ADVERTISEMENT. THE late Lord Holland employed himself for many years in preparing the materials for a Life of Mr. Fox. These materials were to be woven into a narrative, and the great events which, from 1770 to 1806, were discussed in Parliament, were to have been reviewed by the pen of an enlightened and benevolent statesman. But Lord Holland's life was a busy one, the noble idleness1 of refined society and classical reading took up a great part of his remaining time, and little was left for transcribing, commenting, and narrating. Soon, the Life descended into a collection of materials; the collection of materials, only partially arranged, was not carried beyond the year 1786. Lord Holland himself foresaw that he should not be able to complete his work, and one day that he was employed upon it, he told me that he believed it would be left to me to finish. After Lord Holland's death, Mr. Allen, whose literary character is well known, and justly esteemed, began the whole again, inserted many passages explanatory of the history of the time, and caused a large portion of the correspondence to be copied. In this state I found the papers when they came into my possession by the bequest of the late Lady Holland. Public affairs have prevented my giving that early attention to these papers which they deserved. Like Lord Holland, I should 1 Nobile ozio.-Machiavel, |