J. Prior, op. cit., p
Même au jour où sa rupture avec le fougueux Irlandais fut complète, où tout espoir de rapprochement fut perdu, tout en combattant ses idées, il n’oublia en aucune occasion de rendre hommage à ses talents; si souvent il opposa à Burke champion des monarchies absolues le Burke des anciens jours, il s’abstint toujours de toute réflexion, même de toute insinuation blessante, sans jamais mettre en suspicion la bonne foi de son adversaire !.
En 1792, il soutint avec énergie la proposition de Grey relative à la réforme parlementaire, et revint
4, Voici le magnifique éloge qu’il fit de Burke à l’occasion de son livre : Refiections on the Revolutions in France. « 1 shall take care to put Mr. Burke’s work on the French Revolution into the hands of those whose principles are left to my formation. I shall take care that they have the advantage of doing, in the regular progression of youthful studies, what I have done even.in the short intervals of a laborious life, that they shall transcribe, with their own hands, from all the works of this extraordinary person, and from the last among the rest, the soundest truths of religion, the justest principles of morals, in culcated and rendered delightful by the most sublime eloquence, the brighest reach of philosophy brought down to the level of common minds by the most captivating taste, the most enlightened observations on history and the most copious collections of useful maxims from the experience of common life, and separate for themselves the good from the bad. » (J. Prior, op. cit., pp. 316 et 317.) Il préférait, d’ailleurs, le talent d'écrivain de Burke à son talent oratoire, et prétendait que son débit se ressentait de son origine irlandaise ; il raconta même un jour au docteur Clarke Panecdocte suivante, dont l’enthousiaste biographe et admirateur de Burke réroque en doute l’authenticité. « Once I was so tired of hearing him in a debate upon the India Bill that not liking he should see me leave the House of Commons while he was speaking, [I crept along under the benches and got out, and went to the Isle of Wight. Afterwards that very speech of his was published, and 1 found it to be so extremely beautiful that I actually wore it into pieces by reading it. » (Id. tbid., p. 507, note.)
plusieurs fois sur ce sujet, mais sans succès. C’est en vain qu’il rappela que Pitt avait jadis été l’un des plus fervents promoteurs de cette réforme; celle-ci devait encore se faire attendre bien des années!. Il s’opposa aussi, autant qu’il était en son pouvoir, aux mesures proposées contre la propagande des idées jacobines : « Otez au peuple tout sujet de se plaindre, disait-il, et vous n'aurez pas de révolution ?. »
1. Hist. parlem., XXX, p. 286 et passim. Combien il fut toujours éloigné de désirer des mesures radicales ou précipitées, on peut le voir par le passage suivant d’Armata : « AI the separate parts of it (the Constitution) are excellent and well proportioned, if they were allowed to stand in their places, bui government had now begun to be carried by à conspiracy of powers which should balance and control one another... but by having suffered the defect to continue by à long season, its consequences have also increased, and have produced so strong a feeling of irritation that the most cautious reformation becomes with every man of sound discretion a Mmatler which calls for the most impartial, even lrembling consideration. This observation is not, however, intended to convey an opinion that a safe and salutary amendment is impraticable. A surgeon often examines his patient with a trembling hand, when he is considering whether he shall attempt an operation; but when his judgment is satisfied, it trembles no longer. » I, pp. 62, 63.
