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 182 lord John's surprise, the Prince Regent asked him in January 1819 to dinner at the Pavilion. Hitherto Florizel had "cut me as one of the old Whig set" but now he put forward all his powers of pleasing, "addressed his whole conversation to me and talked of nothing but Fox and old scenes." Nobody could be more agreeable than George the fourth when he liked. Townshend loved to discourse on Fox and the men around him. In Clayden's work on "Rogers and his contemporaries" (I., 220—3) is a long letter from him, mostly on Sheridan. There are many letters to and from him in Dr. Parr's works (I., 355—6, vii., 161—72, 630—6).

Townshend married on 10 April 1787 Georgiana Ann, eldest daughter of William Poyntz, of Midgham, in Berkshire, and niece to the dowager lady Spencer. She was divorced on Townshend's account from her first husband, William Fawkener, clerk of the privy council and a son of the gay old sir Everard Fawkener, whose varied life comprised a residence of some years in Constantinople, the patronage of Voltaire when in England, and the tenure of such official positions as secretary to the duke of Cumberland and postmaster-general. Townshend and she met at lord Melbourne's at Brocket Hall in the summer of 1785. A duel between him and her first husband took place in Hyde Park in May of next year. "Fawkener fired at and missed the defendant who fired in the air." Townshend and his wife lived happily together for many years. He died at Brighton on the 25 Feb. 1833, she survived until 4 May 1851, when she was in her 89th year. Her funeral at Hertford testified to the universal respect in which she was held. She had lived down any accusation which could be brought against her.

Three of their children died in early life, among them was his eldest son, Charles Fox Townshend, who was