PREFACE

TO THE SEVENTH VOLUME

OF THE

NEW SERIES.

We are not in a stage of promise, and to boast were now useless, if not impertinent. The gratuitous improvements, which we have made in the shape of new types and two additional half-sheets of letter-press, are here in the hands of our subscribers, and no reader can, we should think, require any other index than his own eyes and understanding to do justice to our merits. The Latin epitaph on SIR CHRIstopher Wren, in St. Paul's, says, If you seek his monument, look round! And these words may serve for our introduction and recommendation to the present Volume.

Painted by Halls. Engraved by Freeman.

The R. Hon de LordValentia.

Published by Vernor, Hood & Sharpe, Poultry, Feb 180.

MONTHLY MIRROR,

FOR

JANUARY, 1810.

37

MEMOIRS OF LORD VALENTIA.
(With a Portrait.)

LORD VALENTIA was born at Arley-Hall, one of the seats of the Lyttelton family, on the fourth of December, 1770. He is the eldest son of Arthur, Earl of Mountnorris, by his first wife, Lucy Fortescue Lyttelton, only daughter of George Lord Lyttelton, of which family she became the representa tive on the death of her brother Thomas, the late lord. His Lordship's descent on the father's side is ancient and noble, and on that of his mother is of royal origin; her family being descended from the legitimated daughter of John of Gaunt, by Catherine Swinford. The larger proportion of the considerable family property is in Ireland.

Lord Valentia received the early part of his education at Upton on Severn, under the tuition of the clergyman of that place. He was subsequently removed to Stanford, in Wor cestershire, and placed under the care of the Rev. Dr. Butt, one of the King's chaplains, till he reached his thirteenth year; at which period he went to Rugby school, then raised to a very flourishing condition by the abilities and excellent management of Dr. James, the master.

At sixteen his Lordship was entered at the university of Oxford, and became a gentleman-commoner of Brazen-Nose College, where he continued only a short time in consequence of his entering the army. In 1789, he visited France, and fixed his residence chiefly at Strasbourg, with the view of facilitating his acquirement both of the German and French languages. On the appearance of the troubles in France, and the prospect

of a speedy rupture between her and England, his Lordship returned to his native country; and soon afterwards married Miss Anne Courtenay, one of the daughters of the late William Viscount Courtenay, by whom he has one son, George, now about seventeen. Upon his marriage, he quitted the army, and settled at his estate of Arley, bequeathed to his Lordship (then Mr. Annesley) by his uncle, Thomas Lord Lyttelton, upon his death, in the year 1779.

At this beautiful and picturesque spot Lord Valentia continued occasionally to reside until the month of June, 1802; at which period he embarked for the East Indies, with the inten tion of putting in execution his long-formed and favourite project of visiting the principal districts of those celebrated and extensive regions, together with many other interesting and remote countries. He was attended in his travels by his draftsman and secretary, Mr. Salt, a gentleman every way qualified for the situation, and the nephew of his Lordship's former tutor and friend, Dr. Butt.

His Lordship returned to England at the close of the year 1806, and in 1809 gave the result of his travels to the public.

Our limits and the nature of our plan forbid us to enter into the merits or demerits of his Lordship's work; we shall therefore content ourselves with merely recommending its perusal to such, as may be anxious to acquire a knowledge of many interesting parts of the globe, which had been hitherto only very imperfectly noticed by former travellers. It is but justice to add, that the second and third vols. of the work are in every respect greatly superior to the first. About two years after Lord Valentia's arrival in England, he was returned to parliament for the Borough of Yarmouth in the Isle of Wight, and supported the Duke of Portland's administration. His Lordship has for many years been a member of the Royal, Antiquarian, and Linnean Societies; and was one of the original proprietors of the Royal Institution.

London, Jan, 25th, 1810.