ing Mr. Pitt. Accordingly, on the 15th of May, Chap. the Duke of Cumberland sent for Lord temple J^^; from Stowef. As soon as possible his Lordship 1765. waited on the Duke, who began by informing >j>heDuke ing him, that the King had resolved to change sends for his servants, and to engage his Lordship, Mr. Lord Tilt, and their friends in his service; but sirst he (the Duke) wished to know their conditions. Lord Temple respectsully assured his Royal High- Conse. ness, that their conditions were not many. 'I he rencebcmaking certain foreign alliances, the restoration t^'ecn of officers (civil as well as military) cruelly and unjustly dismissed, a repeal of the excise on cyder, a total and sull condemnation of general warrants, and the seizure of papers. His Royal Highness perfectly approved of these conditions, and seid they must be agreed to. And then added, that he had a proposition to make—this was, That it was the King's desire Lord Northumberland should be placed at the head of the treasury. Lord Temple replied, "He would "never come into office under Lord Bute's lieu"tenants" Here the conserence broke off. This proposition having been made in the negotiation of the year 1763, when Lord Bute appeared openly in the measure, left no room to doubt os his Lordship being still the secret ad' viser of the King, and the secret mover of the present negotiation.

j- His Royal Highness also sent for Mr. Jama GrenvilU from Pinner.

% Lord Northumberland was at this time Loud Lieutenant of Ireland.

Qa

Chap. On the iyth of the fame month, which wa3

XXVIII. Sunday, the Duke sent a message to Lord Tern

1765. P?*t requesting his Lordship to meet him at Mr.

_, _ , Pill's house, at Hayes in Kent. The Duke was

goes to with Mr. Pitt when his Lordship came in, and

Mr. Pitt. hacj made the fame proposition respecting Lord

Northumberland which Mr. Pitt had resused, as

totally inadmissible; upon the same principle,

that the retusal had been made by Lord Temple,

of which Mr. Pitt bad not, until that moment,

received the smallest intimation. He assured his

Royal Highness, that he was ready to go to St.

James's, if he could carry the constitution along with

him;—'that was his expression.

Next day the Duke sent Lord Frederick Cavendisij to Mr. Pitt, with an assurance, that the proposition respecting Lord Northumberland being at the head of the treasury was relinquished, provided his Lordship was considered in some other way. Mr. Pitt returned the fame answer he had given to his Royal Highness. Upon the return Applies of Lord Frederick, the Duke offered the treasury LvtteU t0 ^or<^ Lyttelton, who desired to consult Lord tan. Temple and Mr. Pitt. The Duke was displeased

with this answer, and immediately went to the King; and having informed his Majesty of the several answers be had received, concluded with advising the King to continue his present servants. Lord At the sime time Lord Temple and his brother,

Temple ftjr. Grenville, became reconciled, through the" GrenJfite mediation of the friends of both parties; who become declared, that this reconciliation was no more

reconciU tuan

ed.

than domestic friendship as brothers; and ori Cha#,,

public principles, only as to measures in suture. xxv,,r>

It is in their influence on measures in future, I7g5.

that such circumstances become interesting to the _,.

° Observa

nation. The reconciliation being effected, Mr. tion.

Grenville unbosoming himself to his brother, related all the arts and clandestine steps of the favourite; which, if possible, encreased his brother's ardour in opposition to Lord Bute. Both the brothers now entertaining the same opinion, there could be little probability of another separation happening between them. Consequently, in future, it must be supposed they engaged to act, and to concert measures together.

During the negotiation with the Duke, parliament had been kept sitting, under an expectation of issuing writs: But that negotiation having sailed, the subsisting ministers resolved to vindicate the independence of their situations, by asterting the due influence which of right belonged to the responsibility of their offices, and to create a necessity of issuing writs, very different from those which had been in expectation.

The decisive stroke of this contest was the Mr.Stuart turning out Mr. Mackenzie, Lord Bute's brother j ¥a<*en" which, they declared, they offered to the pub-sed. lie as a mark, that the councils and employments of the state were not separated, notwithstanding the late negotiation. And this circumstance gave them a merit in their death, that most of them would never have acquired in any other way.

There

Chap. There was no step thev could have taken more personally osfensive than this. And to it they

1765. added the dismissions of Lord Northumberland and Mr. Fox, who had been created Lord Holland. As soon as these changes were made, parliament was prorogued.

The King considered these three dismissions, but most particularly the first, as insults to his person and dignity. Whether the opinion was spontaneously his own, or .whether it was suggested to him, is not deserving of an attempt to discover. The-language of the savourite upon this occasion was—What, do you mean io destroy the monarchy;—to annihilate the first, of the three estates?

The King In consequence of these open and avowed acts scnds^sbr 0f hostility to the favourite, a resolution was taken to open another negotiation with Mr. Pitt. Lord Bute and the Duke having both sailed, the King himself undertook this negotiation. His Majesty sent for Mr. Pitt. He waited upon the King at the Queen's-house, on the 20th of June, Lord 1765. The consequence of this audience was,

fat for the sendinS sor Lord TemPle- And on the 25th they waited on his Majesty together at the

Queen's-house, when the sollowing conditions

were proposed to them.

1. Mr. Stuart Mackenzie to be restored.

2. Lord Northumberland to be lord Chamberlain.

j. The King's friends to continue in their pre- Chap. sent situations *. XXvilf.

To the two sirst conditions Mr. Pitt was not 1765. very averse. Respecting the last, he wished for some explanation. But Lord Temple declared fa^^' against the whole. Upon which the conserence King's ended. Here it is proper to observe, that rs" upon more mature consideration Mr. Pitt changed his sentiments on the two sirst conditions, and persectly agreed with his brother.

The reader's judgment will anticipate any ob- observascrvations which can be made on these extraor- tion. dinary occurrences, respecting either the humiliation of the King, who descended from his station to execute the project of his savourite, or the superiority of Mr. Pitt who resisted the entreaties of his Sovereign, when incompatible with the service of the public. These prominent seatures are so obvious from the plain statement of the sacts, that no reader can se=I the want of illustration. The suture historian may indulge in observations and inserences, which the present writer dare not. And truth may find an advocate in a suture age, which the venality of the present resuses to endure.

* There were about thirty persons, who arrogantly assumed this appellation. They affected to belong to no minister— to maintain no connection—to court no interest—to embrace no principle—to hold no opinion. They might more properly have been called the household troops, or janizaries of the court; because they supported or opposed the official ministers according to the orders they received from the savourite.

Vol. I. V The