House. Whether Mr. Nugent has made any opening to your Lordship I am ignorant; though I understand that nothing is more likely.(1) We are all extremely anxious with the hopes of seeing your Lordship in town by the end of the month; and that it may be in perfect health is the earnest wish of, my dear Lord, him who has the honour to be, with the most thorough esteem and respect, your Lordship's, Most faithful and humble servant, GRAFTON. P. S. Mr. Conway would be as glad as your Lordship to have the motion by Mr. Horace Walpole (2); but he knows that there is not a member in the House whom he could not induce to undertake it sooner than him. Would not a line from your Lordship induce Lord Bruce to undertake ours? I do not know him at all. I dare not hope that you have succeeded with Lord Spencer.(3) (1) See Vol. II. p. 418. In the December following, Mr. Nugent was appointed one of the lords of trade, and raised to dignities of a baron and viscount of Ireland, by the title of Baron Nugent of Carlanstown, and Viscount Clare. (2) "You have made me laugh," writes Horace Walpole to Mr. Conway, on the 18th, "and somebody else makes me stare. But why me? Here is that hopeful young fellow, Sir John Rushout, the oldest member of the House, and, as extremes meet, very proper to begin again; why overlook him?" (3) John, first Earl Spencer, grandfather of the present earl. Mr. Henry Flood, in a letter to Lord Charlemont, says, "Lord Spencer, I saw, moved the address; he was inaudible, THE EARL OF SHELBURNE TO THE EARL OF СНАТНАМ. Hill Street, Saturday, October 18, 1766. MY LORD, YOUR Lordship will receive enclosed a letter from Lord Rochford. He is now ready to set out for Paris. I should be unjust towards his Lordship, if I did not join him in wishing very much that he could have the advantage of those lights, which your Lordship's conversation certainly would give. him, if it is not inconvenient. It would be troublesome to submit to your Lordship all that has passed from me to him, on the different points pending. The three articles proposed to be added to the instructions given the former ambassador will convey to your Lordship the general line of what I took the liberty to recommend more particularly to his attention. The article of Dunkirk I found very strongly stated in the former instructions. The Duke of Richmond made Dunkirk his road. Lord Rochford begs not to do this; as he says it was the first thing that disgusted not only the court but the people of France against the Duke of Richmond; but that he will be very ready to go Lord Hillsborough seconded it, and what he said was a bad opposition to it. Lord Suffolk did it much more favour by opposing it; he spoke pompous nothings. Lord Shelburne was better, and the Duke of Grafton worse, than I expected. Lord Lyttelton was reasonable, and Lord Temple as bad as he could be." some time hence from Paris to examine the state of it. I took care to lay before the King the contents of your Lordship's last letter. It had come round to the King, that if a nobleman was not sent to Spain, Prince Masserano (') would be recalled, in order to send a man of inferior rank. This, as well as other considerations, has made the King very desirous some nobleman should be found, and made General Conway think of Lord Hillsborough. I cannot say it met my idea; not because I do not think Lord Hillsborough most extremely fit, but I am convinced, all things considered, that he will also decline: but as the King put it upon my saying, that his affairs might suffer by a delay of ten days, and that otherwise he thought it convenient for his service that the offer should go, having stated my opinion, I did not think the objection of weight enough to urge it further. This matter therefore waits till Lord Hillsborough comes. As he is expected on the 22d or 23d, it prevents General Conway's writing to him; which he had received the King's commands to do. If he declines, the King has ordered me directly to send for Sir James Gray. I shall certainly not forget your Lordship's commands as to Lord Cardross; of whom the King entirely approves. The Duke of Grafton is very diligent at the treasury, and I hope your Lordship will find against (1) Spanish ambassador at the court of London. you come to town every thing very very much prepared for the consideration of the cabinet. I have the honour to be, your Lordship's Most faithful servant, SHELBURNE. THE EARL OF CHATHAM TO THE EARL OF MY DEAR LORD, Bath, Sunday, October 19, 1766. THOUGH I can hardly hold a pen, I make this early effort to express my best acknowledgments for the honour of your several very obliging letters, and to return your Lordship many thanks for your repeated goodness. The additional articles of instruction to Lord Rochford appear to me very proper. I am not a little flattered by the wish your Lordship and Lord Rochford so very obligingly express, with regard to any lights of mine, concerning the embassy to Paris; but as it must be impossible for me to enter here, at this distance and on the sudden, into a matter already very properly. settled, I cannot think of my Lord Rochford's taking the trouble of a journey, which could no way be of any use to the King's service. If I am able, I purpose going about Wednesday next for one day to Burton Pynsent. The idea of a change in the board of trade, by proposing the embassy to Spain to Lord Hills borough, was, I confess, the thing in the world the least expected by me. What are the motives to this desultory step, unfixing the most critical office in the kingdom, so happily fixed, through and by my channel, I cannot imagine. The favour I have to beg of your Lordship is, that when the offer is made to Lord Hillsborough his Lordship may be expressly told, that the proposal does not come with my advice or suggestion. Had I judged that Lord Hillsborough could, without great prejudice to the King's affairs, be spared from his Majesty's very important service at home, I should certainly have thought of his Lordship for Spain, first not last. Let me add to this, that I collected from his Lordship, that the nature of the business where he is was acceptable to him. I own this incident has made no small impression upon my mind, and gives abundant room to think that I am not likely to be of much use. I will, however, my dear Lord, stop my pen before I grow too serious, and wait a little longer for grounds to form a better judgment of what is intended by the situation I have unworthily the honour to be called to by the King's gracious favour. Give me leave to say, that I rely on your Lordship's despatch to quicken the special commission, which ought not to be long in coming out. The solicitor of the treasury may soon collect the necessary evidence. The draught of the King's speech shall be sent to the Duke of Grafton on Tuesday next. I hope to be able to embrace your |