Whitehall, Feb. 19th, 1789.
MY DEAR BROTHER,
The account which you will receive by this post of the King, is as
favourable as any of the others. This is now the thirteenth day
since Warren thought him so much--
I am agreeably interrupted in my reasoning by the arrival of Pitt,
who has seen Willis this morning. His account is, that as far as he
is enabled to judge, the King is _now actually well_. That he is
not sufficiently acquainted with the sort of effect which the
peculiar duties of the King's situation produce upon his mind, to
be able to pronounce as decidedly with respect to him as he would
in other cases; but that in the instance of any common individual,
he should not feel the smallest difficulty in pronouncing the cure
complete, and the patient as capable of attending to his own
affairs as he had been before his illness. He added that the
keeping back from the King the present situation of public business
and the measures which have been taken by Parliament, did him now
more harm than good, because it created a degree of anxiety and
uneasiness in his mind. He therefore recommended that the
Chancellor, whom the King has already seen, and whom he has
expressed a wish to see again, might go to him, for the purpose of
explaining to him all that has passed. You will easily imagine that
this will be an anxious trial for us, because if anything can bring
back the agitation of his mind, it must be such a recital as
Thurlow must have to make. It must, however, be made, and we can do
no more than follow the opinion of the physicians, and of Willis in
particular, as to the time of making it.
If the experiment succeeds, you need not be told that we shall not
feel ourselves disposed, nor indeed at liberty, to give up the
King's authority (he being well) into the hands of His Royal
Highness the Prince of Wales; and the less so, because we now
_know_ that he and his _friends_, as he calls them, have taken the
resolution of making the change at all events, and of taking all
the offices of the country into their own hands, even (as they
express themselves) if they are to hold them only twelve hours.
Certainly, if we looked only to the objects of party, and had
nothing more important to attend to than the exposing in their true
colours this profligate and unfeeling set of men, we could desire
no fairer opportunity of doing it than by showing how much their
ambition, or revenge, overbear any other sentiment, when it leads
them to overturn the whole Government of their country, and to
bring on the confusion which must attend a double change of
Government in the space of a few weeks, merely in order to set the
Prince of Wales and Pitt more at variance; for that can be their
only object, unless indeed they look to that of drawing the line of
separation between His Royal Highness and his father stronger than
it was before.
We must not, however, be guided by these considerations. It is
impossible not to know and feel how much mischief such a change
would produce; and it is our duty to prevent it, both for the sake
of the King and of the country. Besides which, there are other
reasons which make it impossible that the present measure should go
on. We cannot suffer a Bill to proceed which asserts the King's
incapacity, at a time when his physicians pronounce him to be
capable. He cannot pass such a Bill himself, because the mere act
of passing it contradicts the averment of the Bill, and shows its
provisions to be improper. Still less can the Chancellor, who has
had an opportunity of being personally acquainted with the King's
actual restoration to perfect health, receive the orders of any
other man, or body of men, as to the use of the Great Seal for the
purpose of expressing the King's pleasure.
Our idea, in the present situation, is that the House of Lords
should adjourn till Monday, in consequence of the Chancellor's
communicating to them that the state of His Majesty's health is
such as to make it improper for them to proceed. If nothing
unfavourable should have occurred by that day, a motion will then
be made for an examination of the physicians; and that would be
followed by an Address from both Houses, congratulating the King on
his recovery. The King would then pass a Commission for
_proroguing_ the Parliament, and another for opening it again, and
the business will proceed in the usual form.
I think that your object will be to use every possible endeavour,
by all means in your power, debating every question, dividing upon
every question, moving adjournment upon adjournment, and every
other mode that can be suggested to gain time. I do not know that
we can send you any communication from hence of which _you_ can
take formal notice by speech or message, till the examinations of
the physicians are sent to you, which they shall be instantly on
their being made.
But your Ministers, in both Houses, may certainly communicate to
them what it has been thought right for the Chancellor to say
to-day, and may make similar motions for adjournments; unless,
indeed, which I hardly imagine, the whole business is concluded in
Ireland before you receive the account of this happy event.
I have great pleasure in thinking upon the disappointment and
mortification of those who have deserted you on this occasion. I
hope in God that you will make up your mind to the remaining where
you now are long enough to make them feel what they have done, and
to show that you are not driven away. After this, we shall probably
agree in thinking that the future Government of Ireland may be
carried on to more advantage in other hands, because it may
possibly become of absolute necessity to receive back some of these
rats into favour, and that is not an occupation in which I should
like to see you engaged.
Unless I understand from Fremantle that he has any business of
yours to do here, I shall desire him to return to you on Tuesday
with the examination of the physicians, which will, I hope, be
presented on that day, or perhaps I may keep him till the Addresses
are carried.
I make you no congratulations on this great event; but it has made
a deep impression in my heart, and so I am sure it will in yours.
God bless you, and believe me ever most affectionately yours,