New Promotions.--Pitt and Grenville.--Aggrandizement of Lord
Bute.--His haughtiness.--Sir Henry Erskine, Home, and Worseley.--
Debt to the Chancery of Hanover.--Secret Article in the Treaty
with the Landgrave of Hesse.--Extravagance of the War.--New
Tenure of the Judges.--Approaching general Election.--Flagrant
Corruption.--Lord Bute appears more ostensibly in the character
of Minister.--Mr. Pitt and Lord Holderness.--Injudicious Conduct
of Lord Bute.--Ministerial Changes.--A strange Exaltation.--The
Duke of Rutland.--Mr. Legge and the King.--General Conway.--
Overtures by France for Peace.
The new year opened with promotions. The Lord Keeper Henley was made
Lord Chancellor. Lord Denbigh,[44] a creature of the Favourite, Master
of the Harriers; and George Grenville[45] was called to the Cabinet
Council. Pitt had ever treated him with contempt, and little expected
to find him vain or daring enough to enter the lists against him.
Grenville’s conceit of himself was by no means measured by the standard
of modesty. His ambition was equal to Pitt’s; and his plodding,
methodic genius made him take the spirit of detail for ability.
Avarice, which he possessed in no less proportion than his other
passions, concurred to lead him from a master, who browbeat and treated
him superciliously, to worship the rising sun. Lord Bute was in want of
tools; and it was a double prize to acquire them from his rival’s shop.
But Fortune, had he known how to use her gifts, was kinder to the
Favourite than his own politics. His wife’s father, old Wortley
Montagu, died at this time, and left to her and her second son a
fortune, that, at four per cent., was estimated at one million three
hundred and forty thousand pounds. This was the third death within
twelve months that happened to aggrandize Lord Bute. The decease of
his uncle, the Duke of Argyle,[46] left Scotland open to his power;
and that of the late King put the Crown itself into his hands. The
estate of his father-in-law was all he was qualified to enjoy. What
could be expected from a boy[47] locked up from the converse of
mankind, governed by a mother still more retired, who was under the
influence of a man that had passed his life in solitude, and was too
haughty to admit to his familiarity but half a dozen silly authors
and flatterers? Sir Henry Erskine,[48] a military poet, Home,[49] a
tragedy-writing parson, and Worseley,[50] a rider of the great horse
and architect, were his principal confidents. The nation was soon
governed accordingly. And yet it was not the nation’s fault, if it did
not receive the yoke even from this Junto!
No trouble was given to the Government by the old Parliament, which
still subsisted, and continued to lend all facilities to the progress
of the war. An estimate of three hundred thousand pounds due to the
Chancery of Hanover, for forage for the use of Hanoverians, Prussians,
and Hessians, was voted to be paid, without a division, though not
without some comments. Sir Francis Dashwood, Cooke,[51] Coventry,[52]
and Beckford[53] opposed it. Coventry said with a sneer, he was glad so
_just_ a debt was demanded before the nation was bankrupt, and unable
to discharge it. Beckford imputed the extravagance of the war (which
indeed was notorious) to the Duke of Newcastle, who, he supposed,
intended to overturn Mr. Pitt’s system, and prevent the continuation of
the war, by the excess of the expense; and he commended the management
of the Treasury during the short time in which it had been in the
Duke of Devonshire’s hands. Legge[54] defended the measure, and both
Newcastle’s and Devonshire’s administrations. Pitt was confined with
the gout, and not present.
In the last treaty with the Landgrave of Hesse, had been stipulated
a secret article of indemnification to that country. Many sums had
been allowed to them, to avoid the appearance in public of the article
itself. Mr. Pitt had at once granted them sixty thousand pounds on
that score. Yet now at last was Administration forced to lay before
Parliament a demand of four hundred thousand pounds for indemnification
to the Landgravate. Legge, who knew himself fallen into disgrace
with Lord Bute, refused to make the motion, on which he received
intimation that he must resign. Lord Winchelsea[55] said, Legge had had
more masters than any man in England, and had never left one with a
character. Lord Barrington,[56] therefore, made the demand. Beckford
again declaimed on the extravagance of the war. Sir Francis Dashwood
said, he had always disapproved the continental war, but would agree
to vote the money, (which was a sum of two hundred and sixty thousand
pounds for three years,) as we were bound by treaty to pay it; and he
found fault with more authorities not being laid before Parliament.
This money too was granted on March 6.
Three days before, the King had gone to Parliament, to desire that the
places of the judges, which were held during the life of the Prince on
the Throne, might be fixed to them for their own lives. This was one of
Lord Bute’s strokes of pedantry. The tenure of the judges had formerly
been a popular topic; and had been secured as far as was necessary.
He thought this trifling addition would be popular now, when nobody
thought or cared about it. When, not long afterwards, the advocates
for the Court were puzzled to produce instances of favour to the
constitution or to the cause of liberty, this boon to the judges was
sounded high, and repeated in every panegyric.
Nothing more of note occurred in this session. All attention was
engrossed by the approaching general election of a new Parliament. It
had been propagated that the King had forbidden any money to be issued
from the Treasury. Nothing was less true in fact, or proved less true
in effect. Both the Court and particulars went greater lengths than in
any preceding times. In truth, the corruption of electors met, if not
exceeded, that of candidates. The borough of Sudbury was so shameless,
as to advertise itself to the highest bidder.
But, preparatory to a new Parliament, and as an intimation to men
under whom they should list, the Favourite determined to appear more
ostensibly in the character of Minister. Accordingly, on the 12th of
March, orders were suddenly sent to Lord Holderness to give up the
seals of Secretary of State: the King adding, in discourse, that he
had two secretaries, one (Mr. Pitt) who would do nothing, and the
other (Lord Holderness) who could do nothing;[57] he would have one,
who both could and would. This was Lord Bute, to whom the Seals were
immediately delivered. Subduing Europe was reckoned nothing, as the
service was ungracious: and however low the talents of Lord Holderness
deserved to be estimated, they did not suffer by comparison with those
of his successor. Mr. Pitt resented the fall of his creature, but was
sweetened by the offer of cofferer to James Grenville.[58] Newcastle
rejoiced, having been deserted by Holderness; but affected to be
concerned: yet was not struck with the warning that this measure ought
to have been to himself. Mr. Pitt felt it more sensibly, and would not
part with Lord Temple, who might have been Lord Lieutenant of Ireland,
but was necessary to him in the House of Lords, where his measures had
no other champion. Lord Halifax was named to that great office; the
Duke of Bedford refused to accept any post; but it was supposed had his
eye on the Seals, which everybody expected disgust would soon oblige
Mr. Pitt to resign.
Nothing could be more injudicious than this step taken by the
Favourite. The conduct he ought to have pursued was obvious; which
was, lying quiet, till some or all of a few events, most probable to
happen, should have paved the way to his taking the reins. Newcastle
was old, Mr. Pitt very infirm. Their deaths, or at least a rupture
between them, would have delivered him from them; at least have
constituted him umpire between them. Any sinister event of the war
might have demolished Mr. Pitt’s popularity. Prudence, at least, should
have dictated to Lord Bute to await the conclusion of the peace,
which, however good, would have given a shock to Mr. Pitt’s credit,
from the impossibility of contenting all mankind. But the Favourite
was as impatient to have the honour of making that peace, as if he
had intended to make it an honourable one. His thrusting himself into
administration at the moment he did, was so preposterous, that most men
thought him betrayed into it by malicious advice. The Duke of Bedford,
to pay his court, and from desire of peace, certainly counselled it;
but Newcastle, and Hardwicke too, were generally believed to have
infused the same advice, with a view to his destruction; for while only
Groom of the Stole, Lord Bute stood in no responsible place. This was
the more likely, as what emoluments they obtained for their friends in
the new shuffling of the cards, by no means compensated for the credit
they lost by the appearance of this new star in the horizon of power.
The Duke of Rutland[59] was named Groom of the Stole; Lord Sandys,[60]
First Lord of Trade, but upon the ancient footing; the West Indies, to
please Mr. Pitt, being again put under the province of the Secretary
of State. The Duke of Leeds[61] was turned back to his old place of
Justice in Eyre, in the room of Lord Sandys, but with an additional
salary of a thousand pounds a year. Legge, who refused to resign, was
dismissed; and Lord Barrington made Chancellor of the Exchequer; being
succeeded by Charles Townshend[62] as Secretary at War. Sir Francis
Dashwood was made Treasurer of the Chambers. Elliot,[63] another of
Lord Bute’s court, succeeded James Grenville at the Board of Treasury.
Lord Villiers[64] and Thomas Pelham[65] were placed in the Admiralty,
as John Yorke, Lord Hardwicke’s fourth son, Rice,[66] son-in-law of
Lord Talbot, and Sir Edmund Thomas were at the Board of Trade. Mr.
Spencer[67] and Sir Richard Grosvenor (at the recommendation of Mr.
Pitt) were created Viscounts; Sir Thomas Robinson,[68] Sir Nathaniel
Curzon,[69] a rich Tory, Sir William Irby,[70] chamberlain to the
Princess, were made barons, along with Dodington,[71] whose ambition
still hovered about the Court, in which he was at last likely to have
some lead, by his connexion with the Favourite. Nor did Lord Bath[72]
himself quit sight of the back-stairs, by which he obtained leave to
hobble up to the King whenever he pleased.
But a phenomenon, that for some time occasioned more speculation
than even the credit of the Favourite, was the staff of Lord Steward
being put into the hands of Lord Talbot,[73] with the addition of an
earldom. As neither gravity, rank, interest, abilities, nor morals
could be adduced to countenance this strange exaltation, no wonder it
caused very unfavourable comments. This Lord had long affected a very
free-spoken kind of patriotism on all occasions. He had some wit, and
a little tincture of a disordered understanding; but was better known
as a boxer and man of pleasure, than in the light of a statesman.
The Duchess of ---- had been publicly divorced from her lord on his
account; and was not the only woman of fashion who had lived with him
openly as his mistress. He was strong, well made, and very comely;
but with no air, nor with the manners of a man of quality. No wonder
the promotion of such a minister, in a reign that advertised piety,
strengthened the suspicions already entertained of the sincerity of
the Court. It grew more comic still, when the new statesman appeared
to be a reformer too. As the Court knew that the measures it had in
contemplation could only be carried by money, every stratagem was
invented to curtail the common expenses of the Palace. As these fell
under the province of the Lord Steward, nothing was heard of but cooks
cashiered, and kitchens shut up. Even the Maids of Honour, who did
not expect rigours from a great officer of Lord Talbot’s complexion,
were reduced to complain of the abridgement of their allowance for
breakfast. The public joined in the cry, and the shops teemed with
scandalous prints against the reformer and his patroness.
The Duke of Rutland was not pleased with the office of Groom of the
Stole, which had fewer employments in its disposal, and which was
therefore given to Lord Holderness; but the very next day the Duke was
appointed Master of the Horse, from whence Lord Huntingdon[74] was
removed to be Groom of the Stole; and Lord Holderness was laid aside
with a large pension, and the reversion of the Cinque Ports after the
Duke of Dorset. Lady Bute was created a baroness, that her son might
inherit an English peerage.
When Legge resigned his Seal, he lamented being under his Majesty’s
displeasure, but said his future life should testify his zeal. The
King replied, he was glad to hear him say so; nothing but his future
life could eradicate the ill impressions he had received of him. His
disgrace was owing to his not having seconded the Favourite’s views in
the late reign, when Lord Bute had been desirous of bringing a Jacobite
friend into Parliament for Hampshire, of which more will be said
hereafter.[75]
General Conway[76] was sent to command in Germany under Lord Granby.
The Bedford faction opposed it, in favour of General Waldegrave,[77]
who had served there during the whole war, upon the supposition that
Lord Granby would come to England, and that Waldegrave might succeed
him, Mostyn[78] not being equal to the charge. Conway obtained to
be sent, but without a certain promise of replacing Lord Granby,[79]
though the King said Conway was a man of abilities, character, sense,
and prudence, such as was greatly wanted there. France at this time
made earnest overtures for peace.