stern and inflexible patriotism of his character. When visited in prison by a gor-bellied magistrate he poured out upon his figure a volley of abuse and mockery, and, when solemnly warned that what he had done was very likely to prove fatal to him, he replied, with great indifference, 'I need not care whether I live or die, for there are no "Derbyshire ribs" now.' Perhaps you may be as much puzzled as I was to find out the force of this reason for despising life: it turned out, on enquiry, that his livelihood had depended on making hose of a particular description bearing that name, and for which, in the change of fashion, there had ceased to be any demand. There is great reason to believe that the respectable Mr. Oliver 16 is at the bottom of the whole business, and you will do me more service than I can describe if you will tell me any pretty stories you can collect from Herodotus to Froissart-from Froissart to the Causes Célèbres,' and from the 'Causes Célèbres' to the last Newgate Calendar, touching the credibility and honour of spies. At any rate, I will not excuse you from writing me a long letter to London in a fortnight, when I shall return from the land of violets. I hope Mrs. Merivale is quite well, your family going on happily, and all your boys flourishing. Have you at all considered what to do with them? It is but yesterday that they were born, but in a still shorter time they must be disposed of. I used at one time to think partially of trade in some of its branches, but am frightened by the fate of 'Derbyshire Ribs.' 16 A noted Government spy and informer of these bad times, specially skilled in getting up' insurrections. In the summer of 1817 Sir F. Burdett had specially brought the conduct of this infamous person under the notice of the House of Commons, and accused Government of employing him as an agent to seduce the ignorant and unwary into seditious practices and then betray them. 117 CHAPTER VII. PARLIAMENT-M.P. FOR WAREHAM AND NOTTINGHAM. A.D. 1818 TO 1820. ET. 39 TO 41. Denman, in 1818, returned to Parliament for the close borough of Wareham-Letter to his brother-in-law, Vevers, August 21, 1818-His political stand-point-A constitutional Whig, opposed to Burdett and the Radicals-Denman takes his seat January 14, 1819-The Whig opposition in 1819-Denman's earlier career in the House of Commons less brilliant than was expected-Causes of this-Parliamentary distinction not his first object-Doubtful whether he ever could have become a leading debater in the House of Commons-His talents and character better adapted for the House of Lords-Denman's course as a member of the House of Commons honourable, useful, and enlightened-His own estimate of his House of Commons career from 1819 to 1826-The first session of 1819-Legal reforms advocated by Denman-Opposes allowance of 10,000l. a year to the Duke of York for taking care of the King his father-Speech on Foreign Enlistment Bill-The Holy Alliance characterised-The recess Condition of the people in 1819-Meetings for Radical reform of Parliament-The Manchester Massacre, August 19, 1819-Meetings called to protest against it-Lord Fitzwilliam, for presiding at one, dismissed from the Lord Lieutenancy of the West Riding-Second session of 1819-The Six Acts-Denman's opposition to-Denounces the Manchester Massacre-Speech against the Seditious Meetings Bill -Against the Blasphemous Libels Bill-Close of the session of the Six Acts-Death of George III. and accession of George IV., Jan. 29, 1820-The Cato Street conspiracy-Dissolution of Parliament-Denman invited to stand for Nottingham-Returned after a close contest -Expenses of the election-Denman's means a good deal crippled by them-His difficulty in getting money together-Letter to his wife from Warwick, April 10, 1820-Dr. Parr at Hatton and in Warwick for the Assizes-The Biands at Kenilworth-Michael Angelo TaylorMessrs. Parkes's smoke-consuming apparatus-Last sessions as DeputyRecorder of Nottingham-Political feeling there after the election. THE reputation he had acquired by his defence of the Nottinghamshire insurgents, and a just confidence in his own abilities, led Denman, at the general election of 1818, to aspire to a seat in the House of Commons. After a previous unsuccessful attempt at Nottingham, he was returned with Mr. Calcraft for the close borough of Wareham, in Dorsetshire, by the joint influence and at the joint expense of the Duke of Devonshire and the Marquis of Lansdowne, two great Whig potentates, who were desirous of securing so able and efficient a recruit for the ranks of the Liberal party. The following passage from a letter written by Denman, soon after his election, to his brother-in-law, the Rev. R. W. Vevers, then on a visit to Lord Chesterfield at Bradby Hall,1 will show clearly enough his political position as a nominee of the two Whig leaders: I agree with you in thinking that an exposure of Sir Francis Burdett's conduct and principles [Burdett was then the leader of the ultra-Liberals] might be useful to the good cause of Whiggism; but I am quite convinced by my own experience at Nottingham that, on that subject above all others, whenever passion is excited, there is an end to reason. Sir Francis Burdett's popularity is personal in a remarkable degree. A Whiggish attack on him would have more effect in making the Whigs suspected than in undeceiving a single partizan. I flatter myself that the party is gaining the best possible strength-the influence of public opinion; but this can only 1 Vevers married a sister (illegitimate) of the sixth Lord Chesterfield— long Master of the Buckhounds-who afterwards gave him the living of Cubley, near Ashdowne, in Derbyshire. be secured by a greater deference to the principles of Reform and Retrenchment than perhaps any party, as such, would yet be willing to pay. The more I see of the men I am associated with, the better I like them, and the more I am satisfied that these men are patriotic and generous, with as little alloy of selfishness as can be consistently with the currency of the metal. Among the real leaders I do not think there is one whose ambitious sentiments are not closely connected with the wish and intention to serve the public in the best possible manner. Denman first took his seat as member for Wareham on January 14, 1819. The death of Horner in 1817, and still more that of Romilly in November 1818, had somewhat enfeebled the Whig Opposition, which was now nominally led by Tierney, supported by Mackintosh, but which really owed the greater portion of its influence with the country to the energy and genius of Henry Brougham. There was a favourable opening for a young politician of high ability, and a good deal was expected of the new member for Wareham. It cannot be concealed that Denman's earlier career in the House of Commons, though useful, manly, honourable and dignified, did not quite equal in brilliancy the anticipations of the chiefs of his party, or the high-raised hopes of his friends. A main reason for this no doubt was that Parliamentary distinction was never his primary object, and accordingly never called forth the full exercise of all his powers. In a letter written to his mother, who, on the occasion of his first attempt at Nottingham, had expressed some alarm at the probable effects on his 6 professional practice of a premature entrance into the House, he explained his views on the subject with his usual sincerity and distinctness. Do not,' he writes, suffer anyone to suppose that I am sacrificing my profession to politics: my family being always my first object, my profession is and always will be my second.' This partly, no doubt, accounts for the fact of his want of preeminent success in the House of Commons, but it does not, perhaps, entirely account for it. It may be doubted whether, even if he had devoted himself more exclusively to politics, his success would have been of the highest order. He wanted some of the qualifications, natural or acquired, for a House of Commons leader. He had not the indomitable energy, the active combativeness, the restless and unsleeping vigilance, the vast and varied information, which made of Henry Brougham in his prime a Parliamentary power of the first magnitude. The judgment seat and the House of Lords were the proper fields of distinction for Denman. In the House of Lords, especially, his high character, his unswerving consistency, and his dignified eloquence ultimately won for him a position which formed a marked contrast to that occupied by his old friend-the brilliant and versatile ex-Chancellor— during the long twilight of his political decline. But though Denman's career in the House of Commons was neither so brilliant nor so successful as his reputation before he entered it had led many to expect, yet it is only when tried by the very highest standard that it can be pronounced to have fallen short of the mark. His general views on all the leading |