Whitehall, Nov. 23rd, 1788.
MY DEAR BROTHER,
_I_[A] write this by Lord Sydney's messenger, but with such an
aching head that it is impossible for me to enter into much detail.
Pitt was at Windsor yesterday, and by his account, which he
collected from the persons who immediately attend the King's
person, there can be no doubt of the King's being much better, and
more composed than he has been since his illness began. At the same
time, the accounts of the physicians are gloomy, and with less hope
than they have before expressed. It is very difficult to reconcile
these contradictions. Rennel Hawkins, the surgeon who has attended
him during the whole illness, and sits up with him every other
night, has written a letter to Sir Clifton Wintringham, which the
latter has shown about London, in which the King's recovery is
mentioned as a thing certain, and likely to take place, sooner than
people in general expect. On these data you can judge as well as
we can here. I confess myself to be sanguine in my hopes of his
recovery. In the meantime, no pains are spared to circulate all
sorts of lies, in order to depress people's spirits on this
subject; and the support which is given to these gloomy ideas by
the language and conduct of the physicians does certainly produce a
considerable effect.
Think of the Prince of Wales introducing Lord Lothian into the
King's room when it was darkened, in order that he might hear his
ravings at the time that they were at the worst. Do not let this
fact come from you; it begins to be pretty well known here, and no
doubt will find its way to Ireland; but it is important that we
should not seem to spread the knowledge of anything which can
injure His Royal Highness's character in public opinion.
I think the best thing that can be done in Ireland is to let your
Parliament meet at its prorogation; and that you should then
communicate to them the King's situation, and the measures taken in
England. A similar proceeding might then be adopted in Ireland, and
your commission then revoked in the usual form by the Regent, which
I should think far preferable to any contrivances of Justices, &c.
Long before all this can be necessary, things will have begun to
take some more decided turn than in the present moment, when hopes
and fears make the opinions of people fluctuate from day to day.
Unless we are clearly satisfied (which is far from being the case
now), that the King is not mending fast, we shall certainly propose
another adjournment on the 4th. This will perhaps be opposed, but
if it is, we shall clearly have the opinion of people in general
with us on that point.
It is quite impossible for me to enter into the other discussions
in your letter, important as they are, for it is with difficulty
that I write this desultory stuff.
There seems to be a notion among Lord North's friends that he is
preparing to take a more moderate line, and more inclining to the
King than Fox's people. I suppose he has a mind to make a parade of
gratitude. He has not five votes in this Parliament, and yet any
appearance of difference of opinion might assist us.
If I am better to-morrow, I think of going to Stanlake for a few
days. I shall have the Windsor news as soon there as in town, and
will write to you from thence.
Ever yours,
W. W. G.
Your cypher is, as I feared, spoilt by the unequal extension of the
paper in pasting. In future, in using the old cypher, I will use
_ou_ instead of _out_, and _er, es_, and _or_, in the three places
that are now occupied by _word, blank_, and _ends_. The cypher may
be set by the first letter, which is written _en clair_, as _I_ in
this letter.
[Footnote A: The letter thus written in _italics_ is the key to a new
cypher in which these communications were carried on.]