Pall Mall, April 1st, 1783.
My dear Brother,
I have this evening seen the King, and received from him, with
every expression both towards you and myself, the enclosed
letter to transmit to you. I take it for granted that it will
sufficiently inform you of the determination which he has at
length taken, but not avowed, of acquiescing in the Duke of
Portland's Cabinet for the present; and of his wishes, that
those who act with us should hold themselves apart from such a
Government, in order that he may have something else to look to
whenever circumstances shall allow of it.
At all events, if there is anything in his conversation with me
which is not implied in his letter, I shall so soon have an
opportunity of detailing it to you at length, that I do not
think it worth while to trouble you with what must for the most
part be a repetition of what he has written to you. Our ground I
think clear--honourable to ourselves, consistent with our
principles and professions, and holding out to us the fairest
prospects of honest ambition. If those prospects fail us, we
shall have nothing to reproach ourselves with; if they succeed,
we shall stand firmly and honourably upon the ruins of weakness
and disgrace.
The King talks of their kissing hands in two or three days. I
shall wait till their inferior arrangements are settled, because
the difficulty about the peerages still remains. They are said
to be pledged by absolute promises; on the other hand, the King
neither can, will, nor I think ought, to give way on that head.
Should they be so weak as to resign on that ground, their
support would certainly fail them, and the road would be opened
for us. As soon as this point is understood to be settled, I
will go back to you; as, notwithstanding our voluminous
correspondence, I wait with the utmost impatience for the moment
when I may state to you in person much which I have necessarily
left unsaid, and, above all, the sincere and heartfelt affection
with which I am
Ever most truly yours,
W. W. G.
You will observe that part of the King's ground is a resistance
to _advancements_ as well as _creations_. This seemed naturally
to throw so much difficulty upon your object, that I thought
there would be an indelicacy in pressing it at the time that you
are lamenting the unavoidable difficulties under which he
already labours. The delay, I firmly believe, will be very short
indeed.
While I am making up this, I receive yours of the 28th of March.
It is supposed that the King, when he wrote the note negativing
the coalition, either depended on Pitt, or meant by that means
to force him. I have, as far as possible, observed towards Pitt
the line you state, and I think with success.
I have heard nothing till this moment of the pretty negotiation
of which you speak; but do not suppose any man, or set of men,
would authorize the sale of a judicial office.
Here follows the letter from the King, enclosed in the above. The
historical interest of this confidential communication cannot be
overrated.