THE

REMARKABLE LIFE

OF

JOHN ELWES Efq.

MEMBER IN THREE SUCCESSIVE PARLIAMENTS
FOR BERKSHIRE.

WITH

SINGULAR ANECDOTES, &c.

Written by CAPTAIN TOPHAM.

SUPPOSED TO BE THE GREATEST INSTANCE
OF PENURY THAT EVER EXISTED.

"A Miser is an Enemy to Mankind; for how can he feel for others
who is ever cruel to himself? His Breaft is fteeled against Humanity:
His Heart knows no Mirth; nor does the Tear of Sensibility bedew his
Cheek. Gold, that's a Blessing to others, to him doth prove a Curse:
Care torments him, and he has no Comforter."

O'KEEFFE."

London:

Printed by T. Maiden, Sherbourne-Lane,

FOR ANN LEMOINE, WHITE-ROSE COURT, COLEMAN.
STREET, AND SOLD BY T. HURST,
PATERNOSTER-ROW.

1802.

[Price Six-Pence.]

OF

JOHN ELWES, ESQ.

MEGGOT was the family name of Mr. Elwes ; and his name being John, the conjunction of Jack Meggot induced strangers to imagine fometimes that his friends were addreffing him by an affumed appellation. The father of Mr. Elwes was an eminent brewer; and his dwelling-house and offices were fituated in Southwark; which borough was formerly reprefented in parliament by his grandfather, Sir George Meggot. During his life, he purchased the estate now in poffeffion of the family of the Calverts, at Marcham, in Berkshire. The father died when the late Mr. Elwes was only four years old; so that little of the fingular character of Mr. Elwes is to be attributed to him: but from the mother it may be traced with eafe: She was left nearly one hundred thousand pounds by her husband, and yet starved herself to death. The only children from the above marriage, were Mr. Elwes, and a daughter, who married the father of the late Colonel Timms; and from thence came the intail of fome part of the prefent eftate.

Mr. Elwes, at an early period of life, was fent to Westminster School, where he remained ten or twelve years. He certainly, during that time, had not mifapplied his talents; for he was a good claffical fcholar to the laft; and it is a circumstance very remarkable, yet well authenticated, that he never read afterwards. Never, at any period of his future life, was he feen with a book; nor had he in all his different houses left behind him two pounds worth of literary furniture. His knowledge in accounts was little; and, in fome meafure, may account for his total ignorance as to his own concerns. The cotemporaries of Mr. Elwes, at Westminster, were Mr. Worfley, late Mafter of the Board of Works, and the late Lord Mansfield; who, at that time, borrowed all that young Elwes would lend. His Lordship, however, afterwards changed his difpofition.

Mr. Elwes from Weftminster-School removed to Geneva, where he shortly after entered upon purfuits more congenial to his temper than study. The riding-matter of the academy had then three of the best horsemen in Europe for his pupils; Mr. Worfley, Mr. Elwes, and Sir Sidney Meadows. Elwes of the three was accounted the most defperate: the young horfes were put into his

A 2

hands always; and he was, in fact, the rough rider of the other two. He was introduced, during this period, to Voltaire, whom, in point of appearance, he fomewhat refembled: But though he has often mentioned this circumftance, neither the genius, the fortune, nor the character, of Voltaire, ever feemed to strike him as worthy of envy.

Returning to England, after an abfence of two or three years, he was to be introduced to his uncle, the late Sir Harvey Elwes, who was then living at Stoke, in Suffolk, the most perfect picture of human penury perhaps that ever existed. In him the attempts of faving money were fo extraordinary, that Mr. Elwes never quite reached them, even at the most covetous period of his life. To this Sir Harvey Elwes he was to be the heir, and of course it was policy to pleafe him. On this account it was neceffary, even in old Mr. Elwes, to mnafquerade a little; and as he was at that time in the world, and its affairs, he dreffed like other people. This would not have done for Sir Harvey. The nephew, therefore, ufed to stop at a little inn at Chelmsford, and begin to dress in character. A pair of small iron buckles, wortted stockings darned, a worn-out old coat, and a tattered waistcoat, were put on; and forwards he rode to vifit his uncle; who ufed to contemplate him with a kind of miferable fatisfaction, and feemed pleafed to find his heir bidding fair to rival him in the unaccountable purfuit of avarice. There they would fit-faving fouls!-with a single stick upon the fire, and with one glafs of wine, occafionally, betwixt them, inveighing against the extravagance of the times; and when evening fhut in, they would immediately retire to rest-as going to bed faved candle-light.

The nephew, however, had then what, indeed, he never losta very extraordinary appetite-and this would have been an unpaonable offence in the eye of his uncle! Mr. Elwes was therefore obliged to partake of a dinner firft, with fome country neighbour, and then return to his uncle with a little diminutive appetite, that quite engaged the heart of the old gentleman. A partridge, a finall pudding, and one potatoe, did the whole bufinefs! and the fire was even fuffered to die away while Sir Harvey was at dinner, as eating was a fufficient exercise.

Sir Harvey, in truth, was a moft fingular character, and the way in which he lived was no lefs fo. His feclufion from the world nearly reached that of an hermit: And, extreme avarice excepted, a more blameless life was never led by mortal.

SKETCH OF SIR HARVEY ELWES.

SIR HARVEY ELWES fucceeded SIR JERVAISE, a very worthy gentleman, that had involved, as far as they would go, all the eftates he received, and left behind him. Sir Harvey, on his death, found himself poffeffed, nominally, of fome thousands a year, but really with an income of one hundred pounds per anOn his arrival at Stoke, the family feat, he faid, "that

num.