COX. S9 it had he not designed for him an equivalent recom pence. The behaviour of Sir Richard Cox on this occasion, was such as should have caused shame to his enemies, had they been capable of feeling i t
i t was, a s i n the days o f his prosperity, firm, manly, and equable. His private concerns required his presence i n the country, but h e would not retire from Dublin, while the Parliament was sitting, lest i t should b e construed into a desire o f avoid ing that investigation into his conduct, which h e felt con vinced his enemies would undertake. He was not de ceived; various and many were the accusations laid against him, merely t o enumerate which, without entering into particulars, would far exceed our limits. His integrity o f principle, and singleness o f heart, with which h e answered every charge which was preferred against him, a t length defeated a l l the malevolence, and wearied the pertinacity of his enemies. A dispute which arose i n the city o f Dublin, a short time prior t o the death o f Queen Anne, relative t o the election o f a lord mayor, gave rise t o much debate. The question was brought before the lords justices, o f whom Sir Richard was one, and their report was transmitted t o England for the royal approbation, which through the illness o f the queen could not b e obtained. Shortly after this, o n the accession o f George I., the lords justices were superseded, a circumstance which i s supposed t o have been occasioned b y a suspicion that they were inclined t o forward the interests o f the Pretender; a suspicion which, i n Sir Richard's case a t least, must b e entirely unfounded, a s i s sufficiently evinced b y every action o f h i s earlier a s well as of his later life. Wearied a t length with such unceasing disputes for power, h e quitted entirely public life, and spent the remain der o f his days i n a tranquillity which was indeed enviable. He bore h i s adversity with the patience o f a philosopher, and divided his time between study, improvements, and acts o f charity. I n April 1783, h e was seized with apo
