ber of men, unless the four Spanish men-of-war which the Spanish frigate taken lately by the Privateer gives an account of, were destined to land men and money in Ireland. 'Tis generally reported that there is some person of distinction on board of that frigate, who is in a common sailor's dress, and is amongst the other prisoners unknown. Report has already made this person of distinction the Pretender's second son, but I have not seen anything authentic that can induce me to think this extraordinary story well founded; and therefore I believe it has no other grounds, but that the eldest brother came to Scotland in such a vessel. So much for news. I wish, my dear Tom, that I was as confident of your succeeding in everything to the utmost of my desires, as I am that you will do your duty and deserve it; nor is this the language of my affection and partiality, though I am equally happy in having both for you, and receiving both from you. Adieu: the Parliament meets on Thursday, and everything is in a hurry. Write to me ten lines before you go to sea, if you have time, and if I can, you shall hear from me again next post. God bless you. GEORGE GRENVILLE.

Have you received a letter of mine sent to Admiral Martyn six weeks or two months ago?

MR. GEORGE GRENVILLE TO CAPT. THOMAS GRENVILLE.

Admiralty Office, December 28, 1745.

DEAR TOM,-I wrote two letters for you at Portsmouth, and one to you at Deal, which, however, contained nothing important, and therefore you will have

no loss of them. I did not expect that I should still be to write to you,/because by this time I hoped to have seen you here; but such is the uncertainty of our affairs at present, that we can reckon upon nothing; however, I still flatter myself that you won't continue where you are long, though 't is possible your stay there may not be shorter than mine at the Admiralty, but that I leave to fortune, which has many more considerable events to decide: in the mean time, whilst I am here, the pleasantest thing I can do is to believe that my being here may, in some way or other, contribute to your ease or satisfaction. I received your last letter at Wotton, where I made an excursion for three days with the Duke and Duchess of Queensberry', and Mr. Pitt. Hetty was gone from thence to make a visit to her friend Lady Litchfield, so that I saw nothing of her, but heard of her twice that she was very well. and Harry' with his love Peggy We left them on Thursday, and my first care was to comply with your request of making Mr. Netherton a purser, in short I found one out for him, and we signed the warrant for him to be purser of the Lys yesterday, so that you have nothing to do but to send him up to

4

2

Jemmy was there, went down yesterday.

1 Charles Douglas, third Duke of Queensberry, and his wife, Catherine Hyde, daughter of Henry, Earl of Clarendon and Rochester. The Duchess died in 1777, and the Duke in the year following. They are particularly remembered for their affectionate friendship to Gay. 2 Hester Grenville, afterwards Lady Chatham.

3 Diana, daughter of Sir Thomas Frankland, and wife of George Henry Lee, third Earl of Litchfield.

Miss Margaret Banks, a sister of John Hodgkinson Banks, Esq. She was a celebrated beauty, and was married in October, 1757, to Mr. Henry Grenville.

the office to take it out as soon as he pleases. Do you know that this can't give you half so much pleasure as it has given to me?

Admiral Vernon' has complained so often, and desired so often to be recalled, that whilst I was at Wotton the Board took him at his word, and sent him an order for that purpose; indeed, his behaviour has been in some respects a most extraordinary one.

I agree with you as to the French invasion, which I cannot believe is any longer intended to be carried immediately into execution now the rebels are got northward, but if we spoil all our line-of-battle ships, by keeping what formed the Western Squadron in the Downs all the winter, instead of cleaning them, and putting

'Admiral Vernon, so well known by his boasting temper, his success and his miscarriages, was a man of undoubted talent, but ill qualified by his character to govern those under him, or to obey those above him. Vernon was raised to the rank of Admiral of the White in April, 1745. He was immediately appointed to the command of the Fleet for the defence of the Channel and north coast, and in that situation his vigilance has been greatly commended. The Board of Admiralty, however, having found fault with some of his dispositions of the force, he complained bitterly, and, after an angry correspondence, desired leave to strike his flag. The Admiralty, finding it useless to give orders which were always cavilled at, complied with this request. Hereupon the Admiral, who seems to have thought the public would support him against the Government, published two pamphlets, in which he revealed the orders he had received, and published, without leave, his official correspondence. The Admiralty visited this offence in the most severe manner. Admiral Vernon was called upon to attend the Board. When he appeared, the Duke of Bedford asked him if he was the publisher of the two pamphlets. He declined to answer the question. The Duke of Bedford then informed him, that the Board, after such a refusal, could not but consider him as the publisher. He stated his surprise that he should have been asked such a question, and withdrew. The next day, the Duke of Bedford saw the King, and signified to the Board the King's pleasure that Vice-Admiral Vernon should be struck out of the list of flag-officers.-Lord John Russell's Introduction to the Bedford Correspondence, vol. i. pp. xlvi., xlvii.

them in order for the spring, 't is possible a more feasible and more sensible project for an embarkation may be supported by the Brest Squadron in March or April next. This seems to me to be the case, but I am no seaman, and therefore leave the consideration of it to those that are.

The Duke is besieging Carlisle, where 300 or 400 of the rebels are left in garrison', the rest are got into Scotland, and 't is thought will soon join their other body at, or near, Stirling.

Adieu, my dear Tom; many people ask after you, because many people love you, but nobody better than your most affectionate,

GEORGE GRENVILLE.

COL. RICHARD LYTTELTON2 TO CAPT. THOMAS GRENVILLE.

Cleveland Court, February 3, 1745-6.

MY DEAR TOм,-I know not where this letter may find you, or if you will get it at all, but write to thank you for your kind congratulations. I long to see you in town, where I hope you will live with the Duchess without jealousy; and though you are divorced as my wife, I will receive you as a mistress, and she on any terms you please.

It was supposed by Prince Charles that these men and their officers were left at their own request, "yet," says Lord Mahon, “the result was most fatal to them, and the determination to leave them most unwise."-History of the 'Forty-five, p. 95.

2 Colonel Richard Lyttelton, fifth son of Sir Thomas Lyttelton, and afterwards a Knight of the Bath. He had recently married the Lady Rachel Russell, the sister of John, Duke of Bedford, and widow of Scrope Egerton, Duke of Bridgewater. He was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the island of Minorca, and was subsequently Governor of Guernsey. He died in 1770.

VOL. I.

E

The Cabinet and other our Governors, who had laid down, have retaken their parchments, so that my lords of Granville', Bath', Winchilsea3, Carlisle1, Bathurst", Sandys, &c., stand a fair chance of being in opposition, unrespected the rest of their lives, as the present ministry will in all probability be much confirmed and strengthened by this weak effort of those infant Atlases, Bath and Granville, whose backs must have been broken by the burthen, had they had strength to lift it fairly on their shoulders".

Commodore Smith set out this morning for Scot

1 John Carteret, Earl Granville.

2 William Pulteney, Earl of Bath.

3 Daniel Finch, seventh Earl of Winchilsea, and third Earl of Nottingham, succeeded his father in those titles in January, 1730, having previously represented the county of Rutland in several Parliaments. He was at this time, and subsequently for a short period, First Lord of the Admiralty. He died in August, 1769, in his 81st year.

4 Henry, fourth Earl of Carlisle, K.G., succeeded his father in May, 1738. Before his accession to the Peerage he had represented in Parliament the borough of Morpeth. He died September 4, 1758.

5 Allen, first Lord Bathurst. He died in 1775, at the age of 91. Samuel, first Baron Sandys of Ombersley. He was Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1741, and was made a peer in 1743. He had previously sat in Parliament for Worcester. He died in 1770.

7 It was at this juncture, and in consequence of the intrigues of Lord Granville and Lord Bath, and the King's absolute refusal to make Pitt Secretary at War, that the Duke of Newcastle, Mr. Pelham, and the whole of the Cabinet and Chief Officers of State, sent in their resignations, and the King endeavoured to form an Administration with Lord Bath at the head of the Treasury; Lord Granville, Secretary of State; Lord Winchilsea, First Lord of the Admiralty; Lord Carlisle, Lord Privy Seal, &c. Lord Granville, it is said, had actually kissed hands upon his appointment, but in less than forty-eight hours the new Ministers found there was not the slightest chance of making a successful stand against so powerful an opposition. The King was therefore obliged to send to Mr. Pelham, and desire him and his colleagues to return to their employments. Mr. Pitt was made ViceTreasurer of Ireland, and soon after appointed to the lucrative office of Paymaster of the Forces, and at last, by the force of his genius