Page:Eight Friends of the Great - WP Courtney.djvu/193

 Rh farming of that familiar root, the turnip. The third viscount married Etheldreda, called among her friends Audrey, Harrison, the heiress of Ball's Park, near Hertford. Her indiscretions in act and speech, are written large among the scandalous chronicles of the smart set of that age. One of her sons was George, the brave soldier of Quebec but the tactless viceroy of Ireland, incompetent everywhere except at the dinner table. Another was Charles, whose audacious and witty speeches in parliament were the admiration of all the members whose minds could not realise the disastrous effects which his blazing errors in speech were certain to produce. He was chancellor of the exchequer, a position which under a happy constitution has been held by many a brilliant and wayward member of parliament, without even an elementary knowledge of finance, and this was Charles Townshend's case. A third member of the family was secretary of state in Mr. Pitt's cabinet and presided over the administration of our colonies when in their infancy. He became lord Sydney and gave his name to the chief city in New South Wales. John Townshend, at first the hon. John Townshend, then lord John Townshend was of this race. Elizabeth, lady Holland knew him well, his merits and his defects. She summed up his characteristics in the phrase, "like the rest of his family he is mad; never enough to be confined, but often very flighty."

The honourable John Townshend was the second son of George, the first marquess Townshend, second in command to Wolfe at the conquest of Canada. His mother was lady Charlotte Compton, only surviving child of James, earl of Northampton. He was born in Audley Square, London, on 19 Jany. 1757, and the King stood as his godfather. Like many a Townshend before him he was sent to Eton and St. John's College, Cambridge. He was admitted on