spirit, and severity: and after the debate Mr. Fox complimented him publicly on this second triumph, he also having been the mover of the repeal of the Stamp-act. In short, he stands in the highest light, and all his fame is unsullied by the slightest suspicion of interested or factious motives in his conduct.*

It would be idle in me, who profess want of penetration or intuition into futurity, to tell you what I think will happen; in truth, I could not tell you, if I would, what I foresee. The public certainly expects some sudden change. I neither do, nor wish it. At present, I think alteration would produce confusion, without any advantage. My reasons it would be useless to detail, for they will have no share in the decision.

I would write these few words, lest your nephew should not; though in reality I have told you nothing. You will just be prepared not to be surprised, whatever shall arrive, as it is a moment which may produce any thing. I mean, a change, a partial settlement, a total one, or a re-settlement of the present system; though I should think that, or a partial change, the least likely to last. Any one of them will be fortunate if productive of peace; and, at least, nothing that has happened removes that prospect to a greater distance. If I live to see that moment, I shall be happier than I have for some time expected to be. I dare not entertain greater views for my countryfor a long season; though nations, like individuals, are not precluded from experiencing any change of fortune.

be serviceable to your Majesty and to the country." Mr. Wallace, the Attorney. General, acknowledged that nothing but peace with America could restore the country to its former state of splendour, and said that, considering a truce with America the best means of obtaining that object, he intended to move for leave to bring in a bill to enable Ministers to treat upon that ground, and would therefore move that the debate be adjourned till that day fortnight. Mr. Pitt, in a brilliant speech, censured the idea of a truce, and stigmatized the motion of adjournment as a manœuvre to gain a few votes. At half-past one the House divided on the mo tion of adjournment, which was negatived by a majority of 234 to 215. The Government, being thus left in a minority of nineteen, suffered General Conway's mo tion to pass without a division. The General then moved an address to the King nearly in the words of the motion; which was presented to his Majesty by the whole House.-ED.

"The day after the motion passed," says Sir Samuel Romilly, "there were re joicings in several places; the bells were rung and a great many houses were illumi nated and papers were cried about the streets, 'Good news for England; Lord North in the dumps, and peace with America!' The Ministers affected to take the alarm, and sent advice to the Lord Mayor, that they had notice of intended riots; but every thing was very peaceable." Mr. Burke wrote, on the same day, to Dr. Franklin at Paris: "I congratulate you as the friend of America; I trust, as not the enemy of England; I am sure, as the friend of mankind, on the resolution of the House of Commons, carried by a majority of nineteen, at two o'clock this morning, in a very full House. It was the declaration of two hundred and thirty-four: I think it was the opinion of the whole. I trust it will lead to a speedy peace between the two branches of the English nation, perhaps to a general peace; and that our happiness may be an introduction to that of the world at large."-ED.

P.S. When you do not hear from me at such a crisis, be sure that nothing material has happened. We have both seen inter-ministeriums of six weeks.

LETTER CCCLXXI.

Strawberry Hill, March 11, 1782.

THOUGH I begin this letter to-night, I do not know when it will set out; perhaps not before to-morrow sevennight. I do not even know whether I shall not contradict at the end every thing I may tell you at the beginning; for the parties in the House of Commons are so equally balanced, that victory vibrates from the one side to the other every day. Opposition stock fell ten below par last Friday, on questions that tended to remove the Ministers. As three of the four mo tions were undeniable, the Ministers got rid of them by the previous question, and consequently prevented the fourth, which would have brought home the others to their doors. They carried that question by 226 to 216. The report of another victory, more national, fa

* On the 5th of March, in the committee on the Attorney-General's bill to enable his Majesty to make peace or truce with the revolted American Colonies, Mr. Fox said, that nothing but the personal respect he bore the learned gentleman had prevented him from bursting out into a laugh when he heard the proposition, and then walking out of the House. It was in the course of this speech that Mr. Fox made his memorable declaration," that, from the moment he should enter into any terms with the present Ministers, he would rest satisfied to be deemed the most infamous of mankind: that he could not for an instant contemplate a coalition with men who, as Ministers, in every transaction, public and private, had proved themselves devoid of every principle of honour or honesty; into the hands of such men he would not trust his honour for a single minute." Lord North avowed his determination not to retire from office until he should receive his Royal Master's commands to leave it, or the wish of the House, expressed in the most unequivocal terms, should point out to him the propriety of withdrawing.-ED.

† Lord John Cavendish, on the 8th of March, had moved four resolutions. The first three recounted the expenses and losses of the war, and the fourth stated, that the chief cause of all these misfortunes had been the want of foresight and ability in his Majesty's Ministers. Upon this there was a long debate, in the course of which Mr. Welbore Ellis, the new Secretary of State, alluded to his having left a warm and comfortable bed (the Treasurership of the Navy,) and stepped into the ship of state in the midst of storm and tempest. Mr. Burke said, he thought the Right Honourable Secretary very unwise in quitting his flannel nightcap and warm bed for a post of danger, and applied to him the words of Brutus to his wife

"Wherefore rise you now?

It is not for your health, thus to commit

Your weak condition to the raw cold morning."

In his firm belief, the bed was left merely for the purpose of introducing a Scotch warming-pan. This allusion to the Lord Advocate, which excited much laughter, received an appropriate reply: "I see no reason," said Mr. Dundas, "if the eager expectations of the gentleman opposite should be fulfilled, why it should not be an Irish warming-pan that is to be introduced into the bed." The retort turned the

voured them, though many suspect it was coined on purpose. Admiral Hood was said to have defeated the French fleet, rescued St. Christopher's, and taken the six hundred men that had landed. This would be most fortunate; but it was not confirmed when I left town this morning. In short, I came hither for two days to breathe, and rest my ears from politics, which at such a crisis you may be sure assail them from morning to night: not that I open them voluntarily, you may judge, when I fly hither, though there is to be important matter in the House again to-day, not a syllable of which I shall hear before Wednesday. Lord North is to open his taxes, which probably just now will not be admitted as submissively as of late years; though I suppose they will produce more clamour in a little time than at their birth, when every one who will be affected by them shall begin to apply the grievance to himself, especially as Opposition will naturally paint them in their worst colours. As I shall not go to town to-morrow-one of the two foreign post-days-I could not send this away, were it farther advanced; and on Friday, the other postday, I shall not know the event time enough to write. The Opposition intend to give battle again on that day, but I do not know what is to be their cri de guerre; however, the field will be fought till it will be too late for the post. I am less anxious, as your nephew tells me he writes to you constantly.

The Ministers are certainly run hard; and if they do not make peace with America, or have some great victory, though I do not guess where that is likely to arrive, they will have difficulty to stand their ground. New losses will make their fall more probable, and more dangerous. Minorca, we know, is gone; and we know what other places may follow. The foreign papers will ring with the enormous sum it has cost us to lose America, &c. I saw a letter from abroad last week, which said, that they were amazed so many miscarriages had not overturned the Administration. They may wonder; but, believe me, deprivation would be a feather-bed to what they hear every day I mean the Ministers. It is a worse service than that of a General. He stands on a rising ground out of cannon-shot, gives his orders, sees his soldiers fall or conquer, and at most is quit for the disgrace, if he loses the day. In Parliament, all the artillery is pointed at the leaders, who are galled during the combat, and must fight the battle themselves. The troops sit by, are paid beforehand, receive not a knock, and retire to their tents as soon as they have said Yes or No! I wish generals were in the same predicament, and suffered all the wounds. Well! I shall reserve the rest of my paper; I may have matter to fill it.

laugh against Mr. Burke; and scarcely three weeks elapsed before Colonel Barré was appointed Treasurer of the Navy. Upon the order of the day, which was moved by Mr. Jenkinson, the Secretary at War, the House divided; when Ministers had a majority of ten, the numbers being 226 to 216.-Ed.

Saturday 16th.

The Tax-day passed very quietly; however, it was reported and generally believed, that Lord North would resign. Nay, it is known that the Chancellor has been negotiating with Lord Rockingham. Whether too little was offered, or too much demanded, a resolution was taken to try one more engagement. The Opposition were very confident of victory, and not without cause; for, when a flag of truce was hung out, the mercenary troop of Calculators was likely to desert to the side that was most likely to possess the military chest. It is probable that that chest was previously abandoned, to retain them; for the Court, at one this morning, had a majority of nine, though the minority were stronger by ten votes than in the former battle.*

I should be very presumptuous, were I to attempt to guess what will happen, when brokers themselves find it so difficult to decide which side has the best of the day. Future historians may dignify the contest with the distinctions of loyalty and patriotism, and I have no doubt but both are engaged; yet I humbly conceive, that, if Potosi lay in the quarters of either army, that corps would gain the victoryt -perhaps I have given my opinion to a degree; though the vein of ore is not very redundant.

* On the 15th, Sir John Rous moved a resolution, which comprehended the substance of Lord John Cavendish's four resolutions which the House had rejected in the preceding week, and concluded with declaring that the House could have no further confidence in the Ministers who had the direction of public affairs. Lord North, in the course of a long and pathetic speech, said, he not only wished for peace, but would be no obstacle to a coalition of parties, for the formation and adjustment of a new Administration, in which he should himself have no share. He declared to God, that no love of place or of emolument should keep him a moment in office, if he could retire with honour, and if there were not certain circumstances in the way of his going out at that moment, which he could not then explain. Mr. Pitt caught hold of the word "coalition," and said, if he knew the meaning of it, it was the collecting and combining all the ability, integrity, and judgment that could be found; but was that a work fit to be entrusted to the noble Lord? Such a proposition was a gross insult to Parliament; as the administration of the noble Lord had been an administration of influence and intrigue: he thanked God an end was about to be put to it, and he trusted the House would not contaminate their own purpose by suffering the present Ministers to interfere with the appointment of their successors. On the division, the numbers were 236 for Ministers, and 227 against them, leaving them a majority of nine. While the division was taking place, Mr. Fox said in the lobby, that, upon consulting with the gentlemen near him, it was thought right that a motion to the same effect should be made on Wednesday the 20th.-Ed.

"Up to the 19th of March," says Wraxall, "positive assurances were given, in all the departments, that no resignation was intended, Lord North himself, whatever fluctuations of mind he might undergo, personally reiterated those declarations to his nearest political connexions. No man doubted the firmness of his Majesty, or suspected him of abandoning his Ministers from personal timidity. Each party, therefore, prepared to try their force, and both expressed themselves confident of success. Robinson, then Secretary of the Treasury, who knew better than any man the secret of affairs, has many times assured me, that Government would have infallibly had a majority of from fourteen to twenty, if they had gone to a division on the 20th." Historical Memoirs, vol. ii. p. 592.-ED.

Monday 18th. Two days and a half (a great while in curiosity's almanac) are passed, and no news of a resumption of negotiation. The Marquis's terms were deemed to trespass on some precious fleurons in the Crown, which, though perhaps new acquisitions, have a finer water than some of the old table diamonds. The camps will therefore probably remain in the field some time longer, though not without skirmishes. At the same time, I do not see that any favourable events are likely to happen on the defensive side. The recovery of St. Christopher's is still in suspense, nor does Hood's advantage seem at all to deserve the name of victory but I always check myself when I can only conjecture; besides, that in a letter that is to cross the sea, I keep a gag in my pen; for I would not tell France a syllable more than she would know if I never wrote a letter.

Yours, that tells me of your preferment, I have received, and am rejoiced it was so well-timed; for Minorca is gone, and your zeal was handsomely accepted, though unsuccessful.

Tuesday 19th.

I had intended to finish my letter to-day, but have been hindered by company, even till dinner-time, and am not dressed, and am engaged the moment I have dined. Indeed, I have nothing new to add: but, if any thing happens before Friday, I will desire your nephew to write; for not having so much curiosity as the town, nor any wish to see any particular person in place, I shall go to Strawberry on Friday for two days, as air and tranquillity are more requisite to me than a collision of parties. Adieu!

LETTER CCCLXXII.

Berkeley Square, March 21, 1782. I TOLD YOU on Tuesday that I would not write by this post, and was to go out of town to-morrow. You will excuse my breaking a promise that you did not desire me to keep, especially when I have so big a revolution to tell you. Out of town I cannot go, for it has snowed all the evening, nor am I so perfectly incurious as not to like to hear the rumours of the hour: for as to settlement, I believe I might be absent two days and not find it come to a consistencebut I recollect that you do not know what has happened, and may have a little curiosity too.

Well! yesterday, as a repetition of the late motion, somewhat vari ed, was on the point of being made in the house of commons, Lord North rose, and declared the whole Administration was dissolved.*

*On the 20th, in anticipation of the debate on the renewal of the motion of want of confidence in Ministers, which was this day to be brought forward by the Earl