some mention will be thrown in of the late glorious event of the King of Prussia's victory'.

I should have desired of you the favour to call this evening, if an early meeting of the Cabinet at St. James's to-night had not rendered it impossible.

You will already guess the request I have to make to you; it is, that you will be so good to draw the Address: my moments are literally so filled that I am unable to do it myself, nor would the thing be so well done, if I was able, in point of time, to set about it. I trust your answer will be favourable, and that the work will not be of a disagreeable nature to you. I will only add that you cannot oblige me more.

I am ever, &c., &c.

W. PITT.

MR. JENKINSON TO MR. GRENVILLE.

(November, 1760.)

2

SINCE I left you I have seen Lord Bute. Granby continues indisposed, so that he has not been with Lord B. Shelburne has given hopes that by means of some of the little agents he can employ he shall be able to make the Rutland family acquiesce in some expedient between what he desires and what is offered. I have in general but little opinion of these operations;

3

1 The battle of Torgau, where the Austrians, under Marshal Daun, were defeated by the King of Prussia.

2 John, Viscount Fitz Maurice, made Earl of Shelburne in 1753, and in May, 1760, he was advanced to the Peerage of Great Britain, by the title of Baron Wycombe. He died in May, 1761.

3 The Duke of Rutland was Lord Steward at the accession of George the Third. He was, soon after this time, made Master of the Horse.

though they have often more success upon a necessitous man, as Granby is, than others. I am convinced, however, that neither party will push affairs to extremities, so that it will end well at last, though the manner how cannot yet be determined.

Since Bamber Gascoyne was with you he has been with Lord Bute, calling upon him to give him all his support'. He has desired him to write a letter to Lord Rochford. Lord Bute does not think it proper for him in his present situation to do it, but desired me to suggest it to you. Observe, that Lord Rochford is one of the King's pensioners.

I hear that Lord George Sackville has been at court', and that the King was civil to him. I have much to say to you on this head, which has, I find, already created a clamour, and may possibly create still more, which makes me extremely sorry for it.

1 He was probably making interest to represent the borough of Malden, for which he was elected in the new Parliament. Lord Bute had succeeded Lord Rochford as Groom of the Stole.

2 This circumstance marks the probable date of this letter. The King held a Levée early in November. Horace Walpole, writing on the 13th of that month, says: "For the King himself, he seems all good-nature, and, wishing to satisfy everybody, all his speeches are obliging. I saw him again yesterday, and was surprised to find the Levée-room had lost so entirely the air of the lion's den. The Sovereign don't stand in one spot, with his eyes fixed royally on the ground, and dropping bits of German news; he walks about and speaks to everybody." Lord George's appearance at Court, at the invitation, as was supposed, of Lord Bute, gave great offence to the Ministers of the late King, and those who had the conduct of the war, and the clamour it created was probably the cause that Lord George subsequently spent several years in retirement.

COUNTESS TEMPLE TO EARL TEMPLE.

Tuesday, January 6 (1761). An express arrived yesterday morning from the Bath AN to notify the death of poor Lady Jane'; but what is still more shocking, poor Lord Harry Beauclerc died last night in a fit at 11 o'clock: he had been ill some time of a violent pain in his breast and stomach by intervals.

You have heard a story of a cook who is become Lord Aston, and the Roman Catholics allow him a hundred a year. My Lord Bute went from the King to the Duchess of Norfolk, to say that His Majesty could not hear of a peer in that distress, though of a different religion, without contributing to his maintenance; therefore had sent by Lord Bute two hundred pounds, to be disposed of to Lord Aston in the manner she thought proper. The Duchess sent to the man; was afraid to tell him the whole at once for fear of turning his head, but mentioned only one hundred. Is this true? says the man; then I beg you will give me leave to run directly to my mother and my master to tell them the news. I should add, that Lord Bute told her Grace this was to be continued every year out of his Privy Purse, which she told the cook Lord. God bless you, this is all I can pick up to divert you.

1 Lady Jane Coke, sister to the first Duke of Wharton.

A. T.

2 Fourth son of the first Duke of St. Alban's. He was a Colonel in

the Army, and, at the time of his death, M.P. for Thetford.

3 Probably Philip, the sixth Baron, who is described in the Peerages as the "great-great-grandson of the late Lord's great-great-great-grand uncle."

THE EARL OF BUTE TO MR. GRENVILLE.

Wednesday (February 11, 1761). DEAR SIR,-You will receive a letter from Lord Holdernesse, notifying the King's pleasure with regard to the Cabinet', which is all the form used, and it will be proper for you to acknowledge the receipt of it, and to desire Lord Holdernesse to lay you at the King's feet, and return your thanks, &c. Let me congratulate you, my worthy friend, on this additional honour; may I see many added to it.

I am, with the utmost regard, &c., &c.

BUTE.

MR. JENKINSON TO MR. GRENVILLE.

Bury Street, March 24, 1761.

DEAR SIR,-I hope that by the time this letter will get to you all your trouble and fatigue at Buckingham2 will be at an end.

I have ten thousand thanks to return you for my present situation3; I am absolutely in love with Lord Bute; his goodness shows itself to me more and more every day. I have mentioned to him all you ordered me; he daily laments that you are going to take yourself out of active business in the House of Commons, where your abilities and influence might be so serviceable to the King and the Public'. If there should be

1 Mr. Grenville was now a Cabinet Minister, and he still retained his office of Treasurer of the Navy.

2 His re-election for the borough.

3 Under Secretary to Lord Bute as Principal Secretary of State, in which office Lord Bute had just succeeded Lord Holdernesse.

At this time Mr. Grenville was desirous of becoming Speaker of the House of Commons, on the retirement of Mr. Onslow.

any important news, he has ordered me to send a messenger down to you. He does not take the seals till to-morrow. There is a messenger arrived from Prince Ferdinand this morning. Cassel still holds out. The enemy in it is much stronger than was expected. Broglio is at present advancing, and will, I think, attack Prince Ferdinand, and I know that the other will not decline it, so that an action will probably determine the issue of this whole affair.

I have had a most afflicting piece of news since I saw you. My poor brother is dead in Hesse; fatigue has killed him. What adds to my concern is, that I cannot hear any particulars of his death. The account of it is come in a letter of Prince Ferdinand to Lord Ligonier, an honour which makes the loss the more affecting.

But not to dwell on this melancholy subject, Lord B., partly at my earnest request, has declined to take Mr. Wallace as my colleague, but he is so good as to mean to do something for him. He has taken in his stead a very able, worthy, good man', who before served in the same capacity Lord Townshend and Lord Harrington. You may imagine that his choice must be very agreeable to me. I shall hope to hear from you and to receive your commands. commands. I am, &c., &c.

C. JENKINSON.

MR. JENKINSON TO MR. GRENVILLE.

Whitehall, March 26, 1761.

DEAR SIR,-The Earl of Bute took the seals yesterday, and all the other changes took place of course.

1 Mr. Edward Weston, the

téméraire vieillard," who was afterwards so ferociously attacked by Junius for his supposed Vindication of the Duke of Grafton.