Page:The Annual Register 1758.djvu/275

 CHARACTERS.

261

up x\Q Other in its (lead ; except- ing that circumftance, he is 2 firm Prefbyterian. He is perfeftly fkill ed in all the arts of managing at elecftions, as well as in large baits of pleafare for making con- verts of young men of qualiiy, upon their firft appearance ; in which public fervice he contracled fuch large debts, that his brethren were forced, out of mere juftice, to leave Ireland at his mercy, where he had only time to fee bimfelf right. Although the graver heads of his party think him too pro- riigate and abandoned, yet they dare not be alhamed of him; for befides his talents above-mention- ed, he is very ufeful in parliament, being a ready fpeaker, and con- tent to employ his gift upon fuch occafions, where thcfe who con- ceive they have any remainder of reputation or modelty are afhamed to appear. In fiiort, he is an un- contelHble inllance to difcover the true nature of fadion ; f:nce, be- ing over-run with every quality which produceih contempt and hatred in all other commerce of the world, he hath notwithltanding been able to make fo conliderable a figure.

The Lord Cowper, although his merits are later than the relt, de- ferveth a rank in this great cou.i- cil. He was conliderable in the ftation of a pradifing lawyer : but as he was raifed to be a chan- cellor and a peer, without paffing through any of the intermediate Heps, which in the late times have been th? conftant practice, and liule flc.lled in the na:ure of government, or the true inte- relh of princes, further than the municipal, or common law of England ; his abilities, as to foreign

aifairs, did not equally appear in the council. Some former paiTages of his life were thoirght to dif- qualify him for that office, by which he was to be the guardian of the queen's confcience : but thefe difficulties were eafily over- ruled by the authors of his pro- motion, who wanted a perfon that would be fubfervient to ail their defigns, wherein they were not difappointed. As to his other ac- complilhments, he was whac we ufually call a piece of a fcholar, and a good logical reafoner, if this were not too oken allayed by 3 fallacious way of managing an ar- gument, which makes him apt to deceive the unwary, and fometimes to deceive himfelf.

The laft to be fpoken of in this lift, is the Earl of Notting- ham, a convert and acquifition to that party fince their fall, to which he contributed his ailillance. I mean hi's word?, and probably his uiihes; for he had always lived under the conftant vifible piofef- fion of principles direftly oppofite to thofe of his new friends : his vehement and frequent fpeeches againfi: admitting the Prince of Orange to the throne, are yet to be feen ; and although a nume- rous family gave a fpecious pre- tence to his love of power and money, for taking an employment under that monarch ; yet he was allowed to have always kept a referve of allegiance to his exiled mafter, of which his friends pro- duce feveral inftances, and fome while he was fecretary of ftate to King William. His outward re- guhrity of life, hi; appearance of religion, and feeming zeal for the church, as they are an effect, fo they are the excui'e of that ftift- S 3 nefs