A History of Parliamentary Elections and Electioneering in the Old Days / Showing the State of Political Parties and Party Warfare at the Hustings and in the House of Commons from the Stuarts to Queen Victoria

by Joseph Grego

The Duchess of Devonshire was idolized by enthusiastic Whigs, who hailed in her the salvation of the cause:—

“Let Pitt and Wray dislike the fair,
Decry our Devon’s matchless merit;
A braver, kinder soul we wear,
And love her beauty, love her spirit.
Let distant times and ages know,
When Temple would have made us slaves,
’Tis thus we ward the fatal blow,
’Tis Fox that beats—’tis Devon saves!”