deficiencies are supplied from notes, in the hands of the
writer, left by Lord Orford, of the dates of the principal
events of his own life, and of the writing and publication of
all his works. It is only to be regretted that his
autobiography is so short, and so entirely confined to dates.
In estimating the character of Lord Orford, and in the opinion
which he gives of his talents, Lord Dover has evinced much
candour and good taste. He praises with discrimination, and
draws no unfair inferences from the peculiarities of a
character with which he was not personally acquainted.

It is by the Review of the Letters to Sir Horace Mann, that
the severest condemnation has been passed and the most unjust
impressions given, not only of the genius and talents, but of
the heart and character, of Lord Orford. The mistaken
opinions of the eloquent and accomplished author (5) of that
review are to be traced chiefly to the same causes which
defeated the intentions of the two first biographers. In his
case, these causes were increased, not only by no acquaintance
with his subject, but by still farther removal from the
fashions, the social habits, the little minute details, of the
age to which Horace Walpole belongs,-an age so essentially
different from the business, the movement, the important
struggles, of that which claims the critic as one of its most
distinguished ornaments. A conviction that these reasons led
to his having drawn up, from the supposed evidence of
Walpole's works alone, a character of their author so
entirely and offensively unlike the original, has forced the
pen into the feeble and failing hand of the writer of these
pages,-has imposed the pious duty of attempting to rescue, by