opportunity of knowing much respecting him. His candour and his honour
have never been questioned. And I remember, in the debate upon the
celebrated secession of the Rockingham party, upon the death of their
leader, to have heard his abilities particularly vouched in very strong
terms, by Mr. chancellor Pitt, and the present lord Sidney. The latter
in particular, though one of my lord Shelburne's secretaries of state,
fairly avowed in so many words, that he should have been better
satisfied with the appointment of his grace, to the office he now holds,
than he was, with the noble lord, under whom he acted.

The character of lord Keppel, with persons not attached to any party,
has usually been that of a man of much honesty and simplicity, without
any remarkable abilities. It is a little extraordinary however, that,
though forced by a combination of unfavourable circumstances into a
public speaker, he is yet, even in that line, very far from contempt.
His speeches are manly, regular, and to the purpose. His defence upon
his trial at Portsmouth, in which he must naturally be supposed to have
had at least a principal share, has, in my opinion, much beauty of
composition. The adversaries of this party, though unwilling to admit
that the navy was so much improved under his auspices as was asserted,
have yet, I believe, universally acknowledged his particular activity
and diligence.

But I come to the great beast of his own party, and the principal object
of attack to their enemies, the celebrated Mr. Fox. Men of formality and
sanctity have complained of him as dissipated. They do not pretend
however to aggravate their accusation, by laying to his charge any of
the greater vices. His contempt of money, and his unbounded generosity,
are universally confessed. Let such then know, that dissipation, so
qualified, is a very slight accusation against a public man, if indeed