EUROPEAN MAGAZINE, AND LONDON REVIE W; 1 For the EUROPEAN MAGAZINE. An ACCOUNT of the LIFE of GEORGE BUBB DODINGTON, Lord MELCOMBE. [Embellished with a STRIKING LIKENESS of his LORDSHIP.] T was one of the last remarks made by Sir Walter Raleigh before his decollation, that he had been a foldier, a failor, and a courfier, which, he added, are courses of wickednefs and vice. This obfervation, had it been delivered at a lefs folemn feafon, would have been deemed both libellous and fplenetic; but coming from a man whofe judgment was unquestionable, and at a time when he might be expected to speak no more than the truth, is entitled to that unqualified af fent which ufually accompanies felf-evident propofitions. Leaving the first two profeffions to the charity of mankind for their defence, we thail produce fome few facts which may probably incline our readers to believe, that the courfe of a courtier is very likely to be marked, as Sir Walter decides, with wicked nets and vice; and for that purpose shall communicate a few anecdotes of a perfon who has lately become the object of public cu. fofity, as well from his rank as his abilities, but still more from his very abject and fervile deportment to Ministers, his fondness for place and power, and want of refpect to his own character, fortune, and fituation in life. GEORGE BUB3, Efq. was, as we are in formed, the fon of an apothecary in Dorfet fhire, and nephew to George Doddington, of Kaftbury, or Gunvil Eaftbury, in that county, a gentleman of very confiderable fortune, who had been one of the Lords of the Admiralty Alma novem genuit celebres Rhedycina poetas : Garey, Tickel, Evan: *. Very early he was initiated into public life. In the year 1715, at the age of 24, he was elected Member for Winchelfea, and on the 4th of June was appointed Envoy Extraor dinary at the Court of Spain, in which capacity, Dec. 14, he figned the treaty of Madrid †. In January next year he was named Plenipotentiary, and on March 5 presented a memorial, complaining of the connivance allowed to the enemies of Great-Britain, and particularly to the Duke of Ormond, in tranfporting fuccours to the Pretender ‡. After fome time refiding in Spain, he returned to England in 1717, and by the death of his relation, Mr. Dodington, March 28, 1720, he came into poffeffion of a very large eftate, on which he built a magnificent feat, in the county of Dorfet; a feat which was often the refidence of the first writers of the times, and the beauties of which have been frequently celebrated by them §. This § See the works of Thomson, Young, Pitt, Lyttelton, and others. This grand and superb feat was begun about 1718, by Mr. Dodington's predeceffor, who only finished the offices, The houfe was begun about 1724, and the whole entirely finished about 1738, at the expence of 140,000l. The gardens were very extensive and beautiful, adorned with vistos and planta. tions of trees; many of which were removed føme miles off after fifty years growth, and weighed three tans. The canals were fupplied with an engine worked by horses, Adjoining EUROP, MAG, great acceffion of property he probably expected, as we find by the ftatute 4 George I. (1717) he and his iffue were enabled to change the furname of Bubb to Dodington. On the 4th of June, in the fame year, he was appointed Lord Lieutenant and Cuítos Rotulorum of the county of Somerfet. In the year 1722 he was chofen Member for both Winchelfea and Bridgwater, but made his election for the latter. His confequence in the political world fhortly afterwards appeared, being in 1724 made a Lord of the Treasury, and appointed to the lucrative office of Clerk of the Pells in Ireland. On the vacancy occafioned by this preferment, he was re-elected. At this period he clofely connected himself with Sir Robert Walpole; and, in 1726, publithed in folio a Poetical Epiftle, addreffed to that Minifter, which is only remarkable for its fervility and flattery *. In 1727 he was again chofen Member for Bridgwater; and in 1734 for Weymouth and the fame place, which latter he ftill continued to reprefent. We find him in 1736-7 taking a very decided and laudable part in the conteft between King George II. and the Prince of Wales, in the queftion about the augmentation of his allowance to 100,ocol. per ann. and for a jointure to the Princefs. In this tranfaction, of which we have a narrative by himself, he appears to have acted with fpirit, propriety, and confiftency. At this time he had become cool towards Sir Robert Walpole, the god of his former idoltry, as appears from many pailages of that narrative. We, therefore, are not surprised to find that in October 1745 he was difmifled from his poft in the Treafury. He now engaged in the oppofition to his former friend, and in 1741 was once more returned for two boroughs, Appleby and Bridgwater; which latter he still continued to reprefent. On the downfal of Sir Robert, Mr. Dodington's expectations of preferment feem not to have been gratified. He therefore again took part again't the Ministry, and was principally concerned in a celebrated anti-minifterial paper called The Remembrancer, and in forming the Broad-bottom Oppofition; which afterwards prevailing againft the new Adminftration, he was, Dec. 25, 1744, rewarded with the poft of Treasurer of the Navy; and in 1745 fworn of the Privy Council. In 1747 he was a fifth time chofen to reprefent Bridgwater; and, it may be prefumed, might have continued in favour with the Court during the rest of his life, had not an incident given occafion to a change in his conduct, which all his fervices, attentions, fervility, and bafe compliances, did not completely obtain a pardon for from the Crown. We come now to that part of our Courtier's life, the narrative of which has rendered him fo much the object of public atten to the houfe a park was inclofed five miles round, including great part of Tarent Hinten, Tarent Monckton, and extending into feveral other neighbouring parithes. The furniture of this fplendid building was fold in 1763, and, we believe, the house itself has been fince puiled down. It is alfo printed in Dodfley's Collection of Poems, Vol. VI. p. 129. In Vol. IV. p. 223. of the fame Collection, is another Poem, addreifed to the fame Minifter. There are the Pieces alluded to in the following lines of a fatirical Poem called The Tamizade, published about 1743. Speaking of Mr. D--, he fays, Who happily had to paternals of late Got added a lucrative name and estate. Don Gorgo, Bubb Dodo, creeping up on all fours, Does rather my own than his weakness expofe. tion, tion. On the 8th of March, 1749, the Prince In July the Prince opened to him the plan by which he had propoied to reward him for the facrifice he had made with fo much patriotifm." After dinner he (the Prince) "took me into a private room, and, of him"felf, began to fay that he thought I might as well be called Treasurer of the Cham"bers as any other name; that the Earl of "Scarborough his Treafurer might take it ill "If I ftood upon the establishment with "higher appointments than he did; that his "Royal Highneis's deftination was, that I "fhould have 2000l. per ann.; that he "thought it beft to put me upon the esta❝blishment at the highett falary only, and "that he would pay me the reft himself. I "humbly defired that I might stand upon the "eftablishment without any falary, and that "I would take what he now defigned for "me when he should be King, but nothing "before. He faid, that it became me to make "him that offer; but it did not become him "to accept it, confiftent with his reputation, " and therefore it must be in prefent. He "then immediately added, that we muit "fettle what was to happen in reverfion; "and faid, that he thought a peerage, with "the management of the House of Lords, " and the feals of Secretary of State for the "Southern province, would be a proper sta❝tion for me, if I approved it. Perceiving "me to be under much confufion at this unexpected offer, and at a loss how to exprefs 66 myfelf, he ftopped me, and then faid, I "now promise you, on the word and ho"nour of a Prince, that as foon as I come to ❝ the Crown 1 will give you a peerage, and * Diary, p. 2. + Ibid. p. 4. Ibid. p. 24. Ibid. p. 26. "the feals of the Southern province. Upon "my endeavouring to thank him, he repeat"ed the fame words, and added (putting back "his chair), And I give you leave to kifs my "hand upon it now, by way of acceptance; "which I did accordingly." Highly elated with the flattering prospect before him, he immediately proceeded to communicate the arrangements which were intended to his friends, and to fecure their fupport. An oppofition was almoft, however, immediately formed in the Prince's - houthold againft him, which probably would have difappointed all his expectations, even if a more formidable enemy had not stepped in. A month had fcarce elapfed before he found reafon to complain that there appeared little difpofition to friendship and cordiality in his new affociates. He even forefaw that there was no profpect of doing any good §. In Feb. 1749-50 a pamphlet was published against him, which he defcribes as the most rancorous that any age or country could fhew || Meetings for explanation followed without any effect. In July he was informed of the unalterable inveteracy of the family against him, and in a fit of pious defpondency exclaims, "God forgive them! I have not deferved it of them ***." The confidence which he had expected to have repofed in him, feems never to have been given, nor do we find that he ever obtained any other marks of attention from his new mafter, than thofe of mere civility and politenefs. Still, however, he continued in the Prince's fervice, devifing fchemes which he fcarce expected to have fupported, and forming plans which he had every reafon to prefume would be fruftrated by his fecret enemies. At length, on the 21ft of March 1750-51, death deprived the. world of the Prince, and the whole band of dependants, who had built their expectations. on his acceflion to the crown, were thrown into the utmost defpair. Mr. Dodington again became devout, and plaintively cries out"Father of mercy! thy hand that wounds, alone can save ++” An attempt was made to unite the feveral perions who had been adherents of the Prince and oppofers of the Court, in fome system ; but after feveral efforts, finding that the terms proposed were of a fort that implied an exclufion of coming into office, he abandoned all hope, and, as he informs us, gave up all thoughts of ever being any farther ufeful to mankind. This determination he varied, a few days afterwards, and confined his refo |