Plantations. He was Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland from 1780 to 1782, and
held the post of Lord Privy Seal in the Duke of Portland's
administration of 1783. Till the outbreak of the French Revolutionary
wars, he was an opponent of Pitt; but after 1792 he consistently
supported the Government.

Carlisle was a collector of pictures, statuary, and works of art. He was
also a writer of verse, tragedies, and pamphlets; but, in literature,
his admirable letters are his best claim to be remembered. One of his
two tragedies, 'The Father's Revenge' (1783), was praised by Walpole,
and received the guarded approval of Dr. Johnson. His published poetry
consisted of an ode on the death of Gray, verses on that of Lord Nelson,
"Lines for the Monument of a favourite Spaniel," an address to Sir
Joshua Reynolds, and translations from Dante. The first two poems
provoked Richard Tickell to write the 'Wreath of Fashion' (1780). "The
following lines," says Tickell, in his "Advertisement," were "occasioned
by the Author's having lately studied, with infinite attention, several
fashionable productions in the 'Sentimental' stile.... For example, A
Noble Author has lately published his works, which consist of 'three'
compositions: 'one' an Ode upon the death of Mr. Gray; the two others
upon the death of his Lordship's 'Spaniel'."

"Here, placid 'Carlisle' breathes his gentle line,
Or haply, gen'rous 'Hare', re-echoes thine.
Soft flows the lay: as when, with tears, He paid
The last sad honours to his------Spaniel's shade!
And lo! he grasps the badge of wit, a wand;
He waves it thrice and 'Storer' is at hand."

His contemporaries seem to have thought that his poetry, weak though it