Saturday 16th.

The Tax-day passed very quietly; however, it was reported and generally believed, that Lord North would resign. Nay, it is known that the Chancellor has been negotiating with Lord Rockingham. Whether too little was offered, or too much demanded, a resolution was taken to try one more engagement. The Opposition were very confident of victory, and not without cause; for, when a flag of truce was hung out, the mercenary troop of Calculators was likely to desert to the side that was most likely to possess the military chest. It is probable that that chest was previously abandoned, to retain them; for the Court, at one this morning, had a majority of nine, though the minority were stronger by ten votes than in the former battle.*

I should be very presumptuous, were I to attempt to guess what will happen, when brokers themselves find it so difficult to decide which side has the best of the day. Future historians may dignify the contest with the distinctions of loyalty and patriotism, and I have no doubt but both are engaged; yet I humbly conceive, that, if Potosi lay in the quarters of either army, that corps would gain the victoryt -perhaps I have given my opinion to a degree; though the vein of ore is not very redundant.

* On the 15th, Sir John Rous moved a resolution, which comprehended the substance of Lord John Cavendish's four resolutions which the House had rejected in the preceding week, and concluded with declaring that the House could have no further confidence in the Ministers who had the direction of public affairs. Lord North, in the course of a long and pathetic speech, said, he not only wished for peace, but would be no obstacle to a coalition of parties, for the formation and adjustment of a new Administration, in which he should himself have no share. He declared to God, that no love of place or of emolument should keep him a moment in office, if he could retire with honour, and if there were not certain circumstances in the way of his going out at that moment, which he could not then explain. Mr. Pitt caught hold of the word "coalition," and said, if he knew the meaning of it, it was the collecting and combining all the ability, integrity, and judgment that could be found; but was that a work fit to be entrusted to the noble Lord? Such a proposition was a gross insult to Parliament; as the administration of the noble Lord had been an administration of influence and intrigue: he thanked God an end was about to be put to it, and he trusted the House would not contaminate their own purpose by suffering the present Ministers to interfere with the appointment of their successors. On the division, the numbers were 236 for Ministers, and 227 against them, leaving them a majority of nine. While the division was taking place, Mr. Fox said in the lobby, that, upon consulting with the gentlemen near him, it was thought right that a motion to the same effect should be made on Wednesday the 20th.-ED.

Up to the 19th of March," says Wraxall, "positive assurances were given, in all the departments, that no resignation was intended, Lord North himself, whatever fluctuations of mind he might undergo, personally reiterated those declarations to his nearest political connexions. No man doubted the firmness of his Majesty, or suspected him of abandoning his Ministers from personal timidity. Each party, therefore, prepared to try their force, and both expressed themselves confident of success. Robinson, then Secretary of the Treasury, who knew better than any man the secret of affairs, has many times assured me, that Government would have infallibly had a majority of from fourteen to twenty, if they had gone to a division on the 20th." Historical Memoirs, vol. ii. p. 592.-Ed.

Monday 18th. Two days and a half (a great while in curiosity's almanac) are passed, and no news of a resumption of negotiation. The Marquis's terms were deemed to trespass on some precious fleurons in the Crown, which, though perhaps new acquisitions, have a finer water than some of the old table diamonds. The camps will therefore probably remain in the field some time longer, though not without skirmishes. At the same time, I do not see that any favourable events are likely to happen on the defensive side. The recovery of St. Christopher's is still in suspense, nor does Hood's advantage seem at all to deserve the name of victory-but I always check myself when I can only conjecture; besides, that in a letter that is to cross the sea, I keep a gag in my pen; for I would not tell France a syllable more than she would know if I never wrote a letter.

Yours, that tells me of your preferment, I have received, and am rejoiced it was so well-timed; for Minorca is gone, and your zeal was handsomely accepted, though unsuccessful.

Tuesday 19th.

I had intended to finish my letter to-day, but have been hindered by company, even till dinner-time, and am not dressed, and am engaged the moment I have dined. Indeed, I have nothing new to add : but, if any thing happens before Friday, I will desire your nephew to write; for not having so much curiosity as the town, nor any wish to see any particular person in place, I shall go to Strawberry on Friday for two days, as air and tranquillity are more requisite to me than a collision of parties. Adieu!

LETTER CCCLXXII.

Berkeley Square, March 21, 1782. I TOLD YOU on Tuesday that I would not write by this post, and was to go out of town to-morrow. You will excuse my breaking a promise that you did not desire me to keep, especially when I have so big a revolution to tell you. Out of town I cannot go, for it has snowed all the evening, nor am I so perfectly incurious as not to like to hear the rumours of the hour: for as to settlement, I believe I might be absent two days and not find it come to a consistencebut I recollect that you do not know what has happened, and may have a little curiosity too.

Well! yesterday, as a repetition of the late motion, somewhat varied, was on the point of being made in the house of commons, Lord North rose, and declared the whole Administration was dissolved.*

*On the 20th, in anticipation of the debate on the renewal of the motion of want of confidence in Ministers, which was this day to be brought forward by the Earl

You are not to imagine that this declaration was made in consequence of any negotiation, treaty, compromise, or management. Oh, no! all treaty had been broken off; and that puissant Administration, that had swept away every thing before it-at home, have laid down their arms without being beaten, and without any conditions. Such a surrender, not imagined even in idea at Christmas, is very novel. Not a month is passed since General Conway's successful motion; not that he is entitled to all the glory. Lord Cornwallis's defeat had certainly opened many eyes, which had been obstinately shut to all our other defeats and losses; and an intriguing faction in the Ministry, who did not foresee the discomfit they were bringing on themselves, had disjointed their combined powers, and given encouragement to the Opposition. When some of the Ministers had declared the recovery of America impossible, others, who had been lulled asleep by that vision, found there was more truth in that revelation than they would believe from opponents.* These steps made,

of Surrey, no fewer than four hundred members had taken their seats before four o'clock. Shortly after, Lord North entered, and rose to address the Chair; which created great confusion, one side calling out loudly for Lord Surrey to address the House, the other for Lord North. Having at length obtained a hearing, he stated, that he had come down to announce from authority, that his Majesty had come to a full determination to change his Ministers, and that the Government was at an end. He therefore conceived it unnecessary to debate a question which had for its object a removal already produced. After returning his acknowledgments to the House for the long and steady support extended to him, he added, that "a successor of greater abilities, of sounder judgment, and better qualified for the situation, was easy to be found; but that one more zealous for the glory of his country, more loyal, to his Sovereign, and more desirous of preserving the constitution whole and entire could not so easily be found. Whenever his country called on him to answer for his public conduct, he should be ready to meet any enquiry that might be thought necessary." He then moved, that the House should adjourn to Monday the 25th, in order to allow his Majesty time to form a new Administration. Lord Surrey reluctantly acceded to the motion, accompanied with a menace, that, if any portion of the Ministry should remain in office on that day, he would come forward with a motion still more personal.-Ed.

The following is the character of Lord North's Administration as drawn, at this time, by Sir Samuel Romilly: "You desire me to send you characters of the members of the present Government. Their private characters I am quite unacquainted with; and it is not easy to distinguish their characters as statesmen, for no one minister has appeared to be the author of any particular measure. All that has been done has had the approbation of the whole Administration; and there are persons who go so far as to assert, that the real authors of all the proceedings against America are still behind the curtain. Of the whole Administration taken together, the principal characteristics are want of system and irresolution; and the latter, indeed, is but a consequence of the former. Having little, confused views, they seem never, from the first, to have formed any comprehensive plan; and this original defect has increased with ill-success. Perplexed and confounded with the mazes and dangers into which they have run, like children, they rather turn away from what affrights them than endeavour to prevent it. They ward off the present evil that presses on them, but leave the morrow to provide for itself; they may truly be said in diem vivere. Their plan of operations (for system they have none) changes with every new occurrence: with every various accident, every various passion takes its turn to rule them: regarding only the immediate object before them, they magnify its importance; they are now confident of success, now plunged into VOL. II.-20

Mr. Conway's motion easily found its way. This is a brief, but I believe, a very true account of what has past.

For what is to come, I am far from being able to give you as just a view. At four o'clock to-day not the smallest advance had been made towards a new establishment. On that head it is not proper to say more. I shall have eighteen or twenty hours before this goes away to tell you, if any thing new finds its way to the public.

In your last you thanked me for the advice I gave your nephew, which he was so wise as to follow, and which proved to have been such good advice. It was not solely given for his own sake. I certainly had you in my eye too. But, though my own principles are very determined, no party views have ever, or will, induce me to give insidious counsel to a friend who asks my opinion, nor have I once allowed myself to seduce a son (and I look on your nephew as your son) to act contrary to the inclination and sentiments of his parent; I should think it most dishonourable. When your nephew, two years ago, brought over opinions that I thought would grieve you, I told him that, though they were conformable to my own, I could not encourage him in them; yet on neither of these occasions did I even hint to you, when it might look like making court to the late Ministers, nor certainly did I act thus à leur intention.*

Well! I revert to my old wishes and prayers for peace! If that arises out of the present chaos, benedicite! England's tranquillity and welfare are all my objects. I care not who the Ministers shall be, provided they do but keep those points in view. My dislike of our late measures was founded on no personal interests; nor, should my nearest friends be again employed, as they were in 1766, shall I be a jot more a gainer than I was then. You were the only person then for whom I asked a single favour-one more than I should ask now. The colour of my life has been disinterested. It shall not be contaminated in its dregs.

22nd.

Nothing-nothing at all is settled. To-day's report is, that Lord

despair. The idol they erected yesterday is cast down to-day, and perhaps will be enshrined again to-morrow. In prosperity they are proud, contemptuous, and overbearing; in adversity, supple, mean, and abject. At the commencement of the disputes with America, they treated the refractory colonists as a despicable gang of ruffians; but, the moment a league was formed with France, they prostrated themselves at the feet of those rebels they had spurned, and offered them much more than they demanded. This panic was soon dissipated by a gleam of success; the Ministers resumed confidence, and one of them was imprudent enough to hint, even in the House of Commons, that unconditional submission' was alone to be listened to;

'Quidlibet impotens Sperare, fortunâque dulci

Ebrius.'" Life, vol. i. p. 190.-Ed.

*In the course of the several debates in the House of Commons in this and the preceding year, the object of which was the removal of the Administration, Sir Horace Mann the younger repeatedly spoke and uniformly voted against the Minis ter.-ED.

Shelburne was yesterday!two hours with the King.* If Lord Shelburne undertakes, who will carry very little strength but ample unpopularity, I shall think him bolder than wise, and will venture for once to foretell, that he will only share in the defeat of his enemies, instead of partaking the victory of his allies. Thus I must leave you in incertitude; but it is no more than we are-if that is any compensation. Adieu !

LETTER CCCLXXIII.

Berkeley Square, March 26, 1782.

Ir is natural for people to conclude, that, when a whole Administration is dissolved, another should be appointed in its room. You and I, who have lived longer than the greater part, have seen times when that has not been the case for weeks; but this interministerium has been much shorter. On Wednesday the sentence passed on the late Ministers. On Thursday evening Lord Shelburne was sent for to the Queen's house. What passed has been kept secret; except that he acquainted Lord Rockingham by message that he had not violated their union. Friday and Saturday passed without the public learning any news of an arrangement. On Sunday morning Lord Shelburne notified to Lord Rockingham, that all his Lordship's constitutional demands were granted, with carte blanche for the removal and substitution of persons, and that all that was required was the introduction of Lords Gower and Weymouth into the Cabinet. The Marquis was not pleased at Lord Shelburne's having the honour of being the negotiator, instead of transacting his own business himself; nor could digest a Cabinet in which, if Lord Shelburne should take a devious path, and in which he would command a voice or two more, the majority would not depend on the Prime Minister. The Marquis's friends saw that he was falling into a snare that might have been laid to divide the party; and prevailed, though with great difficulty, to waive the jealousy of the negotiator, but to resist the eccentric recommendation of the two other Lords. On that plan Rockingham, at six on Sunday evening, accepted the gracious offers, provided such a Cabinet (as he stated in a given List) should

*The day after Lord North announced his resignation in the House of Commons, the King sent for the Earl of Shelburne, and offered to appoint him First Lord of the Treasury; but the Earl informed his Majesty, that in his judgment no one could at present fill that situation except the Marquis of Rockingham. On the death of the Marquis, in July, the Earl of Shelburne alluded to this circumstance in the House of Lords. Of the above two statesmen, Mr. Fox and Mr. Burke acknowledged the Marquis for their leader; while Mr. Dunning and Colonel Barré looked up to the Earl for protection. Of these four distinguished persons, Mr. Fox only could be regarded as a free agent; for Mr. Burke, having lost his seat for Bristol at the general election, owed to Lord Rockingham his return for Malton; while Calne, the property of the Earl of Shelburne, sent to Parliament Mr. Dunning and the Colonel.. -ED.