consul), and the reminiscences which we have
before us of this trip are highly interesting,
insomuch as they give us an insight into the
private character of one of our greatest orators
and statesmen.

Accompanied by Mrs. Fox, by Mr. Trotter,
his former secretary, and by Mr. (afterwards
Lord) St. John, Fox first visited Flanders and
Belgium. In those days express trains were
unknown, and "coaching" was the order of
the day. Along the monotonous roads the
time was beguiled by reading Fielding. At
the Hague a picture of the massacre of De
Witt by the populace excited in Mr. Fox
emotions of the deepest disgust. We find an
expression of his feelings in his history of James
the Second. It is the key to a page of history.
He says:

"The catastrophe of De Witt, the wisest,
best, and most truly patriotic minister that ever
appeared on the public stage, as it was an act
of crying ingratitude, so it is the most
completely discouraging example that history offers
to the lovers of liberty. If Aristides was
banished, he was also recalled; if Dion was
repaid for his services to the Syracusans by
ingratitude, that ingratitude was more than once
repented of; if Sydney and Russell died upon
the scaffold, they had not the cruel mortification
of falling by the hands of the people: ample
justice was done to their memory, and the very
sound of their names is still animating to every
Englishman attached to their glorious cause.
But with De Witt fell also his cause and his
party; and though a name so respected by all
who revere virtue and wisdom, when employed
in their noblest sphere, the political service of
the public, must undoubtedly be doubly dear to
his countrymen, yet I do not know that even to
this day any public honours have been paid by
them to his memory."

The religious views entertained by Mr. Fox
denote the high tone of a sound mind.

"On the score of religion" (says the author
of the Reminiscences) "I perceived that he did
not merely tolerate—for that word would be
misapplied to his disposition on sacred matters
—rather he conceived that all human beings
enjoyed the exercise of religious worship, and
inoffensive citizens did not require the permission
of others for this mental enjoyment, but that all
were entitled to honour the Deity without
reproach or reflection. There never escaped from
his lips one disrespectful word regarding
religion; never one doubtful smile was seen on his
countenance in any place of worship, nor the
slightest derogation from a solemn and respectful
regard for all around him, either in the
Catholic Netherlands or in Presbyterian
Holland."

At Brussels, Mr. Fox received letters from
his friends urging him to hasten his journey.
Lord Holland and his family were anxiously
expecting him. He takes up his quarters in Paris
at the Hôtel de Richelieu. Racine is his
favourite dramatic author; he visits the theatre
to see Phèdre, Mademoiselle Duchenoïs taking
the part. "On this occasion he was recognised
by the audience in the pit; every eye was fixed
on him, and every tongue cried 'Fox! Fox!'
The whole audience stood up, and the applause
was universal. He was embarrassed, and so
unwilling to receive the applause, as meant for
him, that he could not be prevailed upon to
stand forward; nor, when his name repeatedly
announced left no doubt of the matter, could he
bring himself to make any obeisance or gesture
of thanks. Perhaps through the unaffected
modesty of his nature, he seemed wanting on
this occasion in courtesy to the audience. The
first consul was in his box. The light was
thrown from the stage upon his face, so as to
give it an unfavourable and ghastly effect. He
was received with some applause, but much
inferior to that bestowed upon Mr. Fox."

After devoting a few days to the sights of
Paris, the real object of the journey is attended
to.

On the fourth day after his arrival in Paris
he began his labours. Lord St. John, Mr.
Adair, and Mr. Trotter accompanied and
regularly attended Mr. Fox at the French
archives from eleven to three. He read and
translated himself, with alacrity and good
humour, and exacted no trouble from others in
which he did not take full share. Amongst
the many visitors who called at the Hôtel de
Richelieu was Kosciusko. He is described as
a man of small stature, with nothing
prepossessing in his appearance. "He did not speak
much, and his manner was extremely simple.
Mr. Fox's reception of him was warm and
friendly; they seemed happy at meeting; the
advocate of America and of the blacks could
not but cherish the champion of the oppressed
Poles. Kosciusko was apparently in good
health, though his wounds never allowed him
to be perfectly well."

Fox had been twelve days at Paris, and had
not seen Bonaparte except imperfectly at the
theatre, so he resolved to go to the next levee.
Mr. Merry was then the English ambassador,
and the applications for presentation were so
numerous that he was compelled to shelter
himself under the rule that a letter from Lord
Hawkesbury must be handed to him introducing
each person. Before the levee our friends pay
a visit to Talleyrand.

Talleyrand, then Minister of Foreign Affairs,
lived at Neuilly. We arrived (we quote our
author) between eight and nine P.M., as it was
usual to open the house every evening at that
time for all the corps diplomatique and strangers
of distinction. Mr. Fox was received with
marked attention. M. Talleyrand possesses by
no means an agreeable exterior. The circle
in the evening was at first entertaining; the
variety of characters was great; the Italian
princess, the German duchess or prince,
members of the ancient French nobility, strangers
of rank and talent, literary characters, senators,
and the poet and the philosopher mingling in
the crowd. Here Mr. Fox met various remarkable
men, and conversed with every one with