Page:Sketch of the life and character of His Royal Highness the late Duke of York (1).pdf/20

 20 ment on the 25th April 1823, on the subject of the Catholic claims, has been too much the subject of recent commentary to require any description Whatever were the feeling of others on the subject of it, nothing can be more certain, than that hi. R. H. spoke with the most perfect sincerity, and under a sacred conscionsness that he was right His R. H. in the early part of his career, as wel as in the later stages of his life, showed a strong attachment to the amusement of horse-racing and his attendance at Newmarket was punctual but he never allowed his partiality for this recrea tion to interfere with his duties; and it was know? that he often suffered a great degree of inconveni ence in hastening his return to town that the busi ness of his office might undergo no embarrassment Having now.brought this hasty sketch to a close it may be said --what those who were acquaintai with his character well knew-that in private life he was sincerely respected and beloved as an ami able, affable, kind, and warm-hearted man. H readily lent a hand to distress, whenever it was in his power to relieve it; and it was often 'observer of him, that he underwent frequent'struggles whe cases came hefore him in which it was impossibl for him to reconcile the granting of favour whic would be inconsistent with the rigid administ tion of his public duty. In his official capacity bis merit is attested by the state of discipline which the army is now kept-by the fairness wit which honours are granted-and by the gener good conduct and sense of honour which are in fused into the profession. If he had not the prai: of being the originator of all those salutary regu- lations himself, yet he had to boas of that which