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 without at once abolishing the slave laws. Taylor feared that immediate emancipation would lead to bloodshed, and devised schemes for bringing about the change gradually. The plan was altered in consequence of ministerial changes and the accession to office of Lord Stanley, who began by taking the matter into his own hands. Taylor was brought into close connection, during these discussions, with Sir James Stephen [q. v.], who afterwards became his superior in the office, and was always a warm friend. Though the measure finally adopted embodied their views, Taylor at the time resented Stanley's conduct to Stephen and himself. A claim which he made about the same time for increased remuneration was not admitted; and he stated his intention of no longer sacrificing his literary occupations to working overtime at the office. No permanent ill-feeling was left, however, and after Stanley's resignation he continued to play an important part at the colonial office. Hyde Villiers had died in 1832, and the old circle of Austin and Mill was broken up. Taylor meanwhile became intimate with his colleague Frederick Elliot, and with other members of the family, especially Frederick's brother Charles (afterwards Admiral) [see ], described as ‘Earl Athulf’ in ‘Edwin the Fair.’ He published in 1840 a defence of Charles Elliot's proceedings in China, which had a great effect, converted the Duke of Wellington, and was translated into German; and addressed Elliot himself in an ode called ‘Heroism in the Shade’ (Autobiography, pp. 301–5, and Appendix).

Frederick Elliot was the only friend who was confident of the success of ‘Philip Van Artevelde,’ which, after six years' preparation, appeared in June 1834. Murray, in spite of Lockhart's recommendation, refused to publish a successor to ‘Isaac Comnenus,’ and Moxon agreed to publish it only at Taylor's risk. The play, however, helped by a review from Lockhart in the ‘Quarterly,’ made a great success. Lansdowne House and Holland House opened their doors to the author, and Taylor became exposed to ‘social snares.’ From them he was saved, as he declares, ‘by that gracious gift, inaptitude to please.’ He found Lansdowne House too literary, and withdrew from Holland House because he could not speak well of the hostess, and thought it unfair to accept her hospitality. He had too much self-respect to be an amenable ‘lion,’ and he gave some offence, he thinks, by a collection of essays called ‘The Statesman.’ His ironical exposition of the arts of succeeding was taken for serious Machiavellism; and the book, which was read in proofs by Mr. Gladstone and Spedding, was never widely popular, though it has been much admired by good judges as a kind of appendix to Bacon. Archbishop Whately imitated it in an anonymous book called ‘The Bishop’ (Autobiography, i. 323).

Taylor had made acquaintance with Thomas Spring-Rice, afterwards Lord Monteagle [q. v.], who came to the colonial office in 1834. In 1836 Taylor made an offer of marriage to Spring-Rice's daughter, Theodosia Alice, then in her eighteenth year. An engagement followed, after some hesitation on the part of the father, and was broken off upon religious grounds in 1838, Taylor's orthodoxy not being quite up to the mark. His health suffered, and he sought distraction in composing another play. Taylor rather avoided than sought offers of a higher position, and refused the government of Upper Canada, offered to him by Lord Glenelg in 1835. His energetic colleague James Stephen was ready to take work off his hands; and he obtained additional relief, and with it a lifelong friendship, by the appointment of James Spedding [q. v.] to a position in the office. He had to take a more active part when the difficulties caused by the apprenticeship system called for action. Taylor, in some elaborate papers, strongly recommended that the West Indian assemblies should be abolished and crown councils substituted. The measure was mutilated and finally shelved; and the mischief continued which culminated in the Jamaica outbreak of 1865. The events of that period, when he strongly approved of Governor Eyre's action, confirmed his opinion of the error of the previous irresolution.

In 1839 the engagement to Miss Spring-Rice was happily revived, and his marriage on 17 Oct. was a beginning of unbroken domestic happiness. It brought to him also the intimate friendship of his wife's cousin, Mr. Aubrey de Vere. He finished his play, ‘Edwin the Fair,’ which was published in 1842, and succeeded fairly, though not so fully as its predecessor. Directly afterwards his health broke down, and he had to pass the winter of 1843–4 in Italy, whither he was accompanied by Mr. Aubrey de Vere. Upon returning in 1844 he settled at Mortlake. He was well known to leading men of letters, of whom—especially of Rogers and Carlyle—he has given interesting notices in his ‘Autobiography.’ From this time, however, he made only occasional appearances in London society. In 1847 he refused an offer of succeeding James Stephen as secretary in