wished to do good; but his views were confused from want of knowledge, and
his conduct often inconsistent because a sense of duty made him
immediately active; and he often acquired in the consequent experience a
conviction exactly contrary to that which had prompted his activity.

His Grace had been a great patron and a zealous administrator of the New
Poor Law. He had been persuaded that it would elevate the condition of the
labouring class. His son-in-law, Lord Everingham, who was a Whig, and a
clearheaded, cold-blooded man, looked upon the New Poor Law as another
Magna Charta. Lord Everingham was completely master of the subject. He was
himself the Chairman of one of the most considerable Unions of the
kingdom. The Duke, if he ever had a misgiving, had no chance in argument
with his son-in-law. Lord Everingham overwhelmed him with quotations from
Commissioners' rules and Sub-commissioners' reports, statistical tables,
and references to dietaries. Sometimes with a strong case, the Duke
struggled to make a fight; but Lord Everingham, when he was at fault for a
reply, which was very rare, upbraided his father-in-law with the abuses of
the old system, and frightened him with visions of rates exceeding
rentals.

Of late, however, a considerable change had taken place in the Duke's
feelings on this great question. His son Henry entertained strong opinions
upon it, and had combated his father with all the fervour of a young
votary. A victory over his Grace, indeed, was not very difficult. His
natural impulse would have enlisted him on the side, if not of opposition
to the new system, at least of critical suspicion of its spirit and
provisions. It was only the statistics and sharp acuteness of his son-in-
law that had, indeed, ever kept him to his colours. Lord Henry would not
listen to statistics, dietary tables, Commissioners' rides, Sub-
commissioners' reports. He went far higher than his father; far deeper