Shortly after his father's death he was
united to the daughter of a ducal house, by whom he had a son
and two daughters, chrisened by names which the ancient
records of the Fitz-Warenes authorised. His son, who gave
promise of abilities which might have rendered the family
really distinguished, was Valence; his daughters, Joan and
Maud. All that seemed wanting to the glory of the house was a
great distinction of which a rich peer, with six seats in the
House of Commons, could not ultimately despair. Lord Fitz-
Warene aspired to rank among the earls of England. But the
successors of Mr Pitt were strong; they thought the Fitz-
Warenes had already been too rapidly advanced; it was
whispered that the king did not like the new man; that his
majesty thought him pompous, full of pretence, in short, a
fool. But though the successors of Mr Pitt managed to govern
the country for twenty years and were generally very strong,
in such an interval of time however good their management or
great their luck, there were inevitably occasions when they
found themselves in difficulties, when it was necessary to
conciliate the lukewarm or to reward the devoted. Lord Fitz-
Warene well understood how to avail himself of these
occasions; it was astonishing how conscientious and scrupulous
he became during Walcheren expeditions, Manchester massacres,
Queen's trials.
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