266.
_To J. B. Holroyd, Esq._
Bentinck Street, October 14th, 1775.
Yes, yes, I am safe enough in town, and so comfortably in mine own
dear Library, and mine own dear Parlour, that I thought I might as
well give myself a few Holydays from any Epistolary cares. Aunt
Hester starts Monday or Tuesday _certainly_. It is _needless to say
much of Bath_, from whence you receive weekly folios. You have been
_informed how artfully the conspiracy was carried on_, and how I
arrived eight and forty hours after I came. Since my return (I will
not tell you what day) I have had regular and favourable despatches
from Mrs. Gould, and this day for the first time an Epistle from
Mrs. Gibbon herself, full of health, good spirits, and expressions
of gratitude. She is much concerned that I had the trouble of coming
to Bath, but if I know her, would have been much _more concerned
if I had_ not come. So much for that business, which has proved no
inconsiderable interruption.
As to my domestic War, _Madox and the Solicitor-General_ are
enlisted; they have each of them received a Guinea to drink my
health. Newton wanted likewise the Attorney-General; I hesitated, and
asked if it was necessary to employ three great Lawyers to puzzle
our plain case. A peremptory message was sent at the same time to
Matthews to demand his ultimate answer. He replied by the next post
that he would write as soon as he had seen Lovegrove, who was then
from home. Unless they are at once subdued by the terror of my arms,
I much fear that our dispute will last as long as the American
Contest.
[Sidenote: DIFFICULTY IN RAISING TROOPS.]
Apropos of that Contest, *I send you two pieces of intelligence from
the best authority, and which, unless you hear them from some other
quarter, _I do not wish you should_ talk much about. 1st, When the
Russians arrive,[308] (if they refresh themselves in England or
Ireland,) will you go and see their Camp? We have great hopes of
getting a body of these Barbarians. In consequence of some very plain
advances, George, with his own hand, wrote a very polite Epistle to
sister Kitty, requesting her friendly assistance. Full powers and
instructions were sent at the same time to Gunning, to agree for
any force between five and twenty thousand men, _Carte blanche_ for
the terms; on condition, however, that they should serve, not as
Auxiliaries, but as Mercenaries, and that the Russian General should
be absolutely under the command of the British. They daily and hourly
expect a Messenger, and hope to hear that the business is concluded.
The worst of it is, that the Baltic will soon be froze up, and that
it must be late next year before they can get to America. 2nd. In
the mean time we are not quite easy about Canada;[309] and even if
it should be safe from an attack, we cannot flatter ourselves with
the expectation of bringing down that martial people on the back
settlements. The priests are ours; the Gentlemen very prudently wait
the event, and are disposed to join the stronger party; but the same
lawless spirit and impatience of Government which has infected our
Colonies, is gone forth among the Canadian Peasants, over whom, since
the Conquest, the Noblesse have lost much of their ancient influence.
Another thing which will please and surprize, is the assurance I
received from a Man who might tell me a lye, but who could not be
mistaken, that no arts, no management whatsoever have been used to
procure the _Addresses which fill_ the Gazette,[310] and that Lord
N[orth] was as much surprized at the first that came up, as we could
be at Sheffield. We shall have, I suppose, some brisk skirmishing in
Parliament, but the business will soon be decided by our superior
weight of fire. _A propos_, I believe there has been some vague but
serious conversation about _calling out the Militia_. The new Levies
go on very slowly in Ireland.[311] The Dissenters, both there and
here, are violent and active.[312] Adieu. I embrace My Lady and
Maria.* _Bath_ not Batt, _Qui croit et s'embellit_, sends you his
best Compliments, and expresses great satisfaction at the hope of
visiting S. P. next summer.
[308] George III. negotiated ineffectually with the Empress
Catharine for the hire of twenty thousand Russian mercenaries for
service in America. Sir Robert Gunning (1731-1816), the British
envoy at St. Petersburg, was at first led to believe by both
Panin, the Russian Foreign Minister, and the empress herself,
that the troops would be provided. The negotiations were broken
off on the ground that the Russian officers could not take the
required oath of allegiance to George III.
[309] In May, 1775, Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold surprised
the Forts of Ticonderoga on Lake George and Crown Point on Lake
Champlain. General Carleton, the Governor of Canada, was in
command of very inadequate forces, and it was feared that the
province would join the Colonists against the British.
[310] Addresses from the principal trading towns of England
poured in, asking the king to prosecute the war with vigour.
Walpole (_Journal of the Reign of George III._, 1771-83, vol. i.
pp. 501, 502, Dr. Doran's edition) says that the addresses were
bought.
[311] The Government endeavoured to raise a regiment of Irish
Catholics; but these, says Walpole, "would not list, nor could
they in the whole summer get above 400 recruits in England"
(_Journal of the Reign of George III._, vol. i. p. 500).
[312] Dr. Wesley, on the other hand, published, in 1775, his
_Calm Address to our American Colonies_, in which he urged
arguments similar to those of Dr. Johnson in his _Taxation no
Tyranny_.
267.
_To his Stepmother._
Bentinck Street, October 16th, 1775.