date

1819 Mar. 28 To Erskine 3 Whig Merits
1819 Mar. 28

To Erskine 3 Whig Merits[?]

The original unpopularity of the King, with the additional stock laid in by the American war not being yet sufficient, in 1780 or thereabouts, the Whigs betook themselves to Parliamentary Reform Having dissipated his part of the /a[?]/ unaccounted millions, starving for want of more /of the public money/, Charles Fox took a leading part, joined with Pitt in this last thought of and desperate resource for getting at it.

Pitt the second getting in, Fox the second was left out. Pitt's reform ended in a remedy which would have exasperated the disease: oppressing the country /cramming the House/ with an additional hundred of fox-hunting and coronet-hunting idlers. Not a party in the country, scarcely an individual in the country except the hundred knights and their near connections, to which this reform would not have been worse than useless.

Thereupon came the Coalition. Whig Fox and Whig Burke gave the right hand of fellowship to Tory North: Antony embraced Lepidus. Now came another Revolution in view: Now come in again the great cause, Aristocracy against Monarchy. Aristocracy, a house divided against itself could not stand. No James was at hand. George's Wife had given him so many children, she had made him popular. George triumphed. For some time however it had been a measuring cast. Passing not long after through Germany, I visited his /the/ Hanoverian palace. I found it newly swept and garnished. How comes this? Sir, (said the Major-domo) his Majesty was expected here.

No sooner had his Majesty lost his royal senses, than his popularity became complete: no recovery could shake it.
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    With the French Revolution came the Revolutionary war. The prospect from Parliamentary Reform was now brightened. It went on with so much spirit, that Charles Fox almost fancied /could fancy/ the Hustings were almost as dear to him as the gaming-table. This continued not /It did not go on/ long. The aristocrats feared that instead of getting places they should lose their seats: their seats and such of them as had titles even their titles. At S\T tT\ Jamess and Saint Stephen's Burke had played his game better than Fox. /Answer Burke said the first Lord Lansdown to [...?] My Lord, I can not: I disagree with him in some things; but I agree with him in others. So much the better, quoth he. I hesitated: but while I was hesitating, other cases pressed upon my time and engrossed it./ Fox cold only speak: Burke could not only speak but write. He made all the cowards in the kingdom quake with fear, all the tyrants foam with rage. Burke got his ,3,000 a year for it. A remnant of the Whigs received a call with him, and were converted. Fox was again left in the lurch. Legitimacy took the place of divine right: the periodicals have ever since been filled with. Passive obedience and non-resistance - for of waste and corruption and hatred of economy and reform has ever since been the creed of all readers who are without understanding, and of all writers who are without shame. As terror spread Fox and his Whigs became alarmed not only for their seats but for their necks. To construe reform into treason would have cost but a few words: and these words Judges always /ever/ have been and always /ever/ will be, ready with. For the edification of such as had estates, corruption of blood had continued. Abbot had lent himself for this service, he had thus earnt his Speakership and of course his Lordship. Corruption of blood your Lordship need not be informed, is a phrase, by the virtue of which /by which/ for the supposed offence of one individual others are punished in countless multitudes.