority 73. Mr. Addington accordingly assumed the insignia of office: but, when he addressed the King on the occasion, he was pleased to observe, with becoming modesty," that he felt himself unequal to the arduous task which the partiality of

that house had imposed upon him, and hoped his Majesty would be pleased, by his royal disapproba tion of their present choice, to afford his faithful commons an opportunity of electing a person better qualified to discharge the duties of an office so important."

On the convocation of a new parliament, a few months after, Mr. Addington was unanimously re elected, and the subject of the impeachment soon afforded a very apposite opportunity for the exercise of his talents and industry, more especially when the question was agitated, whether the impeachment of Warren Hastings, Esq. subsisted subsequent to the dissolution of parliament ?

On the occasion, Mr. Addington evinced considerable ability, and clearly proved from public record, that impeachments did not abate by a dissolution of parliaments.

The late Speaker did not confine himself to what might be termed his official duties. He was always an active and efficient member when the house sat in a committee, and a chairman regulated the debates. Few subjects of great national importance but were canvassed by him on those occasions, and he must be allowed, in general, to have added great weight and importance to whatever side he adopted.

On the important subject of the slave trade, we find him busily employed, and lament that our li mits prevent us from giving his opinion so fully as we could wish; we had occasion to notice him, however, in this particular, in our last, p. 248.

While Mr. Addington was distinguishing himself in the Speaker's chair, by the impartiality with which he regulated the debates, and the order and decorum with which he conducted the public business, an event no less sudden than extraordinary occurred, which produced a very material change in his situation. The event to which we now al

lude, was the resignation of Mr. Pitt and his col. leagues, a measure of a very ambiguous nature, and which has never yet been sufficiently explained, While all men were anxious to know who was to be the new minister, the public learned, with some degree of surprise, that Mr. Addington had been sent for by the King, and held daily conferences with his Majesty. This business was at first conducted with some degree of mystery, one of the royal family having lent his equipage, in order, if possible, to conceal the negotiation from the prying eye of curiosity. But this was of no avail," for it was soon rumoured abroad, and was not upon the whole unfavourably received, as Mr. Pitt's admi nistration had of late years been supported by the fears rather than the love of the people.

The King's second alarming illness for a while protracted the retreat of the then Chancellor of the Exchequer; but, on his Majesty's convalescence, all the necessary arrangements were made, and every thing adjusted seemingly to the entire satisfaction of those who went out, as well as those who came in.

Mr. Addington having thus leaped from the Speaker's Chair to the Treasury Bench, the eyes of the whole nation became fixed upon him. It was hoped that, after a bloody and expensive war, some sincere and decisive measures would be taken in order to produce a peace; and it must be allowed, that the conduct of the new premier, in this instance, has given greater satisfaction, by its openness and candour, than the haughty behaviour of his predecessors.

Mr. Addington's first attempt in his financial capacity certainly did not come up to the expectations of the public, and the bill to disqualify the clergy from sitting in the House of Commons would have passed with a far better grace, had it not ex

pressly precluded a man hostile to his principles, from opposing them in a public manner.

The present premier possesses great influence, in consequence of the excellence of his character, and the high respect he had acquired during the time he acted as a Speaker. His Majesty may be said to evince a personal attachment to him, and, if report be true, he has presented him with, and furnished for him, a house in Richmond park, in order to be near him at all times.

In private life Mr. A. is particularly amiable. He is a sincere friend, an affectionate brother, kind father, and a tender husband. Possessing an ample income, and being but little devoted to expence, he cannot be supposed to be instigated by the sordid wish of creating a fortune for himself; and, as his connexions are all in affluent circumstances, he has no poor relations to provide for out of the public purse. On the other hand, it remains to be proved, whether his abilities entitle him to rank as a first-rate statesman; and a few years perhaps a few months will determine, whether the new minister be destined to confer glory or disgrace on the empire; to subvert or to restore the liberties of his country!

LIFE OF MRS. ROBINSON.

(Concluded from page 128.)

the first entrance of our heroine into Ffashion fashion and folly, (and passing over the various scenes of revelry and dissipation, in which she became a principal actress, until, by a continued series of extravagance, Mr. Robinson, finding his creditors inexorable, and fearing that he might endanger his personal liberty by remaining near London,) we trace the narrative to that point where be informed his wife that she must prepare herself