altered, corresponding to that of the Lords', which made it necessary for him to go down to the House and suspend accepting the Seals, but the motion was not made, and I hear he takes them to-day, if no extraordinary step again puts it off.

A spurious copy of the King's Speech has been carefully circulated, I hear, both in town and country, and the Lords were summoned this day to deliberate upon it: some of the printers or hawkers have been taken up. I have taken great pains to get one to have sent you, but have been unsuccessful. Mr. Pitt is not quite so well to-day as he has been. Duke Hamilton3 is better. I will carry my letter in my pocket till the last moment, in order to fill it with anything I can pick up, though I do it with less ardour, as you will hear everything from your brother.

Mr. Pitt has kissed hands, was received very graciously, and all the others have likewise kissed hands, except Potter, who I fear is ill; but for all farther accounts I refer you to Mr. James, who will arrive tomorrow, but is not yet set out.

1

The clause of thanks for having sent for the Hanoverians, which had been inserted in the Address from the Lords. "Mr. Pitt," says Walpole, "went angry to Court, protesting that he would not take the `seals if any such motion passed: it was sunk.”

2 George II. said that if the printer was to be punished he hoped the man's punishment would be of the mildest sort, because he had read both, and, as far as he understood either of them, he liked the spurious speech better than his own.-Waldegrave's Memoirs, p. 89. The spurious Speech was burnt by the common hangman, in Palace Yard, on the 8th of Dec., 1756, in the presence of the Sheriffs, &c.

3 James, sixth Duke of Hamilton, married the beautiful Elizabeth Gunning. He died January 17, 1758, and his widow was remarried to Colonel Campbell, afterwards Duke of Argyll.

4 Mr. Pitt kissed hands this day for the office of Secretary of State. 5 Mr. Potter had been appointed Joint Paymaster of the Forces.

MR. PITT TO MR. GRENVILLE.

(December 12, 1756.)

THE Bill proposed to be moved to-morrow is, to quarter the Hessian troops during their continuance here, and until their departure. I understand you will find the country gentlemen quite for it. George Townshend' is eager for it. You need not fear the stay of the Hessians here. You might depend that I should not have given into this matter, if I had not seen the ground clear. The Court, perhaps, rather look on this step as a slur than as a favour. Good night. Ever yours,

W. PITT.

3

EARL TEMPLE TO MR. GRENVILLE.

Tuesday, December 14, 1756.

4

DEAR BROTHER,-Will you be so kind as to call here to-morrow morning, that Mr. Cleveland may explain to you some matters relating to the 55,000 men which are to be voted to-morrow? Hay and Elliot' are

1 Afterwards Viscount Townshend.

2 "Mr. Pitt is not yet able to attend the House, therefore no inquiries are yet commenced. The only thing like business has been the affair of preparing quarters for the Hessians, who are soon to depart; but the Tories have shewn such attachment to Mr. Pitt on this occasion, that it almost becomes a Whig point to detain them. The breach is so much widened between Mr. Pitt and Mr. Fox, and the latter is so warm, that we must expect great violences."-Walpole Correspondence, vol. iii. p. 262.

3 At the Admiralty;-Earl Temple was now first Lord.

Secretary of the Admiralty.

5 Dr. Hay and Mr. Gilbert Elliot had been made Commissioners of the Admiralty, and not yet re-elected. "Mr. Fox," says Walpole, "has already skirmished his borough (of Stockbridge) from Dr. Hay, one of the New Admiralty." Fox writes to the Duke of Bedford, "I have set up my Lord Powerscourt at Stockbridge, and will certainly keep out Dr. Hay there." Dr. Hay was, however, re-elected.

out of Parliament, so the Treasurer of the Navy' will please to protect his affectionate brother,

TEMPLE.

MR. PITT TO MR. GRENVILLE.

Wednesday, December 15, 1756.

DEAR GRENVILLE,-I desire you will tell Mr. Legge2 and Lord Barrington, that I strongly recommend to him to keep the words, the said foreign troops, and to adhere inflexibly to maintain the Bill throughout, relative only, and confined to the exigency that demands the immediate provision, referring the consideration of the general policy of foreign troops at large, to its proper and only time and place, the approaching Mutiny Bill.

This ground I know to be so tenable, that Fox's attempt to gravel us will be baffled, and his strong sense, as White's may think it, concerning Dutch, &c., to come in summer, the poorest stuff that ever was uttered.

I wish I could put on a shoe to hear you to-day.
Your ever affectionate

W. PITT.

MR. POTTER TO MR. GRENVILLE.

Prior Park, January 6, 1757.

DEAR SIR,-I have heard of Lord Temple and Mr. Pitt the first tells me he is in perfect health, and the latter that he is in a fair way of being so. But I hear

1 Mr. Grenville had succeeded Bubb Dodington as Treasurer of the Navy.

2 Now Chancellor of the Exchequer.

3 Now Secretary at War.

nothing of you and Mrs. Grenville, and yet there are none in whose happiness I am more interested. If you can spare a minute, use it to gratify my impatience on that subject. As to myself, I am a little patched up by the waters; for aught I know, I may lay up stock enough of health to last in London for one whole week. More than this it is chimerical to expect. Mr. Pitt commands me to protract my stay 'till he sends for me, and he has engaged that he or you will give me notice of the first day on which business is expected. When I receive this intelligence I shall be glad at the same time to receive a hint of the particular business likely to be agitated. I shall hold myself in the readiness of a Prussian soldier, to march at a minute's warning. Would to God my arm was as strong as my heart is willing. Do me the favour to peruse the inclosed memorandum. The request is not a great one, and, for reasons which hereafter I will tell you, must be complied with. I had rather it should be done on your letter to the Comm'. of Portsmouth, than on one from the Admiralty. Your faithful and affectionate,

THOS. POTTER.

I have taken a house in Hanover Street.

SIR HENRY ERSKINE' TO MR. GRENVILLE.

Pall Mall, April 1, 1757.

DEAR SIR,-You wish to know the occurrences of the times, and after all the bustle which we have had, you will be surprised to hear that those who told us we had

1 Sir Henry Erskine, M.P. for Crail, &c., and a Lieut.-Colonel in the Army.

no Administration, have not been able to make out the representation of a ministry'. 'Tis doubted whether or not Lord Egremont will accept of being Secretary of State; most people say he has refused: he is gone to Petworth. His Royal Highness the Duke set out this morning for Germany. The command of the forces is left with Sir John Ligonier. All our friends have, I believe, resigned. You will ask about Charles Townshend: I cannot learn if he is amongst the number of the resignees, but I have reason to think he has not as yet the honour of that distinguished body. The City talk of making Mr. Pitt the present of his freedom. There is a terrible combustion there. The new, or, if you please, the future Administration, are trying if they can get the money, but they have not as yet proposed their terms. Mr. Dodington, 'tis said, is to be Treasurer of the Navy. Mr. Fox is to be First Lord of the Treasury, and Chancellor of the Exchequer after the Session is over; and Lord Hillsborough is to succeed Charles Townshend if he makes room for him. But many sensible people seem to think the Administration will go no farther than it has gone. The Duke of Newcastle is at Claremont, and to continue there 'till Parliament meets.

Lord Dupplin3 was told at first by Mr. Fox, that he

1 See Walpole Correspondence, and Notes, vol. iii. p. 281.

2 Charles, Earl of Egremont, was eldest son of Sir William Wyndham, by Katherine, second daughter of Charles, Duke of Somerset. He succeeded, by special remainder, to the Earldom of Egremont, upon the death of his uncle, Algernon, Duke of Somerset. Lord Egremont married Alicia Maria, daughter of George, Lord Carpenter. He was Secretary of State when he died suddenly in August, 1763.

3 Thomas Hay, Viscount Dupplin. He was at this time M.P. for the town of Cambridge. He soon after became Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary to