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late abominable system, I must a little wonder, if he is angry, that he has palliated the cause of his resignation-but who can argue on a lunatic?

It looks very much as if we should be reconciled with Holland; and, as Russia espouses that temper, I should hope pacification would spread farther. How blessed would that moment be! But we have another Ireland is little less

grievous thorn in our very side! estranged than America; and a most wicked coxcomb, one Eden, Secretary to the late Lord Lieutenant,* has dared to do his utmost to heighten the rupture. As he had not sense or judgment enough to cloak his folly, it has fallen on his own head with general indignation; but, as Irish heads are not better poised, we fear consequences. You will see the detail in the papers, too long for a letter.+ The late Administra

* The following is the character of Mr. Eden, afterwards Lord Auckland, as drawn by Hardy, in his Memoirs of the Earl of Charlemont : “Perfectly skilled in Parliamentary language and management, of quick as well as versatile parts, consummate talents for business and correspondent industry, he was well calculated, not only to guide the nation in its newly-opened path of commerce, but to form such establishments as would advance its progress therein, and enable them to improve what they had acquired. But for such acquisitions a more pacific season was requisite." Vol. i. p. 396.-ED.

+ The following is Sir Samuel Romilly's account of the proceeding here referred to: "The Ministers seem likely, at the very commencement of their administration, to have great difficulties to encounter in the affairs of Ireland. You know the Irish have long talked of throwing off the supremacy of Great Britain. A motion for that purpose has been made this session in the Irish Parliament, but lost by a very great majority; since which, the different associations in Ireland have come to resolutions to assert their independence. This has been followed by tumults at Dublin. Lord Carlisle, the Lord Lieutenant, has not dared to stir out of his Castle; and Eden, his Secretary, was near receiving per

tion had neglected and inflamed that business, as they have acted in almost every other. Such grievous waste and negligence appear from every office, that it is very doubtful whether they will fall so lightly as they expected.* Though they will be very ready to accuse, it may chance that they will be accused first. They have provoked and invited four wars, neglected all, succeeded in none, rejected every overture of peace, while tampering for peace, and by profusion and caresonal violence from the populace as he was setting off for England. The object of his journey was to bring Lord Carlisle's resignation of his viceroyalty, and to represent to the Ministers the state of affairs in Ireland; but, on his arrival, he found the Ministry changed, and Lord Carlisle deprived of the lord-lieutenancy of the East Riding of Yorkshire, and also of the vice-royalty of Ireland, which was now conferred on the Duke of Portland. Piqued at this affront, as he considered it, to Lord Carlisle, he refused to give the Secretaries of State any information; but told them he should, on the first day of the Commons meeting, make a motion relative to the affairs of Ireland. Accordingly, last Monday, he moved to repeal a clause in an act of George I. which declares the supremacy of the British over the Irish Legislature. The Ministers, particularly Fox, complained loudly of the very uncandid manner in which Eden had behaved. They said, that, for themselves, having no information of the state of affairs in Ireland, or of that people's demands, they could not judge how far the measure proposed was proper; but that it seemed, like all the measures of the late Ministers, designed to palliate, not eradidicate, the evil that the present Ministers intended to make such a settlement of the affairs of Ireland as would be agreeable to both countries, and remove all fears and jealousies for the future. Eden was desired by a number of Members to withdraw his motion, but for a long time he refused. General Conway talked of moving a vote of censure on him: at last he complied with the wishes of the House." Life, vol. i. p. 218.-ED.

* In the course of his speech in the House of Commons, on the first day of its meeting after the adjournment, Mr. Fox said, "that, since he and his colleagues had come into office, they had found many more instances of the shameful neglect and mismanagement of the late Ministers even than they had suspected; such instances of mismanagement, as would render public inquiries on the subject necessary."-ED.

lessness thrown away the means of making war any longer. As ministers, generals, treasurers, negotiators, they have proved themselves as incapable as any set of men who ever overturned a great country; and in the rapidity of their achievements they have exceeded all. Strange it was that they did not fall sooner! And yet their fall was instantaneous and unforeseen! My sentiments about them have been uniform. I restrain rather than exaggerate them. Every country in which we are concerned testifies to the truth of what I say. reap no advantage from their fall, nor shall; fully content if peace is restored, and as much as can be of our Constitution, credit, and felicity.

I

Adieu!

LETTER CCCLXXV.

May 5, 1782.

I HAVE given the new Administration time to breathe; that is, I did not send you details of removals* and preferments, that were the mere business

* In consequence of the political revolution which had taken place, the Drawing-room at St. James's underwent a considerable alteration in its appearance. The Earl of Hertford, who had held the white wand of Chamberlain for more than fifteen years, and whose presence in the circle seemed almost essential to its existence, was succeeded by the Duke of Manchester; and Lord Effingham became Treasurer of the Household, in the place of Lord Salisbury; but no removal was more regretted by the King than that of Lord Bateman, who had held, during many years, the post of Master of the Buck-hounds. On the subject of these removals, Hannah More wrote thus: "It has affected me very much to hear of our King's being constrained to part with all his confidential friends, and his own personal servants, in the late general

of taking possession, and which affect individuals, not the public, and consequently not you. Since their first entry, the most notifiable event, of that sort too, was the disposition of the Garters, given to one of the Princes, to the Dukes of Richmond and Devonshire, and to Lord Shelburne; the last a little unprecedented, as he is but a recent Irish Earl, and a more recent English Baron. The King had unaccountably reserved four-certainly, not on purpose for the three persons last named! Lord Ashburnham, to whom one had been promised, and who was still more unaccountably saved, as Groom of the Stole, by his Majesty, with the Duke of Montagu, when the new Regents left him the choice of two for mercy, has resigned in dudgeon, and not very gratefully; as two garters had certainly not been left to the King's nomination. The late success of Admiral Barrington* against the equipment sweep. Out of an hundred stories, I will only tell you one which concerns your old acquaintance Lord Bateman: he went to the King, as usual, over-night, to ask if his Majesty would please to hunt the next day; 'Yes, my Lord,' replied the King, 'but I find, with great grief, that I am not to have the satisfaction of your company.' This was the first intimation he had of the loss of his place." Life, vol. i. p. 251.—Ed.

* Lord Keppel's appointment, as First Lord of the Admiralty, infused a new spirit into the navy; and several distinguished officers, who had been excluded from employment, were immediately restored to the service. On the 13th of April, Admiral the Honourable Samuel Barrington hoisted his flag on board the Britannia, a first-rate, in which he was despatched with a squadron to intercept a French fleet bound to the East Indies. Of these, the ships under his command succeeded in capturing eleven out of eighteen transports, and the Pégase and l'Actionnaire, men-of-war of seventy-four guns and seven hundred men. The Pégase was engaged and captured by the gallant Captain Jervis, afterwards Earl St. Vincent; who was separated from his companions by a fog. He came up with her at one o'clock at night, and, after a close engage

from Brest is more substantial gilding, and illustrates the dawn of the new system. I wish I saw any symp

toms of peace.

Reformation is begun, and is decorated with the King's name, who has given up many employments in the Court and its purlieus. Other popular bills, that aim at ransoming the House of Commons from its late servility to the Crown, do not pass so glibly. The Chancellor resists them tooth and nail in the other House,+ and, it is supposed, will not want support ment of three quarters of an hour, compelled her to strike. In his report to the Admiralty of this action, Admiral Barrington said, "My pen is not equal to the praise due to the good conduct, bravery, and discipline of Captain Jervis, his officers and seamen, on this occasion. Let his own modest narrative speak for itself." The Admiral also, in relating to a friend the result of the squadron's cruize, thus wrote: "But the Pégase is everything, and does the highest honour to Jervis. What a noble creature! were we all like him, what might not be our expectations! Is it not surprising that he should take a ship of equal force, without losing a man? He, poor fellow, has got an honourable mark above his eye, which I conceive will be of no bad consequence, rather the reverse; for, as a man of middle age, it may make his fortune. The fair honour the brave, and, we suppose, delight in kissing the honourable mark." See the interesting and very valuable Memoirs of Earl St. Vincent, by J. S. Tucker, Esq., vol. i. p. 74.-ED.

* The great plan of reform and economy in the Civil List expenditure was again brought forward by Mr. Burke, now become Paymaster of the Forces, and introduced to the House of Commons, on the 15th of April, by a Message from the King, recommending "the consideration of an effectual plan of economy through all the branches of the public expenditure, and stating that he had taken into his actual consideration a reform and regulation in his Civil expenditure, which he would shortly cause to be laid before the House." The address thereon was moved by Mr. Burke; who, in the beginning of May, brought in his celebrated Bill to carry into a law the retrenchments which his Majesty proposed to make in the Royal Household.-ED.

Two bills, one to prevent Contractors from sitting in Parliament, and the other for excluding Officers of the Excise and Customs from voting

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