Page:Life of William Shelburne (vol 2).djvu/469

Rh of a still more sensible kind in Lord Wycombe, he must be very unreasonable if he does not consider them all compensated in Lord Henry. I never did see a young man I liked half so much. The little he has done is excellent; good sense, and good language to perfection; a little more force might be desirable, but that will come possibly when he speaks on greater occasions than he has yet done." The greater occasion came with the debate on the charges against Dundas, now Lord Melville, in regard to his conduct as Treasurer of the Navy. "It is a matter of pride to any man," said Tierney, "who followed later in the debate, to be allowed to call himself the friend of such rising talents and eloquence."

On the 15th January 1805, Lord Lansdowne dictated the following letter to Lord Holland. "The state of public affairs is such as to leave me little to regret, whether considered in a large or a narrow point of view, relative to persons or to things. As to the first, the contradictions and inconsistencies are endless, and afford a despicable view of human nature; and as to things, never was this country so totally void of plan as at present, the consequence of which must be such a total want of system both bad and good, as to mock all conjecture of what may happen. I am sorry to say that both Christianism and feudality are approaching every day to their downfall, without anything to replace the good of the one, or the bad of the other; but on the contrary, a spirit of destruction has arisen, which goes to pull down, without the least design of building anything in its room. The most striking feature is a general secresy in all parties, which is easily accounted for by a general want of confidence. But I hope we shall see you soon, which makes it unnecessary for me to enter into further details. I need not tell you that you will be sure to know everything Henry and I do, but there is one thing which I have more at heart than all the politics in the world, Rh