THE GRENVILLE PAPERS: BEING THE CORRESPONDENCE OF RICHARD GRENVILLE EARL TEMPLE, K.G., AND THE RIGHT HON: GEORGE GRENVILLE, THEIR FRIENDS AND CONTEMPORARIES. NOW FIRST PUBLISHED FROM THE ORIGINAL MSS., FORMERLY PRESERVED AT STOWE. EDITED, WITH NOTES, BY WILLIAM JAMES SMITH, Esq., FORMERLY LIBRARIAN AT STOWE. VOL. I. LONDON: JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. 1852. PREFACE. THE correspondence of the several members of the Grenville family and their contemporaries contained in these volumes, extends over a period of more than thirty years, commencing in 1742; but the most interesting and important part of it is that which comprises the seven concluding years of the reign of George the Second, and the first ten years of that of George the Third. It consists principally of letters to and from Richard Grenville, Earl Temple, and his next brother, the Right Honourable George Grenville, the two eldest surviving sons of Richard Grenville, Esq., of Wotton, by his marriage with Hester Temple, sister and coheir of Sir Richard Temple, Viscount Cobham of Stowe, to whose peerage she succeeded by special remainder, at his death in September, 1749. A few weeks afterwards she was advanced to the title of Countess Temple, and died in October, 1752. RICHARD GRENVILLE, the eldest son, was born September 26, 1711, and, having been educated at Eton, was sent at the age of eighteen, under the care of a private tutor, a M. de Lizy, to travel in Switzerland, Italy, and France. He remained upon the Continent more than four and soon after his return to England, at the years, 1446 268 8. 5797 |