Whitehall, Nov. 29th, 1788.
MY DEAR BROTHER,
I received your letter of the 23rd, by the messenger only this
morning, and have sent the enclosed, which, as you will have seen,
exactly tallies with the ideas which I have stated to you in some
of my letters. I shall write to you to-morrow, being Sunday, when a
messenger would of course be sent with the official bulletin, and
as you may very probably receive that letter as soon as this, I
think it unnecessary to fatigue either you or myself with figures,
especially as I have nothing very material to say, except a
confirmation, from my subsequent conversation with Pitt, of the
ideas which I mentioned to you yesterday, particularly with respect
to Addington's opinion, which seems to have encouraged the rest to
speak out. Addington told Pitt that he had himself kept a house for
the reception of these unhappy people for seven years. That during
that period, he had hardly ever had fewer than ten or twelve with
him, and that of all those one only was not cured, he having died
in the house of bursting a blood-vessel. He said that the symptoms,
as they at present appeared, were those of a morbid humour, flying
about and irritating the nerves. The physicians desired Pitt to
see the King yesterday, which he did, and found him, though
certainly in a state of derangement, yet far better than he had
expected from the accounts. It is not yet settled whether he shall
be removed, as he has expressed some reluctance to it, and the
physicians are extremely averse to any force.
We are still under some uncertainty whether or not to propose a
further adjournment; in the meanwhile we have thought it absolutely
necessary to summon all our friends, as without their attendance,
we should not even have the decision of that question in our own
hands.
Ever most affectionately yours,
W. W. G.