[29] During Sir Robert Walpole’s administration, a troop of French Players had been brought over, but the audience and populace would not suffer them to perform. Another company came over in 1750, but with no better success. Several young men of quality had drawn their swords in the riot, endeavouring to support them: Lord Trentham’s being present had been exaggerated into his being their chief protector. French Players had been no uncommon spectacle in England. The foundation of the late animosity against them was this. The opposition to the Court had proceeded so far, as to be on the point of ridiculing the King publicly on the stage of the little theatre in the Haymarket, in a dramatic satire, called the “Golden Rump,” written by Fielding. Sir R. Walpole, having intelligence of this design, got the piece into his hands--[I have in my possession the imperfect copy of this piece, as I found it among my father’s papers after his death]--and then procured the act to be passed for regulating the stage, by which all theatres were suppressed but such as should be licensed by the Lord Chamberlain. This provoked the people so much, that the French company having a licence granted soon after, when several English companies were cashiered, it was made a party point to silence foreign performers. [30] Granville Leveson Gower, eldest son of John, Earl Gower.--A. Created Marquis of Stafford in 1786. Died, 1803.--E. [31] Alexander Hume Campbell, brother to the Earl of Marchmont, a very masterly speaker and able lawyer, had been Attorney-General to the Prince of Wales, which post he resigned when his Royal Highness erected his last Opposition, and was supposed to have a considerable pension, on which he neglected the House of Commons, giving himself up entirely to his profession. [32] Nugent very absurdly told the House, “that he could not help recollecting the epitaph on Lord Brooke, _Here lies the friend of Sir Philip Sidney_, which he begged leave to apply, by acquainting them that Mr. Crowle was the friend of that excellent man, Lord Lonsdale, who then lay dying, and that he hoped they would not disturb his death-bed by any harsh treatment of his friend.” Henry, the last Lord Viscount Lonsdale, died soon after this. He had been Constable of the Tower and Lord Privy Seal, which he resigned with outgoing into Opposition. He was a man of very conscientious and disinterested honour, a great disputant, a great refiner--no great genius. Nugent published two or three poems on his virtues. [33] Crowle was a noted punster. Once, on a circuit with Page, a person asked him if the Judge was not just behind? He replied, “I don’t know; but I am sure he never was _just_ before.”