Born 1749.—Died 1806.—George II.—George III.

This great orator and statesman, the third son of the first Lord Holland, belonged to the opposite party in politics to Pitt, and they were continually at war throughout their public career,—Pitt representing the Tory, Fox the Whig party. Fox made his first speech in Parliament against John Wilkes, who at that time was always stirring up sedition and spreading his infidel opinions. The Fox and North coalitions broke up on an Indian Bill, and the one hundred and sixty supporters of Fox who lost their seats in the election that followed, were known as “Fox’s Martyrs.” Fox estranged Burke from him by his opposing the war with France, and thus tacitly supporting the French Revolution. After the death of Pitt, Fox again came into power under Lord Grenville, and his last acts were striving to put an end to slavery in the British dependencies, and bringing about peace with France. He was attacked with dropsy about seven months after the death of Pitt, at whose funeral he had spoken a noble eulogium on his great public rival.