Although the peace of Fontainebleau was almoft univerfally unpopular in the nation at large, the decided approbation of the parliament feemed to enfure the permanency of the minifter's power; and the real intrinfic merits of the treaty, with the beneficial confequences neceffarily resulting from the restoration of peace, might reasonably be supposed gradually to conciliate the minds of the public. But other causes of diffatisfaction foon arose, which heightened. almoft to phrenfy the popular odium against the minifter and the court, and converted the national ebullitions of discontent into a tempest of faction, which moft alarmingly agitated, and in the progress of its fury seemed at one period to threa ten fcarcely less than the abfolute wreck and deftruction of the political veffel*. In the course of the feffion it was found neceffary, the increafing expence of the war haying left an immense arrear of debt, to negotiate a new loan to a very large amount; for discharging the intereft of which, amongst other taxes a duty was moved by the chancellor of the exchequer of four fhillings upon every hogfhead of cider, to be paid by the maker, and with certain qualifications fubjected to all the laws of excife, No fooner was this most unpopular, and therefore most imprudent, propofition brought forward, than the oppofition, eager and joyful to embrace fo inviting an opportunity of attack, opened all their batteries against it. Certain of the support and concurrence of the nation at large, *In comparing the brilliant and aufpicious commencement of the reign of the prefent monarch with the dark and dreadful scenes which enfued (and it is painful to add, with those which at a much more advanced period feem yet impending), the imagination is led forcibly to advert to the fublime fymbolical reprefentations introduced by a poet of the highest order, Mr, Gray, into his ceJebrated ode of the BARD, in aliufion to the catastrophe terminating the reign of Richard II.; in the splendor of its opening dawn, and its fubfequent fatal in difcretions, bearing no very diftant analogy to the prefent. Fair laughs the morn, and soft the zephyr blows; In gallant trim the gilded veffel goes; Youth at the prow, and Pleasure at the helm; That huth'd in grim repofe expects his evening prey. large, they inveighed with great plausibility and vehemence against this extenfion of a fyftem reprobated as oppreffive, arbitrary, and odious. The arguments by which the nation had been fo much inflamed thirty years before, at the period when Sir Robert Walpole attempted to carry into effect his famous project, were now revived, and anew enforced. The clamor against the cider bill became loud and general; and the city of London prefented, at the bar of the house of commons, "a petition against it. The bill, nevertheless, paffed both houfes by confiderable majorities, though in the house of lords 43 peers divided, and two protefts were figned against it. When it lay ready for the royal fanction, the city of London, rather to exprefs its deteftation of the bill than from any hope of fuccefs, petitioned the crown to refuse its affent. In the cider counties the abhorrence of the measure was fo general, that it was found very difficult to carry the act into execution; and it appears indeed to have been confidered by impartial perfons as liable to objections not applicable to other branches of the excife revenue. Still, however, it cannot be justly doubted, that the duties of excife, levied on the proper objects, and guarded from abuse by just and equitable regulations, conftitute incomparably the faireft, the eafieft, the moft productive of al the various modes of national taxation. But a wife government will and ought to confult the general temper and difpofition of the people in all the measures of government, and more efpecially in the manner of raifing the national fupplies. For when a fpecific revenue is to be exacted by the fupreme authority of the ftate, it is furely no exceffive indulgence to permit them to pay it in the manner most agreeable, though in reality leaft advantageous to themselves. All that the wisdom and beneficence of government united can do in fuch a cafe, is to introduce by gradual and infenfible fteps to the amelioration of any actually existing system, however clearly perceived to be abfurd and pernicious. In the prefent inftance, though the object was comparatively trivial, though the arguments urged againft it were forcible, and the oppofition general, the minifter, who entertained doubtlefs very different ideas of political wifdom from his predeceffor Sir Robert Walpole, refolved, with that obstinate inflexibility which is so often miftaken for dignity and firmness, to perfevere; and the bill finally paffed into a - law. But fcarcely was this favorite measure carried into execution, when the kingdom was aftonished with the intelligence of the refignation of the minifter, who having, as he boafted, reftored peace to the world, forfeited no engagement, abandoned no friend, and formed a minifterial connection so powerful as no longer to need his affiftance, was now determined, by retiring "to the bleffings of the life he loved," to demonftrate that minifterial greatnefs had for him no charms, All his political purposes he had completely attained; and, by voluntarily divefting himself of his public authority, he was folicitous to fhow, that in his private capacity he dared the utmost malice and vengeance of his enemies. These motives were however of a nature by which men even the most virtuous, and particularly statesmen, are fo rarely actuated, that little credit was given by the public at large to profeffions of moderation and difinterestedness fo inconfiftent with those measures of alternate artifice and violence, by which the late minifter had attained to the fummit of that power and greatness to which he now pretended a frigid and philofophical indifference. It was affirmed with boldness by his enemies, and faintly controverted by his friends, that, although his pride would not fuffer him to recede from a measure he had once adopted, he found himself on the paffing of the late unpopular act in a situation which he had neither the ability nor the fortitude to sustain. Confcious that he was the object of the general abhorrencethat alone to him was imputed the difmiffion of the late popular and patriotic minifters-that he was charged with having betrayed the interests of the nation by the late shameful treaty treaty of peace-that he had abufed the confidence of his fovereign by introducing a fyftem of favoritifm into the administration of affairs-that his partiality to his countrymen the Scots was grofs and palpable-that he had facrificed the honor of the king and kingdom abroad, by abandoning to his fate our ally the king of Pruffia-and that by the general tenor of his domeftic policy he had given clear proof of his intention to establish a plan of defpotifm at home-conscious that these charges, whether well or ill founded, were almoft univerfally believed, and that he stood on that pinnacle of power from which he might be fuddenly plunged into the gulph of political perdition, it was no wonder in circumftances fo perilous that he wished, while yet within his reach, to fecure a fafe and honorable retreat; and knowing his influence over the mind of his fovereign to exist in undiminished force, it would be easy for him at a more propitious feafon openly to re-afflume the direction of affairs, or, which better accorded with the myftery and artifice pervading his whole character and conduct, whoever might be permitted to occupy the oftensible posts, fecretly to guide the reins of government, and thus to enjoy the reality of ministerial power without subjecting himself to the responsibility conftitutionally attached to it. To the earl of Bute fucceeded as first commiffioner of the treafury, Mr. George Grenville, brother to earl Temple, a man accurately versed in the routine of business, practifed in all the punctilios of form, and the minutiæ of office; open and affable in his manners; not deficient in probity, although ambitious of diftinction. But though his abilities were of a class to entitle him in a fubordinate station to respect, he was utterly deftitute of those commanding talents, that intuitive fagacity, and intellectual comprehenfion, which mark the man whom nature seems to have destined to the government of empires. On the death of lord Egremont, which took place nearly at this period, the feals were given to the earl of Sand wich; the earl of Egremont was advanced to the head of the admiralty; and the duke of Bedford, now returned from his embaffy to Paris, was appointed prefident of the council in the room of the famous earl Granville, who had for many years past, and to the close of life, under all the changing viciffitudes of power, occupied with the highest reputation that honorable exalted office. In confequence of the retreat of the earl of Bute, a general coalition of parties seemed now to be again practicable, and overtures to that purpose were made to Mr. Pitt, and the other leaders in oppofition: but after repeated conferences, the negotiations terminated ineffectually; the king declaring, that the terms infifted on by Mr. Pitt were incompatible with his dignity, and of a nature to which he could not in honor accede: and the new adminiftration feemed refolved to refer to the decifion of experience, whether they were not competent, by their own unaffisted strength, in defiance of all oppofition both in and out of Parliament, to establish an efficient Government*. In * Lord Bute had a conference, by his own particular defire and request, with Mr. Pitt, August 25, 1763. He acknowledged to Mr. Pitt, that the prefent administration was too weak to continue; and intimated, that the king wifhed to arrange a new administration with the advice and concurrence of Mr. Pitt. On Saturday the 27th, Mr. Pitt waited by command on his majesty, at the queen's palace. The conference lafted three hours, in the courfe of which Mr. Pitt delivered his fentiments on men and things very freely to his majesty; reprefenting the prefent degraded fituation of the kingdom both foreign and domeftic; that the great whig families had been driven from his majefty's councils and fervice; and that it would be equally the intereft of his majefty and the nation to restore them. The king hearkened with complacency; and upon the renewal of the conference on Monday, Mr. Pitt again enforced thefe topics, faying, that affairs could not be carried on without the great families who have fupported the revolution government, and others, of whofe abilities and integrity the public has had experience. "I fhould only deceive your majefty if I fhould leave you in an opinion that I could go on, and your majesty form a solid adminiftration on any other foot." The king, whose behaviour was perfectly gracious, at length unexpectedly terminated the conference, by faying, “Well, Mr. Pitt, I fee, or I fear, this won't do; my honour is concerned, and I must support it." "Mr. Pitt," fays lord Hardwicke, who is the relater of these particulars (in a letter to his fon lord Royfton)," affirms, that if he was examined upon oath, he could not tell upon what this negotiation broke off. He be lieves that my lord Bute was fincere at firft, and that the king was in earnest the firft day; but that on the intermediate day, Sunday, fome ftrong effort was made, which produced the alteration. The minifters, Mr. Grenville and lord Halifax, his lordship affirms, were highly offended that lord Bute fhould thus attempt |