_Original Letter, written on the Resignation of Mr. Pitt, in
1761--Public Feeling on the Subject, and Changes at Court in
consequence--First Impressions of Queen Charlotte._
[The following valuable original letter is now published for the first
time. It will be found to be of very considerable historical curiosity
and interest. The resignation of the Great Commoner in 1761, and his
acceptance at the same time of a pension and a peerage for his family,
were events which astonished his admirers as much as any thing else in
his wonderful career. Even now, after the recent publication of all the
letters relating to these transactions, it is difficult to put any
construction on Mr. Pitt's conduct which is consistent with the
high-spirited independence which one desires to believe to have been a
leading feature of his character. There may have been great subtlety in
the way in which he was tempted; that may be admitted even by the
stoutest defenders of the character of George III; but nothing can
excuse the eager, rapturous gratitude with which the glittering bait was
caught. The whole circumstances are related in the _Chatham
Correspondence_, ii. 146, coupled with Adolphus's _Hist. of England._
A kind judgment upon them may be read in Lord Mahon's _Hist. of
England_, iv. 365, and one more severe--perhaps, more just--in Lord
Brougham's _Historical Sketches_, in the article on Lord Chatham. See
also the _Pictorial History of the Reign of George III_, i. 13. After
consulting all these authorities the reader will still find new facts,
and a vivid picture of the public feeling, in the following letter.]
Dear Robinson,--I am much obliged to you for both your letters,
particularly the last, in which I look upon the freedom of your
expostulations as the strongest mark of your friendship, and allow you
to charge me with any thing that possibly can be brought against one
upon such an occasion, except forgetfulness of you. I left town soon
after receiving your first letter, and was moving about from place to
place, till the coronation brought me to town again, and has fixed me
here for the winter; however I do not urge my unsettled situation during
the summer as any excuse for my silence, but aim to lay it upon
downright indolence, which I was ashamed of before I received your
second letter, and have been angry with myself for it since; however, as
often as you'll do me the pleasure, and a very sincere one it is I
assure you, of letting me hear how you do, you may depend upon the
utmost punctuality for the future, and I undertake very seriously to
answer every letter you shall write me within a fortnight.
The ensuing winter may possibly produce many things to amaze you; it has
opened with one that I am sure will; I mean Mr. Pitt's resignation, who
delivered up the seals to the King last Monday. The reason commonly
given for this extraordinary step is a resolution taken in Council
contrary to Mr. Pitt's opinion, concerning our conduct towards the
Spaniards, who upon the breaking off of the negotiations with France and
our sending Mr. Bussy away, have, it is said, made some declarations to
our Court which Mr. Pitt was for having the King treat in a very
different manner from that which the rest of the Cabinet advised; for
they are said to have been all against Mr. Pitt's opinion, except Lord
Temple. The effect of this resignation you'll easily imagine. It has
opened all the mouths of all the news-presses in England, and, from our
boasted unanimity and confidence in the Government, we seem to be
falling apace into division and distrust; in the meantime Mr. Pitt seems
to have entered, on this occasion, upon a new mode of resignation, at
least for him, for he goes to Court, where he is much taken notice of by
the King, and treated with great respect by everybody else, and has
said, according to common report, that he intends only to tell a plain
story, which I suppose we are to have in the House of Commons. People,
as you may imagine, are very impatient for his own account of a matter
about which they know so little at present, and which puts public
curiosity to the rack.
Fresh matter for patriots and politicians! Since writing the former part
of this letter, I have been at the coffee-house, and bring you back
verbatim, a very curious article of the _Gazette_. "St. James's, Oct. 9.
The Right Hon. William Pitt having resigned the Seals into the King's
hands, his Majesty was this day pleased to appoint the Earl of Egremont
to be one of his principal Secretaries of State, and in consideration of
the great and important services of the said Mr. Pitt, his Majesty has
been graciously pleased to direct that a warrant be prepared for
granting to the Lady Hester Pitt, his wife, a Barony of Great Britain,
by the name, style and title of Baroness of Chatham to herself, and of
Baron of Chatham to her heirs male; and also to confer upon the said
William Pitt, Esq. an annuity of 3000_l_. sterling during his own life,
that of Lady Hester Pitt, and that of their son John Pitt, Esq!"
A report of this matter got about the day before, and most unfortunately
all the newspapers contradicted it as a scandalous report, set on foot
with a design to tarnish the lustre of a certain great character. This
was the style of the morning and evening papers of Saturday, and of
those who converse upon their authority; so that upon the coming in of
the _Gazette_ about ten o'clock at night, it was really diverting to see
the effect it had upon most people's countenances at Dick's Coffee
House, where I was; it occasioned a dead silence, and I think every body
went away without giving their opinions of the matter, except Dr.
Collier, who has always called Mr. Pitt all the rogues he can set his
mouth on. It appears at present a most unaccountable proceeding in every
part of it, for he seems to have forfeited his popularity, on which his
consequence depended, for a consideration which he might have commanded
at any time; and yet he does not make an absolute retreat, for in that
case one should think he would have taken the peerage himself.
Lord Temple has resigned the Privy Seal, which is commonly said to be
intended for Lord Hardwycke; some comfort to him for the loss of his
wife, who died a few weeks ago. So that we seem to be left in the same
hands out of which Mr. Pitt gloried in having delivered us; for, as you
have probably heard before this time, Mr. Legge was removed from his
place in the spring, for having refused to support any longer our German
measures, as has been commonly said and not contradicted that I know of.
Every body agrees that he was quite tired of his place, as is generally
said on account of the coolness between him and Mr. Pitt, the old
quarrel with the Duke of Newcastle, and some pique between him and Lord
Bute on account of the Hampshire election. People were much diverted
with the answer he is said to have made to the Duke of Newcastle when he
went to demand the seal of his office. He compared his retirement to
Elysium, and told the Duke he thought he might assure their common
friends there, that they should not be long without the honour of his
Grace's company; however, he seems to be out in his guess, for the
Newcastle junta, strengthened by the Duke of Bedford, who has joined
them, seems to be in all its glory again. This appeared in the Church
promotions the other day, for Dr. Young was translated, the master of
Bennet made a bishop, and Mr. York dean: however, as you will probably
be glad of a more particular account of our Church promotions, I am to
tell you that the scene opened soon after the King's accession with the
promotion of Dr. Squire to the Bishoprick of St. David's, upon the death
of Ellis. Some circumstances of this affair inclined people to think
that the old ecclesiastical shop was quite shut up; for the Duke of
Newcastle expressed great dissatisfaction at Squire's promotion, and
even desired Bishop Young to tell every body that he had no hand in it.
Young answered, that he need not give himself that trouble, for Dr.
Squire had told every body so already, which is generally said to be
very true: for he did not content himself with saying how much he was
obliged to Lord Bute, but seemed to be afraid lest it should be thought
he was obliged to any body else. What an excellent courtier! The next
vacancy was made by Hoadly, upon which Thomas was translated from
Salisbury to Winchester, Drummond from St. Asaph to Salisbury, Newcome
from Llandaff to St. Asaph, and that exemplary divine Dr. Ewer made
Bishop of Llandaff. These were hardly settled when Sherlock and Gilbert
dropt almost together. Drummond has left Salisbury for York, Thomas is
translated from Lincoln to Salisbury, Green made Bishop of Lincoln, and
succeeded in his deanery by Mr. York: Hayter is translated from Norwich
to London, Young from Bristol to Norwich, and Newton is made Bishop of
Bristol; and I must not forget to tell you, that, among several new
chaplains, Beadon is one. This leads me naturally to Lord Bute, who,
though the professed favourite of the King, has hitherto escaped the
popular clamour pretty well: the immense fortune that is come into his
family by the death of old Wortley Montague has added much to his
consequence, and made him be looked upon as more of an Englishman, at
least they can no longer call him a poor Scot.
His wife was created a peeress of Great Britain at the same time that
Mr. Spencer, Mr. Doddington, Sir Richard Grosvenor, Sir Nat. Curzen, Sir
Thomas Robinson, and Sir William Irby were created peers. He has married
his eldest daughter to Sir James Lowther and is himself, from being
Groom of the Stole, become Secretary of State--Lord Holderness being
removed with very little ceremony indeed, but with a pension, to make
room for him. He and Mr. Pitt together have made good courtiers of the
Tories; Lords Oxford, Litchfield, and Bruce, being supernumerary lords,
and Norbonne Berkeley, Northey, and I think George Pitt, supernumerary
Grooms of the Bedchamber. Sir Francis Dashwood is Treasurer of the
Chamber, in the room of Charles Townshend, who was made Secretary at War
upon Lord Barrington's succeeding Mr. Legge as Chancellor of the
Exchequer. Lord Talbot, who is in high favour, is Steward of the
Household, and with his usual spirit has executed a scheme of economy,
which, though much laughed at at first, is now much commended. They made
room for him upon Lord Bute's being made Secretary, at which time Lord
Huntingdon was made Groom of the Stole, and succeeded as Master of the
Horse by the Duke Rutland, who was before Steward of the Household. Thus
have I concluded this series of removals, which was first begun, after
the old King's death, by Lord Bute's being Groom of the Stole in the
room of Lord Rochford, who has a pension, and Lord Huntingdon's being
made Master of the Horse instead of Lord Gower, who was made Master of
the Wardrobe in the room of Sir Thomas Robinson, who has his peerage for
a recompense; and written you a long letter, which may perhaps be no
better for you upon the whole than an old newspaper. However, I was
determined your curiosity should be no sufferer by my long silence if I
could help it.
I must not conclude without saying something of our new Queen. She seems
to me to behave with equal propriety and civility, though the common
people are quite exasperated at her not being handsome, and the people
at Court laugh at her courtesies. All our friends are well, and have had
nothing happen to them that I know of which requires particular mention.
Gisborne either has or will write to you very soon. Convince me, dear
Robinson, by writing soon that you forgive my long silence, and believe
me to be, with the sincerest regard for you and yours, your most
affectionate friend,