CHAP. CLXVIII. A.D. 1782 little desirous of a better acquaintance than can be formed even from your own report. Until you can procure us this pleasure, we shall be forming a thousand conjectures and imaginations, which, with all the pleasure and partiality that will attend them, will be teasing, while attended with the impatience that we feel upon the occasion. Not having the Peerage at my fingers' ends, nor Lord Palmerston having it in his library, I am at present at some loss to identify the lady to whom you allude in your letter. I only hope that she is not a sister of Lord Courtenay, who gave the ton last year to the festivities of Fonthill, where, I understand, she was so much the general subject of panegyric amongst her own sex, that it would be a great pity that she should be now pulled to pieces by any Lady Betty or Lady Ann, as she probably might, for making a monopoly of your Lordship, and where she was so much admired by the men, that poison must probably be the lot of any one who should presume to think of appropriating her. Don't think that this anecdote is the result of any indiscreet investigation consequent to your letter. I assure you that I heard it in Dorsetshire before I knew that you had any interest in any lady of that name...... "With respect to Brighthelmstone, I should ill deserve that opinion which I am very solicitous to obtain, were I to utter the least complaint, or entertain the least dissatisfaction at your breach of an engagement which is now so much more honoured in the breach than the observance. I only hope that Lady Loughborough will hereafter recollect that a wife ought, in equity, to be as responsible for such debts of her husband as she is capable of discharging, as a husband is in law bound for those of his wife; and that her ladyship and you will, at proper seasons, think it just to liquidate with interest a demand, for the satisfaction of which we are contented to wait some time longer. "Your affectionately attached, "RALPH PAYNE." The marriage between Lord Loughborough and Miss Courtenay took place soon after, and proved a very comfortable one, although the bridegroom had not much tenderness in his nature, and placed his happiness chiefly on the stirring events of public life. * Rosslyn MSS. CHAP. CLXVIII. Lord On the formation of Lord Rockingham's Administration Lord Loughborough was astonished to see Thurlow still in possession of the Great Seal. From this time there was March much coldness, and before long there was open hostility, 1782. between these former friends and colleagues. The Chief RockingJustice saw with jealousy and envy the Chancellor's un- ham's Adbounded favour with the King, and perceived that there was tion. no hope for himself, unless the royal will could be thwarted. He therefore lay by for an opportunity of engaging in some plot for storming the Cabinet. During Lord Rockingham's short Administration he assisted the Chancellor in defeating the two Government measures of the Contractors' Bill*, and Burke's Economical Reform Billt, - and from factious motives he opposed the bill for declaring Irish independence, arguing with considerable force the impossibility of the two countries continuing long together on the new footing. ministra Now he had his first open conflict with Thurlow-moving, June 1782. by way of slur upon the Government for omitting to do so, an address of congratulation to the Crown on Lord Rodney's victory. The Chancellor at first violently opposed it, but was obliged under some modification to concur in it. Lord Loughborough's position meanwhile was very irksome; for if he supported the Government, he aided men with whom there seemed no chance of his holding office, and if he helped to turn them out, this would only humour the King, and make Thurlow more powerful. Suddenly the face of affairs was changed by Lord Rockingham's death and the premiership of Lord Shelburne. On this occasion he received the following letter from Burke, showing an intimacy between them which by and bye facilitated the "Coalition:" "MY DEAR LORD, "I received your very kind and obliging letter from Beechwood, Letter from Mr. Burke and I thank you for it very sincerely. It was much the more acon the ceptable on account of the place it came from, combined with the death of Lord Rockingham. * 22 Parl. Hist. 1979. † 23 Parl. Hist. 144. CHAP. CLXVIII. A. D. 1782. remembrance of the worthy master. I met him since in not so pleasant a place, under St. James's Gate, and had a hearty shake of the hand with him. It was very good of you both, in such a situation, formed for every kind of calm satisfaction, to throw a thought upon a scene so full of confusion as this, and on my poor part in it, which, contrary to all order, is as troublesome as it is inconsiderable. I remember several years ago a few most pleasant days that I passed with you and Sir John under his noble beech trees, in a manner and with thoughts perfectly remote from my course of life, and the train of my ideas. Since then many winters have snowed upon my head without making it in proportion wiser, and God knows whether I have done good to others in any proportion to the innumerable unspeakable vexations which I have suffered during that whole time. I cannot say that these troubles were not mixed with many consolations. But it requires at least my whole stock of philosophy to bear up against the events which have lately happened, and which have indeed gone very near to my heart. I have lost and the public has lost a friend. But this was the hand of God manifestly, and according to the course and order of his providence. I had no hand in it. But to think that all the labours of his life and that all the labours of my life should in the very moment of their success produce nothing better than the delivery of the power of this kingdom into the hands of the Earl of Shelburne-the very thing, I am free to say to you and to every body, the toils of a life ten times longer and ten times more important than mine would have been well employed to prevent,— this, I confess, is a sore, a very sore trial. It really looks as if it were a call upon me at least wholly to withdraw from all struggles in the political line. This was the first impression on my mind. I do not know how long it will continue. We are naturally changeable. There is a great deal of difficulty at my time of life and in my circumstances in changing, even to a course that would seem more suitable to decline and disappointment. On the other hand, if we go on, there must be some sort of system. If so, all is to begin again. A great part of our construction is (what I call) sound. But there is a great, and I fear irreparable, breach. With what to build it up, that will bind and coalesce, I do not see. Indeed I do not see any thing in a pleasant point of view. I bear up, however, better than my present style would seem to indicate. I do so rather by force of natural spirits than by the aid of reason, though now and then reason whispers some sort of comfort even by suggesting one's own blindness, and that there is CLXVIII. good ground to think, whatever appearances may be, that in some CHAP. way or other, at some time or other, or in some place or other, the effect of right endeavours must be right. 'Nota est illis operis sui series; omniumque morum per manus suas venturarum scientiæ in aperto est semper; Nobis ex abdito subit.' "Your Lordship sees that like Hudibras, discomfited and laid in the stocks, I 'Comfort myself with ends of verse "I wish you most heartily a pleasant circuit, moderate litigation, and as little hanging as possible. Alas! it is not worth while to swing out of the world those you have to send away. When shall we have a grand Jail Delivery? "I am, with great esteem and regard, "Your most obedient humble servant, A. D. 1782. "I forgot to tell you that I had a most friendly note from Adam Smith at his departure for Scotland.”* Thurlow's hold of the Great Seal seemed at first firmer than Lord Shelburne's Adever, for, instead of leading the Opposition, he acted cordially ministrawith the Chief Minister; but before long a ray of hope dawned tion. upon Loughborough. Fox was so exasperated against Lord Shelburne for overreaching him, that he vowed he would never serve with him again, and declared that he considered Lord North a less obnoxious character; while Lord North was dissatisfied by observing that the King really seemed to have gone over to the Shelburne Ministry, and was estranging himself from those who had stood by him during the whole American contest. If there could be a coalition between the Rockingham Whigs, now called "Foxites," and the party of Lord North, they would greatly outnumber the adherents of Lord Shelburne, the King must surrender, and the Great Seal must be wrested from Thurlow. In a letter written by Lord Loughborough while on the summer circuit of 1783, he • Rosslyn MSS. CHAP. CLXVIII. A. D. 1783. August 31. 1783. shows his growing impatience of Lord Shelburne: "The people I have seen, and the places I have passed through, are all hostile to the Administration in their general course of politics. One would not therefore form any judgment of the disposition of the country from the appearances in this quarter; but I hear from all quarters that there is a most general opinion of the incapacity of the Minister. The shop-tax is universally odious; and following so soon the window-tax, which is much more felt in country towns than in London, both sums are added together when men compute the additional burden, and the amount is very difficult to bear. If there is likely to be any thing of a stirring character in Parliament, I shall hasten my return, though I am sure my absence was of very liitle consequence in the late debates, where the superiority of our friends appears very conspicuous in Mr. Woodfall, — imperfect as his reports now However, Parliament was prorogued without any opportunity of striking a blow; and Lord Loughborough, after the circuit, retired to Buxton, labouring under disease, and much depressed in spirits. Thence he wrote to a friend: "This place has hitherto been of no service to me, and I am heartily tired of the unsuccessful experiments that the physician has made to prevent the waters from disagreeing with my stomach. I am fully persuaded I should enjoy more health and happiness from a moderated retirement than I can ever find in the increase of public business. This idea has been gaining upon my mind for some time, and I am so far from feeling the least anxiety to remove any obstacle that prevents my being irretrievably fixed in a political situation, that, were the way to it perfectly open, I should be very unhappy to enter upon it." Getting out of this short fit of depression, he was more eager than ever for the promotion he had been deprecating, and, Parliament again meeting, a certain prospect was held out 19 Parl. Hist. 1360. |