Henry St.John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke (1678-1751), English politician and statesman. St.John was born at Battersea, London and educated at Eton College. He travelled on the continent, then in 1701 was returned as Member of Parliament for Wooton Bassett, Wiltshire. He progressed quickly through the ranks of government, eventually serving as Secretary of State at War. He was made Viscount Bolingbroke in 1712. His main contribution was in creating the idea of an organised opposition to the ruling party in parliament, a fundamental element of democratic governments to this day. This lithograph comes from Cooke's 'Memoirs of Lord Bolingbroke' published in 1835.