St. James's Square, Nov. 9th, 1789.
MY DEAR BROTHER,
I received this morning your letter, acquainting me with your
determination, in the event of the King's answer on Wednesday being
such as there is certainly every reason to believe it will be. You
announce this as a determination in some measure taken in your own
mind, and on which you do not appear to wish for my advice; and
there are perhaps too many circumstances which must make such a
step painful to me, to allow me to be a competent adviser on such a
subject. I must therefore confine myself to expressing my very
great and sincere concern both in the cause and the effect.
Your letter does not express whether any and what part of it should
be communicated to Pitt. Perhaps you will think it right that he
should have some previous knowledge of your resolution, if such it
is, before he sees the King, but this is a point of infinitely too
much delicacy for me to take upon myself to decide; and I also
confess that the task of communicating it would be to my feelings
so extremely painful, that I should be particularly desirous to
avoid it.
I have only to add my strong sense of the kindness of your
expressions and wishes towards me. I hope I have deserved your
affection, I am sure I have endeavoured to do so; and this
business, unhappy as it is, would be a thousand times more so to
me, if I could think it possible. I trust in God that it is not so,
that any event of it could produce the smallest diminution of that
mutual affection and confidence which has now so long subsisted
between us, and to which I have felt, and shall ever feel, that I
owe more than to any other circumstance of my life. In these
sentiments,
Believe me ever, my dear brother,
Most truly and affectionately yours,
W. W. G.