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 THE 
 
 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE 
 
 OF 
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 
 
 VOL. I.
 
 LONDON : 
 R, CLAV, PniNTEn, imFAlJ STREET Hll.f..
 
 TF 
 
 LoiLdon:Kicliard.BeiitleY, 1859,
 
 THK 
 
 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE 
 
 or THE 
 
 RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE : 
 
 CONTAINING 
 
 ORIGINAL LETTERS 
 OF THE MOST DISTINGUISHED STATESMEN OF HIS DAY. 
 
 F.DITET) BY THE 
 
 REV. LEVESON VERNON HARCOURT. 
 
 IN TWO VOLUMES.— VOL. i. 
 
 LONDON: 
 RICHARD RENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET, 
 
 IJublisIjtr in ©rVimug to ^^r Utajcstg. 
 
 1860.
 
 DA 
 
 50C> 
 P E E F A C E , 
 
 To publish letters which are marked " private and 
 confidential," seems at first sight to be a breach of 
 that confidence on which the writers insisted ; but, 
 on furtlier consideration, it must be seen that the 
 secrecy wliich they desired had reference only to their 
 contemporaries. Their object was to prevent the 
 entanglement of parties, and the crossing of designs 
 which were then contemplated in the transactions of 
 the day. For that very reason, after the lapse of 
 half a century, when all the actors have passed away 
 from the stage on which they played their parts, those 
 documents not only become innocuous, but have a 
 great interest for those who agree with the poet, that 
 " The proper study of mankind is man ; " for they are 
 revelations of the interior workings of that state 
 machinery on the right regulation of which the 
 welfare of millions depends. They bring to hght 
 those little traits of character which are of more value 
 
 83S158
 
 11 PREFACE. 
 
 in estimating the worth of pubUc men tlmn volunies 
 of official papers and debates in Parlianu-nl. The 
 petty jealousies and the covetous iniibitious wliieli 
 disfigure some, are like so many beacons to wai'n 
 rising statesmen from risking their characters on 
 the same rocks; and, on tiie contrary, tlic disinte- 
 rested motives by whicli others were actuated in 
 taking or resigning office, and the conscientious ful- 
 filment of their duties as ])ublic servants, secure 
 so much approbation, when exhibited in these con- 
 fidential details, that they nuist be great encourage- 
 ment to others to follow their example. 
 
 Mr. Rose, a selection from whose private papers is 
 here submitted to the public by the desire of his 
 grandsons, belongs to this class. It seems to have 
 been the guiding rule of his political life, " Nil 
 conscire sibi, nulla pallescere culpa :" accordingly he 
 was an unswerving follower of Mr. Pitt, for he never 
 saw anything culpable in the smallest degree in the 
 policy of his leader, with two exceptions mentioned 
 in his autobiography ; and therefore, though during 
 the life of Mr. Pitt he was anxious that his Govern- 
 ment should be strengthened bv anv members of 
 the Opposition, with the exception of Lord Sidmouth,
 
 PREFACE. iii 
 
 to wliorii he imputed, untruly perhaps, treachery to 
 his friend, vet, after his death, he would have nothino- 
 to do with those who pursued a diffierent policy. 
 
 I have therefore thought it my duty, as his 
 Editor, to take the ime which he would have wished 
 me to take if he had been alive, and to vindi- 
 cate the character of the 2;reat Statesman to whom 
 he was so much attached, from the unjust attacks 
 of those who have never forgiven him the lony; 
 exclusion of their party from office. The pens of his 
 opponents have been dipped in gall, overflowing in 
 ebullitions of ill-will, misrepresentations, imfounded 
 conclusions, and false reports ; and, the writers being 
 men of mark and of talent, very erroneous impressions 
 have been made on the public mind, which must be 
 disabused; and to this task I have addressed myself, 
 with no wish to provoke hostility, but with a strong 
 desire that the truth should be known. 
 
 I have only to add my acknowledgments to the 
 Duke of Sutherland for his kindness in sending me 
 the only letters which are not derived from Mr. Rose's 
 own correspondence. 
 
 L. V. H. 
 
 London, December \st, 1859.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 INTEODUCTIOK 
 
 Preliminary observations, 1 ; Mr. Eose's Correspondence, 2 ; his 
 intimacy with Mr. Pitt, 2 ; Pitt's devotion to public affairs, 3 ; 
 Lord Grenville, 4 ; Canniiig, 4 ; letter of Lord Glastonbury 
 to Pitt, 4 ; early history of Mr. Eose, 6 ; Miss Eose's sketch 
 of her father, 8 ; Mr. Eose, a midshipman, 9 ; edits the Jour- 
 nals of Parliament, 10 ; Lord Marchmont's friendship for him, 
 11 ; is made Secretary for Tax Office, &c., 1 1 ; made Secretary 
 to the Treasury, 12 ; the Galloway Stewarts, 13 ; Lord Shel- 
 burne, 14; surliness of Lord Thurlow, 14; Mr. Eose meets 
 Mr. Pitt in Paris, 1 5 ; progress of his political career, 1 6. 
 
 CHAPTEE I. 
 
 Mr. Eose's account of his early life, 17 ; sketch of the Earl of 
 Marchmont, 18 ; Lord Bolingbroke, 19 ; his " Essay on a 
 Patriot King," 19 ; Lord Marchmont's kindness to Mr. Eose, 
 20 ; Mr. Eose loses his uncle, 21 ; Alexander Strahan, 22 ; 
 progress of my political life, 23 ; am appointed Secretary to 
 the Treasury, 24 ; character of Lord Shelburne, 25 ; I obtam 
 the reversion of the office of Clerk of the Parliaments, 26 ; 
 junction of jS^orth and Fox, 27 ; suspicious conduct of Lord 
 Shelburne, 28 ; my last \'isit to him, 30 ; go abroad, 31 ; 
 Mr. Pitt's proposal to me, 32 ; my attachment to him, 32 ; 
 few points of difference, 32 ; Parliamentary Eeform, 33 ; Pitt 
 presses me to vote with him on it, 34 ; my letter to Mr. Pitt 
 on the subject, 36 ; the Slave Trade, 37 ; Paris in 1782, 41 ;
 
 vi CONTENTS. 
 
 the French Court smilo upon Lafayette, 42 ; my 8er\'aiit, Ami 
 Eamel, 42 ; retivrn to England, 42 ; 'Mr. Fox's India Bill, 43 ; 
 triumphant in the Commons, 42 ; the King's conduct respect- 
 ing it, 46 ; immense cflbrts to overthrow the bill in the Lords, 
 47 ; success of these cflbrts, 48 ; a note of the King's on tht; 
 change of Ministry, 50 ; editorial observations, 51 ; Lcttijrs 
 from Lord Percy, 52 ; siege of GibralUxr, 53 ; Lord Corn- 
 wallis, 54 ; Lord Percy complains of neglect, 58 ; promises to 
 come up and vote against the India Bill, 59 ; letters fi-om the 
 King on the elections, HI, 02. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Treaty with France, 64 ; letter from the Manpiis of Stafford to 
 Mr. Pitt on Foreign xiffairs, 04 ; conduct uf France, 05 ; Mr. 
 Pitt to the Manpiis of Statlbrd, 67 ; relations of Russia and 
 France, 67 ; narrow escape from war with France, 08 ; Mr. 
 Eose summoned by Mr. Pitt^ 69 ; political career of Mr. Eden, 
 70; Commercial Treaty with France, 71; letters of Mr. 
 Eden to Mr. Eose, dwelling on his own merits, and soliciting 
 an Irish Peerage, 72 — 81 ; Sir George Eose, 81 ; Sir Hugh 
 Eose, 82 ; letters of Mr. "Wood, Principal of St. John's, Cam- 
 bridge, 82 ; letter of Mv. Pitt to Marquis of Stafford, on the 
 state of Foreign Affairs, 84 ; the King's illness, 86 ; Mr. Pitt'.s 
 interview with him, 86 ; the Prince of "Wales, 87 ; Pitt's 
 interview with liini, 87 ; state of affairs during the King's 
 illness, 88 ; Mr. Fox, 89 ; Ministerial difficulties, 90 ; Mr. 
 Pitt visits the King, 90 ; meeting of Parliament, 91 ; Mr. Pitt's 
 consideration for the King, 91; Mr. Pitt to the Marquis of 
 Stafford, on the King's illness, 92 ; Mr. Pitt to Eiirl Gower, 93 ; 
 the King's recovery, 93 ; Miss Eose's recollections of the 
 King's illness, 94 ; nature of the King's insanity, 94 ; obser- 
 vations of the King during his ilLuess, 95 ; conduct of Lord 
 Thurlow,9 5 ; Lord GrenviUe, 96 ; letter to Mr. Pitt from 
 the King, 97 ; the King's cordial approbation of ^Mr. Pitt's 
 conduct, 98 ; Mr. Pitt to Mr. Eose, on Lord Thurlow's dis- 
 missal, 98 ; reckless extravagance of the Prince, 100 ; expenses 
 of Carlton House, 100 ; the Prince's debts, 104.
 
 CONTENTS. Ml 
 
 CHAPTEE III. 
 
 Trafficking in Chiu'ch Preferment, 107 ; our East India trade, 
 100 ; Treaty of Gralutz between Russia and Turkey, 110 
 affairs of Eussia, 111; prosperous state of the revenue. 111 
 jobbery, 112 ; Mr. Pitt appointed Warden of the Cinque Ports 
 113 ; state of France, 114 ; Mr. Pitt to the Marquis of Stafford 
 on j)rospects abroad, 115 ; Pitt's views on the advisability of 
 alloAving the French to settle their o^vii affairs in 1792, 115 ; 
 Lord Macartney, 117; negotiation with the Chinese, 119; 
 Letters from Lord Macartney, previous to his leaving for China, 
 and on his voyage there, 120 ; Captain Mackintosh to ]VIr. 
 Eose, stating his con'V'ictions that the Chinese Embassy was a 
 failure, and giving his views of the causes of failure, 124 ; 
 surrender of Valenciennes, 127 ; check at Dunkirk, 128 ; 
 taking of Toulon, 129 ; death of General O'Hara, 132 ; out- 
 break of the war with France, 133 ; the war justly chargeable 
 on France, 133 ; French animosity to England, 134 ; arrest of 
 Lord Gower in Paris, 136 ; impudent conduct of Chauvelin, 137 ; 
 Chauvelin's labours with Mr. Fox, 138 ; declaration of war by 
 France, 138; Lord Brougham's charge against Pitt, 140; 
 defence of Mr. Pitt, 141 ; union projected between Pitt and 
 Fox, 142 ; defeated through the pride of Fox, 143; Mr. Fox 
 blames the Government for not going to war sooner, 144 ; 
 inconsistency of Mr. Fox, 144; contract between Wliig and 
 Tory pohcy, 145; anarchical state of France, 146; overtures 
 for peace, 147 ; criticism of Lord Jolin Eussell, 148 ; Pitt's 
 objects in the war, 149; obstinacy of the Convention, 150; 
 the National Convention, and the London Corresponding 
 Society, 151 ; conduct of Mr. Fox, 152 ; alienation of liis 
 party, 152 ; Lord Mahnesbury's opinion of Fox's policy, 153 ; 
 Fox's pleasure at the triumph of France over England, 153 ; 
 dangerous state of public feeling, 154; Mr. Fox, 155 ; vindi- 
 cation of Mr. Pitt from the imputation of Lord John EusseU, 
 156 ; M. Chauvelin, 157 ; war declared by France against 
 Hungary and Bohemia, 160 ; French violation of treaties, 161 ; 
 Count Kobentzal, 162; M. de NoaiUes, 162; haughty con-
 
 viii CONTENTS. 
 
 duct of France, 164; Lord John Kus-sell's mode of aettlinj^ 
 the war, 165; fallacy of his views, 165; Holland, 167; 
 Jacobin negotiations for the overthrow of the British constitu- 
 tion, 168 ; Dumouriez's picture of France after the HHh of 
 August, 170 ; Lord John Russell's attacks upon Mr. Titt, 175 : 
 Mr. Fox's patriotic doctrine quoted against himself, 177 ; French 
 Liberty, 179 ; Lord John Kussell cliarges England with being 
 the aggressor in the war, 180 ; the Didce of Brunswick's pro- 
 clamation, 181 ; proposal of the Duke of Brunswick, 181 ; 
 Debate on the Cimada question, 182 ; Lord .John Russell's 
 false charge of an intention to partition France, 183; the 
 Duke of Brunswick's declaration to the contrary, 184; con- 
 clusion of the defence of Mr. Pitt, 186; Lord Jolin Russell 
 at Aberdeen, — an unconscious defence of Mr. Pitt, 186-7 ; 
 Lord Malmesbury sent to negotiate at Lille, 1 88 ; Ix)rd Gren- 
 ville diflers with Mr. Pitt, 188 ; fixed determination of the 
 French Government to continue the war with England, 1 88 ; 
 Pitt's anxiety for peace, 189 ; conversation between the King 
 and Mr. Rose, on the subject of the war, 189 ; proves Pitt's 
 desire of peace, 190 ; the King averse to treat without know- 
 ledge of alhes, 191 ; ^Mr. Pitt to Mr. Rose, 192 ; negotiations 
 with the Opposition, 193 ; Mr. Rose's dissatisfaction regarding 
 them, 193; details of the new cabinet, 193; the Duke of 
 Portland, 194 ; Mr. Rose's confidence in Pitt, 195 ; unfiivour- 
 able turn of affairs abroad, 196 ; letter from the Duke of 
 Brunswick to the Didie of York, announcing his retirement 
 from the command of the army, 197 ; dissensions amongst 
 the allies, 198 ; letter of Mr. Pitt to !Mr. Rose, announcing an 
 intention to attack the IDuke of Northimiberland, 200 ; Sir 
 R. Cotton, 201 ; reversion of Clerk of the Parhaments, 202 ; 
 granted to Mr. Rose's son, 203 ; high price of corn, 203 ; 
 measures to ascertain amount of com in the country, 204 ; Mr. 
 Valentine Jones, 205 ; enormous expenditure in the West 
 Indies, 206 ; letter of Lady Chatham, Mr. Pitt's mother, to 
 :Mr. Rose, touching on Mr. Pitt's health, 208 ; Mr. Sheridan, 
 209 ; the Convoy Bill, 209 ; subscription for carrying on the 
 war, 210 ; the King's subscription, 211 ; Miss Rose's dislike 
 to Addington, 211; her influence over her father, 211 ;
 
 CONTENTS. IX 
 
 extract from Miss Rose's Diary, 212 ; Mr. Pitt's health, cause 
 of duel between Mr. Pitt aud Tierney, Nicholas Vansittart, 
 212 ; conversation at the Speaker's dinner, insinuations 
 of Mr. Addington, 213 ; Pitt's confidence in Addington, 
 214. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Battle of the Nile, 215; the French report it a victory for 
 them, 216 ; Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton ; Nelson's 
 personal vanity; Lady Hamilton compliments liini, 217; 
 alienates him from his wife; Separation from her; 218; 
 Lord Holland's malignant insinuation ; cold reception of 
 Nelson at Court, 219 ; Nelson at Naples, 220 ; Prince Ca- 
 raccioli, 221 ; Sir William and Lady Hamilton, 223 ; Lord 
 Nelson's attachment to Lady Hamilton, not criminal ; Lord 
 St. Vincent's opinion, 223 ; Lady Hamilton's extravagance, 
 224 ; letter to Lord Nelson from Sir William Hamilton, 225 ; 
 success of Sidney Smith, at Acre, Sir* Sidney Smith's pom- 
 pous announcements, 225 ; death of Captain Wilmott, 226 ; 
 approximation of Russia and Austria, 226 ; honesty of Car- 
 dinal RufFo, 227 ; letter of the King of Naples to Cardinal 
 Rufltb, 231 ; state of Naples, 232 ; the King's instructions, 
 235 ; letters of Sir William Hamilton to Cardinal Ruffo, 236 ; 
 Mr. Rose's efforts to assist Lady Hamilton, 239 ; liis advice to 
 her, 240 ; characteristic letter of Lady Hamilton to Mr. Rose, 
 240 ; her opinions of Lord Grenville and Mr. Pitt, 241 ; Lady 
 Hamilton's mother, Mrs. Cadogan, to Mr. Rose, 243 ; death of 
 Nelson, 243 ; illness of Lady Hamilton, 243 ; defends herself 
 against the charge of showing Nelson's letters, 244 ; accuses her- 
 self of being the cause of Nelson's death, 244 ; Captain Hardy, 
 245 ; last wishes of Nelson, 246 ; Mr. Rose promises to urge 
 them upon Mr. Pitt, 246 ; efforts to assist Lady Hamilton, 248 ; 
 unsuccessful, 249 ; her distress, imprisonment, escape, finds an 
 asylum in France, 249 ; Mr. Rose to Lady Hamilton, on the 
 state of Pitt's health, including discussion of her affairs, 250 ; 
 Mr. Rose urges Lady Hanulton's claims upon Mr. Canning, 252 ; 
 trusts that provision "svill be made for Nelson's adopted daughtei-.
 
 X CONTENTS. 
 
 253 ; the delay in doiiig justice to ^Nelson's adopted daughter, 
 pleaded as a reason for nut doing it, 254 ; letter to Lord Aber- 
 corn, stating Lady Itaiuilton's case, 254; L;xdy Hamilton's 
 claims stated, 257 ; Mr. Lavie to Mr. Eosc, 2G0 ; reply, 2G1 ; 
 letters of Canning respecting Lady Hamilton, 2G3 ; caution of 
 Lord Grenville, 203 ; inaccurate statements of Lady Hamilton, 
 26G ; 'Mr. liose's letter to Lady Hiunilton, 2G8 ; correspon- 
 dence between Mr. Canning and Mr. Rose, on the suliject of 
 Lady Hamilton, 2G8 ; memorial to the Prince Kegent, 270 ; 
 Lady Hamilton's life at Cidixis, 272. 
 
 inAriKi; v. 
 
 Vacancy in the office of Lord Privy Seal of Scotland, 274 ; Loixl 
 Auckland's disappointment, 274 ; Mr. Kose, in forwarding 
 Lord Auckland's claims, suggests his o\\'n, 275 ; Pitt's reply, 
 27G ; scarcity of the year 1800, 280 ; Lord Holland's sarca.stic 
 obsen-ation on Mr. Addington, 281 ; early meeting of Parlia- 
 ment, 282 ; high price of wheat, 282 ; measures deWsed for 
 allaying the panic, 282 ; the distillers urged not to work from 
 grain, 284 ; mode of selling corn, 284 ; middlemen, 284 ; Mr. 
 Addington influences members against Catholic Emancipation; 
 jSIi-. Addington at the (Queen's House, 286 ; notes by ^[r. 
 Pose, and letters from February to May, 1801, relative to 
 the proposal for Mr. Pitt's resigning office, 288 ; Pitt 
 to the King, 288 ; the King's reply, 289 ; the King sends 
 for !Mr. Addington, 290 ; ^Ir. Rose's opinion of !Mr. Ad- 
 dington, 292 ; Canning's marked manner to the Speaker, 293 ; 
 apprehension in the city at Pitt's expected resignation, 293 ; 
 Lord Auckland complains of ill-treatment, Mr. Pitt's re- 
 joinder, 294, Lord Chatham, Attorney-General, Bishop 
 of Lincobi, fall in the funds, Canning canvasses for 
 people to go out of office, 295 ; constitution of the new 
 Ministry, 29G ; call on the Speaker, Lord Chatham retains 
 office, 29G ; Lord Loughborough retires, 297 ; attend the 
 lev6e, the King expresses his marked approbation of Mr. 
 Pitt's conduct, 297 ; Mr. Pelham, Vansittart, Mr. Yorke, 
 the loan of 27,000,000/., 298; Lord St Vincent accepts
 
 CONTENTS. XI 
 
 the Admii-alty, Lord Hobart, interview with Lord Lough- 
 borough, 299 ; the King requests Lord Loughborough's 
 opinion whether lie (the King) could grant Catholic Eman- 
 cipation consistently with his coronation oath, 299 ; Lord 
 Loughborough's reply, 300 ; the King's dread of Catholic 
 Emancipation, Lord Clare, Lord Castlereagh, 301 ; the 
 Prince of Wales favours Catholic Emancipation, position 
 of principal politicians with regard to it, 302 ; Adtlington's 
 intrigues, 303 ; conversation between the Chancellor and Mr. 
 Dundas, 304 ; Mr. Pitt supposed to be urged on by Lord 
 Grenville, 305 ; conversation of Lord Loughborough -oath 
 the Kmg, 306 ; Sir WHUam Grant, ]\Ir. Perceval, 307 ; IMi". 
 Vansittart goes to Denmark, 308 ; the budget, 308 ; conver- 
 sation with Mr. Pitt, Pitt's agitation, regrets that he did 
 not prepare the King's mind for Catholic Emancipation, 
 309 ; the King's ilhiess, 310 ; Lord Eldon, 310 ; becomes 
 Lord Chancellor, 310 ; the Prince of Wales sends for Mi\ 
 Pitt, Mr. Pitt consents to advise subject to conditions, 
 derangement of the King, 311 ; Dr. Willis, Lord Gran- 
 ville Leveson, Lord Eldon, 312 ; Lord Eldon complains of 
 Mr. Addington's treatment of him, 313 ; Lord Eldon's 
 conversation with the King, Mr. Pitt, 314; Dr. Willis's 
 account of the King, 315 ; state of the Administration, 316 ; 
 Mr. Pitt and the Prince of Wales, advice of the Bishop 
 of Lincoln, 317 ; Mr. Addington's intrigues, the King's 
 health, 318; the Loan Bill, delicate position of affairs con- 
 sequent on the King's illness, 319 ; the Eegency Bill, 8ir 
 Robert Peel, want of confidence in Addington, Pitt's confi- 
 dence in the fair conduct of Opposition, 320 ; Mr. Sheridan 
 and Fox justify this confidence, Mr. Pitt's speech, 321 ; 
 improvement in the King's health, Mr. Canning, 322 ; Bishop 
 of Lincobi, Buonaparte attributes the King's changing his 
 Ministers to derangement, 323.
 
 XU CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Tlie King's state not so tavoiuable, Mr. Fox takes the oath.s, 
 324 ; details of the King's illness, 325 ; details of the 
 Kegency Bill, negotiations with tlie Prince of Wak-s, 326 ; 
 the King's conij>lete recovery, 327 ; Ins conversation with 
 Dr. "Willis Lord Chatham, Lord Moira, 328; the Duke of 
 York, the Duke of Cumberland's conduct on the occasion 
 of tho King's illness, 330; Home Tooke, 331; Mr. Pitt, 
 Lord St. Vincent, Lord Eldon, 331 ; Mr. Addington's inter- 
 view witli the I\ing after tho King's illness, 332 ; the King's 
 opinion of Fox an<l Sheridan's conduct during liis illness, 332 ; 
 tlie Chancellor's interview with the King, 333 ; influence used 
 with Mr. Pitt to resign, 334 ; martiid-law in Irdaml, 335 ; 
 augmented allowance to the Princess Charlotte, 33.3 ; the 
 King's kindness to Mr. Pitt, 336 ; pension to Lady Louisa 
 Paget, the King and Princesses at cards, 336 ; the King's 
 attack in 1788-89, and 1801 compared, 336 ; the King's ex- 
 penses, a wish to retain Pitt as a friend if not as a Minister, 
 337 ; Mr. Pitt's fixed resolution not to accept a public 
 grant, 338 ; the King speaks to Lord Grenville on Mr. 
 Pitt's afiaii-s, 338 ; Mr. Kose y^uits the Treasury, 339 ; meets 
 the Prince of TN^ales at Mrs. Malenlin's, the Great Seal 
 given to Lord Eldon, tho drawing-room, 339 ; accounts from 
 Copenhagen, private conversation with Lord Eldon, 340 ; 
 coarse conduct of Lord Thurlow, Mr. Addington in Downing- 
 street, 341 ; state of Denmark, Addington wishes to make 
 Mr. Rose a Privy Councillor, 342 ; Mr. Rose declines to 
 receive the honour through Addington's intervention, 343 ; 
 the King sees the Duke of York on military matters, 344 ; 
 death of the Emperor Paul at St. Petersburgh, 344 ; battle of 
 Copenhagen, 345 ; conduct of Sir Hyde Parker discussed, 345 ; 
 the King's illness threatens to return thi-ough over-fatigue, 346 ; 
 line of conduct pursued by the Prince of "Wales, 346 ; details of 
 the battle of Copenhagen, 347 ; recall of Sir Hyde Parker, 348 ; 
 conversation with Lord Loughborough on his recent interview 
 with the King, 349 ; bill for preventing seditious meetings.
 
 CONTENTS. Xlll 
 
 350 ; Mr. Eose offers his house at Cuffnells for the King's 
 use, during his journey to Weymouth, 351 ; Mr. Eose whites 
 to Mr. Addington to decline the honour of being made a 
 Privy Councillor, 352 ; the King's visit to Weymouth, the 
 King hurt that no congratulatory address has been offered 
 to liim on his recovery, 353 ; the King's annoyance at being 
 separated from the Queen, 354 ; the King takes an aversion 
 to Dr. Willis, 355 ; extraordinary conduct of Mr. Addington, 
 356 ; wavering conduct of Mr. Tierney, illness of Mr. Eose, 
 357. 
 
 CHAPTEE VII. 
 
 Correspondence on Mr. Pitt's retirement from office, in 1801, 
 358 ; the Bishop of Lincoln on the Catholic Eelief Bill, 359 ; 
 letters on the retirement of Mr. Pitt, 360 ; letter from Mrs. 
 Stapleton, a friend of Pitt's mother, to Mr. Eose, expressing Lady 
 Chatham's anxiety to be furnished with all particulars touch- 
 ing her son's resignation, 363 ; letter from Lord Auckland, in 
 which he states that he is " stunned, grieved, and aggrieved," 
 365 ; Mr. Eose's reply, 365 ; letters on the offer of Privy 
 Councillor to Mr. Eose, 367 ; Mr. Eose wavers, 369 ; desires 
 an appointment for his son, 370 ; the King's visit to Wey- 
 mouth, 370 ; letter from Dr. WiUis to Mr. Eose on the 
 subject of the King's visit to Cuffnells, 371 ; characteristic 
 letter of Lord Eldon to Mr. Eose, 372 ; Church preferment, 
 376 ; close of Pitt's first Administration, 377 ; Lord Malmes- 
 bur/s account of the close of this Administration, 377 ; 
 charges Pitt with want of respect to the King, 377 ; Pitt's 
 conduct considered, 378 ; Lord Brougham's remarks on it, 
 379 ; his views discussed, 379 ; Lord Brougham's tribute to 
 the King, 380 ; Perceval and his party, 380 ; Lord 
 Brougham's statement that the King hated the Prince of 
 Wales considered, 380 ; character of the Prince of Wales, 
 381 ; unfilial conduct of the Prince of Wales, 382 ; Fox and 
 his followers, 383 ; the treatment of the King by the Prince 
 of Wales and the Duke of Kent contrasted, 384 ; the Prince 
 of Wales's complaint to Lord Malmesbury, 384 ; Lord Malmes-
 
 XIV CONTENTS. 
 
 bury's reply, 384 ; the Princess C'luirlutte's ediuation, 385 ; 
 the Prince of AValcs piiblislios tho Kinj^'s i)rivatc correspnnd- 
 eiice, 385 ; insincerity of the Prince, 38G ; the King's reasons 
 for refusing Catholic Emancii)ation, 387 ; the agitation of this 
 question the cause of the Kiiig's illness, 389 ; convoi-sations of 
 Sir George Rose "with the King, 390 ; eharge of pride against 
 Mr. Pitt considered, 391 ; Mr. Pitt's position with respect 
 to Catholic Emancipation considercfl, 393 ; Mr. Pitt relents, 
 394 ; Pitt's attachment to the King, 396 ; unjust sunnises 
 of the Marquis of Buckingham, 396 ; conduct of the Gron- 
 villes, 397 ; the King's views of his duties, 398 ; hostile 
 conduct of Lord Auckland, 400 ; Mr. Rose declines Lord 
 Auckland's further acquaintance, 400. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Negotiations respectmg the jiayment of Mr. Pitt's debts, 402 ; 
 !Mr Pitt's habits and ta.ste.s, 403 ; princely offer of George III., 
 403 ; Dilfioulties of ^[r. Pitt, 404 ; the Cambridge Commemo- 
 ration, 405 ; Pitt's creditors become claniorou.s, 405 ; various 
 modes of paj-ing his debts suggested, 406 ; Mr. Dundas, 407 ; 
 Lord Camden to Mr. Rose, 408 ; Mr. Pitt's debts, 408 ; efforts of 
 his friends, 409 ; plan of Lord Camden, 409 ; sale of HoUwood 
 proposed, 410 ; Mr. Rose to Lord Camden on the subject of 
 Pitt's debts, 411 ; some merchants of London offer to rai.se 
 100,000^. to pay Mr. Pitt's debts, 412; the P.ishop of 
 Lincoln to Mr. Rose on the same subject, 415 ; Lord Camden 
 to Mr. Rose on the same, 418 ; the Bishop of Lincoln to Mr. 
 Rose on the same, 420 ; the Bishop of Lincoln sees Mr. Pitt 
 on the subject, 422 ; his conversation with Pitt, 424 ; Pitf s 
 promise not to agitate the Catholic question, 426 ; good 
 harvest, 427 ; the Catholic question, 428 ; contributors 
 towards the pajTiient of ]\[r. Pitt's debts, 428 ; signature 
 the preliminaries of peace, 430 ; ^Iv. Pitt to ;Mr. Rose on the 
 subject of an official situation for Mr. Rose's son, 430 ; acts 
 of treachery towards Mr. Pitt, 431 ; anxiety of Mr. Pitt's 
 friends respecting them, 432 ; wish ]\fr. Pitt to withdraw his 
 advice from Mr. Addington, 433 ; Addington's desire to kick 
 away the ladder, 434 ; the Bishop of Lincoln's injimctions to
 
 CONTENTS. XV 
 
 Mr. Eose to watch the debates for any symptoms of the 
 above, 434; Mr. Eose urges upon Mr. Pitt that there is a 
 systematic plan to injure him with the King and the public, 
 435 ; Mr. Eose acquiesces in Mr. Pitt's wish that he should 
 become a Privy Coimcillor, 437 ; writes to him on the subject 
 of a post for his son, 439; Mr. Addington to Mr. Pitt, announc- 
 ing that the I^ing makes Eose and Long Privy Coimcillors, 
 440 ; Bishop of Lincoln to Mr. Eose, 441 ; Mr. Pitt goes to 
 Cambridge, to Buckden, to Hollwood, 441 ; the Bishop of 
 Lincoln remonstrates with Mi*. Pitt on his support of Adding- ■ 
 ton, 442 ; the distilleries' bill, 442 ; the Catholic question, 
 442 ; Pitt's uneasiness about the state of affairs, 444 ; expec- 
 tation of a fresh convulsion m Paris, 444. 
 
 CHAPTEE IX. 
 
 The civil list, 44-5 ; meeting to celebrate Mr. Pitt's birth-day, 
 447 ; Mr. Pitt's health, 447 ; Election at Southampton, 448 ; 
 the elections, 448 ; the Bishop of Lincoln's dissatisfaction 
 with Pitt's line of conduct, 449 ; state of affairs at home, 
 450 ; the Bishop of Lincoln seconds Mr. Eose's intention to 
 make a statement in the House of Commons hostile to the 
 Ministry, 450 ; Lord Grenville, 452 ; Mr. Canning's desire to 
 regulate his conduct in accordance with Mr. Pitt's ■\yishes, 
 453 ; Mr. Pitt goes to Bath for his health, 455 ; his conduct, 
 on the opening of Parliament, 45 G ; Mr. Canning on Lord 
 Grenville's position towards Mr. Pitt, 456 ; the navy esti- 
 mates, 457 ; Mr. Canning wishes Pitt's opinion, 458 ; Fox's 
 conduct towards the Addmgton Ministry, 459 ; state of 
 our relations with France, 460 ; Mr. Canning to Mr. Eose 
 on the naval estimates, and on the conduct to be pursued 
 towards the Addmgton Administration, 462 ; Lord HaAvkes- 
 bury, Mr. Fox, Mr. Canning, and others on the naval 
 estimates' bill, 464 ; successful speech of Mr. Sturge's, 
 465 ; Mr. Canning to Mr. Eose, on the attitude of affairs, 
 465. 
 
 CHAPTEE X. 
 
 Mr. Eose's Diary continued, 470 ; Mr. Eose's wish for the 
 return of Mr. Pitt to ofl&ce, 470 ; Pitt's diilioult position,
 
 XVI CONTENTS. 
 
 471 ; Addington's dissatisfaction with Pitt, 471 ; French 
 proceedinga in Switzerland, 473 ; the First Consul's treat- 
 ment of Switzerland, 474 ; French projects against the Spanish 
 Settlements, in America, 475 ; the Italian Republic, 47G ; 
 Malta, 476 ; Elba, 477 ; French interference in Switzerland. 
 478 ; our interference against France, 481 ; comparative 
 state of our navy, from 1793 to 1801, 481 ; uur means of 
 going to war in 1801, 482 ; imbecility of Ministers, 483 ; 
 Pitt approves of Mr. Addington's conduct respecting Switzer- 
 land, 485 ; Mr. Pitt announces his intention of being present 
 at the opening of the session, 486 ; changes his intention, 
 487 ; Mr. Pitt exliibits his reluctance to resume office, 488 ; 
 Mr. Canning visits Mr. Pitt at Bath, 489 ; Lord Hawkcsbury 
 seeks IMr. Pitt's advice, 489 ; Mr. Pitt declines to give it, 
 490 ; plan agitated by influential persons to induce Mr. 
 Addington to resign, 490 ; Lord Grenville's confidence in 
 Mr. Pitt, 491 ; Pitt prepared to resume office, 492 ; his plan 
 of action, 493 ; aggrandisement of France, 495 ; general 
 desire to see Mr. Pitt resume office, 496 ; war expected with 
 France, 496 ; Lord Bathurst, 497 ; indiscretion of Mr. Can- 
 ning, 497 ; apathy of the House of Commons, 498 ; able 
 speech of Lord Grenville, 499 ; Pitt's return to office the 
 only safe course, 500 ; protection of the Government by Mr. 
 Fox, 501 ; objections of Mr. Ryder, 501 ; Fox's contradictor}' 
 sentiments, 503 ; Pitt's embarrassing position, 504 ; pointed 
 observations in the Courier on Mr. Fox's conduct, 506 ; Fox's 
 ardent Avish to keep Pitt out of office, 508 ; Count Woron- 
 zoff's opinion of the Addington Ministrj', 509; anecdote of 
 Lord Chatham, 509 ; elaborate and -v-inilent attack on Mr. Pitt 
 in the Times, 509 ; debate on the vote for seamen, 510 ; 
 Pitfs vexation at the attack in the Times, 511 ; regards it as 
 sanctioned by Mr. Addington, 512 ; Addington departs from 
 Pitt's policy, 513 ; the Prince of Wales's income, 514 ; Lord 
 Castlereagh's conversation with Pitt, 515 ; Mr. Addington 
 seeks an inter\dew -with 'Mi. Pitt, 516 ; Mr. Dundas's peerage, 
 517 ; another libel on Mr. Pitt, 518.
 
 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE 
 
 or 
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 
 
 INTEODUCTION. 
 
 The Right Honourable George Rose has always 
 been numbered amongst the celebrated statesmen and 
 political writers of the conclusion of the last century 
 and the commencement of the present.^ From the time 
 when he entered upon the serious business of life, he 
 was exclusively employed in public offices of great im- 
 portance, which brought him into contact with many of 
 the most distinguished men of the age; and their letters 
 are included in the correspondence which is now intro- 
 duced as a biographical contribution to the history of 
 that period. Much belonging to the same epoch has 
 been already published in the shape of Memoirs, 
 Diaries, and Correspondence, but they convey for the 
 most part only the fleeting impressions of the hour, 
 and are sometimes marvellously disfigured by political 
 
 ^ His portrait is included iu the series of " Portraits of the most 
 eminent persons now living, or lately deceased, in great Britain or 
 Ireland," published by Cadell and Davies, in 1812. 
 
 VOL. I. B
 
 2 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 passions and ignorant mistakes. If, therefore, "vve rely 
 upon any of these taken alone, the truth conies to 
 us as much distorted, as if we were looking through 
 the multiform refractions of ill-made glass. They 
 are indeed all useful in their way; for the' history 
 of mankind is but half written, when it is composed 
 of State papers and Parliamentary debates ; but it is 
 only by comparing these revelations of the inner life 
 of statesmen, by eliminating some errors and correcting 
 others, that we can arrive at an accurate notion of the 
 character of those Avho move the mechanism of nations. 
 From the important posts which Mr. Rose occupied, 
 his correspondence and diaries are especially useful for 
 this purpose. He saw so much of the secret springs 
 which give motion to the wheels of Government, and 
 was admitted so far into the intimacy of the great actors 
 upon the public stage, that he could tell of much which 
 was invisible to the outside spectators. But especially 
 does his intimacy with Mr. Pitt, and the confidential 
 terms on which they lived, from the commencement of 
 that great mniister's first administration to the end of 
 his life, give au original interest to their correspon- 
 dence. It is an interest, however, of a very peculiar 
 nature ; it is not that which arises from curious dis- 
 coveries, large views, striking reflections, literary 
 criticisms, piquant anecdotes, whispered slanders, or 
 speculations even in politics; but it is an interest 
 entirely owing to the light which it throws on the 
 character of Mr. Pitt, and the tone of his mind
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 3 
 
 throughout the long series of letters which are now 
 first presented to the public. ■ 
 
 Whether in office, or out of office, Mr. Pitt was so 
 entirely devoted to public affairs, that nothing seemed 
 to have any attraction for him, which was not in some 
 degree connected with them. As long as he supported 
 the Addington administration, he studied the mea- 
 sures which were brought forward, almost as much 
 as if he was to bear the responsibility ; and wdien 
 he grew discontented with them, and ceased to be 
 consulted, he still took the greatest pains to arrive 
 at the facts which would either justify or condemn 
 the conduct of the Government. His statesman-like 
 caution in writing is very remarkable. He never 
 expatiates upon passing events ; he never reveals his 
 intentions even to his most intimate friend ; he 
 never trusts his opinions to the perfidies of the 
 Post-office; but is always contriving the most con- 
 venient means of personal intercourse, when any 
 measm-e is to be discussed. It may be thought that 
 this habit would detract much from the interest of 
 these letters ; but everything which furnishes an addi- 
 tional lineament to the picture of such a man is 
 w^orthy of notice. This principle is recognised even 
 by the unfriendly pen of the Duke of Buckingham, 
 who, wishing to damage the character of Pitt by 
 an inference drawn from Lord Sidmouth's destruc- 
 tion of all documents in his possession, remarks how 
 strange it was " that this immense mass of letters 
 
 B 2
 
 4 DIARIES AND CORIIESPONDENCE 01' 
 
 should have been consigned to the flames, Avlicn every 
 other correspondent of that ilhistrions man has pre- 
 served them Avith the greatest care and veneration." ' 
 Moreover, it is worth while to take the widest possible 
 survey of his private correspondence, in order to bring 
 out more fully this very amiable feature in his character, 
 that when he is unbosoming himself in the most con- 
 fidential communications with his dearest friend, not 
 a word of ill-nature escapes him. He never abuses 
 any one ; he never depreciates his adversaries, and, 
 though in conversation he is reported to have said of 
 Lord Grenville, who had irritated him, " I will teach 
 that proud man that I can do without him," yet 
 nothing of that kind aj)pcars in his letters. Mr. 
 Canning went so far as to regret his having so much 
 of the milk of human kindness, that he never would 
 punish those who had betrayed him.^ Mr. Rose's 
 share of the correspondence is characterised by the 
 same good qualities which liOrd Glastonbury, a cousin 
 of Lord Grenville, and therefore in office, ascribes to a 
 pamphlet written by him on the subject of finance in 
 the following letter : 
 
 Lord Glastonbury to Mr. Pitt. 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " It is impossible for me not to read with the 
 fullest attention and the most anxious curiosity any 
 
 ^ Duke of Buckiugbam's Memoirs, vol. iii. p. 142. 
 ' Lord Malraesbnry's Diary, iv. 26.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 5 
 
 work on the trade and manufactures of the country, 
 and much more so a publication which comes forth 
 under the sanction of your pen. I cannot, there- 
 fore, omit troubling you with a few lines to express 
 my warmest thanks for the perusal of the pam- 
 phlet you had the goodness to send me last week. 
 It is a work which, in sound argument, good sense, 
 perspicuity of statement, and elegance of language, 
 I will venture to say, is to be equalled by few, 
 surpassed by none. Though frequently alarmed, I 
 have at no period of this awful contest despaired of 
 our final success. But this statement has increased 
 my confidence ; for who was sanguine enough last 
 year to be assured that the unprecedented weight of 
 taxes which it was judged wise and expedient to 
 impose, would not affect the produce of the old funds ? 
 I am persuaded that our remaining resources will 
 suffice to carry us through this storm, in which the 
 trade, commerce, and manufactures of the world are 
 staked against the plunder of it. But the former have 
 this advantage ; they are better applied, and will prove 
 more permanent than the latter. My chief anxiety 
 arises from the depression of the landed gentleman 
 with a small property, who resides on his estate. 
 This useful and necessary class of men suffer most, 
 and will be annihilated by the weight of taxes. 
 
 " I am, my dear Sir, 
 " With a very sincere regard and esteem, 
 " Your most faithful and obliged Servant, 
 
 " Glastonbury. 
 
 " Conduit Street, 12th March, 1799."
 
 6 DIARIES AND CUKKESPONDENCE OF 
 
 [Mr. Rose left behind him injiterials ditt'ercnt in 
 character for three distinct periods of his Ufe. For 
 the first, which reaches up to the commencement of 
 Mr. Pitt's first administration, there is a short auto- 
 biography, but no correspondence ; for the second, 
 which ends with his own retirement from office on 
 Mr. Pitt's resignation, there is a copious correspon- 
 dence, but neither autobiography nor diary ; for 
 the third there are both diaries and correspondence. 
 In most autobiographies the domestic life of the writer 
 occupies a large space. They contain minute details of 
 his parentage, his early habits, and education. Of all 
 this, very little is said by Mr. Rose. He was pre- 
 eminently a man of business, and he hurries fonvard 
 to the period when he began to be employed in the 
 service of the State. Thus, though he was a Tory all 
 his life, he thinks it not worth while to tell how much 
 his father suffered in that cause, nor how he Avas 
 thrown into prison in 1745, for too much complicity 
 with the leaders of that rebellion, which, however, 
 accounts sufficiently for his being himself so ill pro- 
 vided for in early life, and for his uncle's taking 
 charge of him ; and though he travelled abroad, yet 
 he records no adventures, no remarks, no incident, 
 except that he met with j\lr. Pitt at Paris. 
 
 With respect to his marriage, which must have 
 been the most interesting passage in his life, not 
 political, he makes no mention either of the fact, 
 person, or date. Indeed we only collect the circum-
 
 THE BIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 7 
 
 stance from an incidental reference to his wife. As the 
 whole narrative consists of reminiscences penned at a 
 late period of his life, all dates and numbers seem to 
 have been forgotten, and the blanks were never filled 
 up. His daughter, however, with true feminine instinct, 
 and predilection for the interesting minutiae of private 
 life, has supplied many valuable particulars, which were 
 wholly omitted in the autobiography. Unfortunately 
 she adopted the habit of writing more with her pencil 
 than her pen, and therefore much is now illegible 
 which might have conveyed useful knowledge. 
 
 During the second period of his life, Mr. Rose's 
 time and attention were too much absorbed by the 
 manifold duties of his office to allow him sufficient 
 leisure for writing a diary, or taking nuich notice 
 of what was passing aromid him. Nor indeed was 
 he at any time addicted to pleasantries, anecdotes, 
 or gossip ; but when he was out of office, or held 
 a post of less anxious nature, he recorded in a diary, 
 till the year 1811, every event that occurred in 
 the political world, with the single exception of the 
 year 1805, respecting which almost a complete silence 
 is observed. Whether this was owing to ill health, of 
 which he w^as beginning to complain, or .to some 
 slight coolness which had sprung up between him 
 and Mr. Pitt, with reference to the formation of 
 the administration, or the policy of the war, of 
 which some traces are perceptible, we have not 
 sufficient evidence to determine. He savs so little
 
 8 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 about himself that it may be convenient to intro- 
 duce here the dates of the principal eveuts of his 
 political life. 
 
 In 1772, he was keeper of the Records at West- 
 minster ; in 1776, he was Secretary to the Board of 
 Taxes ; in 1782, Secretary to the Treasury, which 
 office he vacated in the spring of 17S3, but was 
 re-appointed by JMr. Pitt in December; in 1784, he 
 was returned by the Duke of Northumberland as 
 Member of Parliament for Launceston, in Cornwall ; 
 in 1788, he vacated his seat by being made Clerk of 
 Parliaments, but was returned for Lymington, and in 
 1790 for Christ Church; in ISOl, on the resignation 
 of Mr. Pitt, he vacated the Secretaryship to the 
 Treasury; in 1804, when Mr. Pitt came again into 
 office, he was appointed Joint Paymaster-General of 
 the Forces and Vice-President of the Board of Trade, 
 till January, 180G, when Mr. Pitt died." 
 
 In 1807, under the Duke of Portland, he was 
 appointed Treasurer of the Navy and Vice-President of 
 the Board of Trade. Miss Rose's sketch of her father's 
 life, which is here subjoined, will be the most fitting 
 introduction to his own autobiography, and will show 
 how much he has omitted of his early history. — Ed.] 
 
 " Mr. Rose was the second son of his father by his 
 second wife. When little more than four years of age, 
 he was adopted by his mother's brother, at that time 
 living at Hampstead, and educated by him. He
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 9 
 
 was for a short time at Westminster School, but 
 at an early age was sent by his uncle to sea, under 
 the friendly care of Captain Mackenzie, of the Navy, 
 and served for three or four years as a younker and 
 midshipman. During this time, neither the risks nor 
 hardships of the service disinclined him to it, though 
 he had a considerable share of both. He always 
 spoke of his first years in the Navy with pleasure, 
 and continued his predilection for it through life. 
 
 " He must have entered the naval service at a very 
 early age. His first voyage was to the AVest Indies ; 
 and in May, 1758, he served in the Channel as a 
 midshipman, and steered one of the boats from which 
 the troops commanded by Charles, Duke of Marl- 
 borough, were landed in Cancale Bay; and in 1759 
 lie was again in the West Indies, and was twice 
 severely wounded during the naval campaign there. 
 From the efiects of one of these wounds he continued 
 to suffer to a late period of his life.. 
 
 " It has been stated that he received the appoint- 
 ment of purser to the ship, but, in fact, it appears that 
 Captain Mackenzie was his own purser. Mr. Rose 
 kept his book, wdiicli is signed in a boy's handwriting. 
 The pay was given by favour, probably, and the whole 
 was under the captain's control; but his uncle was 
 discouraged in his hope of advancing him, and on the 
 peace of 1763, he quitted the service. 
 
 " He was then in his nineteenth year, and his 
 own master. His uncle, his only relation in England,
 
 10 DIARIES AND COJIRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 was dead, and tlic small b(.'(|iicst he expected to 
 inherit from him (about 5,000/.), he was deprived 
 of, under circumstances so painful, that lie scarcely 
 ever alluded to them further than to state that, when 
 he returned, he learnt that no will of his uncle's had 
 been found, and that no trace remained of his i)ro- 
 perty. Young as he then was, he had gained the 
 regard of his uncle's respectable friends ; he also 
 obtained an introduction into the best literary society 
 of that day, and through private friendship was 
 appointed a clerk in the Record Ollicc. 
 
 " When it was determined by the House of Lords, 
 about the year 1707, to print their Journals and the 
 Rolls of Parliament, a person competent to the work 
 was sought for, and Mr. Rose was found well ([uali- 
 fied for the undertaking. An office was formed for 
 the purpose under his direction, which, when he 
 became Clerk of Parliaments, was absorbed into that 
 department, — Mr. Rose having resigned the emolu- 
 ments, amounting to about 500/. a-year for his life, 
 for a pension of 300/. on ]\Irs. Rose. 
 
 " While this work was in progress, the active intel- 
 ligence of his mind, which led him to pursue with 
 energy every duty which he undertook, attracted the 
 notice of the peers who composed the committee for 
 directing it; especially of the last Earl of March- 
 mont; and the foundation was then laid of that 
 confidential and affectionate friendship which led him 
 within a very few years afterwards to name Mr. Rose
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 11 
 
 his sole executor for his EngUsh property ; a friend- 
 ship which increased with years, and was marked at 
 Lord Marchmont's death by a renewal of that trust, 
 conveying to him, besides a pecuniary legacy, his 
 books and papers. 
 
 " While du'ecting the printing of EoUs and 
 Journals, Mr. Rose had been appointed, on the 
 death of Mr. Morley, joint keeper of the Records 
 with Mr, Farrer, at whose death he became the sole 
 principal of that ofhce. 
 
 "About the year 1777, Mr. Rose was appointed 
 Secretary of the Tax Office, on the resignation of 
 Mr. Chamberlayne, and was frequently consulted, 
 during the latter part of the administration of Lord 
 North, on business connected with that department. 
 
 " When Lord John Cavendish became Chancellor 
 of the Exchequer, he advised on general financial regu- 
 lations with Mr. Rose, who then suggested to him 
 the measure for the consolidation of the Customs, 
 which he had afterwards, under Mr. Pitt's admini- 
 tration, the satisfaction of seeing perfected. 
 
 " During that time. Lord Shelburne requested Mr. 
 Rose to call on him, to give him some information 
 respecting the revenue. He did so. At the close of 
 the conversation, Lord Shelburne asked him what 
 were his future views. Mr. Rose replied, to obtain 
 the reversion of the office of Clerk of Parliaments, 
 which he had been led to look forward to, after the 
 present possessor, in consequence of his employ-
 
 12 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENX'E OF 
 
 ment iu the service of the House of Lords, and 
 as Clerk Assistant, if the Patent, wliich liad been 
 closed in compliance with an atldress to tiie King, 
 ever should be opened again. Lord Shelburne 
 replied, ' Good God, Mr. Rose, have yon not more 
 ambition ? ' 
 
 " When Lord Shelburne l)ecame First Lord of the 
 Treasury, he desired Lord Thurlow, with whom Mr. 
 Rose then lived in habits of private friendship, to 
 offer him the situation of Secretary to the Treasury. 
 His first impulse was to refuse it, and not to abandon 
 a moderate but permanent oftice for a very precarious 
 one, which might embark him in party politics. He 
 was strongly urged to take the time offered him hy 
 Lord Shelburne for consideration. At the end of a 
 week, the advice of his friends, and probably the 
 temptation of the field being opened to him for those 
 improvements in the management of the revenue 
 which he had contemplated from the time he was 
 employed in a financial department, determined him 
 to accept the situation offered to him, on one con- 
 dition only, — that he should not, while holding it, sit 
 in Parliament. 
 
 " Lord Stafford also urged his acceptance of Lord 
 Shelburne's offer. Pie was Lord Thiu'low's friend ; but 
 I have strong reason to believe that Lord Stafford, 
 then Lord Gower, took a strong interest in my 
 father's fortunes on private considerations, apart from 
 bis knowledge of his ability in the general business
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 13 
 
 of the House of Lords. I always remember traces of 
 
 it. By Lady Gower, tliougli she never visited my 
 
 mother (indeed, she visited very few)^ and by all her 
 
 family, he was treated as a familiar associate ; and by 
 
 her favourite brother, Mr. Stewart, as his attached 
 
 and intimate friend. His wdfe told me, when I was 
 
 thirteen years old, that her husband informed her 
 
 when he married her, that she must be intimate with 
 
 Mrs. Rose, as he felt sure she w^ould like her, for Mr. 
 
 Rose w^as his earliest friend. She said, w^hen I asked 
 
 her where the early intimacy had been formed, she 
 
 could not tell, it had often puzzled her. I then 
 
 asked where my grandmother and her chikben were, 
 
 and who protected them w^hen my grandfather was 
 
 imprisoned in London, in 1745 ? She replied, 'The 
 
 Galloway Stewarts.' She had once before told me 
 
 that the name of Stewart, borne by my uncle and 
 
 brother, w^as derived from the Galloway Stewarts. 
 
 This gave me light, and explained the intimacy wdth 
 
 Lord Galloway and his family, though it fell off from 
 
 Lord Galloway, whom my father did not like. 
 
 " Li one respect, my father had no cause to regret 
 his compliance. Lord Shelburne fulfilled his expecta- 
 tions as far as the short period of his administration 
 and the difficulties he had to encounter permitted, in 
 the department he belonged to ; but he resigned his 
 employment under him wdtli satisfaction, though he 
 left it, when Lord Shelburne resigned the seals, 
 without any remuneration for having given up a
 
 14 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 permanent office. At that time, in addition to the 
 small salaries from the Record and Jonrnal Offices, 
 he had a moderate piivate fortnne, vested in the pre- 
 carious security of a West Indian property, and the 
 remote prospect of succeeding to the offices of Clerk 
 Assistant of the House of Lords, and Clerk of Par- 
 liaments, after the lives of .Mr. Strutt and Mr. iVshlcy 
 Cowper. The Patent had been opened, in conse- 
 (pience of an address to the King from the House 
 of Lords, moved by the Earl of ]\Iarchmont, for the 
 nomination of Mr. Strutt and Mr. Rose in succession, 
 on the ground of j\Ir. Rose's former and continued 
 services to the House. 
 
 " There was then what was called a six weeks' inter- 
 regnum, during which nothing was done but what 
 was absolutely needful, only the King's special act, 
 as in the case of Dr. ^Moore's nomination to the 
 Archbishopric of Canterbury. 
 
 " Lord Shelburne never took any concern in my 
 father's object, nor supported his friends in the House 
 of Lords, on the address, &c. It was done entirely by 
 the peers, who attended to the particular business in 
 that house, independent of politics, — Lord Stafford, 
 Lord North, &c. This was known to the King, and 
 approved by him. When Lord Shelburne resigned. 
 Lord Stafford wished to give up the privy seal, but 
 declared he would keep it to complete my father's 
 patent, then in progress. Lord Thurlow, in one of 
 his sulky moods, held it back, until the King asked
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 15 
 
 him ' if he had not a patent for the Parhament office 
 for his signature.' This, the King told himself. 
 
 " Immediately after quitting the office of Secretary 
 to the Treasury, Mr. Rose went abroad with Lord 
 Thurlow, and returning in the autumn of 1783, 
 through Paris, he there met Mr. Pitt, whom he had 
 previously known when he was Chancellor of the 
 Exchequer in Lord Shelburne's administration, and 
 of whom he at once formed a true estimation. At 
 Paris they became more fully acquainted Avith each 
 other. They returned to England impressed with the 
 same views of the important occurrences of the time, 
 too well remembered to require a more particular 
 mention here. 
 
 "When Mr. Pitt became Prime Minister in 1784, 
 Mr. Rose was again appointed Secretary to the 
 Treasury, which office he held during the whole 
 of ]\Ir. Pitt's administration, and his objections to 
 sitting in Parliament being removed by his knowledge 
 of jMr. Pitt's character and his perfect reliance on 
 him, he was, in the general election in 1784, returned 
 member for Launceston. Mr. Pitt's sense of the 
 sacrifice Mr. Rose had made in resigning the office of 
 Secretary to the Treasury, was met by his appointing 
 him, unsolicited, to the first situation for fife which 
 fell to his disposal, the Mastership of the Pleas in 
 the Court of Exchequer ; which place he afterwards 
 allowed him to resign in favour of his youngest 
 son. ]\Iy father was brought into Parliament, in
 
 16 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 1784, by the private friendship of the Diiko of 
 Northumberland, grandfather of the present Duke. 
 
 " In 1788 he succeeded, on the death of j\Ir. Ashley 
 Cowper, to the office of Clerk of Parliaments, — Mr. 
 Strutt having died during Mr. Cowper's life, in conse- 
 quence of the effects of a fall. This succession vacated 
 the seat for Launceston, and for the short nmainder 
 of that Parliament he sat for the borough of Lyming- 
 ton. At the general election in 1795 he was returned 
 one of the members for Christ Church, which borough 
 he continued to represent for the remainder of his 
 life. 
 
 "When Mr. Pitt resigned the seals, in 1801, Mr. 
 Rose quitted the office of Secretary to the Treasury, 
 and was at Mr. Pitt's request named by the King 
 of the Privy Council, and by his Majesty's command 
 one of the members of the Board of Trade. When 
 Mr. Pitt resumed office in 1804, Mr. Rose was 
 appointed one of the Joint Paymasters of the Army 
 and Vice-President of the Board of Trade, which 
 offices he rpsigned on Mr. Pitt's death. Under the 
 Duke of Portland's administration he was appointed 
 Treasurer of the Navy, a post he continued to hold 
 until his death, in 1818."
 
 THE KTGITT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 17 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 REFLECTIONS AND OBSERVATIONS, ARISING PROM THE EXPERIENCE OP A 
 LONG LIFE, THE GREATEST PART OF WHICH HAS BEEN SPENT IN THE 
 ACTIVE SERVICE OF THE PUBLIC — WITH THESE PERHAPS MAT BE 
 INTERSPERSED STATEMENTS OF, OR ALLUSIONS TO, CIRCUMSTANCES 
 AS THEY MAY OCCUR TO MY RECOLLECTION, WITHOUT REGARD TO 
 DATES OR TO PARTICULAR PERIODS. 
 
 Ciiffiiells, September \lth, 1817, in mi/ IMh i/ear. 
 
 As this paper is intended for tlie information of my 
 son, and of those who may follow him, I begin it 
 naturally with some account of myself, to show how 
 I attained my present situation in the world. I was 
 born in 1744. I am descended paternally from the 
 family of Rose of Kilravoe, in the comity of Nairn, 
 in Scotland ; maternally from the family of Rose of 
 Westerclune. 
 
 A brother of my mother,' who was very respectably 
 settled in England, took me from my parents, when 
 four years old, and gave me as good an education as 
 possible. 
 
 At an early age I entered in the Naval Service, 
 under Captain Jas. Mackenzie, who treated me like a 
 
 1 This brother was maternally descended from Archbishop Sharp's 
 daughter, who was with him when he was murdered. 
 
 VOL. I. - C
 
 18 DIARIES AND COKRESl'ONDKNCK OF 
 
 parent, and with whom I hved for some time at his 
 own table. Losing, however, all prospect of proniotion 
 in the only desirable line in the Navy, I (piitted it 
 permanently in 1 7(5:2. 
 
 In the beginning of 1 H')'-), I a|)|)lied myself to the 
 study of Records, ami in 17()7, when the House of 
 Lords decided to print their early proceedings, ;ill the 
 Record otticers were ordered to attend the committee 
 appointed for that })nr[)ose ; amongst whom I appearetl 
 for ^Ir. Morley, who was then keej)er of the Records 
 in the receipt of the Exchecpier, preserved in the 
 chapter-house at Westminster. 
 
 Of that committee the late Earl of Marchmont was 
 in the chair, to whom I was an al)solute stranger. It 
 was upon luy attendance there that my ac(piaintance 
 with him connnenced, which formed to a verv great 
 extent the comfort, as well as led to the advantages, 
 of ray future Hfe. Here, therefore, I think it right 
 to make some mention of him. He was a man of 
 most distinguished talents and learning ; he had 
 read more deeply in the classics, history and in civil 
 law, than any man I ever knew, — combining the 
 three branches. He entered public life at an early 
 age, having been chosen for the town of Berwick, 
 and soon made a considerable figure in the House 
 of Commons in opposition to Sir liobert Walpole; 
 which party he led after the secession of Mr. Pulteney. 
 When his seat became vacant on his succession to 
 the peerage on the death of his father, Sir Robert 
 said to Mr. JMorley (who lived on terms of great 
 private familiarity with him) that he was relieved
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOUGE HOSE. 19 
 
 from tlie most troublesome opponent he had in the 
 house. 
 
 TJic Earl had lived in habits of the closest inti- 
 macy with Lord Bolingbroke, both in England and 
 in Erance. This afforded opportunities, in frequently 
 repeated conversations, for his lordship's stating to 
 me everything interesting which passed in the reign 
 of Queen Anne and George the First, as familiarly 
 as if the occurrences had taken place in his own time ; 
 some of these will probably be stated hereafter. 
 
 I will here, however, in justice to the memory of 
 my invaluable friend, say that on religious points 
 there was no union of sentiinents between these two 
 men. On the other hand, it appears by a letter of 
 Lord Bolingbroke's, dated in 1740, from Angeville, 
 that he had actually written some essays dedicated to 
 the Earl of Marchmont, of a very different tendency 
 from his former w^orks. These essays, on his death, 
 fell into the hands of Mr. Mallet, his executor, who 
 had at the latter end of his hfe acquired a decided 
 influence over him,^ and they did not appear among 
 
 ' This influence was acquired by constant attention, and prin- 
 cipally by exposing to his lordship the breach of engagement of 
 Mr. Pope, in allowing Lord B.'s Essay on a Patiiot King to be printed. 
 His lordship had printed six copies of it himself, which he gave 
 to Lord Chesterfield, Sir Wm. Wyndham, Mr. Littleton, Mr. Pope, 
 Lord Marchmont, and to Lord Cornbury, at whose instjance he 
 wrote it. Mr. Pope lent his copy to Mr. Allen, of Bath ; who was so 
 delighted with it that he had an impression of 500 taken oft", 
 but locked them up securely in a warehouse, not to see the light 
 till Lord Bolingbroke's permission sl.ould be obtained. On the dis- 
 covery, Lord Marchmont (then living in Lonl Bolingbroke's house 
 at Battersea) sent Mr. Gravenkoi) for the whole caigo, who carried 
 
 c 2
 
 20 ])IA1UES AM) CORKESPON'DENCE Ol' 
 
 his lordsliip's \vorks published l)y MalK-t ; nor have 
 they been seen or heard of since. From w henee it must 
 naturally be conjectured that they were destroyed by 
 the latter, for \vhat reason cannot now be known ; 
 possibly, to conceal from the world the change, such 
 as it was, in his lordship's sentiments in the latter end 
 of his life, and to avoid the discredit to his former 
 works. In which respect he might have been in- 
 fluenced either bv refjard for the nol)le Viscount's 
 
 %,■ c 
 
 consistency, or by a desire not to im|)air the ])ec>iniary 
 advantage he expected from the jjublication of his 
 lordship's works.' 
 
 Besides Lord l^olingbroke, Lord Marchmont lived 
 in the most intimate habits with Lord Cliesti-rtield, 
 Lord Cobham, Lord Stair, Sarah Duchess of Marl- 
 borough, Mr. Littleton, Lord Corubury, Mr. Pope, and 
 other eminent {)ersons. And his memory being ])er- 
 fect, to his death, made his society most interesting, 
 
 them out in a waggou, and the books were burnt on the lawn in the 
 presence of Lord Bolingbroke. 
 
 ' The letter to Lord Marchmont, here referred to, ha.s a note 
 appended to it by Sir (5eorge Rose, the editor of the " Marchmont 
 Papers," who takes a very different view of its contents from his 
 father. He justly remarks, that "as tlie posthumous disclosure of 
 Lord Bolingbroke's inveterate hostility to Christianity lava open to 
 the view as well the bitterness as the extent of it, so the manner of 
 that disclosure precludes any doubt of the earnestness of his desire 
 to give the utmost efficiency and publicity to that hostility, as soon 
 as it could safely be done ; that i.s, as soon as death should shield 
 him against responsibility to man." Sir George saw plainly enough 
 that, when he promises, in those essays, to " vindicate religion 
 against divinity and God against man," he was retracting all that he 
 had occasionally said in favour of Christianity ; he was upholding 
 the religion of Theism against the doctrines of the Bible, and the 
 God of nature against the revelation of God to man. — Ed.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 21 
 
 as he was in the habit, with me, of constantly narrat- 
 ing anecdotes, and mentioning what had passed in the 
 former parts of his time. 
 
 It was to tliis highly distinguished nobleman I owe 
 my introduction into life, and consequently to every- 
 thing that has since followed. It was to him entirely 
 (then an absolute stranger, as already observed) I was 
 indebted for my being employed in the publication of 
 the Lords' Records, in April, 17G7. 
 
 In the year 1772, Mr. Morley died, at a very 
 advanced age; and a recommendation in my favour 
 to succeed him Vv^as sent by the Committee of Lords, 
 to Lord North, who put aside an appointment he had 
 intended, and gave the office to me. At my own 
 request, however, Mr. Farley, who had been for a very 
 long time chief clerk in it, was joined with me, but 
 he dying a few years afterwards, I became sole 
 keeper of the Records, in which situation I still 
 remain. 
 
 In the interval between my quitting the navy and 
 my employment by the House of Lords, I lost my 
 uncle, who died without a will, in a tit of apoplexy. 
 He had been my great stay in affection as well as in 
 pecuniary support. By his death, under these circum- 
 stances (the particulars not worth detailing here), I 
 was left in a most unprotected state. With a good 
 education, however, and living in the best society, 
 the advantages of which I have largely experienced, 
 I was nearly domesticated in the house of one friend, 
 whose name T mention on account of the very peculiar 
 benefits I derived from his kindness. This was Mr.
 
 22 DIAKIES AND COJUlEtsPONJJKNCE UF 
 
 Alexander Stralian, who entered into tlie world with 
 a large fortune, which he greatly impaired by the 
 South Sea scheme in the year 1720. The remains 
 of it he principally sunk in annuities, IVom whence 
 he derived a considerable income, and was enabled 
 to live well. AVhcn I was introduced to him, he 
 was at a very advanced aj^e, and was never out of 
 his house, except when he changed his residence from 
 one house for another he had at Knightsbridge, 
 during the summer. At his table (a regular one every 
 day, and which I frecpiented whenever 1 had no other 
 engagement) I met almost every man and woman 
 of letters of the time: ^Ir. Hume, Dr. .lohnsoii, 
 Mr. Mallet, Dr. Armstrong, Mr. Scott, who had 
 been preceptor to the King, Mr. Richmond Webb, 
 Mrs. jSlacanlay, Mrs. Lennox, praised by Dr. Johnson, 
 and others. 
 
 The life of Mr. Strahan closed almost immediately 
 after my being employed by the House of Lords; to 
 Mhich duty 1 devoted myself so entirely, that it woidd 
 in any event have taken me much from that society 
 by which I had greatly protited. 
 
 I continued in the execution of the duty entrusted 
 to me so completely to the satisfaction of the Lords, 
 that the House presented an address to the King, 
 laying before him a report of their Committee, 
 recommending me in strong terms to his Majesty. 
 When that report was presented by the Chancellor, 
 Lord Bathurst, his Majesty expressed himself very 
 graciously respecting me, so as to lead to a hope of my 
 being considered when the patent of the Clerk of the
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 23 
 
 Parliaments being opened, should afford an opportunity 
 for it. 
 
 In the year 1777, on Mr. George Chamberlayne's 
 resignation of the Secretaryship of the Tax-Office, 
 upon his becoming a Roman Catholic, Lord North 
 appointed me his successor, without any solicitation 
 whatever on my part. The offer was made in the most 
 gratifying manner, through the brother, Mr. Edward 
 Chamberlayne, then a clerk in the Treasury. In 
 that situation I remained till July, 178.2. 
 
 In April, 17S:2, Lord North was removed from the 
 head of the Treasury, and was succeeded by Lord Rock- 
 mgham, — Lord Shelburne, and Mr. Fox being Secre- 
 taries of State. In the July following, Lord Rocking- 
 ham died. During his short administration. Lord John 
 Cavendish, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, consulted 
 me on everything. He had been advised (as he told 
 me) by various friends to apply to me for assistance. 
 
 On the death of Lord Rockingham, there was a 
 struggle for the Treasury between the Duke of Port- 
 land and Lord Shelburne, the former eagerly sup- 
 ])orted by Mr. Eox ; but the latter prevailed ; on which 
 Mr. Eox and his political friends resigned, amongst 
 whom was Lord John Cavendish. I was one of the 
 very first to whom his Lordshij) made the communi- 
 cation, lamenting earnestly that I would not permit 
 Lord Rockingham and himself to propose anything 
 for me while it was in their power. 
 
 After leaving Lord John, I went to Lord Thurlow, 
 the Chancellor, on a pressing message desiring to see 
 me; when he at once asked me abruptly if I would be
 
 24 DIARIES AND COURKSrONDKNCK OF 
 
 Secretary of the Treasury ; wliicli was lollowccl by a 
 question from me, 'Arc you to be Tirst Lord?' to 
 which he rephed with an oath, ' No ; but Shclburne 
 is.' A conversation followed, in which I expressed 
 great surprise at the j)roposal, and at its being made 
 through him. Me accounted for it, by Lord Shclburne 
 thinking if it had been made ]>y himself I should have 
 refused it, and that probably his lordship (Thurlow) 
 might prevail with me to accept it. I, however, stated 
 a strong objection to it, and under that impression 
 left the Chancellor. On my reaching home, 1 learnt 
 from J\Irs. Rose that Mrs. Strachey had been with her, 
 and mentioned that she was looking out in West- 
 minster for a house, as her husband, a very old friend 
 of mine, understood he was to contimie one of the 
 Secretaries of the Treasury, in which otticc lie was 
 placed by Lord Rockingham. 
 
 After several days' deliberation, I was prevailed 
 ujjon to accept the offer, with a considerable disin- 
 clination on my part. I made no bargain or condition 
 of any sort for the event of retiring, though I gave up 
 the valuable situation, a permanent one, of Secretary 
 of Taxes, worth then more than £900 a year, with a 
 certain prospect of improving, besides a small office in 
 the Exchequer that required only a few days' attendance 
 in the year, to take the very precarious one, under an 
 unsettled Government, of Secretary to the Treasury. 
 
 A stranger to Lord Shclburne, and in utter igno- 
 rance of the line of politics he meant to })ursue, 1 
 made it an express condition that 1 would not come 
 into Parliament.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 25 
 
 On the opening of the session, however, it was found 
 that Mr. Orde (my colleague, afterwards Lord Bolton) 
 was under great difficulty in getting in ; and Lord 
 Shelburne, without any communication with me, pre- 
 vailed on Sir Richard Worsley to vacate his seat for 
 Newport, in the Isle of Wight, that I might be chosen 
 for that place. In the course of the summer and 
 autumn I had experienced very uncomfortable feelings 
 from the temper and disposition of Lord Shelburne ; 
 sometimes passionate or unreasonable, occasionally 
 betraying suspicions of others entirely groundless, and 
 at other times offensively flattering. I have frequently 
 been puzzled to decide which part of his conduct was 
 least to be tolerated. 
 
 This proceeding to force me into Parliament occa- 
 sioned much heat on both sides ; but I maintained 
 my resolution, and Mr. Pepper Arden, the Solicitor- 
 General, was chosen for Newport. 
 
 Having made no conditions whatever on giving up 
 my former employments, I thought it an act of justice 
 to myself to secure what was evidently intended for 
 me by the House of Lords and the King. Till now I 
 had been contented to wait for events respecting the 
 Parliament office, as I had not before a political or 
 private enemy to impede my access to it. Sure how- 
 ever, although not in the House of Commons, of now 
 becoming an object of resentment, I was naturally 
 desirous of protecting myself against suffering by 
 that ; and I was indeed urged most strongly by Lord 
 Marchmont, who expressed his determination to bring 
 the matter under the ronsidrratiou of the House. The
 
 26 IJIARIES AMJ C()KUi:si'UM>i:NCE OF 
 
 first step was to open the means ot" granting the ottice 
 in rcvcision. In a subsequent year tlierc was a very 
 long and strict investigation by a Committee of Lords, 
 respecting the whole euniluct of matters in tlie Tarlia- 
 ment office, when it was proved tliat great abuses liad 
 been committed by the Clerk of the Parliaments, in the 
 sale of employments undei- him, and in diverting 
 allowances made by the piililie to prixate objects. 
 This induced an address to the King, to recpiest his 
 Majesty would not in future grant the otiiee in n'version. 
 This obstruction was removed by Lord .M.ii'ehmont 
 moving an address, which was carried unanimously, 
 praying the King would grant the otiiee in the man- 
 ner hcret(jfore accustomed, not doubting that his 
 Maiestv would consent. 
 
 Within two days after, the patent granting the 
 office of Clerk of the Parliaments was made out in 
 favour of Mr. Samuel Strutt, the Clerk Assistant of 
 the House of Lords, and to myself in reversion, after 
 the death of Mr. Ashley Cowper, then more than 
 eighty years of age. Thus was secured to me the suc- 
 cession to the office on the death of Mr. Strutt, and 
 the situation of Clerk Assistant (if I should choose to 
 take it) on Mr. Strutt becoming Clerk of the Parlia- 
 ments. Li the proceeding for opening the patent Lord 
 Shelburne had no share: he was not even in the House 
 when Lord Marchniont moved the address: Lord 
 ThurJow, the Chancellor, had given it all the counte- 
 nance in his power, and Lord Shelburne consented. 
 
 In the interval between the ai)pointment of Lord 
 Shelburne to the Treasury in July, and the meeting
 
 THE IIIGIIT HON. GEOKGE ROSE. 27 
 
 of Parliament in the winter, his Lordship made every 
 exertion in his power to gain strength in the House of 
 Commons ; the King, at his instance, having written 
 earnestly to Lord North and to some others, who it 
 w^as thought might be influenced thereby, to support 
 the administration. It was, however, found soon after 
 the commencement of the session, how ineffectual those 
 exertions were. Lord Shelburne had entered upon 
 office without previously ascertaining what support 
 he could rely on, or might have reasonable prospect 
 of receiving; and it soon appeared how formidable 
 an opposition he had to encounter. A coalition was 
 formed between Lord North and Mr. Fox, uniting 
 the two great parties who had long acted under these 
 eminent leaders : — the principal agent in which was 
 Mr. Eden, afterwards Lord Auckland, wdio made 
 much use of Mr. North, the eldest son of his father, in 
 bringing the two principals together. 
 
 This junction was made manifest by the vote on the 
 Peace, which was carried by a majority of seventeen. 
 The numbers being 190 to 207. The person who 
 moved the censure upon it was the Earl of Surrey, who, 
 (luring the short administration of Lord Shelburne, 
 had obtained everything he asked ; professing the 
 most determined attachment to his lordship, and living 
 much at his table. During that period, very little in- 
 teresting to myself occurred, except the alternate 
 violence and flattery of Lord Shelburne, before alluded 
 to ; which made my situation so thoroughly unpleasant 
 to me, that I felt the certain removal from office as a 
 relief. There were other qualities in his lordship that
 
 28 DIARIES AND CORKESPONDKNCE OF 
 
 were uncomfortable to nie ; a suspicion of almost every 
 one he had intercourse with, a want of sincerity, and 
 a habit of listening to every tale-bearer who would 
 give him intelligence or news of any sort. 
 
 Under these circumstances, I parted from him with 
 feelings of no pleasant nature, and I believe he had no 
 regret at the separation, lie took not the least notice 
 of the unprovided state in which I was left, from having 
 made no conditions for myself when I came to the 
 Treasury. It was the first instance of a gentleman 
 giving up an income to take the Secretaryship of the 
 Treasury, without something being secured to him on 
 his retiring or being removed, or being given to him 
 previous to his removal It is true I had the reversion 
 of the place of Clerk of the Parliaments, but there was 
 a life in it before me very nearly as good as my own, 
 for Mr. Strutt was only two years older than myself, 
 and the grant had no relation whatever to my accept- 
 ance of the Secretaryship of the Treasiu-y. So far, 
 therefore, as Lord Shelburne was concerned, I was 
 left completely upon the pavement ; of which, how- 
 ever, I made no complaint to any one, nor remonstrance 
 to his lordshi}), though my case was strengthened by 
 my having reduced the income of the Secretary greatly. 
 
 The income had arisen from fees on every instru- 
 ment that was issued from, or passed through, the 
 office ; an unpleasant and objectionable source, which 
 hiduced nie to propose that all the fees received in 
 the dej)artmeut should be carried to a fund, from 
 M"hich the secretaries and clerks should be paid. 
 I settled the income of the Secretaries, with the 
 approbation of the Board, at £3,000 a year in peace
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 29 
 
 and war, at which it remained till the year 17 , 
 when Mr. Pitt, thmking that too low for the increased 
 expense of living, and utterly insufhcient for maintain- 
 ing the appearance necessary to the situation, and the 
 unavoidable charges of it, added £1 ,000 a year. When 
 the minute was made for that addition, I wrote under 
 it, that being in possession of a valuable sinecure 
 office, I would not avail myself of the increased 
 salary ; and I never took a shilling of it. 
 
 Previously to the removal of Lord Slielburne from 
 the Treasury, an arrangement was made in the office 
 which occasioned five vacancies. Two of these he filled 
 himself, by Mr. Alcock and Mr. Cipriani ; one he gave 
 to Mr. Pitt, who appointed a gentleman who soon ex- 
 changed the place for another situation; the fourth he 
 conferred on Mr. Orde (my colleague), who appointed 
 Mr. Joseph Smith, afterwards ]\[r. Pitt's private 
 secretary. The fifth he gave to me, and I appointed 
 Mr. Chinnery, a sort of secretary to Lord Thurlow^ 
 the Chancellor, who was likely to be turned adrift on 
 his lordship going out of office, with little hope of 
 receiving support from his father, who was a Avriting- 
 master. 
 
 An intimation was conveyed to me by Mr. James 
 Grenville that I might remain in the Treasury if I 
 wished it, which he was authorized to suggest by Mr. 
 Frederic Montague, one of the new lords : but I 
 declined it, although I felt that I was at full liberty, not 
 having been in Parliament, nor having mixed in Lord 
 Shelburne's politics in any manner; having certainly 
 no obligations of any kind whatever to his lordship.
 
 30 DIARIES AND CORllKSroXDENCI-: OF 
 
 I went out of otficc vvitli Lord Shclhiinu- on tcriii!* 
 of civility and good corrt'spondence, tlioutjii not with 
 cordiality ; but an incident occurred a week or two 
 afterwards which occasioned a Hnal and determined 
 separation. iJeforc the Island of St. Christopher wjis 
 taken in the war, Mr. Gauunin (brother-in-law to 
 the Duke of Graffon bv havini' married the Duki 's 
 sister, and to tiio Duke of Cliandos by the Duke 
 having married Mr. Gammin's sister) was Collector 
 of the Customs there. After the capture of the island 
 Mr. Gammin was made Secretary of Excise. On the 
 peace Mr. Gammin had the option of the two em- 
 ployments; he chose the latter; on which I recjuested 
 Lord Shelburne to give the Collectorship of St. 
 Christopher's to Mr. Diver, a brother of Mrs. Rose's, 
 who was Collector of Dominica, not quite so good in 
 point of income, and the society inferior. In this 
 Lord Shelburne acquiesced ; but on the coming in 
 of the new government, Mr. Gammin had iutluence 
 enough to obtain his former ottice at St. Christopher's 
 with the consent of Lord Shelburne, retaining also 
 the secretaryship of excise, and Mr, Diver was 
 not restored to Dominica, which his lordshij) had 
 given to Mr. Grove, the brother of one of his agents 
 in the citv. 
 
 On this transaction 1 had an interview with his lord- 
 ship, in which I stated to him in very plain and 
 intelligible expressions the sense I had of his conduct, 
 and my determination never to be in a room with him 
 again while in existence. From Lord Shelburne's in 
 Berkeley Square I went to ^Iv. Pitt, then staying with
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 31 
 
 his brother, Lord Chatham, in Savile Row, and 
 explained to him all that had passed on this private 
 subject, telling him at the same time the determina- 
 tion I had taken to separate for ever from Lord Shel- 
 burne ; adding that it would be most painful to me 
 if that sliould be the occasion of a separation from 
 hiin also, but, distressing as such an alternative would 
 be, I must encounter that rather than have any inter- 
 course whatever in future with Lord Shelburne. Mr. 
 Pitt expressed great regret at the communication, but 
 entered on nothing confidential. 
 
 During the nine months of the administration I 
 had not nuich intercourse with Mr. Pitt except at the 
 Board, and sometimes at dinner at Lord Shelburne's ; 
 but such as I had was remarkably pleasant and 
 satisfactory. * 
 
 Finding myself quite at liberty, after the change of 
 administration, I made a tour on the Continent with 
 Lord Thurlow, from whom the Great Seal was taken. 
 We started in the month of July, 1782, and went by 
 Calais, through Lisle, to Spa ; whence after some 
 stay, to Aix-la-Chapelle, crossed the Rhine to Dussel- 
 dorff, and up the banks to all the places on the side 
 of that river to Frankfoi't, from thence to Strasburgh, 
 and followed the river to Basle. From Basle through 
 Switzerland to Geneva, and from thence through 
 Lyons to Paris. About ten days after my arrival 
 at the latter place I received a letter from Mr. Pitt 
 at Rheims, desiring 1 would stay at Paris till he 
 could get to me, which he said he would do as soon as 
 possible.
 
 32 DTARTKS AND CORUKSl'ON DKNCK OF 
 
 On our incctiiig, tlie conversation was quite conti- 
 dential. In tlie course of it I found he was as little 
 disposed to future connexion with Lord Shelburiie 
 as myself, and he manifested an earnest desire for a 
 permanent and close intimacy with nie. 1 explained 
 to him, that, out of Parliament, 1 could be but little 
 useful to him in politics. lie, however, expressed sn 
 much anxiety on the subject as to induce me to a 
 most cheerful ami cordial assent ; having hesitated 
 only from a consciousness of my own insignificance as 
 to any essential service 1 could render him, and I gave 
 him my hand with a warm and consenting heart. From 
 that moment I considered myself as inalienable from 
 Mr. Pitt, and on that feeling I acted most sacredly to 
 the last hour of his invaluable life ; never for a single 
 moment entertaining even a thought of separating 
 from him, excejjt in one instance. Nor do I recollect 
 differing from him on more than two points. I 
 may as well mention them here, though out of the 
 order of time, because they are immediately connected 
 with the ground on which I professed and maintained 
 ray attachment to him. 
 
 The first was on his plan for Parliamentary Reform. 
 When that question was first agitated, I sat for Laun- 
 ceston, a seat of the Duke of Northumberland's, who 
 told me he was sure I should vote with Mr. Pitt, and 
 that I could not do otherwise. If, therefore, I had 
 any delicacy towards his grace (which might have 
 been embarrassing), this conduct of his set me perfectly 
 free. I naturally gave such an important matter the 
 fullest and most deliberate consideration, havins; before
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 33 
 
 often weighed it in my mind as a speculative point on 
 which I was not hkely to be called upon to act. The 
 result of my deepest reflection was that, if the question 
 of Reform should be carried, it could not fail to be 
 attended with the most direful consequences. It is 
 not necessary here to enter on all that occurred to me 
 on the subject. 
 
 Mr. Pitt's plan was for a limited alteration, to sup- 
 press what were called the rotten boroughs, allowing 
 compensation to those who had the influence in them ; 
 adding to the county members, and giving members 
 to all towns in which there were three hundred tax- 
 able houses. In that, the reformers of all descriptions 
 concurred, notwithstanding the avowed dislike of 
 many of them to the insufiiciency of the measure ; 
 but who concurred in it under a persuasion that if 
 any change could be eff'ected, it would not stop at 
 the first inroad, but that the door being once opened, 
 the Reform might be carried to the extremest length. 
 
 [Mr. Pitt had proposed another kind of Reform, in 
 the interval between Lord Shelburne's Administration 
 and his own in 1783, in favour of which he brought 
 forward certain resolutions which were designed to 
 secure purity of election, and gave the first impetus to 
 the question which is still agitating Parhament. 
 
 I. That it was the opinion of the House, that it 
 was highly necessary to take measures for the future 
 prevention of bribery and expense at elections. 
 2. That for the future, when the majority of voters 
 
 VOL. I. . D
 
 34 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 for any borough should be convicted of gross nnd 
 notorious corruption, before a select committee of that 
 House, appointed to try the merits of any election, such 
 borough should be disfranchised ; and the minority of 
 votes not so convicted, should be entitled to vote for 
 the county in which such borough is situated. 
 
 3. That an addition of Knicrhts of the Shire and of 
 representatives of the Metropolis, should be added to 
 the state of the representation. 
 
 He also proposed Reform in the system of fees and 
 patronage out of perquisites, the abuse of which had 
 arisen to an almost incredible height. Lord North, 
 it is said, cost the country £1,300 in one year for sta- 
 tionery ; one item being £340 for whip-cord. 
 
 In pursuance of the same principle, two years 
 afterwards Mr. Pitt introduced the bill to which Mr. 
 Rose objected. It transferred the franchise of thirty- 
 six boroughs to counties and unrepresented towns ; 
 but a clause for giving pecuniary compensation to 
 the disfranchised boroughs, was the cause of its re- 
 jection. — Ed.] 
 
 Mr. Rose's Diary resumed. 
 
 This great question had been discussed out of doors 
 for a long time, particularly in I\Iiddlcsex and York- 
 shire. The general topic was, that taxation and repre- 
 sentation should be inseparable, on which ground Mr. 
 Pitt's plan was altogether unsatisfactory. In truth.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOUGE ROSE. 35 
 
 nothing could come up to the principle short of the 
 Duke of Richmond's suggestion of an universal right 
 of votino;, because the lowest and meanest inhabitants 
 of the country paid taxes in some shape or other, 
 if they burnt a rush-light and used soap for washing 
 their linen. 
 
 Under the strongest conviction that if a breach 
 should once be made in the representation, all the 
 talents and weight of Mr. Pitt and other moderate 
 reformers would not be able to prevent, in a short 
 time, its being widened to a ruinous extent, I deter- 
 mined against an acquiescence in Mr. Pitt's plan, 
 which he pressed with enthusiasm, not only in the 
 House of Commons but in private, with such friends 
 as he thought he could influence. It was quite natural 
 that he should urge me in a very particular manner ; 
 not from any importance that could be attached to 
 my vote individually, but that a person in my con- 
 fidential post, taking a diff'erent line from him on 
 a question of such infinite magnitude, might lead to 
 a doubt of his sincerity. 
 
 Mr. Pitt could not be insensible to that, and he 
 pressed the question upon me with great earnestness, 
 frequently when alone, during some weeks, never refer- 
 ing to the eflect that might be produced personally to 
 himself. I felt that most forcibly, however, and in the 
 last conversation on the subject, I told him he ought to 
 be aware that from my conduct his zeal at least would 
 be questioned ; that the only remedy for which would 
 be my retiring, assuring him at the same time that my 
 attachment to him would not be abated thereby ; to 
 
 D 2
 
 36 DIARIES AND CORRESPOXDENX'E OF 
 
 which he would not listen. On my going homo after 
 that conversation, I urged him earnestly to aihjw me 
 to retire, which he answered very positively in the 
 negative, and there ended our personal discussions on 
 that distressing question. 
 
 I subjoin my letter to Mr. Titt, on my declining, 
 after repeated solicitations, to vote with him, on his 
 motion for Parliamentary Reform. 
 
 "My Dear Sir, 
 
 " I find it so painful, as well as diiKcult, to explain 
 myself to you in convei-sation on the subject of AVed- 
 nesday's cpicstion, that I incline rather to attempt it in 
 this manner. In doing so I avoid all professions of 
 sincerity and attachment, because I am sure if your 
 observation of my conduct does not impress you favour- 
 ably on these points, nothing I can say will. Having 
 never, however had a political connexion but with 
 you, and looking to no other possible one, I shall be 
 the more readily believed in declaring that in the line 
 I am about to take on the present occasion, I act upon 
 the advice of no man living, nor do I follow any one's 
 opinion. In so nice a matter I must be governed by 
 my own feelings, were I even at liberty to consult 
 others upon it. 
 
 " I will not trouble you with a repetition of the 
 pain I have felt in differing with you in this only 
 instance, which has been increased in proportion 
 as I have observed your exertions to prevail with 
 your friends to agree with you in supporting the 
 measm-e. Every proof of your uncommon anxiety on
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 37 
 
 the subject, lias added to my mortification ; and I do 
 lament, from the bottom of my heart, that I cannot 
 endeavom' to promote the success of it as cordially as I 
 am persuaded I shall wish to do every other attempt of 
 yours to do good to the country. I have considered the 
 heads of the bill very attentively, and I do assure you 
 most solemnly that I could not give my consent for 
 leave to bring one in upon the ground of them, with- 
 out doing a violence to my feelings, which I know you 
 too well to believe you would wish me to do. At the 
 same time, however averse I am from neutrality, I 
 feel so anxious a concern that your sincerity should 
 not be questioned, from the circumstance of one in my 
 situation taking an opposite part to you, that I have 
 determined not to vote against the question, although 
 I think I could state reasons for my conduct in such 
 a case, incapable as I am of expressing myself in pub- 
 lic, as would prevent mahgnity itself, from imputing 
 insincerity to you on my account." 
 
 I need hardly add that at the distance of no very 
 long period, as his judgment ripened and he derived 
 advantage from experience, he came over decidedly to 
 my opinion, and acted upon it. 
 
 The other point I have alluded to was the Slave 
 Trade, — more painful in respect to feeling than the 
 first. This trade, most highly objectionable as it was 
 when considered as it ought to be with reference to 
 general principles of humanity, had been carried on 
 and encouraged by Parliament for more than a cen- 
 tury. So lately as during the ministry of the late 
 Mr. Pitt (afterwards Earl of Chatham) an Act of
 
 38 DIARIES AND COEHESPONDEN'CE OF 
 
 Parliament was passed, the prcaaible of which ran 
 thus : " Whereas the trade to and from Africa is 
 very advantageous to Great Britain, and necessary for 
 the supplying the plantations and colonies thereunto 
 belonging, with a sufficient number of negroes, at 
 reasonable prices/' 
 
 This consideration for the West India colonists and 
 others Avho were deeply interested in the question ; who 
 had expended large fortunes in the cultivation of lands 
 there, or who had made heavy advances to the pro- 
 prietors, could not be allowed to preponderate against 
 the feelings of humanity; but it entitled those persons to 
 expect that their interest would be attended to as far 
 as might be found consistent with tlie principles which 
 it was pretty generally intended should be acted u})on. 
 It was with that view that I suggested to I\Ir. 
 Wilberforce, on his first bringing forward the subject, 
 the means of obtaining the abolition in a manner the 
 least likely to be resisted by the African traders and 
 the powerful body of the West India planters and mer- 
 chants, and at the same time the most beneficial to the 
 poor negroes. My proposal was, to impose a duty on 
 the importation of slaves into the islands, increasing 
 annually till it should reach such an amount as would 
 be prohibitory ; and in any event that the importations 
 should finally be closed at the end of a period to be 
 fixed, perhaps ten or twelve years. During that period 
 a considerable reveime would be raised, which might 
 be applied in bounties to the mothers, in proportion 
 to the number of children they should rear to the age 
 of five years. This would operate as an inducement
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEOEGE EOSE. 39 
 
 to tlie care of infants, to the almost universal neglect 
 of which was justly attributed the decrease of slaves 
 on the plantations. At the end of a term to be fixed, 
 I suggested that freedom should be given to the good 
 nursing mothers, and some provision for the remainder 
 of their lives, out of the fund to be raised in the man-*^ 
 ner alluded to ; and if that should be insufficient, then 
 by grants from the public. 
 
 I argued that a sudden and immediate abolition 
 would probably be the occasion of much blood being 
 spilt on the African coast, as the slaves are brought 
 there from very remote countries, sometimes twelve, 
 eighteen, and twenty months on their journey ; and if 
 on their arrival no market should be found for them, 
 they must inevitably be put to death, as the owners 
 would not be at the trouble and expense of carrying 
 them home again. The event proved that I was right 
 as to the continuance of the trade by this country for 
 many years, while the discussion was going on from 
 session to session, at the end of which time the aboli- 
 tion was incomplete even in England ; and much more 
 so with other nations, who, profiting by our com- 
 petition having ceased, supplied their own colonies 
 plentifully, and cheaper than before. 
 
 Laws of the utmost severity have hitherto not 
 produced the complete effect, and the public has been 
 put to an enormous charge in purchasing captured 
 cargoes of negroes on their passage to the West Indies, 
 infinitely to a greater amount than the sum that would 
 have been necessary for premiums to the mothers for 
 taking care of their children. Spain and Portugal are
 
 40 DIAEIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 %till carrying on the trade to a great extent (in 1817) 
 and France to a limited one. 
 
 It is not my intention to pursue the subject 
 further. I have introduced it solely for the purpose of 
 showing the ground on which I acted. I thought we 
 x had no right to interpose in the manner we were doing, 
 and that we had no means of enforcing the assumjition 
 we attempted. I had not the satisfaction in this 
 instance, which I had in the other in reference to 
 Parliamentary Reform, of Mr. Pitt coming round to 
 my opinion ; he persevered in the course adopted by 
 Mr. "Wilberforce of innnediate suj)pression of the trade 
 in slaves. This drew from me the subjoined letter: — 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " I have had more tlian a common degree of 
 anxiety to continue to make the same sacrifice to you 
 in the Bill respecting the Slave Trade that I did on 
 another occasion by persevering in my resolution of 
 not saying a word or giving a vote on the subject ; but 
 the provisions of the Bill, as it came from the Com- 
 mittee, render it, according to the best judgment that 
 I can form, so severely mischievous, that I should do 
 a violence to myself, you woidd not, I am persuaded, 
 desire to have inflicted on me, if I were not to attempt 
 to state my reasons very shortly against the measure. 
 " It is not possible for me to have a clearer opinion 
 on any point than on this, independently of any private 
 interest whatever. But it would be uncandid if I were 
 to pretend that the immediate hazard or certain gradual 
 destruction, according to the strong impression on my
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOEGE ROSE. 41 
 
 mind, of the property of myself and all my nearest 
 connexions is a matter of indifierence to me. 
 
 " I remain, with the truest attachment," &c. 
 
 I return now to the narrative from which I have 
 digressed. 
 
 During my stay at Paris very little occurred 
 worthy of notice ; but I was struck with surprise at 
 the freedom of the conversation, on general liberty, 
 even within the walls of the King's palace. On a 
 Sunday morning, while we were waiting in an outer 
 room to see the King pass in state to the chapel at 
 Versailles, where several of the great officers were, 
 there was a discussion almost as free as I have heard in 
 tlie House of Commons, in which Monsieur Chauvelin^ 
 was the loudest, who was in some employment about 
 the person of the King, for he dropped on his knee and 
 gave his majesty a cambric handkerchief, as he went 
 through the room. 
 
 My surprise, however, abated, on a little reflection 
 as to the conduct of the Court. When France took 
 part with the United States of America to weaken the 
 power of Great Britain, the King was prevailed with 
 to issue a proclamation, in which he stated, in sub- 
 stance, that the people in British America were not in 
 possession of that degree of freedom which all mankind 
 Avere entitled to by nature. Weak man ! To suppose 
 his own subjects would not apply the sentiment to 
 themselves ! The young men of rank who were sent 
 to America to assist in the Revolution there, returned 
 with enthusiastic notions of general freedom, very dif- 
 ^ He was first Valet de Chambre.
 
 42 DIARIES AXD CORRESPONDENCE OE 
 
 ferent from those formerly prevailing ; and the Queen 
 actually went to meet the greatest of all mischievous 
 and conceited coxcombs, Mons'. dc la Fayette, on his 
 approach to Paris, and took him into her carriage. 
 
 A few days before I cpiitted Paris, I discovered, 
 by the information of Mr. AValpole's servant, that the 
 man I had taken to travel with me was under a very 
 strong suspicion of having robbed and murdered his 
 former master. The character I had with him from 
 Mr. Woodly, through his sister, Mrs. Bankes, was an 
 unexceptionable one, and as he had acquitted himself 
 in a remarkably useful manner through the whole tour, 
 which was so near the close, I determined to take 
 no notice of the information. I brought him home, 
 and then discharged him. It had been my intention 
 to have kept him in my service ; he was a P'renchman, 
 of the name of Ami Kamel, and I believe he after- 
 wards fimired in the Revolution. 
 
 On my return to England, in October, 1783, I 
 found j\Irs. Hose in a furnished house at Portswood, 
 near Southampton, rented of Mr. Lintot. I went 
 there in a day or two after my arrival in England. 
 I travelled post to Winchester, where my phaeton met 
 me. It was on a Sunday, and as the horses did not 
 get there till after me, I set oJBF on foot, with orders 
 to the coachman to follow me when the horses 
 should have had their bait and sufficient rest. At 
 Compton, a little village two miles on the road, I 
 was overtaken by a shower, which made me seek 
 shelter in a small public house, the extreme neatness 
 of which I could not help contrasting with the dirt
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 43 
 
 and inconvenience of the houses by the roads on the 
 Continent. The parlour, in which the family were 
 going to sit down to dinner, was as clean and neat as 
 possible ; and on the table were a nice piece of roasted 
 beef and a plum pudding, — articles I had not seen 
 for a long time. 
 
 I found Mrs. Rose quite well ; the two boys were 
 at school; George, at the College at Winchester; 
 William, at Mr. Richards's, a private seminary there. 
 I remained quietly with them till the meeting of Par- 
 liament, soon after the opening of which I repaired 
 to town at the pressing instance of Mr. Pitt, but not 
 till after the second reading of the celebrated India 
 Bill. The history of this measure, of such infinite 
 importance in its consequences, I had, till I received 
 the summons, learnt only from newspapers. 
 
 Mr. Fox having, by his union with Lord North, 
 formed, as was generally believed, an exceedingly 
 strong government, was desirous of making it a perma- 
 nent one. In order to that he resorted to the measure 
 above-mentioned. There had been for a long time 
 well-founded complaints of abuses and incapacity in 
 the management of the affairs of the East India Com- 
 pany. For the avowed purpose of finding a remedy for 
 these, but for the real object of establishing his own 
 power permanently, he framed this famous Bill. Under 
 the provisions of it, a supreme Board was instituted, 
 at the head of which Lord Pitzwilliam was named, 
 and in the members of this Board, the whole patronage 
 of India was placed. Not only the appointments, civil 
 and military of every description, governors, com-
 
 4i4i DIARIES AND CORRESPOXDEXCE OF 
 
 manders- in-chief, councillors at tlic several inferior 
 Boards, judges, collectors of the revenues, and all the 
 immensely valuable em})loyments in the different 
 settlements at Bengal, Madras, and Bombay ; but 
 also the writerships at home which were to lead to 
 those employments. In the military line these Com- 
 missioners were invested with as extensive an autho- 
 rity, from the nomination of officers of the highest 
 rank to the appointment of cadets who were to 
 go out for the junior commissions. So far for direct 
 patronage ; but, in addition to that, the Commissioners 
 were to control and direct the whole commerce of the 
 country ; and, of course, to bestow on their mercan- 
 tile friends, with whom they might connect many of 
 their political and private adherents, the profitable 
 purchases and sales of the Com])any. 
 
 In this patronage, divided amongst four-and-twenty 
 private individuals, not nearly so extensive as intended, 
 now to be concentrated in one person, the President 
 (for he would, as in other political Boards, have had the 
 influence exclusively), no danger had been appre- 
 hended ; but these Commissioners were not to be 
 removable by the Crown ; they were to be established 
 for a term of years. The King might change his 
 ministers, but he could not shake the Commissioners ; 
 they were unalterably fixed for five years, within 
 which period there would be a general election; on 
 which occasion the exercise of their widely-extended 
 influence would have enabled them to exert themselves 
 with great eS'ect. It was quite evident to the most 
 common observers that this patronage, taking in the
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 45 
 
 whole scope of it, would operate much more power- 
 fully than the patronage of the Crown could possibly 
 do, curtailed and cut down as the latter was by various 
 recent laws and proceedings of the Treasury. It might 
 fairly, therefore, be considered, without exaggeration, 
 that Mr. Tox was by this measure taking to himself 
 a much larger share of power than the King possessed 
 or the Minister could exercise. It was a bold one, 
 and the produce of a daring spirit. He was encouraged 
 in it by the opinions of some of his devoted followers, 
 but warned by others of the risk he was about to 
 incur. Amongst the latter was the Chief Justice, Lord 
 Mansfield. Relying upon a strong support, he deter- . 
 mined to proceed, and the Bill went through the 
 House of Commons with triumphant majorities. 
 
 I had thought, from the first formation of the coali- 
 tion, that Mr. Pitt was extinguished nearly for life as 
 a politician, and wished to see him at the bar again, 
 under a conviction that his transcendent abilities would 
 soon raise him to great eminence in his profession. In 
 this opinion I was strongly confirmed by what oc- 
 curred on the Indian Bill ; I mean as to the exclusion 
 of Mr. Pitt from high office. 
 
 The bill had not, however, been in the House of 
 Lords more than a day or two before matters assumed 
 a different appearance. The King felt how deeply his 
 authority would be wounded, and how entirely he 
 should be placed in the hands and under the dominion 
 of Mr. Pox, from which he had suffered severely during 
 the recess, principally in matters respecting the Prince 
 of Wales. The whole correspondence on that point, his
 
 46 DIARIES AND CORRESPOyDEyCE OF 
 
 Majesty put into the hands of ^Ir. Pitt, who showed 
 it to me, consisting of letters from the King, the Duke 
 of Portland, Lord North, and Mr. Fox. Those from 
 his Majesty to the Duke and ]\lr. Fox were eloquent, 
 dignified, and admirably well -reasoned ; to Lord 
 North, they were equal to the others in those respects, 
 while they were also deeply affecting. The King remon- 
 strated with his Lordship on his putting him, bound, 
 into the hands of Mr. Fox, after all that had passed. 
 He reminded him of the steady support he had given 
 him for twelve years, through the whole of his admi- 
 nistration, till his lordship had himself desired to 
 retire, from the impossibility he found of carrying on 
 the Government; and, in a very gentleman-like way, 
 called to his recollection the protection and reward he 
 secured to him on his going out of office; alluding to 
 the circumstance of the Duke of Richmond and Lord 
 Shelburnc pressing urgently for some punishment on 
 Lord North when he went out of office; instead 
 of which the King insisted peremptorily on a reward 
 for his Lordship's long services, by a grant of the 
 Cinque Ports for his life, with an income of 4,000/. 
 a-year; which he held before during pleasure, with 
 the military salary of 1,200/., or something there- 
 about. 
 
 The feeling which led to that correspondence was 
 awakened and very naturally greatly strengthened by 
 the certain consequences which could not fail to attend 
 his jMajesty being put, completely fettered, into the 
 hands of Mr. Fox. This induced him to adopt any 
 course that could afford a chance of his being extri-
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 47 
 
 cated from the perilous situation in which, unhappily, 
 he was placed. The King, therefore, certainly conveyed 
 to some peers about his person, and to others over 
 whom he had or was supposed to have some influence, 
 that he wished the Bill might not be passed. How far 
 his Majesty, in this, acted upon his own judgment, or 
 was encouraged to it by the advice of Lord Temple, 
 who had access to the Closet, and spoke the opinions 
 of others, could not, I think, be ascertained by any 
 one; but it can hardly be doubted that there was 
 a mixture of both. 
 
 The eflPect produced by this intimation from the 
 King soon became manifest; and on some inquiries 
 made by myself, chiefl}^ through Lord Stafford, with 
 whom I had long been in habits of intimacy, it 
 appeared to me to be very well worth while to try 
 what could be done by active exertions. Lord Staf- 
 ford encouraged this with animation, at his advanced 
 . time of life. He had no acquaintance with Mr. Pitt, 
 never having been in a room with him, but he was 
 impressed with a behef that the country could be 
 saved from the impending danger only by him. He 
 applied himself, therefore, with uncommon zeal to the 
 undertaking, keeping an open table for the purpose ; 
 and the Duke of Bridgewater, who never before went 
 across a room for the attainment of any political 
 object, exerted himself in a most extraordinary manner, 
 by seeing every one he thought he could influence or 
 make sensible of the threatened mischief. At night 
 we used, at Lord Stafford's house, or at dinner, to 
 talk over the occurrences of the day.
 
 48 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 The effect of these very earnest endeavours was the 
 loss of the Indian Bill in the House of Lords, on the 
 15th of December, by a majority of eight; the num- 
 bers were 79 to 87. 
 
 The debate lasted to a late hour. Now long before 
 the conclusion of it I went into Wai^horn's coffee- 
 house for some refreshment, and met Mr. Adam and 
 Mr. St. John comin2r out. In the dark thev did not 
 observe me, and I heard the former say to the latter, 
 " I wish I were as sure of the kinc^dom of heaveu 
 as I am of our carrying the Bill this evening." I 
 returned into the house, and on the steps of the 
 throne I witnessed the eff'ect of thg division on 
 the countenances of those gentlemen. The Earl of 
 IVIarchmont was the first peer who went below the 
 bar ; on seeing which Mr. Adam made an audible 
 exclamation. 
 
 The resignation of the Ministers followed the rejec- 
 tion of the bill ; and a loud cry was instantly raised 
 by them against the means that had been resorted 
 to for obtaining the rejection, as unconstitutional 
 on the part of the Khig to interfere in a measure 
 depending in either House of Parliament. It was 
 urged with great violence that his Majesty had done 
 this with the Lords of his Bedchamber, and others, 
 by which the question was carried ; and it was im- 
 puted in particular to Earl Temple, that he had been 
 very instrumental in this proceeding ; which he and 
 his friends defended as perfectly constitutional, even 
 if the King had acted on such advice as was alleged ; 
 because a peer, as an hereditary councillor of the
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 49 
 
 crown, had a right to approach tlic throne to suggest 
 opinions on extraordinary occasions. 
 
 Measures of attack and defence were resorted to 
 with great vehemence on both sides ; the one charging 
 the Ministers with a deUberate plan to destroy the 
 very essence of the Constitution, by transferring to a 
 party the power and influence which belonged only to 
 the sovereign, by which they would be enabled to 
 maintain themselves in office, however offensive their 
 conduct might be to the King, to Parliament, or to 
 the people. This ground, as before stated, was well 
 founded. If the Bill had been carried Mr. Fox's power 
 would have been established. He boasted, indeed, 
 during the debates on the India bill, that he owed the 
 consequence he had to the support of a number of 
 great families and interests, and not to the crown. 
 
 On the other hand, the Ministers alleged that 
 Mr. Pitt and his friends availed themselves of the dis- 
 like the King had to them, for their conduct during 
 their short administration, (principally respecting the 
 Prince of Wales,) to persuade his Majesty, by secret 
 advice, to take steps for their removal, which they 
 worked up with great industry. 
 
 The resignation of the Ministers having taken place, 
 the formation of a new Administration became, of 
 course, indispensibly necessary : in that there was 
 great difficulty. All those who held office under the 
 late Government were unavoidably excluded; so were 
 Lord Shelburne and his immediate friends, with whom 
 there had been no direct communication from the time 
 of his Lordship's retirement. 
 
 VOL. I. E
 
 50 DT.VEIES AND COT?EESPONDENCE OP 
 
 These difficulties led j\Ir. Pitt, wlio was strnfrclinff 
 under thcni, nlniost to despair. Jiord Staiiord, per- 
 sonally almost a stranger to liiin, had tohl nic he 
 thought Mr. Pitt was the only man who could extri- 
 cate the country from its perilous situation ; and he 
 would therefore take oflice, if it should he thought 
 his doing so would give strength to a (jovernment to 
 be formed ; or he would give ids best support to it 
 without taking oliice, — much preferring the latter, for 
 his own convenience. ^Vhile these endeavours bv 
 Mr. Pitt and his friends were going on, the King 
 remained in a state of the utmost anxictv. \\'hile 
 the success of forming the new administration con- 
 tinued somewhat doubtful, his Majesty wrote the 
 following note to ^Ir. Pitt : — 
 
 " On the edge of a precipice, every ray of hope 
 affords some comfort. I have the utmost confidence 
 that Lord Gower,' JiOrd Thurlow, the Duke of Rich- 
 mond, and i\lr. Pitt, will be able to fill up the several 
 
 ' As Lord Gower licre stands first on the list of (lie King's friends on 
 wlioin he relied for the construction of a new cabinet, and as some of his 
 letters will be introduced, it may be necessary to state a icw circum- 
 stances which marked his accession to office. He was very much opposed 
 to Fos.'s East India J; ill, and when it was rejected, and the \Vbigs 
 resigned, he offered his services to Mr. Pitt, with whom he had no per- 
 sonal acquaintance before, in any situation in whicli he could be useful. 
 Trom his character and position he was appointed President of the 
 Council ; but he was so much above the ordiuary meanness of pride, that 
 in the following year he willingly descended from that high otfice to the 
 inferior post of Lord Privy Seal, in order to acconnnodate Lord Camden, 
 who having been Lord Chancellor, thought it derogatory to accept any 
 but the highest office in the Council. Two years afterwards he was made 
 a Marquis, and was much consulted by Mr. Pitt. His intimacy with 
 Mr, Eose has been already shown. — Ed.
 
 THE RIGHT HOX. GEOEGE ROSE. 51 
 
 offices ; if that however fails, voii know mv deter- 
 iiinatioii. One o'clock will be quite agreeable to me." 
 
 [In the brief sketch of Mr. Rose's life, by his 
 daughter, it may be observed that he is said to have 
 owed his seat in the House of Commons, for the 
 borough of Launceston, to the private friendship of 
 the Duke of Northumberland, the grandfather of the 
 present duke, and of his successor also. Of the first 
 Duke's friendship there is no other evidence ; but 
 with the second he seems to have been on terms of 
 great intimacy as long as he remained Lord Percy. 
 
 His letters to Mr. Rose were very numerous, and 
 some extracts from the earliest of them are here given, 
 which describe a season of remarkable severity and 
 very unfavourable to health. A few of the others 
 show his dissatisfaction with the Government, on 
 account of the neglect with which he had been treated, 
 and which certainly seems inexplicable, in the absence 
 of all evidence as to the motives. His admiration of 
 Mr. Pitt was great, and his determination to support 
 him in the general election of 1784, was probably in- 
 fluenced by this feeling. In return for which, he 
 seems to have thought himself at liberty to ask for 
 various favours, some of Avhich, it will be seen, were 
 instantly granted, but not all ; and hence arose the 
 quarrel between him and Mr. Rose, which ended in 
 
 E 2
 
 52 DIAEIES AND COKRESrONDEN'CE OF 
 
 llic lattei" declining to be his nominee for Laun- 
 cestoii. As it is of sonic importance to correct tlie 
 mistakes of preceding historians, and to shew what 
 erroneous conchisions may be drawn by those who are 
 not admitted behind tlie curtain, to view the working 
 of the macliinerv, it is wortli wliile to notice, that 
 Mr. Grenville writes tluis to tlie Marquis of Buck- 
 in crham : — 
 
 " Onr cousin of Northumberland, has, I think, de- 
 cidedly joined the independent party." — Ed.] 
 
 Lord Percy to Mr. Rosk. 
 
 " Stanwick, .June LHli, 1782. 
 
 "Dear Sir, 
 
 "I Avish I had any information to send you from 
 hence that could amuse you ; but, except that our 
 grounds are drowned "with rain and chilled with cold, 
 and that "within this fortnight the hills to the west of 
 us were covered with snow, I think we have nothing 
 extraordinary. The season is more unhealthy in this 
 neighbourhood than ever was known, owing to the 
 nnseasonablc weather, No family is exempt from 
 illness, whether rich or poor. A great number of the 
 lower people here have died. Two clci'gymen, with 
 wdiom I conversed the other day, cssin-e me that they 
 have buried more persons wdthin this last fortnight than 
 ihoy have done for three years before. My family 
 amongst the rest has not been free from sickness. 
 
 " Your's sincerely, 
 
 " Percy."
 
 THE E,IG-HT HOX. GEORGE ROSE, 53 
 
 Lord Percy to Mr. 1\ose. 
 
 " My dear Sir, " Stanwick, Sept. 28th, 1782. 
 
 " You Avill easily conceive my astonishment at 
 that part of ^our letter, which mentions the intention 
 of appointing Lord Faulconberg our Cnsios Rotuloruiu. 
 What encouragement is there for any man of rank to 
 exert himself in the service of his Kino; and country, 
 when the only reward he is likely to meet with is total 
 neglect and inattention, and constantly to have the 
 mortification of seeing every person, without either 
 weight, consecpience, or merit, preferred before him in 
 every instance, both civil and military ? I may with- 
 out vanity assert, that there is not an officer in the 
 army who has done his duty, in the line of his pro- 
 fession, witli more zeal and attention than myself; 
 and, in consequence of that, it is now fourteen years 
 since I have received the smallest mark of approba- 
 tion from his Maiestv or his Ministers. You may 
 depend upon it I shall mention nothing of this matter 
 till I hear from you again. I beg you will be assured 
 that I ever am, with the greatest truth, 
 
 " Yours most sincerely, 
 
 " Percy." 
 
 Lord Percy to Mr. Rose. 
 
 u r)j,,^j^ g,jj "Stanwick, Oct. 6th, 1782. 
 
 " i\Iany thanks to you for your kind attention in 
 sending me any news which occurs ; and particularly 
 for your last good accounts from Gibraltar. I do trust 
 that something will be done by Government for its 
 gallant governor. The army want a spur ; and now
 
 54 DIAEIES AND CORHESPONDENCE OF 
 
 is the time for Lord S. to ingratiate hiniselt eftcc- 
 tually witli his okl profession. I protest 1 liave 
 neither private views nor private friendship to gratify, 
 in urging some mark of approbation for General 
 Elhot, for I have not the happiness to have any par- 
 ticular intimacy with him ^ hut I wish well to my 
 profession, and, after the shameful prostitution we 
 have seen of military honours, I want merit for once 
 to be rewarded ; that the army may recover the spirit 
 which they have almost quite lost ; and may hope, 
 for the future, that their services will meet with some 
 encouragement and reward. As for myself, the event 
 of every day confirms me still more and more in my 
 idea of quitting the public service. With respect to 
 the appointment of Lord F. the aii'air is now over, 
 and I shall not give myself the trouble to think any 
 more about it. I am very willing to believe Lord S. 
 could not prevent it ; indeed, I am sure of it, as you 
 say so. Adieu, dear Sir, and be assured 1 ever am, 
 with the greatest truth, 
 
 " Your most sincere friend, 
 
 " Percy." 
 
 LoKD Percy to j\Ir. Rose. 
 
 " Stanwick, Oct. 31st, 1782. 
 
 " By the by, I see the papers announce an inten- 
 tion of sending Lord Cornwallis out to Command-in- 
 Chief in Lidia. I believe I have often told you my 
 opinion of his Lordship, He is a worthy, honest, 
 brave man; but more than all that is necessarv to 
 make a good general. I know him well; and I
 
 THE RIGHT JIO^. GEORGE ROSE. 55 
 
 thought, since his last business in America, everybody 
 else had known him also. One thing I will venture 
 to foretell (and I beg you will remember it), that if 
 this step is determined upon, he will lose his reputa- 
 tion — and we, our territories in that part of the world. 
 He is as fit to Command-in- Chief as I am to be Prime 
 Minister. 
 
 " I ever am, with the greatest truth, 
 
 " Yours most sincerely, 
 
 "Percy." 
 
 Lord Percy to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Dear Sir, " ^*^^^^^^' ^''- ''^' '''''■ 
 
 " I never thought that the pleasure of your ac- 
 quaintance could ever have been of any disadvantage 
 to me, but really the millions of applications I have, 
 under the idea that you, or I, or both of us, are omni- 
 potent, make me almost think the contrary. In short, 
 it is ridiculous to conceive the number of letters, con- 
 taining the most extravagant requests, which I receive 
 by every post, founded on my intimacy with you, and 
 the certainty that if I would solicit, and you would 
 only speak, even the most absurd and preposterous 
 demands would be complied with. Amongst this 
 variety, I endeavour to select only such, to trouble 
 you with, as I really think deserve to be noticed ; and 
 am ashamed of the continual trouble I give you on 
 this head. 
 
 The occasion of my waiting to you at present, 
 is in consequence of a letter which I have received 
 from the Rev. Mr. Nicholls, at Leicester. He is one
 
 56 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OE 
 
 of the unlbrtunale American sufferers, who have lost 
 everything for their loyalty and attachment to this 
 country. He is the child of misfortunes ; liaving 
 begun life Avith the prospect of an ample inheritance, 
 in the island of Barbadoes, uhich was totally destroyed 
 by the great lire at Bridgetown. Since this tin:e lie 
 has been struggling with adversity." 
 
 [In the conclusion of the next letter Lord Percy 
 renews his complaints of neglect ; but at this time was 
 so far from being discontented with the political state 
 of the country that he was very much opposed to the 
 schemes of the Reformers. Thoudi ]Mr. Pitt was the 
 person who had been propounding an extensive mea- 
 sure of Parliamentary Reform, the sentiments of both 
 afterwards diverged in op})osite directions. — Ed.] 
 
 Lord Percy to Mr. Rose. 
 
 ,, -r, o " Stanwick, Dec. 21st, 1782. 
 
 " Dear Sir, 
 
 " With regard to my resignation, I can only say 
 that fom'teen vears' unnoticed services have almost 
 wearied me out. Especially as during that time, 
 except for the three last years, I have paid an atten- 
 tion to my duty unequalled by any officer of the same 
 rank in the army. And, to add still to my mortifi- 
 cation, I am the only officer, who served in my rank 
 from the commencement of the American war, to 
 whom some particular mark of approbation has not 
 been given. This, you nuist own, is not exactly the 
 light in which a mihtary man likes to be held out
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 57 
 
 to his brother officers. Not feehng conscious that I 
 
 deserve less than others who have served witli nie, 
 
 some of whom are even my juniors, I confess I am 
 
 not quite satisfied witli such treatment. However, 
 
 as I shall soon be in town, I shall at present take no 
 
 immediate steps. Our Yorkshire meeting have drawn 
 
 up a moderate petition to Parliament, in order, if 
 
 possible, to take in the moderate men. I wish their 
 
 resolutions had been as decent. As for myself, not 
 
 wishina: any alteration in our most excellent Constitu- 
 
 tion, I cannot approve of their proceedings, even 
 
 though I am convinced that if they are carried into 
 
 execution it will be the means of flinging the greatest 
 
 w^eight into the aristocratical scale that ever was yet 
 
 done. However, I hope I am too good a patriot ever 
 
 to wish my own advantage to the prejudice of the 
 
 public in general. 
 
 *' I ever am, dear Sir, 
 
 " Your most sincere and much obliged friend, 
 
 " Percy." 
 
 Lord Percy to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Stanwick, Jan. 25tli, 1783. 
 
 "Dear Sir, 
 
 " You know I never had much hopes of success 
 with respect to Johnston's business. The event will 
 prove whether I judged right or not. To tell you the 
 truth I have been so long used to the unmeaning 
 professions of ^Ministers, that I am rather become a 
 sceptic as to their sincerity. The great comfort, how- 
 ever, is that I do not want them ; for, being always
 
 58 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OP 
 
 determined to live within my income, I trust I shall 
 be ever independent. It is true, indeed, in the 
 younger part of my life I was foolish enough to pant 
 after military fame and reputation ; but having 
 hved to see the first honours of the ])rofession pro- 
 stitntefl to party purposes, and that whilst abilities 
 and faithful services lay neglected, the loss of armies 
 and empires met with the greatest rewards, I am, 
 thank God, now most perfectly cured of my folly, and 
 only wonder at my former blindness. 1 have, how- 
 ever, the comfort to reflect that I have acted my part 
 in my profession like a good citizen and zealous 
 servant. 
 
 " Yours, most sincerely, 
 
 " Percy." 
 Lord Percy to ]\Ir. Rose. 
 
 " Stanwick, Nov. 26th, 17^3. 
 
 "Dear Sir, 
 
 "The last post brought me your letter of the 
 22d, for which I return many thanks. I see with 
 horror for this country the fatal effects that INIr. Fox's 
 Bill will produce if it is carried ; but surely you your- 
 self must own that neither any party, nor my country 
 itself, has any right again to expect exertions from me. 
 When I went to America in 1774, I sacrificed for its 
 sake every domestic ease and comfort that a mortal 
 could enjoy ; I devoted my poor abilities and my life 
 to its service, and the only return I have ever met, is 
 the most perfect indifference and neglect. Xay, you 
 yourself know many instances in which I mav almost
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 59 
 
 say I have been treated with insult. All this surely 
 ought to have taught me philosophy enough, to look 
 with the most perfect indifference on every occurrence 
 that may happen. 
 
 " I lament the blindness of the public, who prefer 
 the tinselled show of oratory to the more substantial 
 good qualities of the head and heart ; but as it is out 
 of my power to correct that blindness, I can only 
 lament and despise their ignorance. I will, however, 
 make one effort more (as far as lies in my power) to 
 save them from destruction ; thoroughly convinced, 
 at the same time, that I shall meet with no thanks for 
 any inconvenience I may put myself to on the occasion. 
 If, therefore, the Bill should pass the House of 
 Commons — and you Avill be kind enough to give me 
 timely notice when it is expected to be debated in the 
 House of Lords, I will set out for London to attend 
 it, notwithstanding the inconvenience of travelling 500 
 miles at this time of the year (for I shall return the 
 moment the business is decided). You will please 
 to remember that the post is three days in coming 
 down here, and that it comes to Stanwick only on the 
 general post days, and that I shall be three days hi 
 going up. Adieu, dear Sir, and be assured I ever am, 
 
 " Yours most sincerely, 
 
 " Percy." 
 
 Lord Perct to Mr. Rosl;. 
 
 " Dear Sir " stanwick, Dec. 25th, 1783. 
 
 " I have this instant received your letter, and 
 cannot say 1 am grieved at the contents of it, for I
 
 GO DIArtlES AND COrtRESPOXDENXE OF 
 
 am really angry. You knew \vliat my opinion was 
 from the bcGrinninc; of this business : — that it should 
 not be undertaken at all unless they were certain of 
 being able to go through witli it ; and, in that case, 
 that it should have been done directly, and a disso- 
 lution take })lace immediately. I am sure no House 
 of Connnons can be more against them than the 
 present one, with which I can easily foresee that it will 
 be impossible for them to go on. The only thing that 
 can now be done is to form something like the follow- 
 ing arrangement : — Mr. Pitt should be Minister and 
 Secretary of State, Lord Gower first Lord of the 
 Treasury, Thomas Pitt Chancellor of the Exchequer, 
 Lord Stormont President of the Council, and Sir 
 Joseph Yorke Secretary for the Foreign Affairs. — 
 Depend upon it the high opinion in which he is held 
 abroad, added to the perfect knowledge he must have 
 of the political interests of the different powers in 
 Europe, will greatly outbalance any slowness in nego- 
 tiation which he may have acquired by his long 
 residence in Holland. It is absolutely necessary to 
 widen the bottom as much as possible; and, after all, 
 if there is not energy enough in Government to put 
 an eficctual stop to illegal and improper violence, 
 wherever it is found, and at all risks, no admini- 
 stration will be able to go on long. One hint I nuist 
 give you in case of a dissolution ; that is, that ^Ir. 
 Drummond, the late Archbishop's son, is the most 
 .popular man in York ; and if he is with you, and will 
 stand, nobody can possibly oppose him to effect in 
 that city. I am not at all sorry for the long joui'ney
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 61 
 
 I liRve taken. The Bill was of siicli a nature that it 
 became every man, Avho wished well to this country, 
 to stand forward in opposition to it, exclusive of every 
 party motive whatever. 
 
 " I shall be much obliged to you if yon will write 
 now and then, for T cannot help, I own, being very 
 anxions about the final issue of all this bustle. 
 
 " Yours, most sincerely, 
 
 ''Percy." 
 
 [The great interest which the King felt in the elec- 
 tion, on the issne of which the existence of Mr. Pitt's 
 newly-formed administration depended, is shown by 
 the minute information he collected about the politics 
 of the candidates, and the care he took to have the 
 most exact intelligence concerning the returns and 
 the probabilities of success. In supplying him with 
 this information, Mr. Rose seems to have been most 
 assiduous. — Ed.] 
 
 The King to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Queen's House, April 5, 1784, 
 " 52 mill, past 7, a.m. 
 
 ''The comparative statement Mr. Rose has sent 
 is very satisfactory. I desire he will continue it, as 
 also the sending the list of returns as they arrive. I 
 can correct his list, and make it still more favourable. 
 j\Ir. Pnltney, brought in by the D. of Rutland for 
 Bramber, certainly should have stood amongst the 
 Pros., and also Mr. Richard Howard, brother to Lord
 
 62 DIAKIES ANT) CORHESPON'DENCE OF 
 
 Effingham, the new member for Steyning (by mis- 
 take called Pnltney, by the post-master). T have 
 reason to believe Mr. Penton, the meml)er for 
 Winchester, may at least l)e called hopeful ; and, by 
 his declaration at Cirencester, Mr. Black well. 
 
 "G. R." 
 
 TiiK KiNP, TO Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Quecn'.s House, April 4, 17.'^4, 
 " 20 min. past 9, a.m. 
 
 " I am much much pleased with the punctuality 
 and expedition shown by Mr. Rose in transmitting 
 the list of members returned, which seem on the 
 whole more favourable than even the most zealous 
 expected. I am sorry to hear Sir Richard Simmonds 
 will probably be defeated at Hereford. 
 
 " The reason of my writing this morning is from 
 a desire of knowing how the election at Cambridge 
 has terminated, though I trust, ]\Ir. Pitt must prove 
 successful. " G. R."
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 63 
 
 CHAPTER 11. 
 
 1786—1789. 
 
 CORRESPONDENCE WITH MR. EDEN, AFTERWARDS LORD AUCKLAND, 
 RELATIVE TO HIS EXPECTED PEERAGE — THE KING'S ILLNESS— THE 
 PRINCE OF WALES'S DEBTS. 
 
 [The subject of Mr. Pitt's next letter is the commer- 
 cial treaty with France, Avhich Mr. Eden, afterwards 
 Lord Auckland, was authorised to conclude. It was 
 the first service he had rendered to Mr. Pitt, and 
 laid the foundation for his employment in other mis- 
 sions, which enabled him to display his diplomatic 
 skill, and contributed to build up his fortunes, the 
 progress of which the ensuing correspondence ex- 
 plains. — En.] 
 
 Mr. Pitt to the Marquis op Stafford. . 
 
 " HoUwood, Sunday, Aug. 27tli, 178G. 
 
 " My dear Lord, 
 
 " 'J^he papers which accompany this letter will 
 show your Lordship the state of the Erench nego- 
 tiation ; and, as it seems drawing to a point, I 
 am anxious to know your Lordship's sentiments 
 upon it. On the different occasions in which this 
 has been under consideration, I tliink we have been 
 all agreed that the concessions in favour of Erance 
 were such as we might very safely make; and we
 
 Gl< DIARIES AND CORIIESPONDEXCE OE 
 
 certainly shall procure a most ample equivalent by 
 the admission of our manufactures on the terras 
 proposed. I flatter myself, therefore, that there 
 will be no objection to empowering Mr. Eden to 
 sign, if he and the French Ministers agree in the 
 manner we may expect from his last dispatch. Indeed 
 the advantage to be gained l)y this country seems to 
 me so great that I cannot help feeling impatient to 
 secure it. 
 
 "Colonel Cathcart has arrived from the ^Mauritius, 
 to which place he had been deputed by the Government 
 of Bengal, and has brought with him a provisional 
 treaty concluded with the French Governor-General 
 on the point of dispute which had arisen in India. 
 It seems to be a subject which will still require much 
 discussion, but, in the mean time, everything bears 
 the appearance of its being amicably settled. 
 
 " I am, with the greatest respect and esteem, 
 
 " j\Iy dear Lord, 
 "Your Lordship's most obedient and faithful servant, 
 
 "W. Pjtt." 
 
 The Marquis of Stafford to Mr. PiTr. 
 
 " aIy dear Sir, 
 
 " I have despatched the messenger back as 
 soon as it was possible, considering the voluminous 
 papers that were to be read by the Chancellor and 
 me, especially as a public day here took place the day 
 after the messenger's arrival on the night preceding. 
 I am extremely sorry to find that though the affiurs
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 65 
 
 of Holland are now more likely to come to a point 
 than when I quitted London, yet that point is not of 
 the most eligible sort — an amicable adjustment of the 
 business. France seems to me to drive her friends 
 in that country to an imaccountable extremity, unless 
 she foresees at a distance some additional aid to her 
 eftbrts there. I am sorry to find that we are at 
 last forced to take that disagreeable step of hiring 
 troops upon the Continent, which will eventually em- 
 bark us further than we at first intended, and will, I 
 am afraid, be an unpopular measure in this country. 
 France could certainly have prevailed upon Holland 
 to have made submission to Prussia for the insult 
 offered to that monarch's sister, which would pro- 
 bably have been sufficient in the outset of that busi- 
 ness. She must, therefore, have had some reasons for 
 not advising that measure. May it not be to draw 
 off the Prussian forces from the side of Silesia to 
 favour the Emperor, if he chooses the opportunity ; 
 or to use the Emperor's forces that are drawn to the 
 Netherlands, if the Brabantine troubles should subside? 
 "These may be foolish conjectures at a distance, 
 and I must own that having thought originally that 
 it would have been unpardonable in this country 
 to allow France to avail herself of the powers and 
 faculties of that Republic against England in a future 
 war, and stand by indifferent spectators, so I at 
 present see vestigia nulla retrorsum; and if 1. W. F. 
 must go, he must go, though 1 wish our assistance to 
 the Republic could have been restrained to pecuniary 
 aids." 
 
 VOL. r. F
 
 66 DL^RIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 [The uneasiness occasioned by the infornuition sent 
 by Mr. Eden (our Minister at the Hague), in August, 
 1787, though not so alarming as that wliich arrived 
 in the following month, was sulKcient to call for some 
 demonstration iu favour of the established order of 
 things at the Hague; and Mr. Pitt having determined 
 to make it, sought for the approbation of his col- 
 leagues. It was a constant feature of his policy to 
 preserve or restore the balance of power in Europe, 
 to hire foreign mercenaries to be placed under our own 
 command, or to subsidize one power against another. 
 The germ of this policy was developed in both ways on 
 this occasion, when the fermentation of revolutionary 
 principles threatened the subversion of all constituted 
 authorities, and even the republic of Holland was not 
 republican enough. A timely demonstration of resist- 
 ance, it was hoped, might deter Erance from lending 
 her aid to the malcontents. It will be seen that the 
 event justified the calculation, and the danger was 
 staved off for a time by the interposition of a Prussian 
 army. But Lord Stafford was doubtless right in his 
 anticipation, that the employment of foreign levies 
 would be unpopular in this country. The measure has 
 always been viewed with considerable jealousy, however 
 great might be the necessity and the advantage.— Ed.]
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. G7 
 
 ]\Ir. Pitf to the Marquis or STAFroRD. 
 
 ,,-»,- T " Downins? Street, Aug. 24th, 1787. 
 
 " My dear Lord, '= > & > 
 
 " I have postponed troubling you on the subject 
 of what is passing on the Continent, because it seemed 
 each day likely that the situation would draw more to 
 a point. The last communications from Prussia, and 
 what is now going on in Holland, seem to have that 
 effect. The despatches sent herewith will explain 
 fully to your Lordship the actual situation. The ob- 
 ject which you long ago wished for, of Prussia being 
 completely embarked, appears now to be fully attained. 
 We seem, therefore, to have no choice left but to en- 
 courage that power to proceed, by showing a readiness 
 to give our support, if necessary. At the same time 
 I have little doubt that by making our conduct 
 towards Prance temperate as well as firm, we may 
 avoid extremities and bring the business to a better 
 issue than could have been expected. 
 
 "As the King of Prussia's marching will probably be 
 followed by the assembly of a French army, it seems 
 impossible for us to do less than to endeavour to secure 
 German troops, though I hope we shall have no occa- 
 sion to use them. The measures taken in Holland seem 
 also to require farther pecuniary assistance to enable 
 our friends to meet them ; and what is spent in this 
 way, for the purpose of prevention, will in the end, I 
 hope, be good economy. I regret much the distance 
 of your Lordship and the Chancellor ; but I trust you 
 will approve of the steps we have recommended 
 
 F 2
 
 (J8 DIARIES AND COKKKSPOXDENCE UE 
 
 imtlcr (Mrciiinstiuirt's wliidi would iml well adiiiif ul' 
 delay. 
 
 " Believe me, Mv dear TiOrd, 
 
 " Most siuccrelv and tailhl'ullv vonrs, 
 
 " W. I'lTT." 
 " Marquis of Staflbrd." 
 
 [The t'ollov\iMg Iclter was written in e()iise'(|Ueiiei' 
 of some information received from Paris, wliich pre- 
 pared Mr. Pitt for a notification made to the Enjijlish 
 Court, at a later horn* on the same day, hy the Court 
 of France, threatening to take part with the Dutch 
 democrats against the Stadtholder. Mr. Pitt rej)lie(l 
 that, in that case, Enghind would take part with the 
 Stadtlujldor. Warlike preparations were made on 
 both sides, and hostilities seemed tu he imminent, 
 when the danger was averted by the King of Prussia 
 throwing his sword into the scale of his brothcr-iu- 
 law. The Duke of Brunswick was sent with an 
 army to his assistance, and soon overran the Unitetl 
 Provinces, and brought them back to their alle- 
 giance. France was glad enough to back out of such 
 a hopeless quarrel; and in November disavowed the 
 intentions which in September she had announced. 
 The oidy light which this letter throws upon the 
 transaction is the perfect confidence in the sound- 
 ness of Mr. Rose's judgment, which Pitt must have 
 felt when he summoned him instantly to his aid on a
 
 THE IIIGIIT HON. GEORGE HOSE. 69 
 
 political subject of great importance, with vvliicli, as 
 Secretary to the Treasury, he had nothing whatever 
 to do. — Ed.] 
 
 Mr. Pitt to Mr. Rose. 
 
 ,. -r^ T) \ Secret. 1 
 
 "Dear Rose, *- -* 
 
 " Despatches came late last night from Eden, 
 
 which look very serious. As much will have to be 
 
 done in a short time, I do not scruple to beg you to 
 
 come up as soon as possible, but occasioning as little 
 
 observation as you can. 
 
 " Ever yours, 
 
 " W. P." 
 
 " HoUwood, Sept. 16th, 1787. 9 a.m." 
 
 [The early information which Mr. Eden seems to 
 have comnumicated to the Government on this occa- 
 sion was, no doubt, one of those services for which, 
 in the t\\o next letters, he claims a reward which 
 most persons in these days will think more than 
 commensurate with the duties performed. He was 
 a shrewd, ambitious politician, with a very inflated 
 opinion, not only of his importance to the Govern- 
 ment, but of his merits in the eyes of the world 
 at large. A remarkable confirmation of AValpole's 
 satirical axiom, that every man in the British Legis- 
 lature had his price; for Pitt thought him worth 
 purchashig. And, though he had previously been 
 engaged in active o})position to him up to the
 
 70 DIARIES AND COKRESPONDENX'E OF 
 
 session of 17^5, vvlieu he censured the I\Iinister's 
 plans, and denied the accuracy of liis statements, 
 yet he evinced so nnich insight into matters of 
 finance and trade, tliat no pains were spared to 
 secure his co-operation. He endeavoured to bargain 
 for the office of Speaker, but to that Pitt could 
 not consent. It Avas then ])roposed to create a 
 new place for him, as Superintendent of the col- 
 lection of the Revenue ; but that scheme was 
 also abandoned. At last it was resolved to send 
 him to Paris, in January, 178G, not as an ambas- 
 sador, though he seems in his argument to assume 
 that dignity (for the Duke of Dorset was the 
 ambassador), but as an envoy to negotiate a com- 
 mercial treaty with France, which he accomplished 
 very satisfactorily in September 178G, and more 
 completely in January 17S7. It was in that capa- 
 city he was remaining at Paris, and being more 
 expert than the ambassador in diplomacy, supplied 
 Mr. Pitt with useful information. He did not 
 succeed immediately in the object which he had so 
 much at heart, but probably strengthened his claims 
 by similar services, first at I\Iadrid, and afterwards at 
 the Hague ; for in the following year he obtained an 
 Irish peerage, and, in 1793, the reward which he 
 most of all coveted, and for which he argued with 
 so much dexterity, — an EngHsh peerage. But the 
 third letter shows the truth of the proverb, that 
 " Hope deferred maketh the heart sick." When
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 71 
 
 he entered on the scene of his labours in Spain/ he 
 could no longer contain his illdiumour at the delay, 
 and it was necessary to^ pacify him with the Irish 
 peerage, though it was only like throwing a tub to 
 the whale. 
 
 The Duke of Buckingham gives some additional 
 particulars of his claims upon Pitt, in chronicling these 
 transactions. The commercial treaty with France, 
 curiously enough, was negotiated by Mr. Eden, who had 
 held the office of Vice-Treasurer of Ireland, under the 
 coalition, and who w^as the first person to break away 
 from that heterogeneous confederacy, and ally him- 
 self with Mr. Pitt. His defection w^as the more memo- 
 rable from the fact that the coalition is said to have 
 orisrinated with him. At all events he divides the 
 credit of the project with Mr. Burke. Distinguished by 
 his zeal and activity, he was soon afterwards raised to 
 the peerage under the title of Baron Auckland. — Ed.] 
 
 Mr. Eden to Mr. Rose. 
 
 "Paris, January 27tb, 1788. 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 "I am deeply and cordially sensible of the 
 kindnes's with which you invite me to tell you 
 freely what mark of a})probation of my public ser- 
 vice I alluded to in my late letter to jMr. Pitt. I 
 will profit by it to unbosom myself in confidence 
 upon the subject. If I had had any settled and 
 specific ideas respecting it, I would have expressed
 
 72 DIARIES AND COKllESPONDENCK OF 
 
 them long ago ; but 1 have only general or cunliibcil 
 notions. 
 
 " There is not, 1 believe, any party or description of 
 political observers in Europe, who do not think and 
 say that my situation here has eventually been instru- 
 mental in obtaining great and brilliant advantages for 
 England. T fairly and honestly give the j)rincipal 
 merit to Mr. Pitt's government, and in truth to his 
 personal communications and exertions; but I fairly 
 and justly feel at the same time, that the predicament 
 in Avhich it j)laccs me, however subordinate in point 
 of deserts, is at the moment not inconsiderable in the 
 eyes of Europe. I feel also that his credit will receive 
 no diminution by my being ostensibly distingiiished 
 as the instrument selected l)y him (such was the 
 wise and just policy of his father with regard to 
 those whom he employed) ; and I at least have the 
 merit of having exerted a most indefatigable zeal and 
 integrity in his service, with an activity and perse- 
 verance which those only can conceive who have been 
 witnesses of it, and to whose despatches and testi- 
 mony to every court in Europe I am willing to refer. 
 
 "Lastly, I feel that if the moment is lost, it may 
 be irrecoverably lost. Still, however, you will rei)ly, 
 ' What is it you seek ? ' and there is ray embarrass- 
 ment. Perhaps I ought to answer, I can only regret 
 that the pretension is not seen by Government in the 
 same light as it is seen by me ; and even by some 
 who profess political enmity to me, but who tell me, 
 generously and without scruple, to make the best use 
 of the crisis in which I lind myself. If govei-mnent
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOUGE ROSE. 73 
 
 had the same sentiment respecting me, ins.tead of my 
 being sent to be buried (perhaps in all senses), in a 
 distant part of the globe, ideas would have occurred 
 which I am unable to form, because I have not suffi- 
 cient information. Still you ask me, ' What are my 
 own ideas ? ' and I am unable to answer you. Shall 
 I say an English peerage? I feci that I have no 
 chance of obtaining it, if I were to look towards it, 
 and if I were sure that I ought to look towards it. 
 At the same time I must assert that my pretensions in 
 point of services are at least equal to any of the pro- 
 fessional pretensions which in my experience have led 
 to peerages. In point of family I have no difficulty ; 
 for mine has been opulent and respectable upon the 
 same spot above three hundred years, and is inter- 
 married also into all the first families. But I am 
 sensible that it is bad policy for the country to mul- 
 tiply peers who have not fortunes, nor the prospect of 
 fortunes, to maintain the dignity. Shall I say an 
 Irish peerage ? — Certainly, if I thought it expedient to 
 accept it, I should not think it too much to ask. I 
 have pretensions in Ireland, exclusive of all other 
 claims. I framed and established their National 
 Bank ; I moved the Habeas Corpus, &c. &c. &c. &c. ; 
 and I have the friendship and almost the attachment 
 of all the leading people of that country. 
 
 " The ancient seat of my family, and still in th^r 
 possession, is Auckland ; and Lord Auckland, of Ire- 
 land, would sound better as ambassador to his Catholic 
 Majesty, than plain Monsieur. But this would give 
 all the inconveniences of the peerage to my son,
 
 71 DIARIES AND CUliltESPONDENCE 01' 
 
 without any of the advantages ; and tlie only benefit 
 of it woukl be that it atlbrds me some security 
 for provision against events, instead of leaving me 
 without any. Shall I say the Red Ribbon ? To 
 tell you the truth, — though I am in a career where 
 every minister, even in the second and third order, 
 even poor Saxony, Denmark, ^^'irtemberg, &c., except 
 the Duke of Dorset and myself, is covered with stars 
 and decorations, and still more in Spain than here, — 
 I look forwards to passing fifteen or twenty years 
 of my life at Reckenham, and such gcw-gaws will 
 make a laughable appearance in my shrubbery. Nor 
 could this commonest of all the orders, ever have 
 been an object to me unless it had come in some 
 particular mode and moment calculated to give credit 
 to it. Rv the bv, in constitutinpr the Irish order, 
 it would in many points of view have been useful 
 if two had been appropriated to the foreign ambas- 
 sadors, and would have given to Ireland an ostensible 
 as w^ll as a real connexion with foreign politics. 
 
 "Last of all, there remained merely the finding and 
 grabbing some respectable otfice for life ; and I dis- 
 covered long ago, that such a speculation was not to 
 be encouraged. Here then we come to the point from 
 which we set out. I feel that I am losing a moment 
 most important to me, and I should have hoped, not 
 unacceptable to Mr. Pitt ; but I can only say so, and 
 I can say nothing further ; ' si quid novisti rectius 
 istis candid us imperii.' 
 
 " There is nothing new here. I inclose an impudent 
 piece of sedition, as an ('chaniiUon of the liberty of 
 the French press.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOEGE ROSE. iO 
 
 " I happened yesterday at dinner to meet a Comte 
 de Chateauvieux, a most respectable Swiss, who talked 
 of your son wdth all the aft'ection and cordiality that 
 you could have done, and told us many little anecdotes 
 respecting the young man's character and conduct at 
 Geneva, which do great credit to him. 
 " I am, my dear Sir, 
 
 " Ever most sincerely yours, 
 
 " William Eden." 
 
 Mk. Eden to Mr. Rose. 
 [Frivate.^ 
 
 ''Paris, Feb. 21st, 1788. 
 
 " My dear Sill, — 
 
 " I wdll not abuse your friendship and indulgence 
 by writing more than seems necessary in reply to 
 your last. It must be unpleasant to you, and trouble- 
 some to Mr. Pitt, and I need not add that it is 
 painful to me to prolong our present discussion. You 
 tell me, however, ' that I ought to communicate freely 
 as the only chance of enabling those who wish well to 
 me to do good.' I feel the force of this, and in 
 truth I have no reserves as to any part of the subject 
 in question. It is fair, and reasonable, and honourable, 
 (in every sense of the word) that I should seek to 
 elevate myself and my family upon the groinid of public 
 services, as far as all candid observers may think 
 those services entitled to recompense from the King 
 and from the public ; and I certainly am at the crisis 
 where, if I receive no mark of approbation, I nnist
 
 7n DIAllIES AND CORRESPONDKNCE OF 
 
 Jiever expect to receive' any. Fur f am now (|uittiny; 
 the French mission, and am entering into a rlistinct 
 and distant career, in the course of which the impres- 
 sion of what has passed will grachially he superseded 
 by new events, and will l)e weakened, ohliterated, and 
 in effect forgotten. 
 
 " It is not an answer to this to tell nie that at 
 the close of my embassies I shall ])c entitled to the 
 usual retirement. If T live to that day 1 feel that 
 such a retirement would be a just expectation, even 
 if \ had no other pretensions than other and)as- 
 sadors have had (and have), who have gone through 
 the same career inoffensively and ineiHciently. Tn 
 short, I consider it as the prospect of a retreat at 
 Avhich \ may possibly never arrive; but which the 
 justice of my sovereign and the general sense of 
 maidvind would of course open to any person who 
 had tilled offices of such responsibility as I have 
 done and shall have done. Turninir, therefore, from 
 that prospect as a distant and unconnected specu- 
 lation, I consider myself as ha\ing two years ago 
 undertaken a public enterprise of great importance, 
 risk, and difficulty. It is known that under Mr. Pitt's 
 instructions I accomplished it most successfully. It 
 is also known to have been followed by several other 
 services equally signal and successful, and of essential 
 consequence; and though I was only the fortunate 
 instrument in able hands, Mr. Pitt is too classical in 
 his sentiments to throw^ aside with disregard the 
 weapon which he used in the field of his victories, 
 and to let it rust and waste forgotten in a corner.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 77 
 
 "Here then I place my pretensions; and I cousider 
 the present moment as the properest, and indeed the 
 only one, for urging them. Under this impression 
 1 ' comnnmicate freely ' the hope entertained by me, 
 that my arrival at the Court of i\Iadrid may be pre- 
 ceded or accompanied by some ostensible testimony 
 that my conduct and exertions in the French mission 
 have been honoured with approbation. I rest that 
 hope on the reasonings which I have stated. Yet 1 
 might add, that such a testimony, exclusive of its 
 importance to me personally, would be ministerially 
 useful at the high-minded Court to which I am going ; 
 that it w^ould become farther useful if I am to pursue 
 this line of foreign service, and that it is an under- 
 rating of the foreign politics of the last two years if the 
 epoch is to pass undistinguished by any mark of favour. 
 " Your letter has fairly discussed aU the modes which 
 occur. You state, and I cannot dispute it, that at 
 present Mr. Pitt has no means of giving an office for 
 life. Ought I to seek for my son the second reversion 
 of a Tellership? Would it be worth seeking (subject, of 
 course, to the resignation of the pension) — would it be 
 attainable ? Upon the chapter of ribbons, I am sure 
 you feel with me, that a mere red ribbon is not what 
 I ought to have or accept. It was honourable to the 
 late Sir Thos. Wroughton, at the Court of Stockholm, 
 and to Sir Horace Mann, at Florence. It was even 
 a decoration to my friend and predecessor. Lord 
 Grantham, because he supported it with his peerage, 
 and such exterior circumstances are not indifferent in 
 a foreign Court. But if I were to take it without any
 
 78 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 other distinction, it certainlv wonld be considered as 
 a pendant or companion to the Duke of Dorset's blue 
 ribbon, and would not add credit. 
 
 " Next, you remark (and I feel the justice of it), that 
 as none of the ribbons of the order of St. Patrick were 
 originally reserved for Englishmen, it would not easily 
 be practicable now to give one, and, at all events, not 
 without the peerage. Thus we seem to be reduced to 
 the single consideration of the peerage, and I acknow- 
 ledge, on the first view of it, that if I should not live to 
 see my son established in life, it might become an 
 incundjrancc to him. But the question is whether, 
 subject to tliat objection, this pursuit of the peerage is 
 not preferable to relinquishing all pursuits whatever ; 
 for we agree that there are no other opened to me. 
 Reduced to this point, and I feel that 1 am reduced to 
 it, I incline to think that I ought to seek the English 
 peerage ; or even, in the supposition of its not being 
 given, the Irish one. I have thouglit much and coolly 
 upon the subject. After a residence of two years in a 
 Court so constituted as that of France, it is possible 
 that my English ideas on such a point may be 
 erroneous. But proceeding as I am from this Court 
 to a considerable embassy, I feel it better to have 
 even the Irish peerage (under the presumption of not 
 obtaining the other), than to go without any mark of 
 the King's favour. Though in some respects it might 
 prove inconvenient to my family, in others it would 
 be advantageous, and at all events honourable. 
 
 " Having now stated explicitly and unreservedly all 
 that occurs, I leave it in your hands. I have not yet
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 79 
 
 mentioned the subject to any other person, not even 
 to the Archbishop of Canterbury, because, whatever 
 may be the result, 1 should be sorry to give a colour to 
 the surmise that I shall feel myself treated by Mr. 
 Pitt otherwise than with justice, friendship, and even 
 favour. Such a surmise would be grating and injurious 
 to me, wliatever may be the event. I shall now, how- 
 ever, in conseciuence of your suggestion, write in 
 confidence to the Archbishop, and state to him the 
 substance of what has passed between us ; and if any- 
 thing should arise respecting me, on which Mr. Pitt 
 might have the goodness, either through you or per- 
 sonally, to confer with the Archbishop, his affection and 
 judgment will furnish the best aid that I can have. 
 
 " As I take leave on Tuesday next, and shall go 
 from Pai'is in about three weeks, you will allow me to 
 conclude by recommending this letter to an early 
 
 attention. 
 
 " I am, dear Sir, 
 
 Most sincerely yours, 
 
 Wm. Eden." 
 
 Mr. Eden to Mr. Kose. 
 
 " St. Ildefonso, Sept. 25th, 1788. 
 
 " Mt dear Sir, 
 
 " I wrote fully to you a few days ago, by a ser- 
 vant whom I had occasion to dispatch to England, and 
 who will probably arrive about the first of October. 
 I have already requested that what was there said 
 may be considered as addressed to the owner of Holl- 
 wood ; and this saves the pain of writing to him, in
 
 80 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCi: Ol- 
 
 consequence of the I'rieiully letter wliieli arrived this 
 clay from you at the same time with tlic news of 
 certain promotions. 
 
 " In writing thus l)y the post, though on nuitters 
 merely private, some obscurity of expression must 
 be adopted. Certainly the person who tVels himself 
 so sincerely sensible of your kindness would have 
 reason to complain, not only ol a want of IVieudshij) 
 in the owner of llollwood, but he nuLdit carry his 
 complaints beyond that want. It is not easy to forget 
 by what authority he was informed in September, 
 178G, of its ' being the first object of anxiety to com- 
 municate some distinguishing mark of royal approba- 
 tion' for services which, in i)()iiit both of brilliancv 
 and solidity, were afterwards multi})lied tenfold, and 
 which remain not only unacknowledged, but eftectively 
 de})reciated in the eyes of the world, by ostensible 
 marks of attention to all who act(Ml subordinate parts 
 in the several businesses. Neither is it easy to forget 
 by what authority ' those services were formally and 
 repeatedly acknowledged as essential, both politically 
 and conunercially.' Nor, lastly, let it escape recollec- 
 tion, that when the English peerage (for the Irish is 
 utterly out of the question) was talked of, it was an- 
 swered, ' that whatever might be the wish, there were 
 insurmountable objections which prevented any from 
 being given to any person.' 
 
 "In short, it is not possible for your friend to suppose 
 tliat those for whom he continues to feel both respect 
 and aflection, and to whose fair conduct he committed 
 his whole public existence, implicitly and imreservedly.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 81 
 
 are capable of acting" towards liim iinlvinclly, unjustly, 
 and ungenerously. He must, however, presume that 
 there is elsewhere an ill-will of a superior influence 
 Avhich prevails against him ; and under that construc- 
 tion, all that is left for him to request is, that he may 
 be withdrawn to privacy as speedily and with as little 
 eclat as possible. When it is asked whether in the 
 meantime, and even before that termination, it would 
 be agreeable to him to have the security fixed, though 
 upon the 4i per cents.; there can be no doubt that 
 that security should have been fixed long ago in some 
 shape or other, and for life ; nor is it easy to persuade 
 one who knows something of the nature and resources 
 of Government, that means were wanting, even with- 
 out having recourse to pensions. But that point your 
 friend never urged ; it was superseded by higher pre- 
 tensions, which have now been treated as ' the baseless 
 fabric of a vision.' 
 
 " His amusement for some weeks to come will be 
 to receive from those who foretold, near three years 
 ago, what now happens to him, such paragraphs as the 
 
 inclosed. 
 
 " Believe me, my dear Sir, 
 
 " Ever most sincerely yours." 
 
 [Mr. Eden's praise of young Rose (afterwards Sir 
 George Rose, and for many years representative of 
 our Com-t at Berlin), on the Report of the Count de 
 Chateauvieux, in the first of his letters, may very fitly 
 
 VOL. I. G
 
 82 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OE 
 
 be accompanied by an earlier testimony in liis favour 
 from the principal of St. John's, while he ^vas an 
 undergraduate at Cambridge, not only on account of 
 the services which he himself performed for his country, 
 but still more because he was the father of one who 
 has attained so much distinction botli at Constanti- 
 nople and in Central India, Sir Hugh Rose. The 
 parentage of an eminent man is not a matter of indif- 
 ference to his countrymen — Nee imheUem feroces 
 progenerant aquilcs columhcun. — Ej).] 
 
 Mr. Woou, Principal of St. John's, CAMBUiutiE, 
 
 TO Mr. Rose. 
 
 "St. John's, June, 29th, 1701. 
 
 " Dear Sir, 
 
 " I will give you i ly opinion of Mr. G. Rose 
 with gj-eat pleasure, and from the plainness with 
 which I give it, judge of my sincerity. I think his 
 abilities very considerable ; at our examinations he 
 has always been ranked in the first class, though I am 
 convinced he has never given his mind fully to mathe- 
 matics, or paid that attention to them he will to any 
 subject which accords more with his hiclination. I am 
 in doubt whether he will make a good speaker. He 
 does not want quickness of conception, but he seems 
 not to have the art of arranG:iiiQ; his ideas to the 
 greatest advantage. I think I can perceive that in 
 any sudden emergency he will judge at once what line 
 of conduct he ought to pursue, and act with firmness 
 upon that judgment. In his conduct, he has been
 
 THE RIGHT. HON. GEORGE ROSE. 38 
 
 much more manly than young men of his age usually 
 are, and I have never heard him spoken of in this 
 respect but with approbation. His goodness of heart 
 (in that I cannot be deceived) is such as I should wish 
 in my most intimate friend. At present he intends 
 to read those subjects which will prepare him for the 
 Senate House Examination, and I trust he will perse- 
 vere in this resolution. 
 
 " I am, dear Sir, 
 " Your most obedient humble servant, 
 
 *' James Wood." 
 
 " Dear Sir, " St. John's, Dec. 4tb, 1791. 
 
 " From every account I have heard of your son's 
 Act, it appears that he has exceeded not only his own 
 modest expectations, but the expectations of all his 
 friends. I have just called upon the Moderator who 
 presided at the disputation. I am happy to add his 
 testimony in your son's favour. You will easily con- 
 ceive that 1 am greatly pleased with the credit he has 
 gained on this occasion, but I am much more so to be 
 convinced that, so far from wanting abilities, he is 
 possessed of great powers of mind. The preparation 
 for this exercise was short. He had a Latin disser- 
 tation to write upon one "of the subjects, and I know 
 he had not taken the least trouble or thought about 
 the questions he had to defend, before he received the 
 exercise from the Moderator. Your worthy friend, 
 the Bishop of Lincoln, will be able to tell you pretty 
 exactly how he kept this act, if you inform him that 
 the mark in the Moderator's book is (A). 
 
 g2
 
 84 DIAEIES AND C01lIlESP0yDE^'CE OF 
 
 " Mr. Rose has never sho\\ii any fondness for nia- 
 
 tlicmatical studies, and he liad, I l)cUeve, for some 
 
 time given up all thoughts of prosecuting them. His 
 
 friend, the Bishop of Lincoln, has prevailed upon him 
 
 to resume them ; and from the proticiency he made 
 
 in a few days, I will venture to affirm that he will 
 
 make himself master of any subject which lie seriously 
 
 undertakes, 
 
 " I am, Sir, 
 
 " \\'ith the greatest respect, 
 
 " Your obliged humble servant, 
 
 " James Wood." 
 
 [It is a remarkable proof how much the sagacity of 
 even the most experienced statesmen may be at fault, 
 when we find that within a year of the time when the 
 revolutionary volcano exploded in France, Mr. Pitt 
 viewed with so much complacency, as the next letter 
 to Lord Stafford expresses, the state of our foreign 
 relations, and the little apprehension he had of any 
 danger from the seething materials of that aggressive 
 spirit which was so soon to boil over in a violent 
 eruption. — Ed.] 
 
 Mr. Pitt to the Marquis of Stafford. 
 
 « Hollwood, Saturday, Sept. 6th, 17S8. 
 
 " My dear Lord, 
 
 " When your Lordship left town the business 
 respecting Sir James Harris's proposed peerage was
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 85 
 
 left in suspense. The conclusion, lioAA'ever, of the 
 provisional treaty at Loo, on which the alliance since 
 concluded was founded, has considerably strength- 
 ened his former claim to distinction, and so rnanv 
 circumstances have concurred to make him extremely 
 anxious for its not being deferred, that notwithstand- 
 ing the awkwardness of having Sir Joseph Yorke the 
 companion of his honours, I have been induced to 
 renew the request, even with that condition coupled 
 with it, and both are to be gratified. 
 
 " Our accounts from India of the Chev'' de Con- 
 way's return from Trincomale, without having done 
 anything, and of all being quiet in that quarter, are 
 very satisfactory. The state of France, whatever else 
 it may produce, seems to promise us more than ever 
 a considerable respite from any dangerous projects, 
 and there seems scarce any thing for us to regret on 
 our own account in the condition of foreign countries, 
 except the danger that the King of Sweden may 
 suffer too severely for his kindness. I conclude you 
 are returned by this time to Trentham. I hope Lady 
 Stafford has found benefit by Scarborough, and that 
 both she and your Lordship are perfectly well. My 
 holidays have not yet commenced, so I am obliged to 
 give up the prospect of my northern excursion, and 
 with it the pleasure of accepting your obliging invi- 
 tation. 
 
 " I am, my dear Lord, 
 
 " With the greatest regard and esteem, 
 
 " Faithfully and sincerely yours, 
 
 " W. Pitt."
 
 86 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 [In the years 17SS and 17S9 two events occurred 
 of great domestic importance (of which, however, no 
 great notice is taken in this correspondence), the King's 
 ilbiess, and tlic })aynicnt of the Prince of ^^'ales's 
 debts by a grant of Parliament. With respect to the 
 former, Mr. Rose has preserved a few curious parti- 
 culars of the conduct of some of the great actors on 
 the political stage at that crisis, in which Mr. Pitt's 
 straiglitforward character shows to great advantage. 
 In Gifford's " Life of Pitt " it is stated, that the 
 first symptoms of the King's illness appeared on the 
 12th of June, and, on the 24th of that month, the 
 derangement of his mind was very visible at the 
 levee. — Ed.] 
 
 Mr. Rose's Diary resumed. 
 
 Early in October, the King was taken suddenly ill 
 with spasms in his stomach, and suflfered much for a 
 few days. 
 
 On the 10th, his Majesty was at the levee, in order 
 to discountenance the reports, which were circulated 
 industriously, of his being in danger ; particularly as 
 there w^ere speculations on the circumstance of Sir G. 
 Baker's attendance. After which he continued unwell, 
 and incapable of reading papers of business. No dis- 
 patches were sent to Windsor, nor even warrants to 
 sign, for several days, when five or six warrants were 
 sent, which were the last. Mr. Pitt saw him at Kew, 
 and was with him three hours and fortv minutes, both 
 on their legs the whole time.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 87 
 
 His Majesty went to Windsor on Saturday the 25tli 
 of October, and on the 5th of November he showed 
 strong symptoms of a disordered understanding. 
 The first decided manifestations Avere at dinner, on 
 addressing himself to the Duke of York, relative to a 
 murder. Between the 5th and the Oth, the King was 
 thought in great danger of dying, the fever very high ; 
 but on James's powders being administered, that was 
 got under, leaving the delirium, which continued with 
 little alteration durino; the remainder of the month. 
 He was never violent or outrageous ; wandering in 
 his discourse exceedingly, but talking coherently on 
 the subjects to which he wandered, with intervals 
 quite rational though of short duration. 
 
 On the 6th, the Chancellor went to Windsor, and 
 dined and supped with the Prince of Wales. The 
 avowed purpose of their meeting was to consider the 
 mode of treating his Majesty, as he had been some- 
 Avhat ungovernable during the night. 
 
 On the 12th, Mr. Pitt saw his Royal Highness, and 
 had much conversation with him, chiefly on general 
 subjects ; but Mr. Pitt stated that on the meeting of 
 the two Houses at the time to which they were pro- 
 rogued, in the week following, he meant to propose an 
 adjournment for a fortnight, to which his Royal High- 
 ness replied, ' No objection could arise to that from any 
 one.' He expressed a wish to have further conversa- 
 tion with Mr. Pitt before the Houses should meet, 
 
 Mr. Pitt went again to Windsor on the 15th, with 
 the Duke of Richmond, and saw the Prince of Wales, 
 but the conversation was quite general.
 
 88 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 On the 17tli, Mr. Pitt went again to Windsor for 
 the purpose of stating exactly to his Ivoyal IJiglniess 
 what he intended doing on the meeting of tiie House of 
 Commons; but his Royal Highness dechned seeing 
 him. 
 
 During this time there had been uuieh conversa- 
 tion between his Roval llidiness and Mr. Sheridan, 
 chiefly tlirougli third persons ; but one evening Mr. 
 Sheridan, i\lr. Payne,' and Mrs. Fitzher])crt went to 
 the Prince at Bagshot. 
 
 On the 23d iMr. Pitt went to Windsor for tlie 
 purpose of eftecting Dr. Addington's- seeing the King, 
 and, on the 24th, received a letter from Lady Cour- 
 toun,'' acquainting him that the Queen won hi take 
 measures first, if the Duke of jMontagu, Lord Ayles- 
 bury and himself would make it their joint request, 
 which was done accordingly;* and, on the 25th, 
 Mr. Pitt went to Windsor to arrange the matter, and 
 it was settled that Dr. Addington should see the Kino: 
 the next day. On the same day (the 25th) the Prince 
 of Whales sent to know if ]\Ir. Pitt had anything to 
 propose to him, which was answered respectfull\ in 
 the negative. On the 25th, the Chancellor also was 
 at Windsor, and kept late there, in company most of 
 the time with the physicians, without coming to any 
 precise point. On his return to town at night, 
 
 ^ Captaiu, afterwards Admiral Payne. 
 
 ^ Lord Sidmouth's father, who had been the late great Earl of 
 Chatham's physician. 
 
 ^ Wife of Lord Courtoun, the Queen's chamberlain, and also her 
 private friend. 
 
 ^ Mr. Fox arrived on the 24th, in nine days, from Bologna.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 89 
 
 lie came to ]\Ir. Pitt's, in Downing-Street, wliere I 
 was. 
 
 On the :26tb, at night, or rather at half-past one 
 in the morning of the 27th, Mr. Pitt was waked with 
 a letter from the Chancellor, summoning the Cabinet 
 to meet at Windsor, by command of the Prince, on 
 that day (the 2Gth). The servant who ought to have 
 carried the letter at nine in the evening, neglected it, 
 and the one who came with it at the before-mentioned 
 late ]iour, being asked whether the Chancellor was 
 then up, replied, Yes, and that Mr. Fox was with 
 him ; a fact which his Lordship had not noticed. 
 The next day when the Cabinet met at Windsor,' 
 the members were long in deliberation, principally 
 about moving the King to Kew. Previous to their 
 meeting, the Chancellor had been with the Prince of 
 Wales ; and when all the rest of the confidential ser- 
 vants of the Crown went to Salt Hill to dinner, his 
 Lordship returned to the Prince's apartments, where 
 he had refreshments provided for him, the Prince 
 sitting with him, having previously dined. Most of 
 the Cabinet slept at Salt Hill. Mr. Pitt returned to 
 town late on the 29th. He did not dine with the 
 Master of the Rolls, but was at a Cabinet again at 
 Lord Carmarthen's office at eight in the evening. 
 
 In the course of that meeting many inquiries were 
 made by the Lords as to whether any one knew if 
 Mr. Pox had seen the Prince of Wales, or held any 
 
 ^ Mr. Fox came straight from Saint Anne's Hill to the Chancellor's, 
 and found that the Prince of Wales and Mr. Sheridan had been a 
 long while with him.
 
 90 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 communication witli him, or if any one present knew 
 anything about liiiu ; — of all wliich tlie Chancellor, 
 amongst others, professed perfect ignorance. He even 
 asked if anybody knew the cohjur of Mr. Fox's chaise, 
 in order to form a guess from them whether it had been 
 seen on the road to AVindsor. Mr. Pitt desired to 
 ascertain the opinions of the mend)ers of the Cabinet 
 respecting the propriety or expediency of joining the 
 opposition, if it should be in their choice, under any 
 circumstances whatever. lie put the question directly 
 to the Chancellor, who said he considered it an 
 abstract question, and could not answer it distinctly. 
 ]\Ir. Pitt said it was a ])lain question, — Would his 
 Lordship join with the opposite party under any 
 circumstances? to which he would giye no answer. 
 Other members, by their silence, more than any- 
 thing else, left an impression on Mr. Pitt's mind that 
 they were impressed with an idea that a junction of 
 some sort might be expedient for the country, but 
 his own determination was fixed beyond all possibility 
 of being shaken — not to entertain the idea of a junc- 
 tion at all. No determination taken yet, though the 
 subject was much discussed, whether on the meeting 
 of the Houses on the 4th of next month, any proposi- 
 tion should be made for seating a Government. 
 
 On the 2Stli and 29th, Mr. Pitt saw the King at 
 Windsor. His Majesty uncommonly kind in his 
 manner ; had great pleasure in seeing him ; talked of 
 matters which he had discussed with him in theii- last 
 meeting before his ^Majesty Avas ill, but wandered 
 incessantly from one subject to another.
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEOEGE EOSE. 91 
 
 On the 29tli, his TMajesty came from Windsor to 
 Kew in his coach with three equerries. 
 
 On the 30th, the Chancellor saw his Majesty, 
 by his Lordship's own desire, hut left him very 
 suddenly. 
 
 Becemher \sf. — The Cabinet dined at the Marquis 
 of Stafford's, for the purpose of further deliberating 
 whether to proceed to the consideration of settling 
 a temporary Government or not on the 4th, — when the 
 Houses met, pursuant to their adjournment. 
 
 [During all this time, and the next three months, 
 Mr. Pitt kept steadily in view the personal interests of 
 the King. For this purpose all the restrictions on the 
 exercise of the Regent's authority were introduced into 
 the Bill proposed to Parliament, so that, in the event 
 of the King recovering, he might not find the whole 
 system of his Government overthrown by the rashness 
 of unprincipled men. And for the same reason Mr. 
 Pitt resisted the proposal to form a junction with 
 the Whig party. For though it might have ensured 
 him a longer continuance in office, and he knew, 
 if he rejected it, the first exercise of the Regent's 
 power would be to turn him out, yet he would 
 not expose his sovereign to the pain, on his reco- 
 very, of seeing a coalition between his friends and 
 enemies, so contrary to all his feelings. 
 
 Notwithstanding the slight symptoms which heralded 
 the approaching disease, the King appeared in public
 
 92 DIARIES AND CORRESrONDENCE OF 
 
 and moved about till the month of November; and it 
 was not till the fifth, that it assumed an alarminu; 
 appearance. As soon as Mr. Pitt received the intel- 
 ligence, he inmiediately imparted it to Lord Stafford 
 in the following letter, and in another, four months 
 afterwards, addressed to his son Lord Gower, requested 
 liim to move the address of congratulation in the House 
 of Commons, on the King's recovery. — Ed.^ 
 
 Mr. Pitt to the ^Iarquis of Stafford. 
 
 '[Secref.] 
 
 " Grosvenor Square, Nov. 6th, 1788, 6 p.m. 
 
 " My dear Lord, 
 
 " I write from Lord Carmarthen's, having just 
 had an account from Windsor, by which I learn that the 
 King's disorder, which has for some days given us much 
 uneasiness, has within a few hours taken so serious a 
 tuni, that I think myself obliged to lose no time in 
 apprising your Lordsliip of it. 
 
 " The accounts are sent under considerable alarm, 
 and therefore do not state the symptoms very pre- 
 cisely ; but, from what I learn, there is too much reason 
 to fear that they proceed from a fever which has 
 settled on the brain, and which may produce imme- 
 diate danger to His Majesty's life. You will easily 
 conceive the pain I suffer, in being obliged to send 
 your Lordship this intelligence ; but as you may 
 probably think it right, under such circumstances, 
 to be on the spot as soon as possible, I thought
 
 THE EIGHT HOX. GEOEGE EOSE. 93 
 
 no time should be lost in letting you know the 
 situation. 
 
 " I am, with great regard, my dear Lord, 
 " Your obedient and faithful Servant, 
 
 - W. Pitt." 
 " Marquis of Stafford." 
 
 Mr. Pitt to Earl Gower. 
 
 " Downing Street, Friday, March 6th, 1789. 
 
 " My dear Lord, 
 
 " Under the peculiar circumstances of the speech 
 that is to be made on Tuesday by the Commissioners 
 appointed to hold the Parliament, which will announce 
 the happy event of his Majesty's recovery, I cannot 
 help expressing a wish, that your Lordship would un- 
 dertake to move the Address to be proposed in the 
 House of Commons. The nature of the occasion will, 
 I hope, justify my troubling you with this request, 
 and it will afford me on every account particular satis- 
 faction, that the first step previous to our entering 
 again on public business should be brought forward 
 with so much advantage. I shall be extremely happy 
 if your Lordship will permit me to take an early 
 opportunity of communicating to you the particulars 
 of the Speech. I have the honour to be, 
 
 " My dear Lord, 
 '' Your Lordship's most obedient and faithful Servant, 
 
 " W. Pitt." 
 
 "Earl Gower."
 
 94 DIARIES AXD CORRESPONDEXCE OF 
 
 [Miss Rose has iJicscrvcd the following particulars 
 of the occurrences of that interesting period not 
 mentioned by her father. — Ed.] 
 
 1788. The King stopped at Kew on his way from 
 Windsor to London ; ate a pear, got his shoes and 
 stockings wet, and did not change them .... Some- 
 times he talked rationally, which continued through 
 every return of his illnesses. Dr. Baillie told us, that 
 in the last, there was no sign of failure of intellect; 
 that he always thought and reasoned correctly, though 
 on certain points under erroneous impressions; and 
 that if once the diseased impression was removed, the 
 mind would act with its former power. 
 
 Sir William Grant, the Master of the Rolls, repeated 
 the same thing, giving two instances. He said, the 
 King's insanity was on two points ; one that all 
 marriages would soon be dissolved by xVct of Parlia- 
 ment ; the other that his Hanoverian dominion was 
 restored, and that he was shortly to go there. 
 
 The physicians attended in rotation. Dr. Halifax 
 had been some time absent, and returned to his 
 attendance, when the Commissioners made their usual 
 visit. To engage the King in conversation, some one 
 said, " Dr. Halifax is returned ; he has lately been in 
 Dorsetshire." The King inquired for many residents 
 there, remembering the members of their families as 
 agreeing or not agreeing with Dr. Halifax's report. 
 At last he mentioned the family of the Deputy Judge 
 Advocate. The King said, " When I go to Hanover, 
 Mr. must go with me." " V>hy so, Sir ? "
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 95 
 
 " Because the Deputy Judge Advocate must "be Avith 
 iiie to correspond with the Judge Advocate, who 
 cannot leave England, and he nmst have a direct 
 official correspondence with me." 
 
 No one present was aware of that but himself. If 
 Hanover had been restored during his life and insanity, 
 his reasoning would have been erroneously true. The 
 other instance was, on being asked if he would like to 
 hear news, he replied, " any common occurrences, 
 marriages, deaths, &c. &c." (he always avoided the 
 subject of politics or official concerns, except as to Han- 
 over). Amongst the news of the day was the almost 
 sudden death of the Marchioness of Buckingham. He 
 said, " He was very sorry for it, she was a very good 
 woman, though a Roman Catholic." He expressed 
 great regret for the Marquis, saying, "that he believed 
 if she had lived till the marriages were dissolved, he 
 would have desired to renew his. By-the-by," he added, 
 " I do not think many of my friends would do so." 
 
 Lord Eklon, in his " Recollections," states that he 
 did not believe Lord ThurloAv had any communication 
 with the opposition at the time of the Regency ! ! ! He 
 must have known it from those he afterwards lived 
 with. He subsequently states that he did not know 
 the cause of his dismissal from office; though he proves 
 at least the expediency of it, stating that Lord Tluu-- 
 low said that he could not blame Mr. Pitt, as he 
 would have done the same by Mr. Pitt if he could. 
 Assuredly Lord Thurlow, whatever was his motive, 
 provoked it, but worked less on Mr. Pitt's temper 
 than on Lord Grenville's, who was then leader on the
 
 96 DIARIES AND CORRESPOXDENCE 01- 
 
 side of Government, in the House of Lords. Lord 
 Thiirlow continually impeded, and at last treated liim 
 with insolence. Lord Grenvillc was speaking; Luni 
 Tliurlow rose from the Woolsack, and addressed the 
 House, " Is it your Lordships' pleasure to adjourn ? " 
 Lord Grenville continued to speak, merely ■waving 
 his hand. Lord Thurlow repeated the question, 
 aud Lord Grenville his sign of hearing and disregard- 
 ing it, without noticing it in words. ]\[y brother 
 William, then reading Clerk, came to us as soon as 
 the House adjourned, and described the scene. We 
 learned from my father that Lord Grenville went from 
 the House of Lords to Mr. Pitt, and told him, that if 
 Lord Thurlow continued Chancellor, he must resign 
 his office. Mr. Pitt acquainted the King with the 
 whole, aud he at once acceded to the dismissal. Next 
 day the King came in from AVindsor full of the sur- 
 render of Seringapatam, and lode gaily through the 
 Park. 
 
 j\[r. Pitt, quite convinced that if Pox had carried 
 the Lidia Bill, he would have the Government en- 
 tirely in his own hands, and the King be a cypher, 
 had resolved to make no sacrifice of principle to 
 obtain a share of power, but, to use the phrase 
 I then heard, "to take his blue bag, and return to 
 the bar." 
 
 [After the Regency Bill had passed through the 
 Commons, and was still under debate in the House of 
 Lords, the arduous contest was terminated by the
 
 THE IIIGHT HON. GEORGE EOSE. 97 
 
 Kinsf's recovery, and ^Ir. Pitt was rewarded for his 
 fidelity by receiving tlie following letter from his 
 Majesty. — Ed.] 
 
 The King to Mr. Pitt. 
 
 "Kew, Feb. 23d, 178f). 
 
 " It is with infinite satisfaction I renew my corre- 
 spondence with Mr. Pitt by acquainting him with my 
 having seen the Prince of Wales, and my second son ; 
 care was taken that the conversation should be general 
 and cordial ; they seemed perfectly satisfied. I chose 
 the meeting should be in the Queen's apartment, that 
 all parties might have that caution which, at the 
 present hour, could but be judicious. I desire Mr. 
 Pitt will confer with the Lord Chancellor, that any 
 steps which may be necessary for raising the annual 
 supplies, or any measures that the interests of the 
 nation may require, should not be unnecessarily de- 
 layed, for I feel the warmest gratitude for the support 
 and anxiety shewn by the nation at large during my 
 tedious illness, which I should ill requite if I did not 
 wash to prevent any further delay in those public 
 measures which it may be necessary to bring forward 
 this year, though I must decline entering into a 
 pressure of business, and indeed for the rest of my 
 life, shall expect others to fulfil the duties of their 
 employments, and only keep that superintending eye 
 which can be effected without labour or fatigue. I 
 am anxious to see Mr. Pitt any hour that may suit 
 him to-morrow morning, as his constant attachment 
 
 VOL. I. II
 
 98 DIARIES AND COKRESrONDEN'CE OF 
 
 to my interest and that of the pnbhc, which are 
 
 inseparable, must ever place him in the most advan- 
 
 taiTCOus linrlit. 
 
 -G. U." 
 
 [The reader will doubtless have observed that the 
 Chancellor had reduced himself to a very unfavour- 
 able predicament, by the trimming policy which he 
 desired to ado[)t. It is not surprising, therefore, that 
 Mr. Pitt's friends should have jumped to a conclusion 
 adverse to him, with tlie precipitancy of partisans, 
 who are apt to overrun the intentions of their leaders. 
 It is impossible not to admire the considerate and 
 judicious tone of this remonstrance, showing, as it 
 does, the great forbearance with which Mr. Pitt 
 endured the weaknesses of his adherents. — Ed.] 
 
 Mr. Pitt to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Priory, Sunday, 1 P.M., Nov. 8th, 1789. 
 
 " Dear Rose, 
 
 You will stare a good deal at the circumstance 
 which makes me write this letter, and which you will 
 perceive must not be taken notice of to any one else, 
 but which I think it as well to mention to you with- 
 out delay. A person, on whom I can entirely rely, 
 told me yesterday that the Chancellor had said to him 
 very lately, that he understood he should probably soon 
 receive a letter from ]\Ir. Grenville to give up the seals, 
 for that Mr. Rose had said before a person, who he
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 99 
 
 must have known would repeat it, that we had made 
 up our minds to it and would go on very well with- 
 out him. You will easily imagine what degree of 
 credit I give to this absurd story; but strange as it is, 
 it is very capable of making an impression on his 
 mind. The chief thing I wish is, that you would 
 recollect whether in any company, where you thought 
 yourself safe, you have used any warm expression about 
 him, as might very naturally happen, which could 
 afterwards be exaggerated or perverted into something 
 that may have laid the foundation for this suggestion. 
 As to your having said anything like what is repre- 
 sented, I do not entertain a moment's idea of it ; and 
 my object is to trace, if possible, where so mischievous 
 a suggestion has originated, and to consider whether it 
 may be worth while to convey some contradiction of it 
 to the Chancellor. This I can easily do if the circum- 
 stances make it prudent ; but if you recollect any 
 expression on which this idea can have been engrafted, 
 and which any one can have been base enough to repeat 
 and to give such a colour to, it will be best to say 
 
 nothing at all about it. 
 
 " Yours most sincerely, 
 
 u Yi, Pitt." 
 
 " P. S. — For a reason, which I will explain to you 
 when we meet, I wish you could let me know pretty 
 nearly what are the profits which Cowper has from his 
 office of Clerk Assistant, compared with yours, and on 
 what the profits depend." 
 
 H J 
 
 r>
 
 100 DIARIES AND CORRESrONDEyCE OF 
 
 [Under the Duke of Portland's administration in 
 1787, Mr. Fox being one of the Secretaries of State, 
 the Prince of Wales came of age, and it was proposed 
 to apply to Parliament for an allowance of 100,000/. 
 a-year; but we learn from a letter of Mr. Pitzpatrick, 
 tliat the King disapproved of it, and said, that he could 
 not think of burthcning the public, but was ready 
 to give 50,000/. a-year from the Civil List, which 
 he thought sufficient (the Prince had 12,000/. a-year 
 besides from the Duchy of Cornwall, and Parliament 
 was asked to grant 30,000/. to pay his debts) ; and 
 that he found, that notwithstanding all the profes- 
 sions of the ministers for economy, they were ready 
 to sacrifice the public interests to the wishes of an 
 ill-advised young man. These Whigs had certainly a 
 right to be called a liberal administration. 
 
 During the next three years this prodigal sou so 
 wasted his substance in riotous living, that he con- 
 tracted debts bevond his income to the amount of 
 more than 100,000/., besides 50,000/. laid out on 
 Carlton House. The following document is intro- 
 duced only to show that Mr. Pitt's government resisted 
 the reckless extravagance of the Prince. — Ed.] 
 
 [1789.] The Chancellor of the Exchecpicr ac- 
 quaints the Board that he had received a letter from 
 Lord Southampton, enclosing, by the command of his 
 Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, several papers 
 and estimates respecting the expenses at Carlton 
 House. That not being certain, from the nature and
 
 THE RIGHT. HON. GEOEGE ROSE. 101 
 
 terms of tlie communication, whether it was intended 
 to be laid officially before the Board, or to be sub- 
 mitted in the first instance to his Majesty, he had 
 requested Lord Southampton to signify to hira his 
 Royal Highness's commands on this point. That in 
 consequence of Lord Southampton's answer, he thinks 
 it his duty to lay these papers before the Board. 
 
 The Chancellor of the Exchequer also commu- 
 nicates the estimates received from his Royal High- 
 ness's officers on the 14th May, 1787; the copy 
 of the report made to Mr. Lyte by Sir Wm. 
 Chambers, Mr. Couse, and Mr. Craig, on the 20th 
 July, 1787, and a memorandum delivered by Mr. 
 Holland, 14th March, 1789. 
 
 Read these several papers, and also the resolu- 
 tions of the House of Commons of the 24th May, 
 1787, 10th of December, 1787, and the 15th of 
 June, 1789. 
 
 The Board observes that the Resolution of the 
 House of Commons of the 24th of May, 1 787, 
 humbly desires His Majesty to be graciously pleased 
 to direct the sum of 20,000/. to be issued on account 
 of the works at Carlton House, as soon as an esti- 
 mate should be formed, with suficient accuracy, of the 
 whole expense for completing the same in a proper 
 manner. 
 
 That previous to this resolution an estimate of 
 the works at Carlton House appears to have been 
 delivered by his Royal Highness's officers on the 14th 
 of May, 1787, stating the sum of 49,700/. for the 
 expense of those works ; and at the same time an
 
 102 DIARIES AXD CORRESPOXDEXCE OF 
 
 estimate for tlie furniture, stating that as several of 
 the apartments and rooms are not built, formed, or 
 iinislied, and as a great part of the furniture is in 
 an unfinished state, it is impossible to ascertain or 
 describe exactly what will be wanted ; ])ut from as 
 exact an account as can be ascertained, the sum of 
 5,500/. will be necessary. 
 
 The estimate of 49,700/. for the works at Carlton 
 House, appears to have been referred to the exami- 
 nation of Sir William Chambers, Mr. Couse and Mr. 
 Craig, and to have been reported upon by them on 
 the 20th July, 1787. 
 
 That, on the 17th August, 1787, the sum of 
 10,000/. was issued for the works at Carlton House, 
 under the King's warrant ; and a farther sum of 
 10,000/. for the same purpose, and in the same 
 manner, on the 23rd of November following. 
 
 That a further sum of 10,000/. was issued for the 
 same purpose, and in the same manner, on the 5th 
 September, 1788. 
 
 On the 10th December, 1787, the House resolved 
 that a sum not exceeding 20,000/. be granted to his 
 IMajesty, to make good the like sum which has been 
 issued by his ]\I;ijesty's order, in pursuance of the 
 address of this House for carrying on and completing 
 the works at Carlton House. 
 
 That on the 14th March, 17S9, an application 
 was made to the Treasury by i\lr. Holland, referring 
 to botli the estimates above mentioned, but observing 
 that the estimate for the furniture was not likely to 
 prove sufficient, referring also to the resolution of the
 
 THE RIGHT. HON. GEORGE ROSE. 103 
 
 House of Commons of the 24tli May, 1787, and 
 stating that Mr. Holland was informed that payments 
 had been made since that time to the amount of 
 30,000/. 
 
 That in consequence of this application, the further 
 sum of 15,000/. was issued under the King's warrant, 
 on the 1st May, 1789; and on the 29th May, 1789, 
 a further sum of 10,200/., being the remainder to 
 complete the sum of 55,200/. 
 
 That an account of these several sums issued in 
 1788, and 1789, Avas laid before the House of 
 Commons; and on the 15th June, 1789, it was 
 resolved, that a sum not exceeding 35,200/. should 
 be granted to his Majesty, to make good the like sum 
 which had been issued by his Majesty's orders, in pur- 
 suance of an address of the House of Commons, for 
 carrying on and completing the works at Carlton 
 House. 
 
 The Board observes that the account. No. 2, 
 transmitted by Lord Southampton to the Chancellor 
 of the Exchequer, states a sum of 56,950/. as the 
 estimated expense "of furniture and decorations 
 " ordered for the state apartments, to replace some of 
 " that which was intended at the time of the appli- 
 " cation to Parhament in 1787, and to furnish other 
 " apartments not then projected, together with an 
 " estimate of the expense thereof." 
 
 Under these circumstances it does not appear to 
 the Board that this additional estimate of 56,950/. 
 comes within the intention of the resolution of the 
 House of Commons of the 24th May, 1787, and the
 
 101 DIARIES AND COIIIIESPONDEXCE OF 
 
 Board does not tliink itself authorised to direct a 
 Avarrant to be prepared for the issue of any further 
 sum out of the Civil List in ])ursuance of the said 
 resolution. The Chancellor of the Exchequer is 
 desired humbly to submit the foregoing minute to 
 his Majesty. 
 
 [It must be admitted, that the leaders of both 
 the great political parties were very indulgent to 
 the royal spendthrift; for the House of Commons 
 offered no opposition to grants which auiounled in 
 the course of three years to 101,000/. for the pay- 
 ment of his debts, and 5'), 200/. for Carlton House, 
 although the King had, in the meantime, added 
 10,000/. a-year to his income, out of the Civil List, 
 and exacted from him a promise that for the future 
 his expenditure should not exceed his income. But it 
 must be remembered that the finances of the country, 
 under the management of Mr. Pitt, were then in a 
 very flourishing condition, and that both the leaders 
 were men who could not be verv sensitive on such 
 subjects, since both of them afterwards incurred a 
 large amount of debts, which were discharged either 
 by their friends, or by the nation ; but there was this 
 difTerence between them — Mr. Fox's debts were con- 
 tracted by gambling ; Mr. Pitt's by inattention to his 
 pecuniary concerns ; all his thought being occupied 
 not only with great schemes of policy, but by atten- 
 tion to the minutest details of administration, in
 
 THE UIGHT HON. GEOUGE ROSE. 105 
 
 the management of these, he depended very much 
 upon the assistance of his friend, Mr. Rose ; and 
 his letters show that the least things appertaining 
 to the conduct of affairs were not exempted from 
 his care. The following concerns the payment of the 
 Prince's debts : — Ed.] 
 
 Mr. Pitt to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " HoUwood, Sunday, July 14th, 178.9. 
 " Half- past 4 p.m. 
 
 "Dear Rose, 
 
 " I do not think there would be much objection 
 to authorising Mr. Coutts to issue the money to any 
 persons whom the Prince shall direct, provided it is 
 once arranged beforehand amongst his officers, in what 
 proportions it is to be applied to his debts. The 
 only person with whom I have had communication is 
 Mr. Anstruther. He has, I believe, seen the principal 
 creditors, and formed a plan, according to which the 
 sum of 40,000/. would answer the present purpose. 
 Most likely as large a sum as 3,000/. would have to be 
 allotted to the Brighthelrastone creditors, and Captain 
 Payne may be as good a channel as any other. But 
 it might lead to great confusion to settle anything with 
 Captain Payne, except in concert with Mr. Anstruther. 
 The only thing, therefore, which occurs to me in the 
 first place, is, that you should see Mr. Anstruther first, 
 and afterwards Captain Payne Avithhim. If you find 
 from them that it is arranged to Mr. Anstruther's 
 satisfaction, I should see no objection to making any 
 alteration in the letter to Coutts which may be neces-
 
 106 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 sary. I have, to save time, written to Mr. Anstruthcr 
 to desire him to call upon you before eleven to-morrow. 
 If it prove necessary to alter the authority given to 
 Coutts, the best mode will be to withdraw your 
 original letter and send him a new one. 
 
 " I have marked words which I imagine would 
 answer the purpose, but I shall like any others as well. 
 You will, of course, mention to Mr. Anstruthcr all that 
 
 I have here said. 
 
 " Yours sincerely, 
 
 "W. Pitt."
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 107 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 1790—1798. 
 
 COMMENCEMENT OF THE WAR "WITH FRANCE IN 1793 — WHIG CALUMNIES 
 AGAINST 3IR, PITT's GOVERNMENT, ETC. 
 
 [The trafficking in Clmrch prefei^ment, and the exer- 
 cise of patronage from interested motives, merely for 
 the sake of obtaining some return for it from those 
 who sought the favour, without the smahcst reference 
 to the w^orthiness or fitness of the persons recom- 
 mended, several instances of which occur in the follow- 
 ing correspondence, painfully remind us that we are 
 engaged in the history of the eighteenth century. 
 —Ed.] 
 
 Mr. Pitt to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Downing Street, 
 " Monday Evening, April 5th, 1790. 
 
 "Dear Rose. 
 
 " I have made up my mind to offer the Deanery 
 of Canterbury to Dean Butler ; and you wdll be so 
 good as to inform him of it, contriving at the same 
 time to make sure of the return we wish, as far as you 
 can -^xSk]. propriety . 
 
 " I have got your's respecting Southampton ; and 
 am very glad the point is likely to be settled by a
 
 108 DIARIES AND CORRESrOXDENCE OF 
 
 meeting, the result of which will at all events, I think, 
 set us quite at ease. I found everything at Cam- 
 bridge very favourable both for Euston and myself. 
 
 " Yours sincerely, 
 
 " W. Pitt." 
 
 [The next series of letters, in the years 1790, 1791, 
 and 1792, are on matters of business, the allusions in 
 which it is not worth while to disentangle from their 
 obscurity, and therefore most of them are omitted ; 
 they have little or no other interest, except as they serve 
 to show the character of the communications which 
 })assed between the two friends. It is a remarkable 
 feature in this correspondence, that while the revolu- 
 tionary mania in Paris was disclosing its horrors and 
 crimes more and more, we look in vain to these letters 
 for any intimation of what was going on. There is 
 not a symptom of alarm or indignation, or even 
 astonishment; both writers seem to l)c wholly intent 
 upon the interior administration of the country, in a 
 calm and undisturbed atmosphere. A few, however, 
 of these letters of business are given, because they 
 illustrate the nature of Mr. Pitt's administration, 
 which was not a government by departments, except 
 so far as those who presided in them attended to the 
 ordinary routine : but it is evident that Mr. Pitt him- 
 self transacted much of the business of the Foreisrn, 
 Colonial, and War Offices, and of the Commissariat 
 also ; not only as to the appointment of the inferior
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOUGE HOSE. 109 
 
 commissaries, but even as to the contracts for pro- 
 visioning the army. — Ed.] 
 
 Mr. Pitt to Mr. Rose. 
 
 "Stowe, Sunday, Juue 10th, 1790. 
 
 " Dear Rose. 
 
 " I forgot before I left town to mention to you 
 that I wish much to employ Scott, the East India 
 Director, to converse conficlentially with a certain Mr. 
 Vander Meulen, who has been sent over from Holland 
 for the purpose of trying whether any plan can be 
 formed for a commercial arrangement of mutual benefit, 
 between our Company and the Dutch. Vander Meulen 
 has no ostensible commission, and the matter would 
 at present be considered as entirely private. I think 
 Scott, from his being so conversant with the details 
 of Indian commerce, is fitter than any one else 
 for such a discussion, and I imagine he would have 
 no objection to being so employed ; bat I understand 
 he is at Bath, or at least was very lately. If you find 
 he is still there, I wish you would write to him, stating 
 the business, and desiring to know when he will be in 
 town. It is material that, if possible, it should be within 
 a week from this day. I mean to stay here to-morrow, 
 but shall certainly be in town by five on Tuesday, and 
 shall be very glad if you can dine with me. 
 
 " Yours sincerely, 
 " W. Pitt." 
 
 [In order to explain the latter part of the fohowing 
 letter, it is necessary to remark, that peace between
 
 110 DIARIES AND COIUIESPONDEN'CE OF 
 
 Russia and the Porte was coiicliuled at Gralutz, on 
 lltli of August, by the mediation of Prussia and the 
 threats of Enghuid, whose forces were augmented to 
 enforce her remonstrance. By this treaty Russia 
 ac([uired the fortress of Oczakow, and all the country 
 between the Bog and the Dniester, with the only con- 
 dition that the navigation of the last named river 
 should be left free. Better terms for Turkey might 
 have been obtained, had not Mr. J'itt been thwarted 
 by Mr. Adair, who was sent to St. Petersburg by 
 Mr. Fox, for that very purpose. — Ed.] 
 
 Mr. Pitt to Mr. Rosk. 
 
 " Downing Street, August 10th, 1791. 
 
 " Dear Rosk, 
 
 " I have an application to present to a living, on 
 the ground of the right coming to the Crown, in conse- 
 quence of its having been disposed of simonically by 
 the patron. I recollect an application of the same 
 sort, which you brought me some months ago, respect- 
 ing another living, which I think I complied with ; 
 but some previous incpiiry was made to ascertain that 
 there was sutticient ground to proceed upon. If you 
 recollect in what manner the inquiry was made, pray 
 let me know that I may put this in the same train. 
 
 [Secret.] 
 
 " We have an account from St. Petersburg of the 
 Empress's answer, which contains assurances of not 
 obstructing the navigation of the Dniester, and Avhich
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. Ill 
 
 modification (slender as it is^ our ministers "vvill have 
 accepted, and there the business will end ; not very 
 creditably, bnt better so than worse. 
 
 " The Gralutz Congress is resumed, and in a fair way 
 of terminating very well. The consequence is, that I 
 hope we shall very soon begin to disarm, and shall 
 be able so to manage it as to have no additional bill 
 to pay. In the mean time our revenue still continues 
 to rise ; and, including the present week, we are already 
 ] 78,000/. gainers in this quarter. So much for news. 
 
 " I knoAv of nothing that need disturb yourhohdays 
 at present, and I rather hope in about a fortnight or 
 three weeks to call on you in my way westward, if you 
 continue at Cufi'nels. 
 
 ■ . '* Yours sincerely, 
 
 ;.._::.:. .; .o " W. P." 
 
 Mr. Pitt to Mr. Rose. 
 
 "Downing Street, Tuesday, Aug. 30th, 1791. 
 
 " Dear Rose, 
 
 " I shall leave town the end of this week, in 
 my way westward ; and mean to have the pleasure of 
 calling on you in the course of my journey. If I find 
 the Speaker is at liberty, I must stop at Woodley 
 for a couple of days, and in that case shall not be with 
 you till Monday ; otherwise I perhaps may by Satur- 
 day, supposing you have no engagement to interfere 
 with it. If you have pray let me know, and I will 
 take my chance as I return. I enclose you a letter 
 from a Captahi Smyth, concerning whom you may 
 perhaps be able to give some information, and whose
 
 112 Ui.VllIES AND CUllUESPONDENCE OF 
 
 style is rather suspicious. Return his letter that I 
 may order some answer to be given him. Do yon 
 know of any person wlio has strong pretensions, and 
 would be fit for collector in the province of Uj)per 
 Canada, and any other who would make a good 
 consul at Tripoli? I have an application for the 
 former from a Mr. Antrobus, a Cambridge consti- 
 tuent, whicli T am rather inclined to attend to. 
 
 " Yours sincerely, 
 
 " W. Pitt." 
 
 [The following letter is given as a specimen of the 
 spuit of jobbing by which ministers were formerly 
 pestered in the administration of civil as well as of 
 ecclesiastical patronage, and the ridiculous length to 
 which it w as sometimes carried. 1 lappily, in these days 
 of severe responsibility and competitive examination, 
 such things are no longer possible. — Ed.] 
 
 "Burton Pjnsent, Sept. 10th, 1791. 
 
 " De.\r Rose, 
 
 " Since I wrote to Long yesterday I have seen a 
 Mr. Metcalfe, whom, I kno\\ not why, Sir J. Holly- 
 wood chose to employ instead of a messenger, to bring 
 a letter applying for the Receivership of Kent, either 
 for himself (I mean Sir John) or his son, a child of 
 five years old. 
 
 " The latter request is ridiculous. I told i\Ir. Met- 
 calfe I could say nothing at present to the lirst. I 
 gave much the same answer, though rather more dis-
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 113 
 
 coiiraging, to a Mr. Retford, the present deputy, who 
 came with a recommendation to Sir Charles Farnaby. 
 Gipps, of Canterbury, has also written to me for him- 
 self, and the Duke of Dorset, with a different sugges- 
 tion. I enclose the Duke's letter, and my answer 
 both to him and Gipps, that you may see how the 
 business stands. Be so good to forward the two last 
 letters. I think the whole must stand over for con- 
 sideration, and it will be material to know what Sir 
 E. Knatchbull says, from whom I have hitherto heard 
 nothing. Is Bamber Gascoigne at last dead or alive ? 
 My last account from Long prevented my writing to 
 the Duke of Beaufort and the Duchess of Rutland. 
 I shall go from hence on Wednesday, and probably 
 to Weymouth Thursday or Friday. 
 
 " Yours sincerely, 
 
 " W. Pitt." 
 
 [Mr. Pitt was appointed Warden of the Cinque 
 Ports in 1791. The King insisted upon his taking it ; 
 declared he would receive no other recommendation 
 to the office, and signified his resolution to that effect 
 to the other chief ministers, lie was anxious to make 
 provision for a man w^io, during the seven years of 
 his premiership, had not only not asked, but had 
 refused to take anything for himself. The simplicity 
 with which he relates the fact to his friend is verv 
 observable, and how immediately he passes from it to 
 a matter of business. The reduction of taxes shows 
 the increasing prosperity of the country. — Ed.] 
 
 VOL. I. I
 
 ill diaries and cokrespondenck 0(* 
 Mr. Pitt to j\Ir. Rose. 
 
 " Dear Rose, " Burton Pyiisent, Aug. 7th, 1792. 
 
 " I have had a letter from the King making the 
 offer in the handsomest way possible, and liave ac- 
 cepted. The advertisement is very right except that, 
 with a view to effect, it would be better to enumerate 
 
 the taxes repealed. 
 
 " Ever yours, 
 
 " W. P." 
 
 [The next is an important letter, because it shows 
 so clearly what Mr. Pitt's political views were at a 
 time when the crimes of France liarl alarmed all sane 
 politicians. Bound as we were by treaties to protect 
 Holland, not revolutionized Holland, but Holland 
 under her old established form of government, some 
 demonstration was necessary to produce the desired 
 effect ; but, if that should prove successful, Mr. Pitt's 
 next object was to produce a general pacification of 
 the European powers by persuading them to abstain 
 from meddling with France ; to leave her to arrange 
 her domestic concerns, and to work out her social 
 system in any way she liked. Lord Stafford seems to 
 have been more in favour of stronger measures. — Ed.] 
 
 Mr. Pitt to the Marquis of Stafford. 
 
 " My dear Lord, "Downing street, Nov. 13th, 1792. 
 
 " The strange and unfortunate events which have 
 followed one another so rapidly on the Continent, are
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 115 
 
 in many views matter of serious and anxious con- 
 sideration. 
 
 " That Avhicli presses the most relates to the situa- 
 tion of Holland, as your Lordship will find from the 
 enclosed despatch from Lord iVuckland, and as must 
 indeed be the case in consequence of the events in 
 Flanders. However unfortunate it would he to find 
 this country in any shape committed, it seems abso- 
 lutely impossible to hesitate as to supporting our ally 
 in case of necessity, and the explicit declaration of 
 our sentiments is the most likely way to prevent the 
 case occrn'ring. We have therefore thought it best 
 to send without delay instructions to Lord Auckland 
 to present a memorial to the States, of which I enclose 
 a copy. I likewise enclose a copy of instructions to 
 Sir Morton Eden, at Berlin, and those to Vienna are 
 nearly to the same eff'ect. These are necessarily in very 
 general terms, as, in the ignorance of the designs of 
 Austria and Prussia, and in the uncertainty as to what 
 events every day may produce, it seems impossible to 
 decide definitively at present on the line which we 
 ought to pursue, except as far as relates to Holland. 
 
 " Perhaps some opening may arise which may enable 
 us to contribute to the termination of the war between 
 different powers in Europe, leaving France (which I 
 believe is the best way) to arrange its own internal 
 affairs as it can. The whole situation, however, be- 
 comes so delicate and critical, that I have thought it 
 right to request the presence of all the members of 
 the Cabinet who can, without too much inconvenience, 
 give their attendance. It Avill certainly be a great 
 
 1 2
 
 110 DIARIES AND CORIIESPONDENCE OF 
 
 satisfaction if your Lordship should be of that mmil)cr. 
 At all events, I uish to apprise you as well as I can 
 of what is passing, and shall be happy to receive your 
 sentiments upon it either personally or by letter. 
 " I am, with the greatest regard, 
 "My dear Lord, 
 " Faithfully and sincerely yours, 
 
 "W. Pitt. 
 
 " Mai-qiiia of Staflbrd." 
 
 The ]\L\rquis of Staffouu to Mu. Pitt. 
 
 " My dkar Sir, 
 
 " it is difficult, I believe, for the best informed 
 of his Majesty's servants to give a decided opinion as 
 to what this country ought to do in this alarming crisis 
 of Europe. Such mystery has accompanied the nego- 
 tiations and transactions of the Austrian and Priissi:m 
 cabinets, that I wonder not that vou have dealt in 
 general language; at the same time procrastination 
 (unless the adverse armies were in winter quarters) 
 may give opportunities to embarrass the present unto- 
 ward situation of affairs still more. 
 
 " Uninformed as I have been for these four months 
 respecting the connexions, the jealousies, «S:c. of the 
 Courts of Europe during this unprecedented state, 
 it is impossible for me to enter en detail. I wish 
 our interference respecting Holland, and our adherin"- 
 to the faith of treaties, may produce the desired effect ; 
 and France indeed can have no just reason to attack 
 Holland, even upon her own avowed system of politics, 
 if she has any system.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 117 
 
 " These times require such attention and cu'cumspec- 
 tion at home, that every pohtical question must be now 
 doubly embarrassing. I wish you may not find it 
 necessary at the meeting of Parhament, by some means 
 to strengthen the hands of the executive government, 
 for the seditious are going great lengths ; and, if 
 possible, the principiis ohda is the wisest doctrine. 
 
 " I trust and believe that the King's Ministers have 
 
 done the best that could be done in the present posture 
 
 of affairs. I know how very desirous you gentlemen of 
 
 finance are to avoid giving the least alarm to the 
 
 funds ; otherwise not being unprepared for events 
 
 might give confidence, and have some effect on our 
 
 allies the French, who, more cautious I understand, are 
 
 equipping a fleet to recover their West India Islands. 
 
 I mean to be in town the middle of December ; you 
 
 will scarce have got your answers from the respective 
 
 Courts to whom you have written, before that time. 
 
 " I am, my dear Sir, 
 
 " &c. &c. 
 
 " Stafford." 
 
 [The subjoined letter from Captain IMackintosh, 
 who accompanied the expedition when Mr. Pitt sent 
 an embassy to Pekin, throws all the blame of its 
 failure upon Lord M;icartney. It would be inijust, 
 therefore, to that nobleman to withhold two letters of 
 his which point to a very different conclusion ; not 
 that they contain anything relative to the embassy 
 itself, for they are both of an earlier date ; but, from the 
 evidence they give of the character of the man, the
 
 118 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCK ()[ 
 
 triitli of the charge ai)pcars to be utterly iiuprobablc. 
 They arc the letters of a man without foolish pride, 
 self-couccit, or any dipositiou to douiineer, or to give 
 needless provocation. The spirit of self-sacrifice 
 and the luindjle-niindcd anxiety which he showed 
 to do his duty to his country, and to those wMio 
 appointed hitn, are wholly inconsistent with the frame 
 of mind which would otlcr unwarrantable insults to 
 the Emperor or liis mandarins. Captain Mackintosh 
 took too mercantile a view of the case; he expected 
 great advantages to accrue to this country from facili- 
 tating commerce with China — advantages which still 
 are doubtful, though the road to them has since been 
 opened by coercion — and to obtain them he would 
 have sacrificed the honour and character of Great 
 Britam. It is evident that he did not understand the 
 Chinese Government — that Government of which the 
 proverb is eminently true, that if you give it an inch 
 of concession, it will take an ell. There would have 
 been no end to the oppressions and humiliations to 
 which the English would have been forced to submit, 
 if Lord Macartney had consented to perform the de- 
 grading ceremonies required of him; and the French 
 missionary. Hue, has shown how much may be done 
 by invariably asserting the dignity of his nation, and 
 not swerving a hair's breadth to the right hand or to 
 the left from the strict line of equity by which Euro- 
 pean dealings should be guided. If Lord Elgin has 
 been more successful than Lord Macartney was, it is
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 119 
 
 not because lie was more flexible, but because he was 
 armed with sufficient power to administer a whole- 
 some correction to the vanity of the Celestial Empire, 
 and to assert international rio-hts with a determination 
 not to be trifled with. — Ed.] ' 
 
 Lord Macartney to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Dear Sir " Lion, Spithead, Sunday, Sept. 23rd, 1792. 
 
 "I AM to acknowledge the honour of your letter, 
 covering Mr. Pitt's speech, which you were so good as 
 to send me by Sir Andrew Douglas. I have been 
 highly gratified by both. The speech I had already 
 seen, but I have perused it again more at leisure, and 
 together with your tract, which had particularly en- 
 gaged my attention in the winter, it has given to my 
 mind a degree of information and satisfaction which I 
 do not recollect to have experienced before, on any 
 political subject ; independently of the composition, 
 which, however masterly, is, I know, with tlie authors 
 of those writings, only a secondary consideration. The 
 view of the present, and the prospect of the future 
 afi*orded by them, are so clear and pleasing, that 
 merely as a well-wisher to the public prosperity, I 
 ought to hope for its continuing to be long entrusted 
 to the same hands which have brought it to the pitch 
 at which we now see it. My private feelings of the 
 very handsome and liberal proceeding of Mr. Pitt in 
 
 ' Recent events fully confirm this view of the subject. Mr. 
 Bruce's mission failed because he was not accompanied by a suffi- 
 cient force to make himself respected by the most perfidious of 
 mankind. — En.
 
 120 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 the whole course of the business of the embassy, k-iul 
 nic Hkewisc to form the same ardent wishes ; and the 
 assurances you are pleased to give nie of his cordiality 
 towards nic, and of the entire contidencc he is so good 
 as to place in me, arc not only peculiarly grateful to 
 my mind, but give fresh alacrity to all my undertakings 
 in the public service ; and he may firmly depend both 
 upon my personal attachment to him, and upon my 
 most zealous and honest exertions in whatever station 
 he may think fit to place me. Accept, at the same 
 time, my dear Sir, my best thanks for the kind dispo- 
 sition you have testified in my favour, and for the 
 opportunity you have lately afforded me of cordial 
 and confidential conversation at your own house ; and 
 since 1 wish to consider it as fixing an intimacy and 
 friendship which I shall, at all times and from all 
 places, endeavour to cultivate, equally from i)ublic 
 motives aud private regard, I beg you to believe 
 me, with every sentiment of respect and esteem, 
 
 " Dear Sir, 
 " Very sincerely yours, 
 
 " Macartney. 
 
 " P.S. Sir Erasmus Gower says he thinks we shall 
 sail to-morrow. We have been settled on board these 
 three days." 
 
 Lord Macartney to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Dear Sir, " Lion, at Sea, April 14th, 1793 
 
 " As my despatches to Mr. Dundas, which no 
 doubt you have seen, contained everything worth
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 121 
 
 mentioning that lias occurred since our leaving Eng- 
 land, I did not mean to trouble you with a letter 
 before my arrival at Pekin ; but having some days 
 since met a French ship in her way from Manilla to 
 the Isle of France, I thought you might not dislike to 
 hear from me the latest news of that part of the world. 
 Though the Spaniards there are a good deal discon- 
 tented with their own Government, yet they entertain 
 a strong abhorrence to the late subversion in France, 
 and have manifested it on every occasion to the 
 people of that country, wherever they come among 
 them. The ship we spoke with, which is called the 
 ' La Fayette,' but is immediately to have another name 
 (Petion, Marat, or Robespierre, I suppose), sailed with 
 two others, a few months since, from the Isles of 
 France and Bourbon to Manilla, where they sold their 
 cargoes, amounting to the value of C0,000 to 80,000 
 dollars, through the medium of a French agent, resi- 
 dent there, and had agreed to take sugars in return, 
 which are now equally excellent and plentiful at that 
 place ; but their countryman, having got their affairs 
 entirely into his hands, it seems, played the rogue with 
 them, and refused either to supply the sugars, or to 
 refund the money. The Government connived at his 
 conduct, and denied them justice, so that the three 
 ships have been obliged to come away empty ; the conse- 
 (pience of which is a very serious loss to the navigators 
 and owners. They talked very loudly on the subject, 
 and of complaining at home, and returning to redress 
 themselves. * The place,' said the captain, ' we could 
 easily take ; or I wish,' addressing himself to one of
 
 122 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 our people, ' I wish you would take it again from 
 them, which would be the same thing for us.' They 
 represented the island of Luconia as a most valuable 
 possession, and which, in any other than S[)anish 
 hands, wcndd in a short tunc i)ecomc one of the most 
 opulent and important settlements in the East, abun- 
 dantly producing sugar, cotton, rice, indigo, wheat, 
 and cattle of every kind. Nevertheless, from ill policy, 
 prejudice, or ignorance, all foreign trade was, till 
 lately, prohibited to this island ; an island possessing, 
 as above mentioned, such ample materials for being 
 enriched by it. The port of Manilhi is at present 
 only open for a limited time, which expires in Sep- 
 tember next. The })e(jple, indeed, have written home 
 in the strongest manner for a prolongation of the 
 term, but they comi)lain much of being neglected, 
 net having had any ship direct from old Spain these 
 three years past, nor any letters or news from thence, 
 but through the channel of the Acapulco galleons. 
 
 " I understand that the Isles of Trance and Bour- 
 bon are in a state of considerable improvement, and 
 that their attempts to cultivate the clove, nutmeg, and 
 cmnamon, have been attended with success, and pro- 
 mise great advantage. j\Iost of the French whom we 
 have met in our passage are strong partisans of the 
 late subversion at home. This happens to be the 
 passion uppermost at present ; but with regard to 
 England, there is little doubt of their entertaining at 
 bottom as much envy and animosity as ever. 
 
 " I know not how your affairs are likely to turn out 
 with Spain, nor what order of things may arise from
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 123 
 
 the present anarchy in Prance, but I am disposed to 
 flatter myself that the connexion between those two 
 nations (which, in truth, was only a connexion be- 
 tween their two Courts) is now almost entirely at an 
 end, and that the advantages which Spain might 
 derive by renewing her ancient friendship with Eng- 
 land, she might repay us with large interest, and, at 
 the same time, suffer no real prejudice herself. But I 
 fear you will think me travelling very fast at this dis- 
 tance from the source of proper information ; I shall, 
 however, beg leave to add to you what I hinted to Mr. 
 Dundas, in a private letter, that if, after we have exe- 
 cuted our present instructions, it should then be found, 
 from the circumstances of things, that either my ser- 
 vices, or those of the ship and people who are with 
 me, could be employed with any prospect of utihty to 
 the public, either on the North-west coast of America, 
 or in the South Seas, in giving assistance, making 
 observations, or obtaining intelligence, I should readily 
 obey any commands that might be laid on me. This 
 I mentioned without the smallest idea of offering new 
 projects, or proposing new undertakings, and merely 
 to show my attachment to Government and my zeal 
 for its success. In this light I trust it will be under- 
 stood, and that you will do justice to my public senti- 
 ments, as well as to those private ones of esteem and 
 regard with which 
 
 " I have the honour to be, dear Sir, 
 " Your most faithful 
 " And affectionate humble servant, 
 
 " Macartney.
 
 12 i DIARIES AND CORHESPONDENCE OF 
 
 "P.S. 1 ilattcr myself you will excuse my usmg 
 Colonel Benson's hand on this occasion, as I am at 
 present disabli;d by the gout, wliich, ibr the first time, 
 has very unseasonably and very painfully attacked my 
 
 right wrist.' 
 
 Captain Mackintosh to Mu. Rose. 
 
 "April, 170.".. 
 
 " Dear Sir, 
 
 " Motives of prudence, as well as a conviction 
 that the failure of the Chinese Embassy was beyond 
 any present remedy, have induced inc hitherto to 
 be silent respecting the causes of its not succeeding. 
 But, weighty as these considerations have been in my 
 mind, I really feel myself now compelled, by a strong 
 sense of duty to my country, my employers, and the 
 ]\linisters, to state, for the information of the latter, 
 what fell immediately under my own observation 
 in the course of that business. How reluctantly I do 
 this, you, Sir, will easily believe, from the readiness 
 with which I undertook to be the bearer of ^Ir. Pitt's 
 wishes to Lord Macartney, respecting his going on the 
 mission, and the partial opinion I entertained of his 
 lordship, whose kindness to me was almost uninter- 
 rupted, and who even offered unequivocal and 
 considerable proofs of his hberality. 
 
 " I premise this, to impress on you my real induce- 
 ment for this communication, which are, most sincerely, 
 no other than a love of truth and an anxious wish 
 that the mistakes committed on the late occasion may,
 
 THE UIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 125 
 
 if possible, be prevented in a future one. I am led 
 to make it now, from understanding that another 
 mission to China is proposed, and, in a certain degree, 
 acceded to ; which, however it may answer the 
 purposes of individuals, I cannot think is the best 
 adapted to obtain any important national benefit. I 
 therefore send you, herewith, a plain narrative, by 
 attending to which, it wdll be seen that, instead of 
 giving readily in to the sober and orderly manners 
 of the Chinese, we did nothing but tease, irritate, 
 and provoke the Ministers and Mandarins, and that 
 at two different times the Emperor was actually 
 insulted in person. If we had conducted ourselves 
 properly, we might have remained at Pekin till this 
 time ; and I have no hesitation in declaring my most 
 sincere and firm belief that all the principal objects we 
 had in view might have been obtained, wdiich may 
 fairly be inferred from the following circumstance. 
 
 " The favourite Calao, and Minister of the Emperor, 
 was afflicted with a disorder that the medical men of 
 China had not been able to cure, and our physician 
 was requested to attend and prescribe for him. On 
 that very evening, several persons came to our apart- 
 ments, and repeatedly said to the interpreter. Cure 
 him, (meaning the Minister) and get into his good 
 graces, and, (with strong asseverations) if you want 
 a Frovince, you will get it. 
 
 " I have further to observe, that in the arrangements 
 now thought of, I am recommended to a flattering and 
 a very lucrative appointment; but if it be adopted hi 
 its present form I certainly shall withdraw my claim,
 
 120 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 determined not to be an instrument in tlie hands 
 of any men, to carry on a measure of wliicli T 
 disapprove. j\Iy princii)les would prevent me, in any 
 situation, from embarking in the business as concerted ; 
 and my circumstances lead me to no temptation to act 
 contrarv to these, if my feelins^s did not restrain me. 
 Having premised so much, I have only to add. that 
 I am particularly anxious that this disclosure, made 
 under the strong impression of private friendship and 
 of public trust, be comnumicated oidy to those more 
 materially interested, — I mean Mr. l^itt and Mr. 
 Dundas, — and to them, under a solemn pledge of 
 secrecy ; for to speak in tli. language of a seaman, 
 Lord Macartney carries too much weight of metal for 
 me ; and unpleasant conse(piences might arise from my 
 being rendered an object of resentment, not only to all 
 those who composed the Embassy, but to every other 
 adherent and dependent on his Lordship and Sir 
 George Staunton. 
 
 " Whenever you may think it a proper time to 
 communicate this information, I should wish to be 
 present to give further explanation, or answer any 
 questions that may occur. 
 
 " I liave the honour to be, dear Sir, 
 
 " Your obliged and very obedient servant, 
 
 " W. Mackintosfi. 
 
 •' George Rose, Esq."
 
 the right hon. george rose. 127 
 Mr. Pitt to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Downing Street, Jiily 31st, 1793. 
 
 " Dear Rose, 
 
 " I enclose you two letters from Brook Watson, 
 which accompanied the account of the surrender of 
 Valenciennes. The terms are still more satisfactory 
 than those at Mayence, as the French deliver up their 
 arms. Our loss is very slight ; but I am afraid 
 
 from what I hear, the Lord D , who is mentioned 
 
 to be wounded, is a relation of Mrs. Rose. I 
 ventured to open Brook's letters, thinking they might 
 contain something material to be attended to, and 
 I will take care that he shall have directions about the 
 bat and forage money. 
 
 " The account of the supplies of forage is, on the 
 whole, satisfactory, as I take for granted, after 
 October we shall have no great difficulty in procuring 
 further quantities of oats ; but I mean to see the 
 comptroller and Scott on the subject to-morrow. 
 The banks seem likely to give us some time in 
 discharging the Exchequer Bills. 
 
 " Yours sincerely, 
 
 " W. Pitt. 
 
 " I have kept Watson's official letters." 
 
 Mr. Pitt to Mr. Rose. 
 
 "Downing Street, Sept. 13th, 1Y93. 
 
 " Dear Rose, 
 
 " Before I received your letter respecting the 
 Southampton livings, I had had one from Sir H. 
 Martin, recommending the schoolmaster, which 1
 
 128 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 forwarded to the Chancellor, and he told nic yesterday 
 that he would <^ive him the living applied for. lie 
 did not return me Sir H. Martin's letter, but I take 
 it for granted the person and the living in (piestion 
 are the same you mention. 
 
 " I hardly think it worth making a second applica- 
 tion for the other living ; but, under the circumstances 
 you mention, the recommendation of the Corporation 
 seems likely to succeed. You will have seen the 
 accounts of our disappointment before Dunkirk. It 
 is certamly a severe check, but I trust only a 
 temporary one ; and it ought only to have the effect 
 of increasing, if possible, our exertions. By the 
 last accounts the Prince of Cobourg was on the point 
 of making the attack on the covered way at Quesnoy. 
 After that event is decided his army will probably 
 draw towards the Duke of York's. In the meantime, 
 General Beanlieu's success is a Grreat circumstance. 
 
 " Yours ever, 
 
 " W. Pitt." 
 
 Mr. Pitt to Mr. Rose. 
 
 "Dear Rose, " Downing street, Sept. leth, 1793. 
 
 " The enclosed letter to you came last night, 
 and was brought to me. It would be hardly worth 
 forwarding, but for what it mentions about the bread, 
 which puzzles me, as I never heard of his applying for 
 anything but biscuit ; and, on the most diligent 
 search, no trace of any apphcation for bread can be 
 found, nor would such a supply answer any pur- 
 pose. I rather imagine he uses the term bread, as
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE HOSE. 129 
 
 synonymous with biscuit ; if so, part is sent, and 
 
 the rest going as quick as possible. I shall write to 
 
 Mr. AVatson on the subject to-night. The Dutch 
 
 have been driven from Menin with, I am afraid, a 
 
 good deal of confusion, and our army obliged, in 
 
 consequence, to fall back to Thurout ; but I am 
 
 in hopes will make a stand there, and be joined 
 
 by Beaulieu. The enclosed Gazette confirms in the 
 
 most satisfactory manner all the particulars from 
 
 Toulon. - . 
 
 " Yours ever, 
 
 "W, Pitt.'' 
 Mr. Pitt to ]\Ik. Rose. 
 
 " Dear Hose, " l^owniug street, Sept. 23rcl, 1793. 
 
 " If any thing should arise to make you wish to 
 stay beyond to-morrow se'n night, you need have no 
 scruple in doing so, as I must be here, and no in- 
 convenience will arise from a short interval between 
 Long's going and your arrival. I have fixed, at Sir 
 C. Grey's recommendation, on a Mr. Jeftray as 
 Commissary General for the AVest Indies ; we want 
 besides, a Commissary of accounts, two assistant 
 Commissaries at 20^. per day, and three more at 106\ 
 I have consulted with the comptrollers, and do not 
 find much prospect of filling their places iVom the 
 half-pay list, which consists of but few, and those 
 chiefly superannuated. Does any body occur to you ? 
 
 " I believe the Chancellor has determined to give 
 Mr. Meares the living. 
 
 *' The accounts from the interior of Prance are 
 
 VOL. I. • K
 
 130 DIARIES AND CORIlESPONDE>X'E OF 
 
 excellent, and we arc prcjKiring very fast to make a 
 good use of Toulon. 
 
 " Yours ever, 
 
 " W. Pitt." 
 
 [With all this multifarious business occupying Mr. 
 Pitt's time and thoughts, it is no wonder that the 
 trivial impcrtincncies of some of his correspondents, 
 and tlic importunities of others, did not meet some- 
 times Avith that attention which in theii* self-com- 
 placency they thonght their due. But as most people 
 resent the appearance of being slighted or neglected, 
 this was the source of much dissatisfaction and un- 
 popularity, as the following letter from Lord Bulkely 
 to the Marquis of Buckingham, shows. 
 
 " I left Percy in town, and I set Rose and Steele 
 to coax him a little ; for the old grievance sticks by 
 him, and he wants much persuasion to efface the 
 memory of it. Sir Hugh is here, and complains 
 much of never havino; had one letter answered since 
 Pitt has been in power. I am afraid more rats will 
 run in consequence of Pitt's inattention to these trifles, 
 than on anv other account whatsoever. Indeed, I 
 heard as much in town. Rose and Steele may laugh 
 at such details, but they are necessary, and the con- 
 stituent will not believe the member's assiduity, unless 
 he sees real or ostensible evidence. I gave my 100/. 
 to the AVestminster election in consequence of a letter
 
 l^UE RIGHT HON. GEOEGE ROSE. 131 
 
 from Rose. I could ill spare it; but finding others 
 were dosed in the same manner, I gulped in the 
 grievance."^ 
 
 If a private Secretary had been invented then, this 
 inconvenience might have been avoided.^ 
 
 The unfortunate event alluded to in the following 
 letter, was a gallant, but ill-managed exploit at Toulon. 
 When it was in our possession the French had opened 
 a battery to cannonade the town, and it was neces- 
 sary to destroy it. Our troops got possession of this 
 battery and the height on which it was placed, but, 
 flushed with victory, they rushed on the flying enemy 
 with disordered impetuosity. The French general 
 rallied and reinforced his troops, and drove back the 
 broken ranks of his assailants. The English com- 
 mander, O'Hara, arrived at the redoubt too late to 
 remedy the disaster, and while he was endeavouring to 
 organize the retreat, received a wound from a bullet 
 which disabled him, and he was taken prisoner. — Ed.] 
 
 Mr. Pitt to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Wimbledon, Wednesday, Dec. 25th, 1793. 
 
 "Dear Rose, 
 
 "Your account of what you have written to 
 Chamberlayne is perfectly satisfactory, and also the 
 enclosure from Mr. Reid respecting the Scotch remit- 
 
 1 Duke of Buckingham's Memoirs, vol. ii. p. 116. 
 
 2 In a letter which Lord Grenville sent to Lord Wellesley, in 
 1804, he speaks of the bad habit which Pitt had contracted, of 
 never writing to any one. 
 
 k2
 
 132 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 tancc. You will sec that we liave already gained 
 considerably in this week's revenue. The letter from 
 ]Mr. Ilalyburton seems to be a sensible one. I am 
 sorry to say that the account of General O'llara 
 has proved true. Yon will sec the particulars in a 
 Gazette Extraordinary, which wc thoujrht it best to 
 publish inuncdiatcly, that the public might know 
 exactly what has passed. 
 
 "On the whole, the event, though unfortunate, is 
 far from uncreditable, and 1 think there is still a 
 very good chance of all proving right in that ((uarter. 
 
 " I liave not vet had time to look at vour notes, 
 liaving had a good deal of ditfcrent sorts of business 
 on my hands, but I hope to accomplish it to-morrow. 
 I have not, however, received any fresh papers from 
 Chinncry. 
 
 " It will be necessary to make some incpiiry as to 
 the deputy recommended by the Duchess of ]\Ian- 
 chester, as I suspect the Duke thinks he has a right 
 to recommend ; and another Duchess will then have 
 something to say upon it. 
 
 " Ever yours most sincerely, 
 
 " W. Pitt. 
 
 "I missed Mr. Gurton every time he called. 
 "Where can I send to him ?" 
 
 [Mr. Rose collected together a great number of 
 remarkable facts, bearing upon the relations between 
 England and France before the breaking out of the
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE EOSE. 133 
 
 war in 1793, showing that Mr. Pitt wished to avoid 
 going to war until it was forced upon him by the 
 progress of events. These facts seem to have been 
 designed for the heads of an argument, which may 
 have formed the substance of a speech in the House 
 of Commons, though not embodied in any written 
 form ; but since a great deal of undeserved obloquy 
 has been heaped upon the Minister of that day, by 
 his Whig opponents, it is worth while to notice the 
 succession of events, which are indicated rather than 
 detailed by Mr. Rose. Nobody could doubt Mr. Pitt's 
 pacific views in 1792, when he repealed taxes, and 
 reduced the naval establishment, especially the number 
 of seamen, to 16,000, although France had 80,000; 
 and although the year before, a Prench frigate had 
 violated the treaty of commerce by a positive aggres- 
 sion. When, in April, France declared war against 
 Austria, measures were taken to ensure the neutrality 
 of Great Britain ; and Mr. Pitt made a formal avowal 
 to a deputation from the city, that she would not 
 meddle with the affairs of France. The proclamation 
 against seditious writing was made a grievance ; but 
 it was only aimed at those who were in correspon- 
 dence with the French Revolutionists, who proclaimed 
 open war against all the higher ranks of society. On 
 December 15th, the National Convention avowed 
 itself faithful to the principles of the sovereignty of 
 the people, which does not permit them to acknow- 
 ledge any institution that militates against it, and
 
 131 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 instructs the French generals, into whatever country 
 they may go, to proclaim this same sovereignty, and 
 the abolition of all constituted authorities : and also 
 declares that the French will treat as an enemy that 
 nation, which, refusing liberty and e(|uality, should 
 choose to preserve its Prince and privileged orders. 
 The executive council in commenting upon this, 
 strengthened the language, and concluded thus : — 
 " The general interest of restoring peace to Furope, 
 can be obtained only by the annihilation of the despots 
 and their satellites. All conspires in inducing us to 
 treat snch a people according to the rigour of war 
 and concpiest." This is applied })articularly to Eng- 
 land, and Holland, and especially to the church of 
 the former. In like manner, during the previous 
 month, the National Convention had declared that 
 France was ready to assist every state, which was 
 willing to rebel against its own Government. That 
 we were enumerated amongst the threatened nations 
 was decisively proved by the rejection of Barrillon's 
 proposal to exclude Great Britain, and confine the 
 decree to countries in actual hostility with France. 
 
 On the 31st of December, the very day on which 
 Lord Grenville signed his note stating the terms 
 on which a rupture might be avoided, Monge, the 
 Minister of War, in a circular letter to the seaport 
 towns, said : — " We will make a descent on that 
 island; we will hurl thither 50,000 caps of liberty; 
 we will plant there the sacred tree, and stretch out
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 135 
 
 our arms to our brother republicans. The tyranny of 
 their Government shall soon be destroyed." Equally 
 violent and hostile language was used by other 
 members of the Convention ; but if such a dispatch 
 had been issued by Count Walewski or any other 
 Minister of Napoleon III., at the present time, the most 
 factious radical in the House of Commons would have 
 been clamorous for war. Chaussard, who was sent by the 
 Council to execute their decrees in the Austrian Nether- 
 lands, about the same time announced their object in 
 these unequivocal terms : — "A war ad internecionem is 
 declared between the Republic and all monarcliies." 
 
 On January 3rd, in the following year, instructions 
 were dispatched to Genet for forming, with America, 
 an offensive alHance against England; and on the 
 13th, the very day on which an evasive answer was 
 given by the Executive Council to the conciliatory offers 
 of Lord Grenville, orders were issued to commission 
 thirty ships of the line and twenty frigates, in addition 
 to the twenty-two of the line and thirty-two frigates 
 already employed, and forty-five more of both were to 
 be built ; while the armament on our side, at which 
 they took so much offence, only raised the total amount 
 of British seamen to 25,000, Avhich is not more than 
 sufficient to man eighteen sail of the line, with frigates. 
 
 Another subject of complaint, in singular contrast 
 with the existing state of things, was the Alien Bill, 
 which applied to all foreigners, though it was only 
 taken up by Erance. The objection was principally
 
 130 DIARIES AND COUUESrONDENCi: OF 
 
 foimdcd on the 4tli article of the Treaty of Comincrce. 
 But the French had viohitcd that artich^ much more, 
 by a very rigorous decree, inflicting fine and im- 
 prisonment on all strangers resident in France, who 
 neglected to make a certain declaration within eiti;ht 
 days : and Lord Clower, our ambassador, had been 
 arrested on his way from Paris till orders arrived for 
 his liberation. \ct im complaint was made by us, 
 because the step was declared to ])c necessary for 
 internal trnnqnilHty. But the rule which they pleaded 
 in their own favoiu', they were not wdling to allow to 
 others. It was necessary to the traufjuillity of Kng- 
 land to prohibit the circulation of assignats, not only 
 to save her inhabitants from the ruin of an incon- 
 vertible currency, but to preserve them also from the 
 corruption which the bullion purchased by French 
 Agents was employed to effect. It was a measure of 
 domestic self-defence, which the French Government 
 had no riijht to meddle with at all ; but thev seemed 
 bent upon quarrelling with our internal legislation. 
 They complained of the bills which forbade the expor- 
 tation of arms and of wheat, although they themselves 
 had previously forbidden the exportation of both the 
 one and the other from France. The singular fact, 
 that they had been buying up all the wheat they could 
 get in England, at a much higher price than they had 
 to pay for it elsewhere, produced a strong conviction, 
 that, knowino; how much a scarcitv of corn had con- 
 tributed to their own revolution, they were desirous
 
 THE EIGHT HOX. GEORGE ROSE. 137 
 
 that a similar discontent should effect similar commo- 
 tions in England. Certain it is, that they neglected 
 no means in tlieir power to stir up rebellion in this 
 country. Chauvelin, an impudent republican who had 
 been the ambassador from Louis the IGth, was now 
 the agent of the Executive Council to foment dis- 
 turbances, by sowing disloyalty throughout the land 
 with the aid of English Jacobins and revolutionists. 
 But so great was Mr. Pitt's love of peace, w'hich was 
 quite necessary to the success of his most cherished 
 plans, that he held conferences with this man, and with 
 another unacknowledged agent, Maret, in the hope 
 that war might yet be averted; for our ambassador 
 was withdrawn from Paris after the death of the King, 
 to whom he was accredited, and the Secretary of 
 Legation also, in consequence of the murder of some 
 Englishmen in the massacres of September, and there 
 was then no settled Government to which credentials 
 could be addressed. The changes of rulers were like 
 the changes in a kaleidoscope ; at least the variety 
 was as great, though all the symmetry was wanting. 
 
 But all negotiation was useless. It was evident, 
 that while Mr. Pitt was extremely anxious to preserve 
 peace. Prance was determined on war, which was 
 definitively showm by Le Brun's paper, considered as 
 an ultimatum, and delivered to Lord Grenville on the 
 13th of January; and, indeed, the Convention had 
 solemnly decreed that they would acknowledge no 
 kingly government.
 
 138 DIAllIES AND CORTIESPONDENTE OF 
 
 Chaiivcliu, who had persuaded the Convention to 
 let him stay in London without credentials, because 
 it would not be prudent for France to lose the fruit of 
 his labours with Mr. l*ox, and some of the o})position, 
 and thc'iv .suLscrjNe/it services — had now proved himself, 
 with their assistance, so dangerous an incendiary that 
 it was necessarv to check the mischief he was doin^: 
 by sending him away ; with a notification, however, 
 that the Government would still listen to terms of 
 accoramodntion. This step, his friend Mr, Fox chose 
 to consider an act of aggression upon France. Unfor- 
 tunately however for his argument, it appears that 
 Lord Grenville's order to Chauvelin to leave the 
 kin2:dom was dated Januarv 24th: while, in a letter 
 written by Dumouriez from Paris on January 23d, it 
 is stated, that orders had been already given for his 
 return. Now, it will be observed, that up to this 
 time, not the smallest inclination to go to war can be 
 discovered on the part of Great Britain ; the object 
 kept uniforndy in view was an honourable peace. But 
 what was the next event in this great drama ? 
 
 In the beginning of February,' France formally 
 declared war ; which was announced by the King in 
 the speech from the throne, and preparations were 
 then made accordingly. It was, however, no more 
 than might be reasonably expected from the doctrines 
 propounded by one of the leaders in that revolutionary 
 delirium. Brissot said, " War is now become ucces- 
 ^ Giflford says the first j Alison, the third. ,
 
 THE RIGHT HOX. GEORGE ROSE. 139 
 
 saiy. France is bound to undertake it, to maintain 
 her honour, — it is to be regarded as a public blessing ; 
 the only evil you have to apprehend is, that it should 
 not arrive : — it is no longer with governments that 
 we must treat, but with their snbjects." He proposes, 
 therefore, to get the start of those nations who are 
 hostilely disposed, because " he who is anticipated is 
 already half vanquished." 
 
 In the face of all this mass of evidence, which 
 after all is far short of what might be adduced, 
 is it not most lamentable, that the three Whig 
 historians of that time should be so blinded by party 
 prejudices, as to lose the perception of truth in their 
 narrative of the facts ? Of these. Lord Holland * 
 leads the way with a mild misrepresentation, which 
 looks more like ignorance than malice. He says, "that ^ 
 it was neither wise nor just to involve Europe in a 
 war, from feelings of commiseration for Louis the 
 16th, who was not under the protection of our laws. 
 But it was a moment of passion, and England has 
 paid severely for indulging it." Compassion doubtless 
 was felt from one end of the kingdom to the other ; 
 but to suppose that it influenced Mr. Pitt's conduct, 
 is to betray great ignorance of his character. No one 
 could more regret the want of wisdom and justice 
 that ruled the hour ; but folly and injustice held their 
 throne on the other side of the channel. 
 
 The next assailant was that venerable statesman, in 
 whose matured wisdom the lees of his Whig educa-
 
 14iO JHARIES AND CORRESPONDEXCE OF 
 
 lion have not so wliolly subsided as to leave it calm 
 and pure ; and, therefore, the fermenting spirit will 
 sometimes explode in vehement vituperation without 
 sufficient regard to truth : and so he pours forth these 
 groundless cahunnies against the object of Whig anti- 
 pathy. " The very worst offence of which a Minister 
 can be guilty, is the abandonment of his own principles 
 for place, and counselling his sovereign and his country, 
 not according to his conscience, but according to what 
 being most palatable to them, is most beneticial to 
 the man himself. ^Ir. Pitt joining the war party in 
 1793 is the most striking and most fatal instance of 
 this offence. His thoughts were all turned to peace, 
 but he preferred flinging his country into a contest, 
 which he and his great antagonist, by uniting their 
 forces, must have prevented ; but then he must also 
 have shared with ^Ir. Fox the power which he was 
 determined to enjoy alone and supreme."' This 
 Lord Brougham calls "a flagrant political crime." 
 Even if this accusation had been true, such a coalition 
 was plainly impossible. It could not have outlived 
 the ridicule of being represented like the two Kings 
 of Brentford smelling at the same nosegay. The 
 constitution of our Government required that one 
 should be premier, and the other subordinate. 
 
 Superior talent has sometimes submitted to own 
 another head of the Cabinet, on the condition of being 
 
 ' Historical Sketches of Statesmen in the Time of George III. 
 By Lord Brougham. — p. C2.
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE, 141 
 
 leader in liis own liouse; but it is ridiculous to suppose 
 that the leaders of t\A^o rival parties could ever work 
 too-ether lono: in the same chamber of Parliament. It 
 is true, that Mr. Pitt had refused to submit to this in- 
 feriority when office was offered to him in the Coalition 
 Administration. What does Lord Brougham himself 
 say upon that subject ? " Mr. Pitt, though a man of 
 vast talents as well as spotless reputation, was not 
 permitted, without a sacrifice of personal honour, to be 
 the ally of ^Ir. Pox in serving their common country."^ 
 If then Mr. Pox was wrong in imposing this condition 
 when the IMinister was young in office, and scarcely 
 the leader of a party, how could any man in his senses 
 expect that Mr. Pitt would voluntarily descend from 
 his throne of power and popularity, to lay himself 
 at the feet of Mr. Pox, especially when there was no 
 rational prospect, that, even by this self sacrifice, he 
 could purchase the success of his favourite policy? 
 Por this is the acknowledgment of the same high 
 authority when, spurning the trammels of party, he 
 paid homage only to truth. " There is not," he says, 
 " much reason to suppose that, had the parties changed 
 positions in 1792, the Whigs would, as a matter of 
 course, have been against tlie war. How little disposed 
 they showed themselves after Mr. Pitt's death to make 
 sacrifices for the great object of pacification !"^ 
 
 But the accusation is not true in any part. It is not 
 true that Mr. Pitt joined the war party from selfish 
 
 1 Historical Sketches, p. 189. ^ 7^/^/, 300.
 
 112 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 motives, for it has been shown that he had no option ; 
 that he was dragged into tlie vortex, not only against 
 his will, but in spite of repeated struggles to avoid it ; 
 and that he actually went to the extremest limits of 
 forbearance that })rudcnce could tolerate, for national 
 amitv with France in that crisis of wliich Lord Holland 
 dreamed, would have been " concord with Belial ; " 
 and to shew good feelings towards her new institutions 
 would have been to encouraf!:e instabilitv, bloodthirsti- 
 ness, impiety, and the subversion of all social order. 
 It is not true, therefore, that any union between Mr. 
 Pitt and Mr. Fox could have prevented the war; and it 
 is wonderful how a statesman so well versed in public 
 affinrs as Lord Broughaui, could have entertained 
 such an opinion for a single moment. I^astly, it is 
 not true, that Mr. Pitt would not share power with 
 Mr. Fox, because he wanted to enjoy it alone. Lord 
 Holland shews the contrary. He says, " Mr. Fox 
 about this time had a very secret interview with Mr. 
 Pitt, in which the latter proposed a coalition of parties 
 with mauy conditions, somewhat unpalatable, though 
 NOT utterly inadmissible, or in the least dishonourable, 
 except the exclusion of men, and particularly of 
 Sheridan, to which ]\Ir. Fox would not listen. He 
 would not sacrifice him to the popular clamour 
 founded on the immorality of Sheridan's private cha- 
 racter." ' 
 
 Nothing can be more strangely improbable than 
 
 1 ]\Iemoirs of the Whig Party, p. 31.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 143 
 
 that Sheridan's private character should have pre- 
 vented an aUiance to which Mr. Pox was admitted 
 as a principal ; for if the former was more than " a 
 gnat," the latter was not less than " a camel" of 
 immorality. But, in point of fact, we know from a 
 different quarter what the real obstacle was. In Lord 
 Malmesbury's diary this statement occurs : — " June, 
 1792. Dined at Lord Loughborough's with Pox; 
 he doubted Pitt's sincerity, and suspected he had no 
 other view than to weaken their party and strengthen 
 his own. He contended that it was impossible ever 
 to suppose Pitt would admit him to an equal share of 
 power, and that whatever might be his own feeling, 
 or readiness to give way, he could not, for the sake of 
 the honour and pride of the party, come in on any 
 other terms. Pitt must have the Treasury; and he 
 on his part had friends in the House of Commons he 
 must attend to. He spoke with acrimony of Pitt, 
 and repeatedly said, that the pride of the party must 
 be saved. He held out on the imjwssidilii?/ of Ms 
 acting under Pitt" 
 
 It is now tolerably clear which of the two great 
 antagonists was guilty of " the flagrant political crime" 
 of sacrificing his country to the interests of his party, 
 and refused to share power, when it was offered to 
 him, because he "was determined to enjoy it alone 
 and supreme."' Lord Brougham justly observes, that 
 " he (Mr. Pox) constantly modified his principles 
 
 1 Historical Sketches, p. 62.
 
 Ill' iJiAKiES ANJJ CUKKESPOMJENCK OF 
 
 according to his own sitnation and circumstances as a 
 party chief, making the ambition of the man and tlie 
 interests of his followers the governing rule of his 
 conduct."' It only remains to show, from Mr. Fox's 
 own confession, how nmch the noble lord was right 
 when he surmised that, if the Whigs had been in power, 
 their policy would have been the same. Mr. Fox 
 declared in Parliament, that "the Decree of the I'Jth 
 of November he considered as an insult, and the 
 explanation of the Fxecutive Council as no adc([uatc 
 satisfaction. It was said, we nmsthavc security; and 
 he was ready to admit that neither a disavowal by the 
 Executive Council of France, nor a tacit re})eal by the 
 Convention, on the intimation of an unacknowledged 
 agent, of a decree which they might renew the day 
 after they had repealed it, would be a sufficient secu- 
 rity, if the invasion of the Netherlands was "vvhat now 
 alarmed us ; and that it ought to alarm us, if the 
 result was to make that country an appendage to 
 France. There could be no doubt, wc ought to 
 have interposed to prevent it in the very first 
 instance." 
 
 So that our fault ^vas not in going to war, but in 
 not havino; crone to war sooner. HavinsT- thus routed 
 the enemies of Mr. Pitt with their own Aveapons, 
 so far as his two principal opponents are concerned, 
 we may well smile at the warlike aspirations of Lord 
 John Russell, who sounds the alarm after this fashion : 
 
 ' Historical Sketches, pp. 179 — 199.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOEGE ROSE. 14^5 
 
 "It will be my business, if I should be able to 
 continue tins work, to point out the utter want of 
 foresight by which the conduct of Mv. Pitt was 
 marked, when he led the people of England into a 
 crusade against the people of France." It might, per- 
 haps, without injustice, be denominated a crusade 
 against anarchy, and there was certainly a dash of 
 chivalrous feeling in the hearts of the war party. This 
 is a fault which was never charged upon the Whigs, and 
 therefore Mr. Burke abandoned them. Mr. Pox might 
 be pardoned for not foreseeing the events, which by 
 his own admission would have altered his opinion, and 
 which Mr. Pitt did foresee ; but how any man, look- 
 ing at the facts of history, can impute want of fore- 
 sight to that Minister, would be quite incomprehen- 
 sible, were there not proofs enough that writers who are 
 afflicted with Whiggery labour under an incapability 
 of discerning truth. As in physics, there is a condi- 
 tion of the sight called colour blindness, which dis- 
 ables individuals from distinnfuishing certain colours, 
 so that red appears blue, or vice versa, — so party 
 blindness falsifies the aspect of truth, and incapacitates 
 some persons from discerning its real hue. Herein 
 lies the cause of the inconsistencies and fallacies which 
 disfigure their writings. Thus Lord John Russell, in 
 his anxiety to censure Mr. Pitt, states that at the com- 
 mencement of the Revolution, "the fear of French 
 principles, horror at French crimes, and disgust at 
 French excesses, were constantly put forth as incentives 
 
 VOL, I. L
 
 116 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 to war." If he had said in justification of the war, 
 he wouUl have spoken tlie truth. But wliy that term, 
 "incentives?" It is plainly an insinuation that Mr. 
 Pitt was pugnacious, and wanted to stir \i\) a reluctant 
 people to engage in the war. lie nught have learned 
 better from his great ally, who, though equally bent 
 upon assaulting the leader of the Tories, had vi-t the 
 candour to Jillow that all Mr. Pitt's thoughts were 
 ever turned towards peace, and that he not only pro- 
 fessed, but undoubtedly felt an ardent love of peace ; ' 
 and that was shown by his repeated eflbrts to termi- 
 nate the war, as soon as a reasonable prospect of 
 success appeared. At lirst negociation was impossible ; 
 for during the chaos and anarchy that reigned in 
 France for some time after she had declared war, and 
 insulted, as Marshal St. Cyr acknowledges, not only all 
 kings, but every^ existing government, there was no 
 ruling power thei-e in which any confidence could be 
 reposed ; none on the stability of which, from month 
 to month, any reliance could be placed.' As soon as 
 a somewhat more settled form of government gave the 
 
 ^ Historical Sketches, &c. by Lord Brougham, vol. i. book 2, 
 § 193. 
 
 - " Mr. Pitt said, with great truth, At present (under Robespierre), 
 there is no security for the continuance of peace, even if it were 
 signed, for a single hour ; every successive faction which has risen 
 to the head of afF;iirs in France, has perished the moment that it 
 attempted to imprint moderation on the external or internal 
 measures of the Revolution. It is a contest for the security, the 
 tranquillity, and the very existence of Great Britain, connected with 
 that of every established government, and every country in Europe." 
 — Alison s HUt. vol. ii. p. 449,
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 147 
 
 slightest hope that treaties might be effected and 
 respected, several attempts were made by Mr. Pitt to 
 brill s: about a negociation. 
 
 TJie first overtures for peace froQi the British 
 Government were made through Mr. Wickham, in 
 Switzerland, in 1796, but failed, because France in- 
 sisted on keeping all the conc[uered territories which 
 had been annexed to it by a decree of its own legis- 
 lature — Savoy, Flanders, both Dutch and Austrian, 
 &c. The second attempt was made by overtures 
 from Great Britain in the same year, through the 
 Danish Ambassador ; but they were flatly refused by 
 France, on the ground of their not being made by 
 a direct communication to the Directory ; although 
 Lord Grenville's uote requested a passport for an 
 ambassador, to go to Paris to negociate. A third 
 attempt was made in September of the same year, by 
 a direct application, and at the end of October Lord 
 Malmesbury went to Paris; but the terms were 
 refused by France, without any counterproject being 
 offered, and he was ordered to quit Paris. The terms 
 were, that Great Britain should resign all her con- 
 quests ; France to restore the Netherlands, to evacuate 
 Italy, and to make peace with Germany. Lastly, 
 another attempt at iiegociation was made in June,. 
 1797, in consequence of the preliminaries being signed 
 at Leoben between France and the Emperor, and the 
 plenipotentiaries met at Lisle. The terms offered on our 
 side were most liberal ; — to surrender all oui* conquests 
 
 l2
 
 148 DIARIES AND COKRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 from France, and to claim iiotli'mj^ in return ; but 
 France required tlie cession of all that we had conquered 
 from Spain and Ilolhmd l)esides; and, hy insisting upon 
 this as a preliminary, the treaty was broken ott". And 
 who Avas it in England that opposed this peace ? 
 AVho was it that put forth arguments as incentives to 
 war? It was Mr. Fox, who objected to the Ministers 
 getting out of a contest, which, at the same time, he 
 styles most unjust and most inq)olitic, by a peace qntl" 
 conque ; and would not acquiesce in their making such 
 a peace as could be justified only upon consideration 
 of the condition in which tluy had brought us.' 
 
 But as Fox was thus blind to the fact, which 
 has been incontestal)ly proved, that the war was 
 not unjust, and that the Ministers did not bring us 
 into it, and that it was not their own policy, but 
 a policy to which they were reluctantly obliged to 
 submit, — so Lord John Russell is equally unable to see 
 the natural consequences of the war ; and the sagacity 
 of Mr. Pitt's foresight is favourably contrasted with 
 the retrospective blindness of his critic. -He asks with 
 the most naive simplicity, how^ war could extirpate 
 French principles, or arrest French crimes? As if Mr. 
 Pitt or any one else ever contemplated the possibility 
 of extirpating the one, or arresting the other in 
 France. And yet, if they had really wished it, it 
 would not have been unreasonable to expect that war, 
 by diminishing the power of the criminals, who were a 
 
 » Mr. Fox to Lord Holland, Hist. Sket. vol. iii. p. 133.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 149 
 
 small minority of the nation, might have encouraged the 
 more sober-minded majority to resist their detestable 
 proceedings. In all probability, if the abuse of power 
 by the higher classes had not deprived them of sym- 
 pathy, and left the bulk of the people in a profound 
 indifference to political changes, the offer of foreign aid 
 might have roused them from their apathy, and the 
 successive factions that waded through blood to power 
 might have been checked in their career; their principles 
 might have been repudiated, and their crimes arrested. 
 But Mr. Pitt had no such object in view, which, 
 indeed, his incautious censor himself elsewhere con- 
 fesses. By his own acknowledgment, " Mr. Pitt 
 was ready to admit that we had nothing to do with 
 the internal government of Prance, provided its 
 rulers were disposed and able to maintain friendly 
 relations with foreign governments. He sought to 
 confine Prance within her ancient limits^ to oblige 
 her to respect established treaties, and to renounce 
 her conquests ; he treated Robespierre and Carnot 
 as he would have treated any other Prench rulers, 
 whose ambition was to be resisted, and whose inter- 
 ference in the affairs of other nations was to be 
 checked and prevented."^ This statement is fully 
 borne out by the historian of those times : " The 
 basis of the alliance with Russia was, that the Prench 
 should be left entirely at liberty to arrange their 
 government and their internal concerns for themselves, 
 
 » Page 33. ^
 
 150 DIARIES AND CORIIESPOXDENCE OF 
 
 and that the efforts of the allies should be limited to 
 prevent their interfering with other states, or extend- 
 ing their conquests or propagandism beyond their own 
 frontier." ' But they did interfere with other states, and 
 extended not only their conquests, but their propa- 
 gandism beyond their own frontiers. The Convention 
 infringed the treaty of Munster by opening the navi- 
 gation of the Scheldt, and violated the rights of nations 
 by a decree, that the Austrians should be pursued into 
 the Dutch territories; and with what fjital effects the 
 spirit of propngandism stalked abroad beyond the 
 frontiers, the same historian thus describes : — " Ad- 
 dressing herself to the discontented multitude in every 
 state, paralyzing the national strength by a division of 
 its population, and taking advantage of that division 
 to overthrow its independence, Prance succeeded in 
 establishing her dominion over more than one half of 
 Europe. Experience proved that the freedom which 
 the Jacobin agents insitUously offc-red to the deluded 
 population of other states, was neither more nor less 
 than an entire subjection to the agents of PVance, and 
 the peril incurred was even greater in peace than 
 in war. The continuance of amicable relations was 
 favourable to the secret propagation of the revolu- 
 tionary mania, and she made more rapid strides to- 
 Avards universal dominion during one year of pacific 
 encroachment, than in six years of hostihties."- 
 ■ These were the consequences which Mr. Vitt fojrsair, 
 
 ' Alison's Hist., vol. iii. p. 88, ^ /^,-^ yo] ^j p. 619.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOUGE ROSE. 151 
 
 and from whicli lie wisely determined to save his 
 own country, when he accepted the challenge to battle 
 thrown out bv France. War was the cordon sanitaire 
 by which he saved it from the contagion of her Jaco- 
 binical principles, and from participation in her de- 
 strnctive crimes. That the danger which reconciled 
 Mr. Pitt to the abandonment of his pacific policy was 
 real and alarming, is abundantly proved by the lan- 
 guage used in the National Convention, when compli- 
 mentary addresses were sent to them by the London 
 Corresponding Society, and forty others of the same 
 stamp. In November, 1792, they were convinced that 
 England was labouring in the throes of a similar 
 revolution to their own; and the President, Gregorie, is 
 reported to have said, that " the respectable islanders, 
 who were once their masters in the social arts, had 
 become their disciples; and, treacling in their steps, 
 would soon strike a blow that should resound to the 
 extremity of Asia." AVliat then but that party pre- 
 judice, which clouds the clearest understanding, could 
 induce Lord John Russell to assert, that " there never 
 was a more unfounded fear than that which induced 
 the great majority of the nation to dread the over- 
 throw of their constitution by a small minority ena- 
 moured of Prench principles ;" an assertion practically 
 refuted by the example of Prance itself, where the 
 horrors of the revolution were perpetrated by a 
 minority of the population ; and contradicted, accord- 
 ing to his own confession, not only by the great
 
 152 PIARIES AXD CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 majority of the nation, who were certainly better 
 judges of their own danger than one who has had no 
 opportunity of feeling the fevered pulse of those 
 times, hut also by the great majority of his own 
 party. It is a singularly startling confession, and one 
 for wliich his friends will not thank him. '• Thu.s," 
 says he, '* while Mr. Fox gave to his friends the most 
 PATRIOTIC (which means republican and revolutionary) 
 counsels, the great AVhig party, which he led, broke 
 off into two divisions ; he was left almost alone, his 
 popularity was gone, and his name hehl up to detesta- 
 tion : he was purely and simjily a A\'liig." What a 
 severe satire upon liis party ! lie then, who is purely 
 and sim})ly a AVhig, is a person whose name is held 
 up to detestation for his principles ; who is renounced 
 and denounced by his dearest friends. 
 
 The Duke of Portland, at the head of forty peers 
 and a hundred and seven commoners, yielded to this 
 necessity at last,' though he was long restrained from 
 adopting such a course by personal partiality for the 
 man. Sir Gilbert Elhot stated to him, in the strongest 
 manner, the conduct of Fox ; that it was founded on 
 the worst of principles — on those on which the French 
 Revolution was founded; that it went to overthrow 
 the country ; that it was essential, for the honour of 
 the party, to separate from him ; and that it was im- 
 possible for them not to express publicly their entire 
 disapprobation of Fox's conduct and principles. And 
 
 ^ Lord Malmesbury's Diary, vol. ii. p. 482.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOUGE ROSE. 153 
 
 Lord Malraesbury says,' " It grieves me to separate 
 from him ; it grieves me still more to see how com- 
 pletely he has set the whole comitry against him. If 
 he is sincere, he is dangerous, acting upon principle ; 
 if insincere, he is dangerous, acting without prin- 
 ciple." ^ And he was very anxious to save his party 
 from partaking of all the odium and disgrace which 
 Fox had brought upon himself by his conduct;^ These 
 partisans were evidently not of the right sort to please 
 Lord John; they had not learned sufficiently from 
 Fox's patriotic counsels, to hate the government of 
 their country, and to rejoice in the successes of the 
 Republic. 
 
 This is no prejudiced picture of that type and 
 model of a pure and simple Whig; it is his own 
 description of his feelings, for thus he writes to Mr. 
 Grey : " The truth is, I am gone something farther in 
 hate to the English Government than perhaps you and 
 the rest of my friends are, and certainly farther than 
 can with prudence be avowed. The triumph of the 
 French Government over the English does, in fact, 
 afford me a degree oi pleasure which it is very difficult 
 to disguise."* The isolation of Mr. Fox may be 
 thought to favour the assertion, that the fear of the 
 Constitution being overthrown by the small minority 
 of those who were enamoured of French Jacobinism, 
 
 ' Lord Malmesbury's Diary, vol, ii. p. 416. * jm p^ gQO. 
 ^ Ibid. p. 486. ■* Memoirs and Correspondence of C. J. Fox, 
 
 vol. iii. p. 349.
 
 154 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 was quite unfounded. But it is to be remembered, 
 that those who deserted him were only the sensible, 
 well-educated men in Parliament. ]^ut, again, no 
 other confutation is needed than Lord John's own 
 confession ; for he admits that, at a later period, some 
 violent men appear to have meditated a revolution, 
 but " the conspiracies were abortive" (why?), "be- 
 cause their designs were shallow, and their plans 
 immature." Ihit what if their designs had been 
 deeper laid, and their plans more matured? *' the 
 insignificance of the party " would not have prevented 
 them from deluging the land with blood. The fact is, 
 the party was not insignificant. How could it be so 
 when the King was fired at in the park, and the mob 
 had almost succeeded in drao:u;in2; him from hi.s car- 
 riage? when the cry of " No king — no nobles" was 
 heard in the streets? when 2,000 people, at the 
 Crown and Anchor tavern, drank the toast, for which 
 the Duke of Norfolk was most justly deprived of his 
 Lord Lieutenancy, " The people — the sovereign " ? 
 when conventions were formed in various parts of the 
 country to coerce the Parliament, and demagogues 
 were agitating the principal manufacturing towns, to 
 oro;anise a National Convention, in imitation of that 
 in France? And what if Mr. Fox himself contra- 
 dicted this rash assertion of unfounded fear? 
 
 Li 1796 he thus writes to his nephew: "At present 
 I think that we ought to go further towards agreeing 
 with the democratic or popular party than at any
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEOUGE ROSE. 155 
 
 former period .... we as a party can do nothing ; 
 and the contest must be between the Court and the 
 democrats. These last, without our assistance, will be 
 too weak to resist the Court : or, if thev are strons 
 enough, will go probably to greater excesses, and 
 bring on the only state of things which can make a 
 man doubt whether the despotism of monarchy is the 
 worst of all evils." ^ Thus, with his eyes open to the 
 probable consequences, he proposed to assist the demo- 
 crats to do what he deprecated, rather than submit to a 
 constitutional monarchy. And such were the patriotic 
 counsels which he gave to his friends. But this is not 
 all. In another letter he says, " The country seems 
 divided between the majority who are subdued by 
 fears, or corrupted by hopes ; and the minority, who 
 are waiting sulkily for opportunities for violent reme- 
 dies." And again, " It is a duty to brave all calumny 
 that will be thrown upon us, on account of tlie coun- 
 tenance which we shall be represented as giving to 
 the Corresponding Society, and others who are sup- 
 posed to wish the overthrow of the monarchy. My 
 view of things is, I own, very gloomy, and I am con- 
 vinced that in a very few years this Government will 
 become completely absolute'; or that confusion Avill 
 arise of a nature almost as much to be deprecated as 
 despotism itself .... I cannot disguise from myself 
 that there are but too many who wish for this."^ 
 In the face of this evidence— unexceptionable evi- 
 
 1 Vol. iii. p. 135. 2 p_ 164^ and 70.
 
 150 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OP 
 
 dciice, since it is furnished hy ^Ir. lox himself— 
 Lord Jolni Russell -will do well to abstain from rakintr 
 up the almost forgotten embers of AVhig incendiarism, 
 which only serves to throw a stronger light upon the 
 superior wisdom of Mr. Pitt. 
 
 Since this vindication of Mr. Pitt from the imputa- 
 tions of Lord John Russell was penned, he, with the 
 usual recklessness of his dauntless sj)irit, has actually 
 attempted to redeem his pledge by repeating the same 
 charges nearly in the same words, and with as little 
 success. Still, as it occupies a considerable portion of 
 his second volume of the " Life of Fox," it is a duty 
 to expose once more the weakness of the attack. 
 Some apology is due to the reader for repeating 
 several passages which have been already given ; but 
 when a man in the high position of Lord John 
 Russell, deliberately endeavours to deceive mankind 
 by repeating the old fallacies more insidiously and 
 elaborately dressed up, apparently on the principle 
 that water indents the stone, — not by any native force, 
 but by the incessant repetition of its drops ; — and when 
 his settled purpose is to damage the character of a more 
 exalted statesman than himself; to drag him before 
 the bar of his country, and to impeach him of high 
 crimes and misdemeanours ; — the interests of justice 
 require us to meet the enemy with the same weapons 
 which have foiled him before, and, without expecting 
 the reader to bear in mind all that has been already 
 adduced, to lay before him again the strongest points
 
 THE UIGHT HON. GEOKGE EOSE. 157 
 
 of evidence, — whether they have been used before or 
 not, — in order to exhibit the light of truth in more 
 striking contrast with the haziness of Whig sophistry. 
 
 Well, then ; Lord John now renews his impotent 
 attempt to prove Mr. Pitt guilty of needlessly involv- 
 ing his country in war at the time of the French 
 Revolution ; and in this second attack we may fairly 
 conclude that he has exhausted his armoury, and used 
 every argument which party zeal could suggest to 
 favour his attempt. 
 
 It will be my business to show that he had much 
 better have let it alone. Being, however, a cunning 
 fencer, he makes many desperate lunges at his 
 adversary whenever he thinks he can wound him. 
 They are easily parried, but being constantly almost 
 the same, the defence must partake of the monotony 
 of the assault ; and as there is little diversity in the 
 arguments except in outward form, there must neces- 
 sarily be much repetition in the confutation of them. 
 After first explaining the position of Mr. Pitt and his 
 government at that period, with remarkable imparti- 
 ality and perspicuity, he seems to bethink himself that 
 it is time to disparage him, in order to magnify his 
 rival, Mr. Fox ; for which purpose he proceeds to 
 weave a web of sophistry, some of the salient points 
 of which it is necessary to disentangle. He makes 
 common cause with M. Chauvelin, the French Emis- 
 sary, who had the assurance to ask our Government to 
 recognise the justice and necessity of the war which
 
 158 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDEXCE OF 
 
 France had declared against Austria, after various out- 
 rages for which no repr.ration had been made, on the 
 plea that she had sheltered the emigrants, and that 
 England had not suffered other powers to lend the 
 smallest assistance to rebellious subjects. 
 
 Had, then, France so soon forgotten the no small 
 assistance which she had lent to Hritish rebels in 
 America ? But he also pointed out the marks of a 
 conspiracy against free states which threatened uni- 
 versal war, and England was called upon to stop the 
 progress of that confederacy, which threatened the 
 peace and happiness of Europe. Who could believe 
 that this proposition came from a Government that 
 had recently promised its assistance to all nations 
 who wished to overthrow monarchy ? Lord Gren- 
 ville Avas not moved by these impudent suggestions 
 to depart from the pacific policy of Mr. Pitt — the 
 policy of non-intervention ; — that policy on which 
 Lord John now so strenuously insists. Nevertheless, 
 in Lord Grenville, he imputes it to a secret wish for 
 the success of a design to conquer and despoil France. 
 And from this imputation he could only have escaped 
 by making war upon the allies. 
 
 On this prmciple England has had a narrow escape 
 from a declaration of war against Austria in the late 
 Italian campaign ; for the distinction which he pr<j- 
 ceeds to draw would have exactly reduced us to that 
 dilemma. " It is one thing," says he, " to decline to 
 interfere in the internal afi'airs of another countrA- ; it
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE EOSE. 159 
 
 is a totally clifFerent thing not to interfere with an 
 external war which is intended to effect the conquest 
 and share the spoils of one of the great members of 
 the European confederacy. The first is a due homage 
 to the independence of another nation ; the second is 
 a culpable indifference to the peace of Europe, and 
 the treaties upon which that peace was founded."' 
 But Austria intended to effect the conquest of Pied- 
 mont, and actually invaded that member of the Euro- 
 pean Confederacy, and had set at nought the Treaty 
 of 1815. Therefore, on his own showing, our Mmister 
 at War displayed a culpable indifi'erence to the peace 
 of Europe, and the treaties upon which that peace was 
 founded, by not interfering against Austria. But in 
 the war of the Revolution the truth is exactly the 
 reverse of the representation of it by Lord John : for 
 which nation was it that not only intended to conquer 
 and despoil her neighbours, but had actually com- 
 menced that conquest and spoliation by a war wholly 
 unprovoked ? It was Erance. True it is that, in 1791, 
 Russia and Sweden had proposed an invasion of France 
 to the German Powers in favour of the King ; but, at 
 the interview which took place at Pilnitz, the King of 
 Prussia betrayed violent signs of disapprobation, and 
 the views of Leopold were too pacific to adopt so bold 
 and hostile a measure.^ 
 
 Nevertheless, Erance declared war against the King 
 
 1 Life of Fox, vol. ii. p. 298. 
 • ■ ■ » Annual Register for 1792, p. 389.
 
 IGO DL\RIES AND CORllESPONDENCE OF 
 
 of Iliingaiy and Bolicmia in the followinji; year ; and 
 since it would have been " culpable inditterence " in 
 Prussia to take no part in resisting that unjust aggres- 
 sion, she joined the Enaperor in his attempt to liberate 
 Prance from the dangerous turbulence of anarchy. The 
 allies had suflficient causes of complaint, as most people 
 will think, in the confiscation of the feudal property 
 of the German Princes, the opening of the Scheldt, 
 the seizure of Avignon, and the coiujuest of Savoy. 
 But Lord J. llusscll is so determined to see every- 
 thing from a French point of view, that although Mr. 
 Pox had laid down this rule, that the justifiable 
 grounds of war are injury, insult, and danger,' all of 
 which were combined in these measures, and others 
 which he overlooks ; yet, he sets them down as mere 
 pretexts," — nay, even the declaration that the allies 
 intended to restore the King of France to libertv, that 
 he might confer a constitution upon his subjects, is 
 asserted to have been only a pretext ; ' — the real motive 
 being the conquest and spoliation of Prance, — a wild 
 assertion, which will be noticed again before I have 
 done with him. At present, it is enough to say that, 
 so far from wishing to share in the spoils of Prance, 
 the alhes declared, in their proclamation, that in the 
 just war which they had imdertaken they entertained 
 no views of personal aggrandisement, which they ex- 
 pressly renounced. And what nation was it that 
 threatened the peace of Europe, and violated the 
 
 1 Life of Fox, vol. ii. p. 336. ' Ibid. p. 231. 3 /^/^ p, 030.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 161 
 
 treaties upon which that peace was founded ? It was 
 France, which had alarmed Europe by seizing upon her 
 neighbours' territories without the smallest pretence 
 of right : Savoy and Avignon, and Basle on the south, 
 and Belgium on the north; for Belgium was in- 
 vaded some time before the Austrian declaration of 
 war. It was France that had violated the treaty by 
 which the navigation of the Scheldt was closed against 
 foreign nations, — a treaty, made with the sanction of 
 England, between the two Governments of the countries 
 through which that river flows. 
 
 Nor was this all. She had violated the treaty of 
 Westphaha, which, with several subsequent treaties, 
 guaranteed to the German Princes in Alsace and 
 Eranche Compte many political rights and ecclesiastical 
 privileges which the Constituent Assembly had annulled. 
 Surely, then, the best friends of Lord John will scarcely 
 refrain from a smile when, from these premises, he 
 infers that a fair and honest neutrality was not the 
 policy of the Cabinet of England, and taunts the 
 Government with looking on Avith complacency on the 
 invasion of France, and being restless and menacing 
 when Flanders was conquered. He may imploringly 
 stretch out his hands to them, and say, " Risum 
 teneatis, amici ;" ])ut it w^ould be all in vain. There 
 is something too ludicrous in his unhappy attempt to 
 shift upon the policy of Mr. Pitt the blame Avhich sits 
 so heavily on the shoulders of France. It is not that he 
 is enamourcd with the French Revolution, like his hero, 
 
 VOL. I. M
 
 1(32 DIARIES AN1> CORKESFONUENCE OE 
 
 Mr. Fox ; he does not, like that statesiuun, admire it as 
 " the most stupendous and glorious edifice of liberty 
 which had been erected on the foundation of iiuman 
 integrity in any time or country." On the contrary, he 
 goes so far as to admit that the French were the 
 aggressors against the institutions of Europe, and that 
 the panic in England was increased by the insane 
 provocations of the Convention. But, unfortunately, 
 he had given a pledge to bring in Mr. Pitt guilty of 
 the war, and he could not redeem it without })lunging 
 into various absurdities, and building up his indict- 
 ment upon the quicksands of sophistry. Thus, for 
 instance, he says : " In the preceding spring, Austria 
 and Prussia had maintained a large bodv of armed 
 Frenchmen on the frontiers of France with the avowed 
 intention of overthrowing the Constitution to which 
 the King of the French had pledged his faith." ' 
 
 Nothing can be further from the truth than this asser- 
 tion. In March, Count Kobentzel assured M. Naailles, 
 that his Court was far from wishing to intermeddle in 
 the interior concerns of France, and that it by no 
 means intended to support the interests of the Emi- 
 grants.' A short time before, the Emperor had insisted 
 that the Emigrants should make no attempt to disturb 
 the public trancjuillity.^ Notwithstanding these pacific 
 explanations, France declared war on April 20th ; and 
 it happens that we know, from the best authority, what 
 
 1 Life of Fox, vol. ii. p. 300. 
 
 = Annual Register for 1792, p. 281. » Ibid. p. 277.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 163 
 
 was the real motive ; not the flimsy pretext advanced 
 by M. Noailles, but " it was the aboHtion of royalty," 
 said Biissot, in a pamphlet,' " which I had in view in 
 causing war to be declared." No wonder, then, wdien 
 they were thus compelled to stand on their defence, 
 and felt the imminent danger of their positions, if the 
 German powers resolved to unite, not against the King 
 of France, nor against any constitution of which he 
 approved, but against the wild beasts who were thirst- 
 ing for their blood, the enemies of society, whose cry 
 was, " Havoc, and let slip the dogs of war." These 
 were the principles of self-defence which the Allies 
 declared on entering France. But how could that 
 justify the principles of universal aggression proclaimed 
 by the bandits opposed to them, and the premium 
 which they offered to rebellion in every nation they 
 could reach ? What then could induce Lord John to ask 
 so strange a question as this : " Who could wonder that 
 the French should proclaim their principles as loudly 
 as the Allies had proclaimed theirs, and should offer 
 the assistance of their arms to all nations which should 
 accept theii" principles ? "- The same remarkable igno- 
 rance of the true posture of the respective parties is 
 shown in " the real cure of the evil " which he, with 
 singular infelicity, suggests. He says, " If Austria and 
 Prussia had been called upon to renounce all inter- 
 ference in the internal affairs of France, the Conven- 
 tion might, on such a pledge being given, be called 
 upon to repeal its decree of November. The hostility 
 
 * Annual Register for 1792, p. 273. ^ Life of Fox, vol, ii. p. 300. 
 
 M 3
 
 lQ4i DIAIUES AND COllKESPONDENCE OF 
 
 of England might well have been proclaimed the 
 penalty of that power which should refuse to comply 
 with such an impartial decision." 
 
 This passage must have been penned in utter igno- 
 rance or forgetfulness of the events which j)recedcd 
 the war. Germany had distinctly explained that if 
 France would not interfere with her neighbours, they 
 would not interfere with her. Nothing could be more 
 impartial than the terms proposed; and since France 
 rejected them, England was, by Solomon's own de- 
 cision, justitied in iuHicting the penalty of joining 
 the Allies. But even if Solomon's cure had been 
 attempted, anil .Mr. Pitt iiad offered his mediation, 
 the result would have very much resembled that of the 
 cures proposed by other quacks ; we have reason to 
 know, that it must have failed. M. Thersaint, a zealous 
 supporter of Brissot, stated in a semi-otticial report, 
 January 1st, 1793, that one of Mr. Pitt's plans was to 
 bring the Republic to a peace with its enemies by his 
 mediation. He was, however, haughtily told, that 
 "he deceived himself, for that France would receive 
 laws only from herself. It is fit he should know you 
 are not afraid of kings, and that if you allow them 
 still to exist, as such, you will at least have no treaties 
 with them, or only those which are ratified by their 
 nations. The first cannon fired at sea would impose 
 upon them the duty of emancipating Holland, Spain, 
 and America."' 
 
 Let us next examine another specimen of states- 
 
 ^ Annual Register for 1793, p. 182.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 165 
 
 mansliip. " There can be little doubt that if instead 
 of waiting till the end of December, Mr. Pitt had by 
 that time obtained the co-operation of Russia ; if 
 this concert had been notified at Paris, and if part of 
 the Low Countries had been ceded to Prance, or the 
 whole of Belgium erected into an independent state, 
 as was done forty years afterwards, peace might have 
 been restored to Europe. Possibly the life of Louis 
 XVL might have been spared."^ What a strange 
 hallucination does this writer labour under ! he assumes 
 what is directly contrary to the truth ; that France 
 was then under the government of reasonable and 
 moderate men, who would be contented with equitable 
 terms. But let us look into the particulars upon 
 which this "little doubt" reposes. Mr. Pitt knew 
 perfectly well from what had occurred at Pilnitz, that 
 he would not have the co-operation of Russia; the 
 Czar and he entertained the most opposite views upon 
 the subject : the one was for interference, the other 
 was against it. The communication of December 27th, 
 conveying Mr. Pitt's views, was only the reply to an 
 inquiry without any hope of consent ; and there were 
 two other Courts to be consulted, one of which had 
 only just lost the Netherlands, the cession of which is 
 so coolly proposed. But this had occurred only three 
 or four weeks before ; for the citadel of Antwerp sur- 
 rendered on the 8th, and Lord John must be sufficiently 
 acquainted with diplomatic delays, and Austrian im- 
 practicability, to be quite sure how impossible it was 
 
 1 Life of Fox,' vol. ii. p. 303.
 
 KK) DLVRIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 to brino; things to sucli a conclusion in so sliort a time 
 before the invention of electric telegraphs. 
 
 But why was Austria to surrender the Netherlands 
 so easily without any coni})cnsation ? On the principle 
 of uti possidetis .'' But it was so recent an acquisition 
 by France that it could scarcely be looked upon as a 
 possession ; nay, the French then^selves did not look 
 upon it in that light ; tiiey declared that it was only 
 a temporary occupation till peace was restored, and 
 that they did not covet Belgium ; they only desired 
 that its liberty and independence might be secured. 
 Might then the Belgians have chosen to live under the 
 Emperor again ? No. Tiicy could not have become an 
 independent state, as they became forty years after- 
 wards, by accepting a monarchy. That was not French 
 liberty. Tlicv who were so iealous of interference 
 with their own Government, insisted upon dictating 
 to others what theirs should be. But were all the 
 four Courts to crouch under the heel of France, 
 and sanction all her usurpations ? Was she to 
 be allowed to oust the German Princes from Lor- 
 raine and Alsace, and to retain Avignon and Nice, 
 and Basle, and Savoy on the same principle of 
 nti possidetis ? of all which, according to the policy 
 professed by Lord John, " no one would have any 
 right to complain. There is " little doubt," there- 
 fore, that peace would not then have been restored to 
 Europe ; and any interference to save the life of 
 Louis would have been treated with the same scorn 
 as the remonstrances of the King of Spain.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 167 
 
 Lord John's statement with regard to Holland is 
 equally destitute of truth. He says, she was dragged 
 by England most reluctantly into the war. ^ She 
 desired, indeed, most earnestly, to be neutral ; but 
 her neutrality was most unscrupulously violated by 
 Prance, who forced the passage of the river Scheldt 
 in defiance of her protest, and ordered her generals to 
 pursue the routed Austrians into the Dutch territory, 
 if they retired there.^ And though the French Govern- 
 ment gave the most positive assurance that its con- 
 quest should not be attempted, so long as that .country 
 should confine itself within the bounds of a strict 
 neutrality, yet, three weeks antecedent to that promise 
 being given, it had resolved upon an invasion of the 
 United Provinces, which was solely delayed for a time, 
 that it might afterwards be undertaken with the 
 greater safety ; and accordingly it was included in the 
 declaration of war made against England in the fol- 
 lowing year. In his anxiety to make out how much 
 more folly there was on this side of the Channel than 
 on the other. Lord John proceeds to say, that " a fear 
 crept upon persons of property, that the democratic 
 principles of Prance might take root in England ; and 
 it was thought, that by turning the thoughts of the 
 people to foreign war this danger might be averted. . . . 
 This view of the question shows very little trust in the 
 attachment of the people of England to their own 
 
 • Life of Fox, vol. ii. p. 304. 
 . " Annual Register for 1793, p. 165.
 
 168 DIARIES AND COKTIESPONDEXCE OP 
 
 institutions, and very little disposition to do justice to 
 the Frencli nation. . . . Vet that the war was a war of 
 panic I do not mean to deny." ' That is to say, the war 
 was an unjust war, and the panic was irrational fear. 
 But when there wore about thirty clubs in London, 
 the object of which was to disseminate seditious prin- 
 ciples, besides twenty-two towns in which one or more 
 corresponding societies were establislu'd for the same 
 piu'pose ; when it was shown in Parliament that in 
 every town, and in almost every village in the king- 
 dom their emissaries had found means to distribute 
 gratuitously among the lower classes publications of a 
 very dangerous tendency ; that, under the specious 
 mask of Reform, they had propagated the most destruc- 
 tive doctrines, sparing no pains to excite discontent in 
 the minds of the populace ; that they recommended to 
 imitation the revolutionary example of France, for at- 
 taining their objects ; that the time had now arrived for 
 the people to redress themselves; and had held out to 
 the lower classes the strong temptation of an agrarian 
 law ; that they had secretly negotiated with the 
 Jacobins of France for the subversion of the British 
 constitution ; when to their machinations were imputed 
 the most alarminsr of the riots which had broken out 
 under various false pretences; — was it not unavoid- 
 able, was it not reasonable, that the public mind 
 should feel a considerable degree of agitation, oppressed 
 with anxious forebodings, and dreadful apprehensions 
 ' Life of Fox, vol. iv. p. 304.
 
 THE RiaHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 169 
 
 of some political convulsion already in preparation 
 and ready to explode ? ' 
 
 Mr. Pitt stated, that when the Convention received 
 the addresses sent to them by several EngUsh societies, 
 too contemptible in the opinion of some even for 
 notice, they always considered such addresses declara- 
 tory of the sentiments of the English nation, and he 
 quoted the letter of Monge, the minister of the French 
 Marine, in which he said, " The King of England and 
 his Parliament mean to make war upon us -} will the 
 English republicans suffer it ? Already their freemen 
 show^ their discontent, and their repugnance to bear 
 arms against their brethren in France. Well, we will 
 fly to their succour ; we will make a descent upon 
 their island . . . then will the tyranny of their govern- 
 ment be soon destroyed."*' Was there not a cause 
 then, not for a panic, wdiich is a foolish fear, but for 
 rational alarm, not only amongst the landed gentry, 
 but amongst all owners of property, and lovers of 
 order? And what could have averted some dreadful 
 catastrophe if they had not combined to show these 
 traitors, who scrnpled not to say, that the attainment 
 
 1 Annual Register for 1792, p. 247. 
 
 2 He inferred this from the increase of our forces by sea and land, 
 which was only a prudent precaution of self-defence against the 
 known and avowed hostility of the Convention, who gladly made 
 use of the inference as one of tbe pretexts for declaring war. It is 
 to be feared there are those now in France, who, if they were at the 
 head of affairs, would pursue the same line of conduct ; but happily 
 for the peace of Europe, the destinies of that country are not now 
 under the sway of a tyrannical and dishonest republic. 
 
 ^ State Papers, Annual Register, p. 264.
 
 170 DL\RIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 of their objects would be wortli the expense of blood, 
 that there was a large majority against them, deter- 
 mined to frustrate their designs? Whenever a fatal 
 epidemic breaks out, wise men will not sit down 
 with folilcd arms to await their destiny ; they will 
 hasten to adopt remedies, to organize sanitary precau- 
 tions, and to remove, as far as they can, all j)redis- 
 posing causes ; but if they succeed, and because they 
 succeed in arresting its progress, will any sane man 
 argue that, therefore, there was no danger? It was 
 because the majority of Englishmen were attached to 
 their institutions, that it was necessary to use strong 
 measures to prevent a turbulent and unscrupulous 
 minority from disturbing the peace of the country. Yes, 
 — it was well for England that her gentry were at last 
 " thoroughly frightened," and roused to stand upon 
 their defence. Lord John would have had them re- 
 semble the lamb described by Pope, — 
 
 " Pleas'd to the last he crops the floVry food, 
 And hcks the hand just rais'd to shed his blood." 
 
 With respect to doing justice to the French nation, 
 he will scarcely deny, that if any one is likely to do 
 justice to them, it would be a countryman of their 
 own, a general employed by the Convention — the 
 general who won the battle of Jemappes, and con- 
 quered the Netherlands for them. What then is the 
 picture which Dumouriez gives of them at that time, 
 after the lOth of August ? He says, " All the depart-
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 171 
 
 ments (but more especially the wretched city of Paris) 
 were delivered up to pillage, to denunciations, proscrip- 
 tions, and massacres. No Frenchman, the assassins 
 and their accomplices excepted, had either his life or 
 his property in security. Bands of pretended federates 
 ran through, and laid waste, the departments ; and of 
 the seven hundred individuals who composed this 
 despotical and anarchical body, four or five hundred 
 groaned and decreed, and decreed and groaned, ex- 
 posed to the exterminating sword of the Marats and 
 Robespierres . . . The decree of the 19th of Novem- 
 ber has provoked all nations, by holding out to them 
 onr aid, provided they will consent to disorganize 
 themselves .... During the last month all the decrees 
 have been marked by the most insatiable avarice, by 
 the blindest pride, and more especially by the desire of 
 maintainhig power by calling to the most important 
 posts of the state no other than daring, incapable, and 
 criminal men, by driving away or murdering men of 
 enlightened and high character ; and by supporting a 
 phantom of a republic which their errors in admini- 
 stration and in policy, as well as their crimes, had ren- 
 dered impracticable We see throughout the 
 
 tyranny which flatters the wicked, because the wicked 
 alone can support the tyranny ; and in its pride and 
 its ignorance this Convention orders the conquest and 
 disorganization of the whole universe. . . . And what 
 has it done to maintain the war which it has pro- 
 voked against all the powers of Europe ? ' 
 
 * State Papers, Annual Register, p. 306. ,^
 
 172 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENf'E OF 
 
 The only way of " showing fi disposition to do 
 justice " to these persons, would be by sentencing 
 them to be hanged ; and tlie proclamation of the 
 Duke of l^runswick was, after all, not so nuich to 
 be blamed, in making them responsible for the safety 
 of the K'm<j: under the penalty <»f losing their own 
 heads. And here anotlier gross misrepresentation 
 has to be noticed. Lord John savs, " If the AUies 
 had reached Paris, if they had liberated Louis, if 
 they had hung the majority of the Convention " (as 
 they deserved), " and shot thousands of mayors, nuigi- 
 strates and j)easantry, according to their own declared 
 intentions, how would such proceedings have tran- 
 quillized France?" If they had liberated Louis and 
 enabled him to take up his residence in some frontier 
 town, which was their declared wish, where he could 
 negotiate in safety with his subjects, France would 
 have been tranquillized, as far as the Allies were 
 concerned ; for they would have gained their object. 
 Their proclamations had distinctly stated that this was 
 the only object of the invasion, and they disavowed, 
 as already observed, all desire to intermeddle with the 
 interior concerns of France. The imputation of san- 
 guinary intentions is wholly incorrect : it was only in 
 case of open resistance that punishment was to be in- 
 flicted, which is entirely suppressed in the accusation. 
 
 War without giving quarter is very shocking, but 
 by no means unusual ; and that was the whole amount 
 of the threatened severities, threatened for the sake of
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 173 
 
 iiitimidatioii, but not carried into" execution ; and even 
 the Convention would have kept their heads, richly as 
 they deserved to lose them, if Louis had been left 
 uninjured. They, as well as the mayors, and magi- 
 strates, in the provincial towns, were made responsible 
 for any crimes which they might and ought to have 
 prevented ; so that a great deal of virtuous indignation 
 has been thrown away upon imaginary crimes. But 
 all this misrepresentation was not without an object. 
 Lord John wanted it to assist him in his vitupera- 
 tion of Mr. Pitt, and give some colour to his next 
 assault upon that minister. " The tacit consent and 
 secret favour given to this invasion of France was a 
 serious mistake" on Pitt's part. As long as the favour 
 was secret, it is difficult to see how any statesman- 
 ship was concerned in it. Lord John probably 
 concurs with Mr. Fox in condemning it as " a horrid 
 and profligate scheme to ruin the liberty of the world." 
 But most Englishmen, no doubt, viewed it with secret 
 favour, in which I presume to think there was no 
 harm at all. I should much wonder if it were other- 
 wise : but why is " the tacit consent" of the Govern- 
 ment to be reprobated? What would he have had 
 them do ? Go to war with Austria and Prussia if they 
 persisted in the invasion, and so find themselves in the 
 ridiculous position of being engaged in war with both 
 the opposed parties at ouce ? With the Allies because 
 they would not take our advice ; and with France, 
 because we withdrew our ambassador from Paris after
 
 171 DIAKIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 the 1 0th of August, and would not accredit anotlicr 
 to a goveiiiuiciit so unstal)le, tliat Brissot, who in the 
 lieight of his popularity was the author of the war, 
 was fjuillotiued with twentv of his adherents before 
 that year was closed. 
 
 As our connexion with the Allies had notliiiig 
 to do witli the war which Mr. Pitt declared; so our 
 separation from them would not have prevented 
 it. Even Mr. Fox with all his dcmocratical sym- 
 pathies, if he had heen in otlice, would not have 
 gone the length of entering into an alliance with 
 France, and yielding everything that she demanded. 
 Lord John Russell says, that " his course would 
 evidently have been an armed negotiation ! " A strange 
 oversight for any one to make who has read the liis- 
 tory of those times. Why it was the very fact of our 
 having assumed the attitude of armed negotiation, 
 which was one of the pretences for the declaration of 
 war. Unarmed negotiation, if it means anything, 
 implies a menace that if the negotiation fails the 
 negotiator is ready to have recourse to arms. This 
 course therefore Mr. Fox could not take, unless he 
 had made up his mind to go to war in case of failure ; 
 for he had said in the debate on the peace with 
 Russia, " I cannot conceive any case in which a great 
 and wise nation having committed itself by a menace, 
 can withdraw that menace without disgrace ; . . . with- 
 out seriously meaning to enforce it.' Again, " he would 
 
 > Life of Fox, vol. ii. p. :206.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 175 
 
 liave taken ample security for the independence of 
 Holland." — ^What security could he have had when 
 dealhig with persons of such bad faith, that at the 
 very time when they were promising to respect its 
 neutrality, they had issued orders to invade its ter- 
 ritory ? — And " he would have guaranteed France 
 against another invasion." As if Austria and Prussia 
 were provinces of England, bound to make war or 
 peace at her dictation. This is a specimen of that 
 spirit, which in other persons would be called pre- 
 sumptuousness, but which is a well-known cha- 
 racteristic of the noble Lord ; and what glory may 
 we not expect to accrue to this country in her foreign 
 relations under the conduct of a minister who has 
 so much confidence in her political omnipotence, that 
 he fully relies upon it as a means by w^hich that 
 success might have been achieved which Mr. Pitt failed 
 to obtain. 
 
 Again, Mr. Pitt declined to expose England to the 
 humiliation which Spain experienced, of preferring a 
 request which was sure to be scornfully rejected ; but 
 that too was another " serious error." Mr. Fox would 
 have suceeded ; and so would Lord John Russell ; but 
 how ? He w^ould have advised our King to say to the 
 French Ambassador, in May, 1792, that "he would 
 not allow any interference in the internal government 
 of France, nor any conquest by France under whatever 
 pretext it might be covered. He would probably have 
 saved the King of France's life, and prevented a war in
 
 170 UiAKiES AND COKKESPONUENCE OF 
 
 Europe."' Can LordJohn be really serious in making 
 this statement, or is it a secret satire upon (lij)lomacy 
 to show with how httlc wisdom he thinks mankind 
 may be governed ? Of course, the AlHes would have 
 answered ; " We have not the sHghtcst intention or 
 tliontjht ol" interterin" with the internal {Government 
 of France: " nor had thev till two months afterwards, 
 and then only for the personal saf<'ty and liberation 
 of Louis, who tliDUgh not yet in prison, was not at 
 liberty to go where he pleased. But they would have 
 added ; " \Ve entirely object to your otl'ensivc language. 
 You talk of not allowing us to do this or that ! We 
 cannot allow you to speak to us in that peremptory 
 way." On the other hand, the French would have 
 equally objected to such dictatorial style, and might 
 sav as the Hebrew said to Moses, when he inter- 
 posed, and asked, "Why smitest thou thy brother? 
 ^^llo made thee a prince and a judge over us ? " 
 As to their conquests, they would easily have con- 
 trived to delude our credulous Minister, and to pacify 
 him with smooth words till interference would be 
 useless, all the while laut;hin2r at him in their sleeves, 
 from the knowledge that they had actually then 
 130,000 men ready to pounce upon the Netherlands, 
 which were only guarded by 10,000 Austrians, and 
 which they had already poisoned with discontent. 
 After this, the conquest behig once accoi.i[)lished, 
 according to Lord John's own doctrine, and that of 
 
 ' Life of Fox, vol. ii. p. 346. .
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 177 
 
 Mr. Fox, " the only wise coiu'se that remained would 
 be to make peace with events which had been com- 
 pleted, and accept a state of affairs, against which no 
 providence had guarded." ' 
 
 And again, the enemy " stands upon the ground 
 of conquest, and we must agree to treat with him 
 with regard to his present posture." ^ It is true 
 that the first attempt was not successful, but the 
 second was, and France extended her frontiers on 
 every side. She was obtaining that preponderance in 
 Europe by appropriating to herself the territories of 
 her neighbours on every side, by which the balance 
 of power was destroyed; and therefore, on the autho- 
 rity of j\Ir. Fox himself, when he was in a patriotic 
 mood, there was no alternative for the British Govern- 
 ment but war : for even he did not counsel the indig- 
 nity of submission, when there had been danger of a 
 rupture with France, from her designing to assist the 
 malcontents in Holland, to subvert their government. 
 He maintained the soundness of " the political maxim, 
 that Great Britain ought to look to the situation of 
 affairs on the Continent, and take such measures as 
 should tend best to preserve the balance of power in 
 Europe : upon that maxim he had founded all his 
 political conduct .... there are but few and short 
 steps between the maintenance of that balance, and the 
 insecurity of our national independence ; the balance 
 of power can only be overthrown by the prepon- 
 
 '- Life of Fox. vol. ii. p. 299.- ^ Ibid. p. 303. 
 
 t 
 
 VOL. I. N
 
 178 DIARIES AND COllRESPOXDEXCE OF 
 
 derance of one great state ... a great preponderant 
 state would threaten the independence of all its neigh- 
 bours, and Great Britain would only have a choice 
 between submission and war."' Oh ai sic omnia! 
 
 Happily for us, our foreign minister acts better 
 than he writes. He acts upon the political maxim 
 of Mr. Fox, though he condennis it in Mr. Pitt. 
 But it would have been better for his reputation as 
 a statesman, if he had abstained from a sentimental 
 lamentation about " the blood that flowed, and the 
 treasures that were expended in the two wars ; and 
 about kings and nations engaging in a contest which 
 the event proved to be unnecessary."- Surely if Mr. 
 Fox was right, nothing could more strongly demon- 
 strate the wisdom of his maxim, than the event of 
 those two wars. The preponderance of one great state 
 was taken away, and that balance of power was 
 restored Avhich it has been the constant aim of the Euro- 
 pean nations in general, whether in peace or war, to 
 maintain unimpaired. The event proved them to be 
 necessary. After all, however, it appears that this lofty 
 arbitration to be imposed upon the contending parties, 
 by which the life of Louis might have been saved and 
 war prevented, was not the right mode of proceeding ; 
 for Mr. Pitt " committed the mistake of thinking that 
 England could remain an unconcerned spectator of a 
 war against all liberty on one side, and all monarchy 
 on the other." ^ 
 
 1 Life of Fox, vol. ii. p. 202. => Ibid. p. 231. ^ Ibid. p. 34G.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOUGE ROSE. 179 
 
 A¥hat ! after labouring so much to prove that 
 Mr. Pitt was guilty of involving his country in war, 
 is he now to be condemned for his neutralitv? If 
 it was a mistake to suppose that England could be 
 an unconcerned spectator of the war, it was necessary 
 to side with one party or the other. For the futility 
 of any other interference was manifest enough ; and 
 Lord Grenville stated with good reason, that though 
 England was ready to concur in the re-establishment 
 of peace, amongst the powers of Europe, by such means 
 as were proper to produce that effect, yet the interven- 
 tion of her counsels or good offices would be of no use 
 unless they were desired by all parties " interested." ' 
 Since then to remain unconcerned spectators of the 
 war, was either a great mistake or an impossibility, 
 nothing remained for us to do, but to side with one 
 party or the other ; and we may conclude that if it 
 had been our good fortune to have had Lord John 
 Russell at the head of our councils instead of Mr. 
 Pitt, he as a Whig would, Brennus-like, have thrown 
 his sword into the scale of liberty and France. 
 
 But the dilemma is most inaccurately stated. It 
 is true that on one side the war was against all 
 monarchy, — for so it had been proclaimed in the Con- 
 vention — but it is not true, that on the other side 
 it was against all liberty. Here truth is sacrificed to 
 antithesis. The Allies made no war against British 
 liberty, or Swiss liberty, or American liberty ; or even 
 
 ^ State Papers, Annual Register, 1792, p. 264. 
 N 2
 
 180 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 against liberty in France to reconstruct any govern- 
 ment tlicy liked, under a monarch. They might have 
 adopted the English model without one word of 
 remonstrance from the Allies. 
 
 It was onlv a war against the French interpreta- 
 tion of liberty — liberty to commit crimes — to molest 
 others — to impose their own laws and opinions 
 upon their neighbours — to unhinge society, and to 
 subvert governments by promoting rel)ellion and en- 
 couraging insurrection. No Englishman, except a 
 disciple of Mr. Fox, could hesitate as to which side 
 should be supported by those who could not be un- 
 concerned spectators of the war. But Mr. Fox had 
 said that it was a horrid league to effect the ruin of 
 the liberty of man ; and that was enough for Lord 
 John Russell. It is not worth while to expose all the 
 extravagant misrepresentations and sophisms of the 
 great Whig orator, who might assert many things in 
 the House of Commons, which he would not have com- 
 mitted to writing, although Lord John usually adopts 
 his sentiments as the oracles of the idol which he 
 worships. Nor indeed is it desirable to pursue the 
 wearisome work of laying bare the fallacies of his 
 disciple much farther. But there is one more floun- 
 dering accusation of ^h\ Pitt, which must not pass 
 unnoticed ; — " He made his country clearly the aggres- 
 sor in the war."^ Now, how does Lord John attempt 
 to prove this ? The argument upon which he seems 
 
 ^ Life of Fox, vol. ii. p. .347.
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEOHGE ROSE. 181 
 
 most to rely is, that our government had not com- 
 Diitted the folly of offering to guarantee France against 
 a renewal of the Duke of Brunswick's march, and the 
 execution of the majority of the Convention as traitors 
 and murderers. - 
 
 It is scarcely necessary to remind the reader again, 
 that the Duke's threat of vengeance was only intended 
 to make the Republicans responsible for the life of the 
 King, as long as such interference could save him ; 
 but when it was too late, nothing was ever said about 
 punishing his murderers. Indeed, the Convention 
 themselves took very good care in the course of the 
 following year to save him that trouble. During the 
 truce in September, before the retreat of the Prussians 
 from the French territory, the Duke of Brunswick liad 
 thus expressed his objects to General Thouvenot : 
 " We know that we have no right to prevent a nation 
 from giving itself laws, and from tracing out its 
 internal government : we do not wish it. AVe are only 
 interested for the fate of the King. Assure us that a 
 place will be assigned him in the new order of things, 
 under any denomination whatever, and his jNIajesty 
 the King of Prussia will return to his own states 
 and become your ally."^ Could any arbitration have 
 proposed more moderate terms than these? But it 
 was useless to negotiate with the men Avho then mis- 
 governed France. At the time, however, when the pro- 
 bability of war was discussed in Parliament, the Allies 
 
 ' Annual Register for 1793, p. 51.
 
 182 DIAKIES AND COllRESFONDENXE OF 
 
 were no longer on French ground ; the French army 
 had invaded Germany, and the Alhes liad much more 
 reason to ask for a guarantee against another invasion. 
 But one of the most extraordinary assumptions of lliis 
 strange expositor of statesmanship is, that we could 
 have demanded in favour of the Allies the evacuation 
 of the conquered territories without their being parties 
 to the treaty, and consenting to the counter stipula- 
 tions to which France would be entitled. The only 
 other argument, if argument it can be called, by which 
 he tries to bolster up his false reasoning, is derived 
 from "the temper in which the Government viewed 
 the failure of the attemi)t to divide France and to 
 crush democracy." Mr. Pitt certainly could not wish 
 well to those principles which he described as breaking 
 all the bonds of legislation that connected civil societv, 
 established in opposition to every law human or divine, 
 and presumptuously relying on the authority of wild 
 and delusive theories.' It is no wonder, therefore, that 
 Lord Grenville expressed his disapointment that the 
 attempt to make head against those democratical prin- 
 ciples which threatened to desolate all Europe had 
 failed; but on this subject we may say to Lord John, 
 in the language of Cicero : " Ilabes quod accusatori 
 est maxime optandum, confitentem sereum, sed tanien 
 ita confitentem, se in ea parte fuisse, qua te," Mr. Fox ; " 
 for he also had a share in it. 
 
 In the debate on the Canada question that gentle- 
 
 ^ Annual Regis+cr for 1793, p. 262. - Orat. pro Ligurio.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 183 
 
 raaii had complained of the uiikindness of Mr. Burke 
 in imputing to him democratical or repubUcan senti- 
 ments. In fact, however much Lord John may take it 
 under his protection, Mr. Fox had no affection for the 
 democracy then reigning in Prance. But with respect 
 to dividing France, nothing can be more unfortunate 
 than his bhnd attachment to that charsre. He reiterates 
 it in every form of words ; he harps upon that string 
 for ever, without perceiving the falseness of the note 
 which it utters. He talks perpetually about " sharing 
 in the spoils of France," the " division of France," the 
 " partition of France," the " dismemberment of 
 France," ' till one is almost disposed to exclaim wdth 
 the Latin orator, " Qi.iousque tandem, Catilina, abutere 
 patientia nostra"^ (Catiline was a Whig) ; for there is 
 not a shadow of foundation for the charge, in any 
 speech, in any docnmcnt, in any state paper, from first 
 to last. Jiord Grenville had said in a private letter, 
 not meant for the public ear, not in his public capa- 
 city, but confidentially to his brother, that he was 
 glad " we were not tempted to join in the glorious 
 enterprise of the Allies by the hope of sharing the 
 spoils in the division of France;" alluding, of course, 
 to the prospect of gaining possession of some of the 
 French Colonies. From this vague and careless ex- 
 pression the whole accusation is inferred ; imput- 
 
 ' Life of Fox, vol. ii. p. 272. 
 
 2 " How long, O Catiline, vvill you continue to exhaust our 
 patience ? "
 
 184 DIARIES AND COllKESPONDENCE OF 
 
 ing views to the Allies which they distinctly denied. 
 Both Courts declared in their manifesto, on August 4, 
 that they entertained no views of personal aggrandize- 
 ment, which they expressly renounced. 
 
 The Duke of Brunswick declared before he invaded 
 France, that they had no intention to enrich themselves 
 by making conquests ; and the Prince of Cobourg pro- 
 claimed that he did not come upon the French ter- 
 ritory to make conquests, but to give to France her 
 constitutional King, and the constitution which she 
 had formed for herself, and might rectify as she pleased, 
 if it was imperfect. In the prosecution of the war, it 
 may be said that Valenciennes was taken, and that 
 the Emperor claimed it as his own. But what "was 
 this compared with the number of large territories 
 which the French had previously taken possession of — 
 the Duchies of Deux Fonts, and Luxembourg, Treves, 
 and the Netherlands ? Will any one contend that the 
 right of invasion was all on one side ; that it was 
 innocent in the Democracy of France, and criminal 
 in the German Empire? That the one might exercise 
 the severest tyranny (for at Deux Fonts, the clergy, 
 the nobles, and the judges were banished), while the 
 other was quietly to submit and be precluded from 
 the most moderate retaliation, like the servant in 
 Terence, who remonstrated with his master on the 
 inequality of their position : " Tu verberas ; Ego vapulo 
 tantum ? " ^ 
 
 ' " You are the beater, I am only the beatee."
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 185 
 
 So far were the Allies in the first instance from 
 wishing to appropriate anything to themselves, that 
 after their first successes, they issued a proclamation 
 on the 20th July, not banishing the magistrates, as 
 the French had done at Deux Fonts, but reinstating 
 their predecessors in the offices which they held 
 before the Revolution, and re-establishing the ancient 
 laws.^ They disclaimed conquest as long as they had 
 reason to hope that the largest part of the popula- 
 tion favoured their views ; but after the death of 
 Louis, when they encountered unmixed hostility, they 
 naturally took the course which all nations adopt 
 in war. The object of each party is to cripple the 
 other as much as possible, by making conquests, 
 which, according to their importance, and the relative 
 position of the combatants, may either be retained 
 at the conclusion of the war, like Malta and Gib- 
 raltar, and the Cape, or surrendered for equivalent 
 advantages. Thus, the peace of Amiens was pur- 
 chased, by the surrender of many conquests by 
 England. We may well, therefore, " be lost in amaze- 
 ment at the effrontery " which could, in the first place, 
 indite such maudlin sentiment as this, of which a 
 schoolboy would be ashamed : " When Ave find an 
 Emperor of Germany appropriating a fortress, and a 
 King of Great Britain conquering an island, we are 
 lost in amazement at the effrontery which could cover 
 a scheme of plunder with the cloak of religion and 
 
 ^ State Palmers, Annual Regiater for 1793, p. 310.
 
 186 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 humanity ;" ' and in tlic next })lacc, could nuy one on 
 such flimsy pretences accuse Mr. Pitt of being the 
 aggressor in this war? In IS 14, the nations of 
 Europe, taught by bitter experience, and " the insane 
 provocations " of Napoleon 1., entered with heart and 
 soul into that coalition wliich " the wisdom and fore- 
 sight of Mr. Pitt" luul projected long before, and 
 effected the objects which he had in view. Tiicy 
 marched upon Paris, and restored the constitutional 
 King, and took from France her plunder and the 
 dominions which she had unjustly usurped. J3ul 
 there Avas no partition, no division, no dismember- 
 ment, no sharing in the spoils of her })roper terri- 
 tory, and the kingdom was preserved in its original 
 integrity, as one of the first-rate powers of Europe. 
 And now, causa finita est, — the pleadings are over; 
 and to the shade of Pitt, if he could be supposed 
 to care for the opinion of posterity, we may safely 
 predict that this will be the verdict of mankind, 
 " Solventur risu tabula3, tu missus abibis." That is 
 to say, the lawyers will laugh as they fold up their 
 briefs, and you may depart unharmed by this impeach- 
 ment. 
 
 Lord John Russell, however, is a much more reason- 
 able person when he throws off the shackles of party, 
 and allows himself to take a common sense view of 
 international law. In his speech at Aberdeen, on the 
 state of Italy, he is reported to have made these just 
 
 ' Life of Fox, vol. ii. p. 378.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOllGE ROSE. 187 
 
 remarks : " I think with regard to this matter of state 
 and nations regulating their own government, it is not 
 very different from that of a man regulating his own 
 house. But at the same time it is possible, that a 
 man may manage his house in such a way as to be 
 a great nuisance to his neighbours : for instance, he 
 may start a pyrotechnic manufactory in his house, 
 and amuse himself with sending up sky-rockets into 
 the air every evening, in order to see the effect. This 
 would not seem to be agreeable, because other house- 
 holders might conceive that their houses might be set 
 on fire. Instead of wishing to encourage the gentleman 
 to do whatever he pleases in his own house, the Lord 
 Provost might be called on to interfere with that gen- 
 tleman, because he was likely to set fire to the houses 
 of his neighbours. But has a ytliing of that sort 
 occurred in Italy ?" Of course not, and therefore it is 
 difficult to see why it was introduced, unless it is to be 
 looked at as a palinodia which his conscience compelled 
 him to offer as an atonement to the manes of Mr. Pitt ; 
 for it is a full justification of that minister's interference 
 with France, even if he had been the aggressor, only 
 the argument is much stronger in this case ; — because 
 Prance had not only been indulging in pyrotechnic 
 displays, but had set fire to her own house, and had 
 declared her intention of involving those of her neigh- 
 bours in the same conflagration. And they might well 
 be startled by the truth of that saying, " Tua res agitur 
 paries cum proximus ardet." In the spirit of good
 
 188 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDEXCE OF 
 
 sense he quite agrees witli Mr. I'itt, in tliinking all 
 nations should be allowed to have the sort of govern- 
 ment which they prefer, provided they do not interfere 
 toith their neighbours, as the French undoubtedly 
 did. 
 
 If furtlier proof be required of Mr. Pitt's devotion 
 to pacific policy, as soon as a dimiiuition of danger 
 appeared to warrant a hope of success, we have it in 
 the despatch of Lord Grenville, declaring the minister's 
 anxiety to make it evident to the world that the negotia- 
 tion in 1796 failed from the hostile determination of 
 those who governed France, and from their resolution 
 to admit of no terms of peace which were consistent 
 with the safety, interests, and honour of the other 
 powers of Europe.' And again, in the following 
 year, when Lord Malmesbury was sent to Lisle to 
 renew the negotiation, " Lord Grenville was decidedly 
 opposed to this step," and long argued it with Pitt ; 
 but the latter remained firm, repeatedly declaring, that 
 it was his duty, as an English Minister and a Christian, 
 to use every effort to stop so bloody and wasting a 
 war. He said he would stifle every feeling of pride to 
 the utmost to produce the desired result.^ ^Vhy, then, 
 was this result not obtained ? Because, as we learn 
 from the negotiator, " there was a fixed determination 
 on the part of the French Government to continue 
 the war with England." ' Of the five Directors then 
 
 ' Lord Malmesbury's Diaries, &c., vol. iii. p. 301. 
 2 Ibid. p. 369. 3 ii^ij^ p 518.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 189 
 
 ruling in Prance, two, Barthelemi and Carnot, were 
 moderate men, who would probably have listened to 
 reason, and on that account were obnoxious to the 
 other three, who were violent haters of England, and 
 who succeeded in turning their colleagues out of 
 office. The just conclusion, from all the correspond- 
 ence is, that Pitt was not only sincere in his overtures 
 for peace, but anxiously eager to obtain it on almost any 
 conditions, short of dishonour.' Even this exception 
 seems scarcely to have had due weight with the minister 
 in the estimate of his royal master ; as appears from a 
 conversation between the King and Mr. George Rose, 
 mentioned by the latter in a letter to his father. He 
 says: — 
 
 " I hunted yesterday with the harriers, and had an 
 hour and a half's conversation with the owner of 
 them. Nothing can exceed his eagerness for the 
 result of Lord Malmesbury's mission, respecting 
 which, and a variety of subjects, his conversation was 
 as unreserved as possible. We were nearly all the 
 time tete-a-tete. I went out again to-day, in hopes of 
 renewing the conversation, on account of the news of 
 Lord Malmesbury's arrival. After having told me the 
 circumstances you mention, and that nothing could be 
 inferred from what had passed, he seemed inclined to 
 think the negotiation would fail; as, if the French 
 were really desirous of peace, they would have made 
 some opening, and not observed such extreme circum- 
 
 ' Lord Malmesbury's Diaries, vol. iii. jx 598.
 
 190 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 spcction, and waited to catch from Lord M. wliat he 
 may have to oflPer. lie stated tliat the hitch to be 
 apprehended, perha])s foreseen, is respecting our 
 alhes; and, going into the (juestion, considered it 
 precisely in the same point of view in which it struck 
 us, and dwelt forcibly, though temperately, on the 
 precipitation which forced on the negotiation without 
 a previous concert with the Emperor, when nothing 
 rendered haste more necessary than it was some weeks 
 back; and added, that thongh we felt strongly the 
 necessity of pleasing Parliament, foreigners wore not 
 obliged to feci it equally with us, or be expected to 
 miderstand it. All this rendered a })erfect under- 
 standing the more indispensable. He doubted, ex- 
 tremely, whether the Em})cror woidd agree to send 
 any one to treat for him ; and said, we must expect a 
 good scolding from the Empress of Russia, to whom 
 the Emperor has complained of us. He added that 
 in one respect they gave us a right to insist upon 
 bringing our allies iuto the negotiation, as they said 
 they must consult theirs. He is extremely glad the 
 business is in Lord M.'s hands, and not in those of a 
 friend of ours (meaning Mr. Pitt), who, he says, 
 W'Ould have begun by yielding up everything." 
 
 In an undated letter from the King, which, how- 
 ever, must plainly be referred to this same year, 179G, 
 he expresses the same feeling on this subject more 
 strongly in a postscript : — 
 
 '' The paper received this morning from Mr. P. 
 would require much more time for inspection, before
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOE.GE ROSE. 191 
 
 any opinion was given on its purport, than the press 
 of the moment will admit. As it seems to allude to 
 a decision of Council being made on the question in 
 the course of this day, and I am desirous Mr. P. 
 should communicate to them my view of the suhject, 
 previous to their forming any formal opinion, I therefore 
 request that my suggestions may be canvassed, without 
 attending to the irregular mode in which they are 
 stated, as it was impossible to arrange them properly 
 when placed so rapidly on paper. 
 
 *' I think this country has taken every humiliating 
 step for seeking peace that the warmest advocates for 
 this object could suggest." 
 
 It will be seen that this is a very sufficient refuta- 
 tion of the injurious and unjust suspicion, entertained 
 by Lord Holland, that Mr. Pitt " would have sacri- 
 ficed his opinion (with regard to the Roman Catholics) 
 rather than his power, if he had not foreseen the 
 necessity of making a peace humiliating to his pride."' 
 The former part of the King's letter may possibly 
 have referred to a proposition for strengthening the 
 administration, by admitting into it some of the oppo- 
 sition ; for Mr. Fox himself seems to have had a lucid 
 interval at that period, though not indeed quite free 
 from his usual obliquity of political vision. He told 
 the House of Commons that the Directory was com- 
 posed of very reasonable men, who would be quite 
 ready to make peace upon any reasonable terms. We 
 
 ^ Memoirs of the Whig Party, vol. i. p. 171.
 
 192 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENX'E OF 
 
 have seen, that in this, as well as in most of liis otiicr 
 opinions, he was entirely mistaken. However, lie 
 seemed to rejoice in the design of offering peace, and 
 anticipated, in the event of its rejection, a unanimous 
 support of the war. Mr. Pitt, therefore, not calcu- 
 lating upon the brittlencss of his loyalty, seems, in the 
 following letter, to have liad hopes of his supjjort ; 
 though, like a prudent general, he mustered all his 
 forces, in case he should have to encounter war within 
 the House, as well as on the Continent. — Ed.] 
 
 Mr. Pitt to Mr. Rose. 
 
 "Do^Yniug Street, Dec. 2Gt]i, 1794. 
 
 " Dear Rose, 
 
 " It seems indispensably necessary that we should, 
 in our address on Thursday, renew in the strongest 
 manner the assurances of support, and express a 
 decided opinion on the merits of the case. The enemy 
 has given us, in aU respects, such unanswerable ground 
 that one hardly knows where there can be a difference 
 of opinion : but the moment is so important, that I 
 am more than usually anxious for as full an attendance 
 as possible. I hope you will be able to muster some 
 recruits, both from Hampshire, and on the road ; and 
 whoever comes, will, I am sure, pass his holidays more 
 pleasantly afterwards in consequence. No news from 
 our fleets. I am submittiuGj to the confinement of a 
 London fireside, in order to get rid by Thursday of a 
 cold, which, if it continued, would place me rather 
 hors de combat. 
 
 "Ever yours, W. P."
 
 THE EIGHT HOX. GEORGE ROSE. 193 
 
 [Tliat some advances were made to the opposition 
 at this time, may be inferred from an expression in 
 one of Fox's letters : '' Tiiere is a great unwillingness 
 in our friends to liave anything like a junction with 
 the Pitts and Grenvilles." ' There might be an un- 
 willingness to change sides altogether, but there was 
 no reluctance to disavow Fox's policy, for in the Com- 
 mons he was left in a minority of 37 to 212, and in 
 the Peers of 8 to 86. Two years previously, as has 
 been already mentioned, a large body of his party 
 deserted him, on account of his sympathy with the 
 Jacobins of France, and the dangerous state of the 
 country ; and their leaders were admitted into the 
 Cabinet. This, however, gave much dissatisfaction to 
 Mr. Rose, who unburthened his mind upon the subject 
 to the Bishop of Lincoln, in the subjoined letter. — Ed.] 
 
 Mr. Rose to the Bishop of Lincoln. 
 
 " I directed a letter to you on the subject of the 
 new arrangement of the Government one day last 
 week to Buckden. Since writing, I learn that Lord 
 Spencer is to be the Privy Seal. The Cabinet there- 
 fore will stand thus : — 
 
 lie. Pitt. 
 
 
 
 Duke of Portland. 
 
 Lord Grenville. 
 
 
 
 Earl Fitzwilliam. 
 
 Mr. Dundas, 
 
 
 
 Lord Chancellor. 
 
 Lord Chatham. 
 
 
 
 Lord Spencer. 
 
 Lord Amlierst. 
 
 
 
 Lord Mansfield. 
 
 Duke of Richmond. 
 
 
 
 Mr. Wyndham. 
 
 Lord Hawkesbury. 
 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 Vol. 
 
 iii. p. 
 
 222, 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 
 

 
 19'i DIARIES AND CORRESPONDE>'CE Ok' 
 
 This is not what I think ought to have been pro- 
 posed by the one or submitted to by the otlier. It 
 has not now the appearance of taking in two or three 
 men of considerable weight or talents who were 
 actinj? with Mr. Pitt, and bv whose means he wished 
 to sivc additional efficiency to his administration ; but 
 of a junction of parties on a footing of mutual interest, 
 or of sharing powxT to preserve a continuance of it. 
 
 " I have my fears that this measure will convert an 
 effectual support into a weak assistance, or what is 
 worse, into embarrassments in the deliberations of the 
 Cabinet. The only considerable talents gained are 
 Wyndham's, and I conceive him to be an imprac- 
 ticable man. These are the considerations which dis- 
 turb me most. There are others from which much 
 future inconvenience may arise. Numbers of Mr. 
 Pitt's friends, who would have liked marks of favour 
 or of honour, remained perfectly contented and satis- 
 fied without them, aware of the difficulties in the way 
 of then- obtaining them ; almost every one of wdiom 
 will feel mortitication and Q-row uneasv when they see 
 the Duke of Portland's adherents carrying their point. 
 His Grace, and those who come in with him, may be 
 honourable, fair men, but he is an atrocious jobber. 
 My next apprehension is, that ]\lr. Wyndham, who will 
 lead that set, w^ill induce Mr. Pitt, or strengthen him 
 in his determination, to pursue the war in Flanders 
 and on the Northern Frontier offe)isivcli/, by sending 
 farther numerous and powerful reinforcements from 
 this country, when the Emperor and the King of 
 Prussia are relaxing in their co-operation. The
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE EOSE. 195 
 
 number of lives, and the amount of finance expended in 
 expeditions must render the Government unpopular, 
 and disincline the nation to a war, the continuance 
 of which I still think is indispensably necessary to 
 our existence, and the tranquilhty of all civil society. 
 
 "We cannot carry on operations on such an ex- 
 tended scale as I allude to, without increasing the 
 capital of our debt next year four or five-and-twenty 
 millions, if we borrow in the Three Per Cents. Such 
 an enormous expense, and consecjuent taxes to the 
 amount of a million, without a hope of attaining any- 
 thing effectual, except in sanguine minds, is to me 
 extremely uncomfortable. 
 
 " I have great confidence in Mr. Pitt. His full 
 information on points which I know only superficially, 
 and, above all, his superior judgment, sometimes 
 encourage me even under the most unpromising ap- 
 pearances ; but on this occasion I cannot raise my 
 hopes much. I stated to him in conversation a few 
 days ago what occurred to me respecting the carrying 
 on the war offensively on the Continent ; but on the 
 Cabinet arrangements it would have been useless, as 
 they were settled. From the very bottom of my heart 
 I hope I may be mistaken as to the consequences of 
 both; I wish for that, and pray for it on the strongest 
 of all possible grounds — strong personal attachment 
 and affection, and a conviction that his continuing to 
 direct the councils of this country is absolutely neces- 
 sary to our existence. There is not a personal motive 
 which can influence my mind on the subject. I feel 
 some relief in thus opening it to you, to whom alone 
 
 o 2
 
 19() DIARIES AND CORHESPON'DENCE OF 
 
 1 can express myself witli the freedom 1 have liercin 
 (lone. 
 
 " Mr. Pitt will learn from Lord Cornwallis the true 
 state of matters in Flanders and on the Rhine; and 
 we nnist trust he will decide for the best now. 
 Respecting the next campaign, there will bo time and 
 opportunities for deliberation. 
 
 " You will, I am very certain, consider this commu- 
 nication as sacredly secret ; part of it may be useful. 
 
 " I am, 
 
 r;. R. 
 
 " Old Palace Yard, July 14th, 1794." 
 
 [While these changes were going on in tlie adminis- 
 tration of aftairs in Great Britain, the fortune of war 
 was turning against our arms. The allies, on whose 
 assistance we had relied, preferred their own private 
 quarrels to the public good. The jealousies that have 
 always disunited the Courts of Ikrlin and Viennn, 
 rendered all concerted plans of the campaign abortive ; 
 and the best and honestest general amongst them, the 
 Duke of Brunswick, retired in disgust from the com- 
 mand of the Prussian army. But he thought it 
 necessary to explain his conduct to the Duke of York 
 in the following letter ; and it is much to the credit 
 of that prince, that the Duke of Brunswick seems to 
 have held him in such high estimation. — Ed.]
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 197 
 
 From the Duke of Brunswick to the 
 Duke of York.^ 
 " Sir, 
 
 Your Royal Highness inspires me with the most 
 lively gratitude for deigning to interest yourself in niv 
 withdrawal from the army of the King. Nothing but 
 circumstances as harassing as they are uncommon, 
 such as those in which I find myself involved, could 
 have induced me to take a step so afflicting to myself. 
 " It has been infinitely flattering to me to have 
 sometimes found occasion to approach your Royal 
 Highness and to admire the talents which place you in 
 the rank of the great men of the age. Europe has need 
 of such, in a struggle where near 400,000 armed men 
 and eighty vessels of the line, assisted by an intestine 
 war, have not yet been able to check the confederation 
 of crime which tyrannizes over France. I consider 
 myself very happy that you have deigned to remark my 
 zeal for the public good. What a misfortune it is that 
 internal and external dissensions have often paralysed 
 
 ' "Monsieur, 
 
 " Votre Altesse Royale m'inspire la plus vive reconnoissance eu 
 daignaut prendre part a ma retraite de I'armee du Roi. II u'y a que 
 des circonstaucea aussi facheuses que peu commuues, coinme celles 
 dans lesquellts je me suis trouve enveloppe, qui ayent pu me cou- 
 seiller une demarche aussi affligeante pour moi. 
 
 "II m'a ete infiniment flatteur d'avoir trouve quelquefois Tocca- 
 sion d'approcher Votre Altesse Royale et d'admirer en Elle les talens 
 qui vont la mettre au rang des grands horames du Siecle. L'Europe 
 en a besoin dans une lutte oti pres de quatre cent mille hommcs 
 armes, et quatre vingt Vaisseaux de Ligne, secourus par une guerre 
 intestine, n'ont pas encore pu mettre un frcin a cette federation de 
 crimes qui tyrannise la France. Je m'estime tros heureux de ce
 
 198 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 the movements of armies at periods when the greatest 
 activity was reqnired. If after tlie surrender of 
 Mayence we couhl liave fallen upon Ilouchard and 
 beaten him, we might have prevented the march of 
 the reinforcement towards the army of the north, and 
 consequently the check before Dunkirk. 
 
 " Saar-Louis ill-provisioned, and at that time almost 
 without protection from bombs, woukl probably have 
 fallen in a fortnight. Then Alsace would have found 
 itself turned by the t?aar ; the taking of the lines of 
 the Lantrc would have been followed by solid advan- 
 tages, and if the enemy's army of the Rhine had by 
 all these means been separated from that of the 
 IMoselle, and we could have gained the bridge of 
 Bouc(iuenom, Pfalzbourg would have been threatened, 
 and Landau would probably have fallen. Pardon me 
 for imparting to you my regrets : I feel all the useless- 
 ness of complaints, but they give me a momentary 
 comfort. Permit me here to add, once more, that if 
 you have any power over my successor, conjure him to 
 employ all his credit to prevent the too great sub- 
 division of the array into separate detachments. Every 
 
 qu'EUe a daigne remarquer mon zele pour le bien. Quel malheur que 
 des dissentions internes, ct extemes, ont souvent paralyse les mouve- 
 mens des armees, dans des epoques oti la plus grande activite auroit 
 ete nccessaire. 
 
 " Si apres la reddition de Mayence Ton fut tombe sur Houchard, 
 qu'on I'eut pousse et battu, Ton prevenoit la marche du reufort vei-s 
 I'armce du Nord, et par consequent I'ecliec de Dunkerque. 
 
 " Saar-Louis raal approvisionn^ et alors presque sans abri contre les 
 bombes, auroit tombe vraisemblablement dans quinze jours. Deslors 
 I'Alsace se trouveroit tournee par la Saar ; la prise des lignes de la 
 Lantre aurait eu des suites solides, et si I'armee ennemie du Rhin 
 eut ete par tons ces moyens separee de celle de la Moselle, et que
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 199 
 
 where feeble, it is thus reduced to act upon the defen- 
 sive ; a species of warfare which it is necessary to avoid 
 with the enemy opposed to us. I reckon upon depart- 
 ing hence on the 27th or 2Sth, according to the date 
 of M. de Moellendorf s arrival, and when I shall have 
 had time to put him in possession of all the details. 
 I cannot say how much it costs me to separate from 
 your Royal Highness, and to quit an army which 
 has inspired me with the highest degree of esteem, 
 admiration, and attachment. Nothing equals, nor 
 ever will equal, the very sincere attachment and high 
 consideration with which I have the honour to be, 
 "Sir, 
 
 '' Your Royal Highness's 
 " Most humble and most obedient servant, 
 
 " Charles Duke of Brunswick. 
 
 "Mayence, 24tli January, 1794." 
 
 Ton eut gagnc le pont de Boucquenom, Pfalzboiirg etoit menace et 
 Landau seroit tombe vraisemblablement. — Pardonnez que je vous 
 communique mes regi-ets. Je sens toute I'inutilitc des plaintes, elles 
 soulagent cependant un moment. Permettez que j'ajoute encore ici 
 que si Elle a quelque pouvoir sur mon successeur, qu' Elle le conjure 
 d'emj^loyer tout son credit pour prevenir la trop grande subdivision 
 de I'armee en divers Detachemens. Faible partout, Ton est reduit a la 
 defensive, ce qui est un genre de guerre qu'il est nccessaire d'cviter 
 avec I'enuemi qui nous est oppose. Je compte partir d'ici le 27 
 ou le 28, selon le jour que M. de Moellendorf arrivera, et que j'aurai 
 eu le tems de lui remettre tout ce qui rcgarde nos details. II m'en 
 coute infiniment de m eloigner de votre altesse Eoyale, et de quitter 
 une armee qui m'a inspire le plus haut degi-e d'estime, d' admiration 
 et d'attachement. 
 
 " Ricn n'egale et n'egalera jamais rattacbcment tres sincere et la 
 haute consideration avec laquelle j'ai I'honneur d'etre, 
 "Monsieur, 
 
 "De votre Altesse Royale 
 " Le tres humble et tres obcissant Serviteur, 
 
 " Charles Due de Bkunsvic." 
 " a Mayence, ce 24 Janvier, 1794."
 
 200 DIARIES AND CORRESrONDENCE OF 
 
 [Mr. Pitt's attempts to conciliate the Duke of North- 
 umberland, by acceding to his demands, totally failed, 
 and his dissatisfaction continued to increase, till at last, 
 notwithstanding liis previously expressed contented- 
 ness with the constitution of the Government, he 
 joined the revolutionary party, and open hostilities 
 broke out between him and the minister, who shortly 
 afterwards insisted upon his joining the militia or 
 resigning his command. — Ed.] 
 
 AIh. J^itt to Mr. Rose. 
 
 "Downing street, Sept. loth, 1795. 
 
 " Dear Rose, 
 
 "I have no scruple about attacking the Duke of 
 Northumberland at Launceston, or anywhere else 
 where there is a chance of doing it with eflfect ; and I 
 think Cull's good intentions should be encouraged as 
 much as possible. Saltash, I believe, must now wail 
 till we meet. It is suggested to me that on the new 
 right the Butler interest is far from decisive, and 
 that government might with proper management do 
 a great deal. 
 
 " The Duke of Leeds has written to his agent to 
 do everything in favour of Gregor. 1 have just now- 
 written to Lord Hawkesbury to see what can be 
 done respecting Lady Bute. You once mentioned an 
 arrangement respecting the office in Bahama, which 
 would open one here for :\Ir. Sturges, of Windsor. I 
 wish you would send me the name. If this will 
 answer, it must supersede Mr. Chrystie's application.
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 201 
 
 I shall stay in this neighbourhood another week at 
 least, and probably a little longer if the King returns 
 as is expected. 
 
 " Before that time I hope you will be perfectly 
 recovered from your accident, and be able to return to 
 town, as I should be glad of a day or two with you 
 before I set out. I am very sorry for the awkwardness 
 respecting Rolle, which is certainly unpleasant, though 
 he seems to make it more serious than he need. 
 
 " Yours sincerely, 
 
 " W, Pitt. 
 
 " I forgot to return Sir R. Cotton's letter sooner. I 
 had, before it came, engaged myself in favour of ]\Ir. 
 Seabright, who I believe has much the best interest, 
 and is more to be depended upon than Sir Corbett, 
 whom I do not take to be as steady as his relation, Sir 
 R. Cotton." 
 
 [Careless as Mr. Pitt was about his own affairs, his 
 anxiety to make some provision for his friend, or at 
 least for his family, is evinced in the two following 
 letters; the conclusion of the second is, as usual, full of 
 matters of business ; but in the first we see him intent 
 on recreation, which is very unusual. — Ed.] 
 
 Mr. Pitt to Mr. Rose. 
 
 „ ^ -r, "Dowuing street, Friday, Sept. lltb, 1795. 
 
 " Dear Rose, 
 
 "I have had an opportunity of conversing with 
 the Chancellor respecting the reversion of Clerk of
 
 202 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 Parliaiiunts, and, as far as he is personally concerned 
 I have the satisfaction of finding that he has no wish 
 or object whatever respecting it ; bnt he seemed 
 desirous of ascertaining, more fully than he could then 
 by recollection, the state of what had passed at diffe- 
 rent times in the House of Lords, which might affect 
 the propriety or the mode of granting the otlicc. 
 He will probably himself trace it in the Journals, but 
 it may perhaps be useful if you can furnish me with a 
 note of reference to any passages that are material. 
 Our intended party for Southampton is now fixed for 
 Monday se'nnight, the 21st. As it is not impossible 
 that there may be some difficulty at such a tirne in 
 procuring lodgings, I should be nmch obliged to you 
 if you could, without inconvenience, contrive to ensure 
 that point for me, either at the hotel, or, if that is 
 full, anywhere in the town ; and I undertook to make 
 the same request for Dundas, who will bring Lady 
 Jane and his daughter with him. We have accounts 
 from Paris, that most of the sections there have 
 accepted the Constitution, but rejected the proposal 
 for re-electing two-thirds of the present Convention, 
 which is a very fortunate event. 
 
 " Yours ever, 
 
 " W. P." 
 
 ]\Ir. Pitt to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Walmer Castle, 
 "Sunday, Oct. 10th, 1795, 1 P.M. 
 
 " Dear Rose, 
 
 " The Chancellor is perfectly satisfied with the 
 reversion being granted to your son in the usual
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 203 
 
 form, and without any new limitation ; and I have 
 just written to the King, to propose it in the manner 
 you suggest ; and so as I think to avoid any chance 
 of difficulty. I Avish you would send me, with the 
 papers about the register, a copy of your notes on the 
 other taxes in question, to which I hope you will have 
 been enabled to add an account of the value of dif- 
 ferent articles of manufactured cotton goods, and some 
 estimate of the amount of funds on the Receipt Tax. 
 
 " I shall also Avish much to know the produce of 
 the Consolidated Fund. Mornington has signed the 
 warrants, Avhich I have given to be forwarded to 
 
 ToAvnshend. 
 
 " Yours ever, 
 
 " W. Pitt." 
 
 [The observations alluded to in the following letter 
 do not appear, but they are noticed in Mr. Pitt's 
 ansAver. They seem to have contemplated a measure 
 which has recently been the subject of much discus- 
 sion, — the expediency of obtaining some agricultural 
 statistics, either by compulsion or otherwise. — Ed.] 
 
 The Marquis of Stafford to Mr, Pitt. 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 "I have received, as Gustos rotulorum for the 
 County of Stafford, a letter from the Duke of Portland, 
 conveying his Majesty's commands to convene the 
 Magistrates, to take into consideration subjects of 
 inquiry concerning the present high price of corn.
 
 201 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDEN'CE OF 
 
 I shall not fail to carry these comuiands into cxecn- 
 tion, bnt I hope you will excuse my enclosing some 
 observations on this measure. If they prove useless, 
 you will have the trouble of throwing them into the 
 fire; but I shall have the satisfaction that this gives 
 me an opportunity of assuring you, with how much 
 regard, I am, 
 
 " Your faithful and obedient servant, 
 
 " Stafford." 
 
 JMii. Pitt to tui: Marquis or Stafford. 
 
 " Downing Street, Nov. 6th, 1795. 
 
 " My dear Lord, 
 
 " I think myself very much obhged to you for the 
 suggestions which you have had the goodness to send 
 mc, relative to measures for ascertaining the stock of 
 corn in the countr\-. I feel very strongly tlie diffi- 
 culty of obtaining accurate information without some 
 compulsory power, but I have at the same time great 
 doubts whether the alarm and dissatisfaction wliich 
 would be produced by having recourse to those means 
 would not outweigh the advantage to be obtained by 
 them ; and, as far as I have hitherto had any oppor- 
 tunity of judging, I am inclined to think this would 
 be the general impression. AVe must, therefore, I 
 believe, be contented with such general information 
 as magistrates can furnish from their observation and 
 inquiry, which, though far from precise, may lead to 
 some tolerable ground of comparison with the ordinnry 
 produce.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 205 
 
 "We arc still without any direct accounts of a 
 recent date from France, or any particulars of the late 
 operations in Germany. 
 
 " Believe me to be, with sincere regard and esteem, 
 " My dear Lord, 
 " Your Lordship's most faithful 
 
 " And obedient servant, 
 
 " W. Pitt. 
 
 "Marqiiis of Stafford, &c." 
 
 [The following letter, addressed to Mr. Valentine 
 Jones (in the year 1797), then in the West Lidies, 
 shows what severe but well-merited rebukes Mr. 
 Rose inflicted upon persons in the service of Govern- 
 ment who WTre guilty of too great profusion in the 
 expenditure of which they had the charge. — Ed.] 
 
 Mr. Rose to Mr. Valentine Jones. 
 " Sir, 
 
 " In my public letter to the Commander-in- 
 Chief and yourself of this date, I have communicated 
 the opinion of the Board respecting your bills, which 
 have lately appeared, and those of which there are 
 threatening symptoms ; for not having even the com- 
 mon advice of them, we can only conjecture what 
 are to come, but I cannot let the packet sail with- 
 out expressing my deep and sincere regret at your 
 conduct, as well as the disappointment ofc what I 
 thought well-founded expectations, arising from the 
 experience we had of you in the situations ofCommis-
 
 206 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 sary at Barbadoes, and Commissary of Accounts on the 
 Staft'. I am not disposed to doubt but that the' 
 enormous sums for which you liave drawn have been 
 laid out, or tliat you will be able to produce j)robably 
 regular vouchers for them hereafter to the auditors ; 
 but that such expenditure can have been necessary 
 appears to me impossible. I should entertain that 
 opinion strongly if no services had been carried on in 
 the West Indies previously to your })resent appoint- 
 ment ; but when the expenses during Mr, .lelirey's 
 time, when the most active operations were in progress, 
 are compared with yours, it puts your want of economy 
 in the strongest possible point of view. The situations 
 you have held gave you a full opportunity of knowing 
 how the services were carried on. AVc are so entirely 
 in the dark relative to the expenditure under you that 
 I cannot even guess from what source the great out- 
 goings have arisen. The amount may be larger than in 
 the period before alluded to. There were then, I think, 
 about 20,000 men victualled ; but there can be no 
 increased numbers to account for the immense ditfe- 
 rence. Mr. Jefirey, too, was supposed to have left Avith 
 you a considerable store of provisions, rum, and other 
 articles necessary for the use of the troops. Serious as 
 the immediate mischief is, attendant on the almost 
 insurmountable difficulties you have involved us in at 
 present, we have still some formidable ones to appre- 
 hend, as it will not be easy to get rid of the system of 
 extravagance ; hut it must be done, otherwise we shall 
 be subject in times of peace to hearing demands from 
 the islands altogether unheard of in former times.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 207 
 
 " As far as I am enabled to judge at present, the 
 whole charge of the department of the Commissary- 
 General, the Quartermaster-General, the Barrack- 
 master-General, and the Hospital, did not amount 
 to 1,000,000/. steding, for the period preceding 
 your arrival in the AVest Indies. Compare this with 
 yours ! I had heard nothing of the circumstances 
 you allude to in your private letter to me, except 
 froDi the correspondent to whom you communicated 
 them. If you had performed your duty in the way I 
 hoped and trusted you would have done, no one 
 could have hurt you ; but, in any event, the parties 
 you alluded to cannot benefit by your suspension or 
 removal. 
 
 [The following letter from Lady Chatham is here 
 introduced, not only because it brings us into some 
 acquaintance with the mother of so eminent a man as 
 Mr. Pitt, to whose early training it is probable he 
 was under considerable obhgations ; but also because, 
 being written at the end of 1798, it gives a distinct 
 contradiction, in the happy account which she had 
 received of his health, to a report which Mr. Adding- 
 ton seems to have joined in circulating with respect 
 to some derangement of his mind. It would indeed 
 have been a very singular coincidence, if the minister 
 and the monarch had been subject to that calamity at 
 the same time. — Ed.
 
 208 UIARIES AND COilRESPONDEN'CE OF 
 
 Lady CnATnAM to Mu. Rose. 
 
 "Burton Pynsent.Dec. 8tli, 1798. 
 
 "Sir, 
 
 " I am most sincerely obliged to you for tlie 
 great pleasure I received from the perfectly liaj)i)y 
 account of my dear son's health, after so long an 
 exertion of his strength. I flatter myself he felt 
 much satisfaction in the success that has attended 
 his speech. 
 
 " Now, sir, I must desire you will accept my best 
 thanks for the kind trouble which you have been so 
 good as to take in giving me the true state of the wild 
 and indecent behaviour of Croft. There certainly can 
 l)e no excuse for him, and he has undone himself. 
 What extravagance i)rovoked him to such conduct 
 there is no suessin";. lie has children l)v his first 
 wife, who \Aas a servant of mine, and a very honest, 
 good woman. AVhat power he has to take care of 
 his familv I know not ; but I am inclined to imagine 
 it verv little. The onlv thincj that he can be allowed 
 to have must be of a totally private sort. If there 
 should be any chance, so far, I should be glad for the 
 sake of those belonging to him. However, I have no 
 w^ish, if there is the smallest objection to what I have 
 named. 
 
 " The weather is so horridly bad, in consequence of 
 the continued fog, that one can neither see, nor feel at 
 all comfortable. I hope in God the effects will be 
 escaped by those I am interested for. 
 
 " I am really ashamed of having troubled you so
 
 TUE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 209 
 
 long, and will therefore add only that I beg you to 
 believe me, Sir, 
 
 " Your obhged and most humble servant, 
 
 "H. Chatuam." 
 
 [Mr. Sheridan had stated in the House of Com- 
 mons, that the Ministers were unpopular in America ; 
 and, with the violent democrats of that country, it is 
 probable enough that they were ; but the following 
 letter from their Ambassador shows that it was not 
 the feehng of her statesmen. — Ed.] 
 
 Mr. Rufus King to Mr. Rose. 
 
 [Private.] 
 
 " Great Cumberland Place, 23d June, 1798. 
 
 " Dear Sir, 
 
 " Accept my acknowledgments for your letter of 
 yesterday. I am very glad that it has been thought 
 advisable to introduce the alterations which have been 
 made in the Convoy Bill ; the effect, I am persuaded, 
 must be alike advantao-eous to both countries. It 
 will be my duty, which I shall experience great satis- 
 faction in performing, to represent this subject in its 
 true light to the American Government, which must 
 see therein the same sincere desire on the part of 
 Great Britain that itself feels, to increase and confirm 
 the friendship and intercourse that at present so 
 happily subsists between the two countries. 
 
 " You will not doubt the pleasure it has given me 
 to be assured of the friendly sentiments that I have 
 
 VOL. I. P
 
 210 DIARIES AND CORIIESPONDENCE OF 
 
 always flattered myself you entertained for my country, 
 whose origin, language, laws, and manners are so 
 many titles to the friendship of England. 
 
 "With perfect esteem and respect, 1 ha\e tiie 
 honour to be, 
 
 *' Dear Sir, 
 " Your obedient and faithful servant, 
 
 " RuFCs King. 
 
 " George Rose, Esq. &c. &c." 
 
 [Tlic two next letters relate to tiie King's subscrip- 
 tion for carrying on the war. Lords Ronmcy, Ehloii, 
 and Kenyon, Messrs. Pitt, Duiidas^ and Addington, 
 subscril)(.'(l on that occasion 2,()0U/. each, in hcu of 
 their legal assessments ; Lord Bridport and Admiral 
 Colpoys, 1,000/. each. The King subscribed one- 
 third of hi^ privy purse, or 20,000/. annually. — Ed. J 
 
 Mk. PiiT TO Mk. Rose. 
 
 " Wimbledon, 
 "Thursday, half-pa.st 8 p.m., Jan. 25th, 1708. 
 
 ** Dear Rose, 
 
 "The mode of payment certainly ought to be by 
 instalments. I have just now received a letter from 
 the King, authorizing me to take all the steps neces- 
 sary, and as I think a minute of the Board is the 
 only way of stating the case publicly, I wiH return to 
 town to-morrow mornino;, and wish vou to fix a 
 Board at half-past twelve. You will of course be 
 enabled to sav all vou wish to Mr. Kemble. 
 
 " Y'ours ever, 
 
 "W. P."
 
 the right hon. george rose. 211 
 Mr. Pitt to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Wimbledon, 
 i - " Friday, 10 a.m., Jan. 26th, 1798. 
 
 " Dear Rose, 
 
 " On consideration, I have thought it best simply 
 to write a letter to the Bank, announcing the King's 
 subscription, and to give up the idea of a minute of 
 the Treasiuy, which coukl not, I think, be so framed 
 as not to appear a studied, and. laboured apology. 
 You will probably have time to countermand the 
 Board, and if not can explain to them the circum- 
 stances. Give my letter to Car the w to be entered, 
 before it is sent to the Bank. Pray bring Abbott's 
 
 paper with you to-morrow. 
 
 " Yours ever, 
 
 "W. P. 
 
 " Bring also the abstract of the payment in the 
 different classes of the civil Ijst, compared with the 
 amount some years back, and with the estimate given 
 in to Parhament under Burke's bill. 
 
 " Some business will keep me here to-day, but you 
 will be sure to find me at Hollwood to-morrow." 
 
 [Miss Rose, who was a clever and strong-minded 
 woman, took a great disHke to Mr. Addington, and 
 no doubt exercised a considerable influence over her 
 father's mind, already predisposed to dislike any suc- 
 cessor to Mr. Pitt, and to institute disadvantageous 
 comparisons between them. Notwithstanding, how- 
 
 p 2
 
 212 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 ever, the accusations so strongly urged against him, it 
 will be seen in the end that the alienation produced 
 by them was only temj)orary. — Ed.] 
 
 EXTRACT FROM MISS ROSE'S DIARY. 
 
 In the autumn of 1709, my father was ill, and I 
 went to London with my aunt Frances, to stay with 
 him. Mr. Pitt, whose health had for some time been 
 failing, was persuaded by Mr. Aildington, then 
 Speaker, to go to his house in the country rather than 
 to IIt)llwood, under the plea that he would have more 
 rest from intru.sion of guests and from business. I 
 had no liking for Mr. Addington. I thought him 
 shallow, and mistrusted him from his conduct when 
 S[)eaker ; which, in fact, was the cause of the duel 
 between Mr. Pitt and Mr. Tic-rney. Not only by his 
 conduct in the House of Commons, for which the 
 opposition blamed him (Ilendon saying he had said 
 stronger things, and had taken stronger things, and 
 would do so again), but from his knowledge of what 
 was passing afterwards, and not taking any means of 
 preventing the duel. Dui-ing the time I was in 
 London I found that a new set of people were about 
 my father. Nicholas Vansittart, and Dr. Beck, who 
 afterwards was his assistant financier, dined with 
 him. I thought them shallow ; very important about 
 trifles and little matters, and very assiduous in getting 
 information from my father. I remember when I 
 returned to Cuff'nells 1 told my mother that there 
 were strange birds getting about my father, and
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 213 
 
 pecking his brains ; that I did not understand what 
 was going on, and did not like it. 
 
 The spring before, Mr. Pitt, whose health was 
 then failing, w^as suffering great depression of spirits, 
 arising, as I afterwards believed, from suppressed gout. 
 He Avas advised to rest his mind as much as pos- 
 sible, and did not go for some time to the House of 
 Commons. 
 
 For a time, except when the Bishop of Lincoln was 
 in London, he saw only my father and Lord Melville. 
 In the spring of 1800, we dined at the Speaker's. My 
 father had that morning returned from Hollwood ; and 
 at dinner. Lord Bathurst,and other friends of Mr. Pitt's, 
 talked of the place, and of the changes Mr. Pitt w'as 
 making. He was always amusing himself with some 
 w^ork there. My father spoke of his having removed a 
 plantation of willows, wdiich his friends then present had 
 disapproved of when made. I sat next to the Speaker, 
 at the side of the table, he sitting at the bottom ; Lord 
 Bathurst sat on my right hand. The Speaker, in an 
 under but distinct tone, said to Lord Bathurst, across 
 me, " I do not think there could be a clearer proof of 
 the aberration of Pitt's mind last year than his having 
 made that plantation." Lord Bathurst made no reply ; 
 and I suspected at the time, from his manner, that he 
 did not distinctly hear what Addington had said. 
 
 A few days before this diary begins, my father, 
 who we had seen was annoyed, as he was occasionally 
 w^hen he could not fix Mr. Pitt's attention on business 
 particularly under his management in the House of 
 Commons, spoke of it at that time as particularly
 
 2 < DTVRIES A>iD CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 inconvenient, as it related to some matters that must 
 be brought into the House of Commons soon, and he 
 said, " I will go to the Speaker to-morrow, and get 
 him to remind Mr. Pitt that it must soon come before 
 the House." I believed he had a false confidence in 
 the man, and said hastily, " And do you think the 
 Speaker is really attached to Mr. Pitt ? '"' — " Yes, cer- 
 tainly." — " Ida )wt," I replied. Then, on bis question- 
 ing my reason for this opinion, T told him of the speech 
 I heard Mr. Addington make to Lord Bathurst. My 
 father was the more astonished, as he said, as he had 
 before done to us, when such reports were afloat the 
 preceding year, that there was not the slightest mental 
 failure in Mr. Pitt, nothing but depression of spirits — 
 overwork on a slic-ht constitution. Before this con- 
 versation, my father had said to the Speaker that he 
 would call on him. Going to his house, he overtook 
 Mr. Hatsell, the Clerk of the House of Commons, who 
 said if he was going in, he should not be able to see 
 the Speaker before he went out, and that it would pre- 
 vent his going out of town, as he wished to do, next 
 day. My father then gave way to him, desiring him 
 to tell the Speaker he would call on him on Monday. 
 In the meantime the change took place, and my father 
 wrote to Addington, that the matter on which he 
 wished to spe.ik to him no longer existed.
 
 THE RIGHT HO^. GEORGE ROSE. 215 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 ■ 1798-9. 
 
 FIRST INTELLIGENCE OF THE VICTORY OF THE NILE — LORD NELSON'S 
 PROCEEDINGS IN THE BAT OF NAPLES IN 1799 — GROUNDS OF LADY 
 HAMILTON'S CLAIMS — MR. ROSE's EFFORTS TO OBTAIN COMPENSATION 
 FOR HER, FROM 1804 to 1813. 
 
 [The following letter from Mr. Pitt, amidst many 
 matters of ordinary bnsiness, contains the first intima- 
 tion that reached this country of the glorious victory 
 achieved by Lord Nelson at Aboukir, on the 1st of 
 August, 1798, over the fleet which conveyed General 
 Buonaparte to the shores of Egypt ; and it gives us a 
 curious specimen of the system of averting discontent 
 from the people of Prance by falsifying the events of 
 the war. — Ed.] 
 
 Mr. Pitt to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Walmer Castle, Friday, Aug. 10th, 1798. 
 
 "Dear Rose, 
 
 '* I return the draft of the wari'ant appointing the 
 Conmiissioners ior the sale of the Land-tax, and think 
 it in general perfectly right, but have put two queries 
 in the margin, which you can easily answer. Tn the
 
 216 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 meantime, send tlie warrant to the King, witliout 
 waiting to hear from nie again. I think I shall pro- 
 bably be in town for a few days about the 20th, but 
 shall hardly meet you on the 23d, as I have a scheme 
 (which I mean to say nothing of) of running down 
 for a week at that time to Somersetshire. On mv 
 return from thence, T hope we shall be able finally to 
 arrange both the bills for the contribution and the 
 warehousing. I am at present strongly prejudiced 
 against a total repeal of the act of last year, and 1 
 know that Lowndes has always a rage for putting 
 everything into one act of Parliament ; whereas, 
 nine times out of ten, and particularly I should think 
 in the present case, the provision would be nuule 
 much better by reference. I have received French 
 newspapers of the 7th and Sth, containing vague 
 reports of an action between Nelson and Buonaparte, 
 and some pretending that the latter had been 
 victorious. They serve only to confirm the belief 
 that something has hap])ened, but it may still be 
 some time before wc have any authentic account, 
 though they probably will not be long able to disguise 
 entirely the result, even in France. 
 
 " Yours ever, 
 
 " W. P. 
 
 " I enclose an application from Mr. Dornford to be 
 a Commissioner, which, however, ought not to be 
 attended to, unless approved by the Tax Office. Pray 
 inquire, and let me know whether any thing has been 
 done respecting the late Lord Montagu's estate. I
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 217 
 
 have an application on behalf of Lady Mostyn, 
 desiring that no grant may be made of it till she has 
 time to present a memorial to the Treasury, stating 
 her claim, and I want to return some ansAver." 
 
 [But the glory of the victory of the Nile was dearly 
 purchased by the loss of honour which flowed indirectly 
 from circumstances connected with it, and which 
 sadly tarnished the lustre of Lord Nelson's name. 
 The facts are thus briefly stated by Lord Holland : 
 " When, distracted at having missed the French fleet, 
 he came to Palermo, he obtained, chiefly through the 
 influence of Lady Hamilton (the wife of the ambas- 
 sador), whom he had not seen since 1795, the stores 
 and provisions which enabled him to put to sea again, 
 and to overtake the enemy in the Bay of Aboukir. He 
 returned therefore to Naples overflowing wnth grati- 
 tude for the service which she had rendered him." ' 
 Unfortunately, Lord Nelson's personal vanity came 
 powerfully in aid of his gratitude, and completed a 
 most infatuated attachment to Lady Hamilton ; for he 
 is said to have pressed her to sing the most fulsome 
 couplets to his honour, and to have acknowledged 
 with the utmost naivete that his preference of her 
 society to Lady Nelson's arose from the warm praises 
 she bestowed upon him ; after which the congratula- 
 
 ^ Redding, in his "Fifty Years' Recollections," says that Nelson 
 was Lady Hamilton's dupe ; she persuaded him that she had obtained 
 the victualling of his fleet. It was her husband, who made her his 
 agent with the Queen (vol, iii. p. 103).
 
 218 DIARIES AND CORRESPOyDEXfE OF 
 
 tions of his wife were, he said, cold, flat, and insi{)id. 
 She thus alienated his affections entirely from his wife, 
 ill estrangement led to a total separation when he 
 returned to England, although he acknowledged that 
 his wife had committed no fault. His biographer says, 
 " Further than this there is no reason to believe that 
 this most unfortunate attachment was criminal ; but 
 this was criminahty enough, and it brought with it 
 its punishment." Dishonoiu" was the punishment of 
 both, and the remark of the Roman moralist was 
 signally veriticd : — 
 
 " Raro antecedcntem scelestum 
 Deseruit pede poina claudo." 
 
 It was not, however, at a slow pace that retribution 
 overtook these offenders. On his return to Naples, 
 Nelson dishonoured his character and sullied his 
 glory l)y listening to the violent counsels of a 
 woman whose passionate zeal for her friends over- 
 leaped all the boundaries not only of discretion, 
 but of justice. He became her accomplice in perfidy 
 and murder. These seem to be hard terms to use 
 of a man of whom in other respects England is so 
 justly proud. But they are the terms used by Lord 
 Holland, and not unwarranted by impartial history, 
 as we shall presently see, on describing George the 
 Third's reception of Nelson at Court, after his return 
 from the Mediterranean ; a reception which must 
 have been peculiarly galling to Nelson, to whom 
 worldly distinction was all in all. Ho had yet to
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 219 
 
 learn that England expects every man to do his duty 
 in morals as well as in battle. The passage in whicli 
 the charge is made is curious, because it brings before 
 us in so broad a light the character of the writer, 
 sneering at a morality with which he had no sympathy, 
 and blinded to the most obvious truth by a Jacobinical 
 hatred of royalty. 
 
 " It is certain," says Lord Holland, " that her 
 (Lady Hamilton's) baneful ascendancy over Nelson's 
 mind was the chief cause of his indefensible conduct 
 at Naples, and that neither he nor she was ever 
 disavowed or discountenanced by our Court for that 
 conduct. He never w^as a favomnte at St. James's; 
 his amour with Lady Hamilton, if amour it was, 
 shocked the King's morality, and though the perfidies 
 and murders to wdiich it led were perpetrated in the 
 cause of royalty, they could not wash away the 
 original sin of indecorum in the eye of his Majesty 
 Nelson's reception at Court after the victory of 
 Aboukir was singularly cold and repulsive." ' 
 
 The malignity of the insinuation that perfidy and 
 murder in the cause of royalty would have been a 
 recommendation to the monarch's favour if they had 
 not been more than counterbalanced by the scandal 
 of a doubtful intrigue, can only be ascribed to the 
 blindest hatred. But that Lord Holland should be 
 equally blind to the inconsistency of his own state- 
 ments is more extraordinary. He first asserts that 
 
 1 Memoirs of the Whig Party, vol. ii. p. 5?).
 
 220 DIARIES AND cohrespondence of 
 
 neither Nelson nor Lady Hamilton were discounte- 
 nanced by the Court for their conduct, and then 
 proceeds to show, tliat though the King could not 
 disavow acts which were not disavowed by his 
 Ministers, yet that he did in the most marked way 
 discountenance the doer of them. And there can be 
 no doubt in the mind of any reasonable man, that 
 it was " for that conduct" Nelson was so dis- 
 countenanced ; though the adultery, to whicii appear- 
 ances attributed it, could not fail to increase the 
 feeling of disgust in one who understood the value 
 of Christian morality even to public men, so nuich 
 better than Lord Holland did. This sad episode in 
 Nelson's life cannot be more fitly related than in the 
 words of his impartial biographer. 
 
 " The castles of Uovo and Nuovo were chiefly 
 defended by Neapolitan revolutionists, the powerful 
 men amongst them having sought shelter there. They 
 were strong places, and, if they were taken, the 
 reduction of Fort St. Elmo, which commands Naples, 
 would be greatly expedited. Cardinal Ruffo proposed 
 to the garrison to capitulate, on condition that their 
 persons and properties should be guaranteed. This 
 capitulation was accepted. It was signed by the 
 Cardinal, by the Prussian and Turkish commanders, 
 and by Captain Toote, commander of the British 
 forces. Thirty-six hours afterwards. Nelson arrived, 
 and annulled the treaty, declaring that he would grant 
 rebels no other terms than those of unconditional sub- 
 mission. The Cardinal objected to this ; nor could all
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 221 
 
 the arguments of Nelson, Sir AVilliam Hamilton, and 
 Lady Hamilton, who took an active part in the con- 
 ference, convince him that a treaty of such a nature, 
 solemnly concluded, could honourably be set aside. 
 He retired at last, silenced by Nelson's authority, but 
 not convinced. Captain Foote was sent out of the 
 bay, and the garrisons, taken from the castles under 
 the pretence of carrying the treaty into effect, were 
 delivered over as rebels to the vengeance of the 
 Sicilian Court." ^ 
 
 Prince Caraccioli, at the head of the Marine, after 
 a service of forty years, had escaped before the capitu- 
 lation, and went to Sicily, but was permitted t^* 
 return to Naples to save his estates from confiscation. 
 Por a few days he was compelled by the French to 
 serve on board their fleet,^ for which he was hanged 
 by Nelson, after a two hours' trial by a court of 
 Neapolitan officers, presided over by a personal 
 enemy ; and Lady Hamilton not only was on board 
 the ship, but present at the execution. 
 
 In that part of the correspondence which bears 
 upon these transactions, there is, first, a copy of a 
 proclamation issued to the army by the Neapolitan 
 Government, not very well or clearly written, but 
 probably forwarded to Mr. Rose in justification of 
 
 1 Southey's "Life of Nelson," vol. ii. p. 18. 
 
 - Captain Troubridge says in one of his letters to Lord Nelson, 
 " I am assured by all the sailors that Caraccioli is not a Jacobin, but 
 has been forced to act as he does." — Clarke and McArthur's '^ Life of 
 Lord Nelson" p. 543. ,• j
 
 222 DLVRIES AND COKllESrONDENCE Ol* 
 
 Nelson's conduct. It need not bu added, that in 
 this respect, too, it entirely fails ; lor whatever 
 authurit}'- that Government might have given to him, it 
 could not authorize him to In-eak the laws of honour 
 and rectitude. It ordered that lie sliouhl he con- 
 sulted, and tluit regard shouhl he paid to his o})inion 
 in those mihtarv arrangements which would secure a 
 victory over the rel)els ; but the Commander-in-chief 
 of the NeapoUtans was the Prince lluyal, who seems to 
 have delegated his entire power to Cardinal Ruffo, for 
 he does not api)ear at all in the correspondence. To 
 him there might have been an appeal from Cardinal 
 fvulVo's decision, but none to Nelson. 
 
 Secondly, there are some letters written by Sir 
 William Hamilton, who had been thirty-live years 
 ambassador at that coml, but written, no doubt, at 
 the instigation of his wife, whose eager friendship 
 for the Queen would sufi'er no obstacles to stand 
 in her way, no considerations of right or wrong, in 
 serving the interests of the royal cause. 
 
 Thirdly, there is a series of letters written by that 
 strong-minded woman after her return to England, 
 in ISOO, in which her utter inability to appreciate 
 the delicacy of her position in the eyes of the world, 
 her fervid admiration of the Admiral, her perse- 
 verance in urging a suit which everybody combined 
 to reject, her persistence in making inadmissible 
 statements, and at last, her indignation and brokeu- 
 heartedness, stand out in strong relief.
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE EOSE. 223 
 
 This correspondence is extended, at wide intervals 
 of time, from IS 02 till near the close of her life, 
 when her setting sun was clouded by imprisonment, 
 exile, and dependence on the charity of her friends ; 
 one of whom, no doubt, was Mr. Rose, who was at 
 all times her steadfast advocate. Previous, however, 
 to entering upon this subject, a letter from Sir W. 
 Hamilton to Lord Nelson of an earlier date may 
 here be fitly introduced ; partly because it notices 
 a similar foible in the character of another eminent 
 officer, after another great success against Buonaparte, 
 Avhich finally defeated his project of conquest in Syria ; 
 and partly because it furnishes evidence that attach- 
 ment to Nelson was claimed bv Sir W. as the common 
 property of both, — of the husband and the wife. 
 
 In the " Recollections of the Life of Dr. Scott, Lord 
 Nelson's Chaplain," it is said, with regard to his un- 
 fortunate admiration of Lady Hamilton, that neither 
 Dr. Scott, nor any of his most intimate friends, 
 believed in its criminality. Lord St. Vincent used to 
 call them a pair of sentimental fools ; and it is a fact 
 that Lady Hamilton never was a mother. It has 
 been thought by some who witnessed Nelson's inti- 
 macy with royalty at Naples, that Horatia Nelson 
 might lay claim to a far more illustrious origin than 
 has been supposed. This solution, if a true one, 
 accounts equally well for the miserable state of mind 
 which Lord Nelson's letters written from Naples 
 betray. It may be feared that this misery was the
 
 221 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 consequeuce of guilt ; but if so, such uneasiness was 
 the conscientious compunction of an habitually upright 
 mind.' 
 
 Lady Hamilton, writing to Dr. Scott, September 
 7tli, 180G, speaks of " our virtuous Nelson," and 
 " we have innocency on our side," and, " you know 
 the great and virtuous affection he had for me." He 
 might be virtuous towards her, but if she could apply 
 that term to one whom she knew to be guilty of 
 adultery with another, she could not have much 
 principle for her own defence. At Lord Nelson's 
 death, Lady Hamilton had at least 1,400/. a vear, 
 besides the little estate at Merton ; but her vanity and 
 extravagance found this no competence. Her affairs 
 were put into the hands of a financier, who advised 
 her to go into retirement for two or three years ; but 
 she soon returned, and committed wilder extravagances 
 than ever, and was again a suppliant for relief to the 
 friends whose advice she had disregarded. The 
 financier declared that all attempts to serve a person 
 of her character must be in vain. She died abroad 
 in great poverty. 
 
 Mr. Rose, who considered that every one belonging 
 to Lord Nelson was a legacy to himself, did every- 
 thing in his power to fix the attention of Government 
 
 ' Whoever the mother might be, there seems to be no doubt that 
 Mrs. Horatia Nelson Ward was Lord Nelson's daughter, from the 
 letters which he wrote as a father to his child, and his sending her 
 in one of them his parental blessing. These letters were pubhshed 
 by Sir Nicholas Harris Nicolas.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 225 
 
 upon Dr. Scott as a man closely connected Avitli Lord 
 Nelson's memory; but all his representations were 
 attended with no more eflfect than the petitions which 
 he drew up for Lady Hamilton, to be presented to 
 successive Ministers. — Ed.] 
 
 Letter to Lord Nelson from Sir William Hamil- 
 ton, Ambassador at the Court of Naples. 
 
 "Palermo, 12 o'clock, 
 " Monday, 27th May, 1799. 
 
 " My dear Lord, 
 
 "I hope the felucca that sailed from hence 
 yesterday at noon has brought your Lordship Ball's 
 despatches that were sent to me by express from 
 Messina. Your letters of the 25th, to Emma and me, 
 arrived this morning at eight o'clock, and the Queen 
 and Acton are informed of their contents. I think 
 there can be little doubt but that the French fleet 
 have got into Toulon, and we rejoice in the hope of 
 seeing you here again very soon. 
 
 " Yesterday afternoon I received a letter by the post 
 from Signor Raymond!, our Vice-consul at Syracuse, 
 with an account in Italian, signed Sidney Smith, of 
 his success against Buonaparte at Acre, brought by 
 a Russian polacca, with a copy of the instructions 
 given to Mr. Geo. Nicholson, one of his midshipmen, 
 to carry 250 Erencli prisoners from Acre to Toulon, 
 with Uberty to touch in any friendly island or port for 
 refreshments. I send your Lordship a copy of those 
 instructions, in Sir Sidney's usual pompous style — 
 
 VOL. I. Q
 
 220 DIAllIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OE 
 
 * Great Cross of tliu Military Order of tlie Sword, 
 Minister Plenipotentiary of his Majesty to the Ottoman 
 Porte, and Commander of the Royal Pleet in the 
 Levant Seas.' We grieve for the loss of poor Captain 
 Wilmot, of the /llliance, who was killed, as your Lord- 
 ship will see, the Stli of April, by a musket shot, — for 
 I send you an English translation of Sir Sidney 
 Smith's account, which was sent to me in Italian from 
 Syracuse. Upon the whole, this is very good news, 
 and ]^uonapartc seems to be in a bad way ; but your 
 Lordship will comprehend the good and bad of Sir 
 Sidney's operations much better than I can. 
 
 '■ 1 enclose two letters from Graham to Sir Chas. 
 Stuart, as your Lordship talks of sending soon to 
 -Minorca, a letter from Mr. Wyndham for Captain 
 Lewis, and one from Lamb to Captain 1 lardy. Land) is 
 very attentive, and comes daily for orders from my lady. 
 
 " We have had here three davs' fjrala and illumina- 
 tions, the Empress of Germany having been brought 
 to bed of an Arch-duke. I see that Constantine, the 
 Grand Duke of Russia, is at Vienna, so that the 
 Courts of Vienna and St. Petersburg draw well to- 
 gether. Adieu, my very dear Lord ; take care of 
 your health above all. Captain Ball must surely have 
 joined you before this letter can reach you. 
 
 " Ever your Lordship's 
 " Most attached and obliged humble servant, 
 " (Signed) Wm. Hamilton. 
 
 " P. S. — I can assure vou that neither Enmia nor I 
 
 4/ 
 
 knew how much we loved you until this separation,
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOIIGE HOSE. 227 
 
 and we are convinced that your Lordship feels the 
 same as we do. 
 
 " The boatman that brings your Lordship this packet 
 says he has no passport from your Lordship, and the 
 three passports yom- Lordship left have been sent for 
 by the King or Queen, so pray send us two or three 
 more in blank." 
 
 [The translations from the Italian correspondence 
 which follow, and the instructions given by the King 
 to bis troops, are indispensable to the judgment that 
 ought to be formed of Nelson's conduct. It is quite 
 clear that, before the arrival of the British Admiral, 
 Cardinal RufFo wielded all the authority of the King, 
 for the Prince Royal, who was joined with him in the 
 command, never appears in these transactions ; and 
 though the King reserved to himself the power of 
 extending his clemency to the rebel leaders, yet he 
 specially excepts the case of those who should sur- 
 render by capitulation. But he was a weak man, and 
 Nelson, who could not bear the idea of those whom he 
 called Jacobins escaping condign punishment, easily 
 persuaded him to retract this equitable provision, and 
 to annul all that his own Commander-in-chief had 
 done ; but the Cardinal was found to be so intractable 
 that it was judged expedient to send him back to 
 Sicily, without venturing however to disgrace him for 
 his honesty. — Ed.] 
 
 Q 2
 
 228 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 General Acton to Cardinal Ruffo. 
 
 " Your Eminence, 
 
 "The King, tiiuling it iiulispensablc for his 
 royal service that your Excellency should repair in- 
 stantly to this capital, that liis Majesty may be 
 minutely informed by you of every event that lias 
 happened, to enable his ^lajesty to make important 
 provisions for the good government of the affairs of 
 tliis city and kingdom; — has therefore resolved and 
 couinianded, that you should immediately embark on 
 board one of the men-of-war that shall be selected for 
 this purpose by the Admiral of the British S(piadron, 
 Lord Nelson ; and be conveyed immediately here for 
 the above-mentioned object ; His Majesty having 
 already given to the aforesaid English Admiral his 
 royal commands concerning the persons ^vho, during 
 your Eminence's absence, will assume the military 
 command and regulate all civil affairs. 
 
 > "EM" SlOXOK, 
 
 " II Re trovando essere indispensibile pel suo Real Serrigio che 
 \. E, si porti subito in questa Capitale per far che Sua Maesta 
 rimanga minutamcnte iuformata dalla stessa voce dell V. E. di alcuni 
 fatti che sono avvenuti e che posse quindi la Maesta sua dare alcune 
 importantissime provedenze relative al buon Governo degU aflari di 
 cotesta Citta e Regno, ha percib risoluto o commanda che Ella 
 immediatemente s'embarchi sopra uno de' Legni da Guerra che sarii 
 a tal uopo destinata dal Ammiraglio della Squadra Brittanica, Lord 
 Nelson ; e si trasferisca subito qui all accennato oggetto ; avendo gia 
 S. M. dato le sovrane dispozioni all stesso Ammiraglio Inglese circa 
 le persone che dui*ante il tempo che 1' E. V. ne stara lontana, debbono 
 assumere il Commando Jtlilitare, ed interiormente regolar gli Aflfari 
 CiviU.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 229 
 
 " In the royal name I command speedy obedience, 
 the corresponding orders being ah-eady given to the 
 above-mentioned Admiral. 
 
 " Yom' Eminence, 
 
 " John Acton. 
 
 "Palermo, June 27th, 1799. 
 « To the Cardinal Ruffo." * 
 
 General Acton to the Duke of Solandra.^ 
 
 " Your Excellency, 
 
 " The King, having decided that Cardinal Ruffo 
 should be conducted here by one of the men-of-war 
 to be chosen for this purpose by the Admiral of the 
 British Squadron, Lord Nelson, has deigned to 
 command, that your Excellency, in concert with 
 General Gamba, if this latter be not occupied or 
 prevented, and Col. Baron Tschudy, be charged to 
 execute the said removal, with all the caution that the 
 
 " Nel Real nome lo participo a V. E. nel pronto adempimento, 
 prevedendola di essersene gia dati gli avisi corrispondenti al mento- 
 vato Ammiraglio. 
 
 "Palermo, 27 Giugno, 1799. 
 " Em" Signor, 
 
 " Giovanni Acton. 
 " Signor Cardinale RufFo." 
 
 ' Signor Duca della Solandra. 
 
 " ECCELLENTISSIMO SiGNOR, 
 
 " II Re avendo So\Tamente risoluto che il Cardinale Ruflfo sia 
 arrestato e condotto qui sopra uno dei Legui di Guerra che a tal uopo 
 sara destinata dal Ammiraglio della Squadra Brittanica, Lord Nelson, 
 si e degnata commandare che V. E. di concerto col Gcnerale Gamba 
 si costui non si trovi arrestato ni empidito, e col Col. Barons 
 Tschudy, sia charichi di eseguire un tal arresto con tutti quelli cauteli
 
 230 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 circumstnnces demand, and to consign the aforesaid 
 Cardinal to the above-mentioned Admiral, to whom 
 his Majesty has already given the corresponding orders, 
 that the same should be embarked and removed liere. 
 In t'!? royal name, T urge ujion your Excelleney the 
 pronipf and exact accomplishment of this desire. 
 
 " John Acton. 
 
 "Palermo, 27th June, 1799." 
 
 [General Acton's letters to Generals Gamba and 
 Tschudy were in the same words as in those to the 
 Duke of Sohndra. — Ed.] 
 
 Copy of a Letter rRo:M TIis Majesty the King to 
 
 Cardinal Ruffo. 
 
 " Palermo, June 27th, 1799. 
 
 " I have heard with inexpressible consolation of the 
 arrival, after dinner, of my frigate from Naples, and 
 also, of the happy arrival there of the very worthy 
 and faithful Admiral, Lord Nelson. I have read 
 
 che le circonstanze richiedono, e che quindi consegni il referito 
 Cardinale al mentorato Amniiraglio, al quale ha gia S. M. date gli 
 avvisi corrispondeuti, I'orche il medesimo sia imbarcarto e qui tras- 
 portato. lo partecipo nel Real nome a V. S. pel pronto e esatto 
 
 adempimento di sua parte. 
 
 "Giovanni Acton." 
 "Palermo, 27 Giugno, 1799." 
 
 Copia (Tuna lettera di S. M. il Re al Cardinale Ruffo. 
 
 " Palermo, 27 Giugno, 1 799. 
 
 " Ho inteso con inesprimabile consolazione, I'arrivo deUa mia 
 
 frigata da Napoli, e dalla medesima che vi e felicimente arrivato colla 
 
 sua squadra il ben degno e fedele Ammiraglio Lord Nelson. Ho letto
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 231 
 
 the declaration which he, in form of observations, 
 has despatched to you, which could not be more 
 wise, reasonable, and adapted to the end, and truly 
 evangelical. 
 
 " I do not doubt that you immediately conformed to 
 it, and acted in consequence on his advice. Otherwise 
 that would be which is impossible, after the many 
 proofs of fidelity and attachment given me in the past. 
 
 " May the Lord preserve you, as with all my heart 
 
 I desire. 
 
 " Perdinando B. 
 
 " To the Vicar-Geueral, Cardinal Euflfo." 
 
 [The original in the King's own handwriting. 
 —Ed.] 
 
 EXTRACTS FROM THE INSTRUCTIONS TO THE TROOPS 
 OF HIS MAJESTY, ORDERED TO REPAIR TO THE BAY 
 OF NAPLES.i 
 
 " The circumstances of Naples requiring the prompt 
 expedition to that place of a force of infantry, with 
 
 la Dichiarazione che egli in forma di osservazioni vi ha spedito, che 
 non pub essere piu savia, ragionata, ed adatta all' efletto, e verameute 
 evangelica. 
 
 " Non dubito che immediatemente vi ci sarete conformato ed 
 avete agito in consequenza all' istante. Altremente sarebbe cib che 
 non e possibile mai dopo tante ripruove per lo passato datemi di 
 fidelta ed attaccamento. 
 
 " II Signer vi consei-vi come di tutto cuore io ve lo desidero. 
 
 "Ferdinando B. 
 " Al Vicario Generale, Cardinale Ruflfo." 
 
 1 Istruzioni per le Triippe di S. M. deslinate a portarsi nel Cratere 
 
 di Napoli. 
 
 "Richiedendo le circonstanze di Napoli la pronta spedizione a 
 quella volta di una Forza di Liuea all' effetto di secondare gli sforzi
 
 232 DIARIES AND COUllESPONDEXCE OF 
 
 the design of aiding the inhabitants of that capital, 
 devoted to the defence of religion and the crown, 
 and to assist the operations of the Vicar-General, 
 Cardinal Ruffo, — Admiral Lord Nelson has thought 
 proper, on nintual advice, and in concert, to make 
 arrangements to act, conjointly and elKciently, with 
 the renowned 15ritish force under his connnand, to 
 re-establish ))eacc in this kingdom by the recovery 
 of the capital, and to liberate this people from the 
 yoke of anarchy and rebellion. 
 
 1st. The declarations and memorials of mnnerous 
 subjects in Naples and its environs, who pant to break 
 the yoke imposed on them by the most infamous 
 treachery, have caused in reply permission to be 
 given to the true royalists, on the appearance of the 
 Squadron in the Gulf of Naples, to be ready all to 
 take arms, and then make use of them at the signal 
 that shall be given by Admiral Lord Nelson, either 
 contemporaneously with, or innnediately after the 
 intimation that will be made bv a flag of truce for 
 
 degli abitanti in quclla cajiitale dediti alia difcsa delta religioue e 
 coroua, ed a coadjuvare le operazioni del Vicario Generale Cardinale- 
 Ruffo : Ha stimato rAmmiraglio Lord Nelson, suli' avviso passato- 
 gliene, e con concerto, di disporre I'occorrente per concorrere efiBca- 
 cemente con le rispettabili forzi Brittaniche sotto il sue comando, 
 a ripristinare la quiete in quel regno, merce il riaquisto della 
 capitate, ed a liberare quei popoli dal giogo dell' anarchia e rebellioue. 
 " 1" Le dichiarazioni e suppliche di numerosi sudditi che anelauo 
 in Napoli e sue adjucouze, di scuotere il giogo imposto loro dal pia 
 infame tradimento, hanno prodotto in replica la preveuzione ai 
 buoni Realisti di dover essi al comparire della squadra nel Golfo di 
 Napoli, trovarsi disposti a preudere tutti le armi, e fame poi uso al 
 segno che verra loro dato dall' Ammiraglio Lord Nelson, o contem- 
 poraneamente o in segnito delle intimazione che si fara fare da un
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 23.3 
 
 the surrender and submission of that capital to the 
 royal army. For this reason several boats will convey 
 trusty persons to meet the Squadron, as it approaches 
 the islands. 
 
 " 2d. Advices are in consequence despatched to 
 Cardinal Ruffo, of the determination taken by the 
 aforesaid Squadron to present itself before Naples, and 
 to procure the possession of it to the royal arms, in 
 order to accelerate his advance to the capital, with fill 
 the force that he thinks proper to lead there. 
 
 " 3d. The forces of the Cardinal will alone be 
 permitted to enter the capital, in the number and 
 selection which he may think fit to make from the 
 appointed corps, in addition to the troops of the line. 
 
 " 4th. All the military and political operations shall 
 be agreed upon by the Prince Royal and Admiral Lord 
 Nelson. The opinion of this latter always to have 
 a preponderance, on account of the respect due to his 
 experience, as well as to the forces under his command, 
 
 Pai'lamentario i^er la resa e sottomissione alle reali armi di qiiella 
 capitate. Si porteranno a questo efietto varj battelli con persone 
 fidate all' incontro della squadra, nell' avvicinarsi di questa alle 
 isole. 
 
 " 2°- Si sono spediti in consequenza avvisi al Cardinale Ruffo della 
 determinazione presa di preseutarsi la .s(|^uadra predetta avanti 
 Napoli, e di procurarne il possesso alle reali armi, affinche acccleri 
 esso il suo avviciuameuto alia capitate con tutte le forze che credera 
 di dovervi portare. 
 
 " 3°- Le sole forze del Cardinale potranno introdursi nella capitate 
 in quel numero, e con l;i scelta che egli stimera di fare dei corpi 
 destinati, in supplemento delle trnpi^e de linea. 
 
 " 4"- Tutte le operazioni militari e politiclie, sarauno concertate 
 tra il Principe Reale, e 1 'Ammiraglio Lord Nelson. II parere di 
 quest' ultimo sara sempre di preponderanza per in riguardi dovuti 
 alia di Ini esperienza come alle forze da esso dipendcnti, c che
 
 234 DIARIES AND CORRESPOyDENCE OF 
 
 which will determine the operations ; and also because 
 we are so deeply indebted to him for the zeal and 
 attachment of which he has given so many proofs. 
 Therefore, should the attack take place, the employ- 
 ment of the royal forces, and all other means tending 
 to obtain the surrender of Naples, shall be thus 
 decided. 
 
 " .jth. The summons to the rebels to surrender, 
 and any invitation or declaration to the people, and 
 to the en'ing or misled, shall, for the base and rule of 
 the expression or promises, agree with whatever has 
 been specified in the law given by his ^lajesty to 
 Cardinal Ruffo on the 2d\]\ of April last, as •well 
 with respect to the principal criminals generally, as 
 with rciiard to the clemencv to be shown them, the 
 which is and always shall be the right of his Majesty. 
 The spirit of these new declarations shall therefore 
 approximate as much as possible to the sense of the 
 aforesaid general law. 
 
 " 6th. Therefore, in the military capitulation which 
 
 decidono dell' operazione ; e per quauto altresi devesi al medesimo 
 per lo zelo, ed attaccamento, de quei ha dato tante ripruove. Oude 
 se avrauuo luogo gli attacchi, si decidera con questo metodo I'im- 
 piego delle reali forze, ed ogni altro mezzo tcndento ad ottenere la 
 resa di Napoli. 
 
 " 5°- Le intimazioni ai ribelli per arrendersi, e ogui qualimque 
 invito, o dichiarazione ai popoli, ed ai traviati o sedotti, dovranno 
 per la base e norma nelle espressioni o promesse, riferrissi a quanto 
 viene fissato per legge data da S. M. al Cardinale Ruftb nel 29 
 Aprile p°. ; tanto per i rei priucipali in geuerale, che per la clemenza 
 da usarsi, la quale e, e sara sempre propria di S. M. Si dovrji 
 pertanto approssimare il piu che sara praticabile, lo spirito di queste 
 nuove dichiarazione al senso della citata legge generale. 
 
 " e"- Nella capitolazione militare perb, che occorresse farsi con i
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 285 
 
 may take place with the enemy that occupy St. Elmo, 
 the power of stipulating for their departure may be 
 extended to several rebels, even the leaders, according 
 to circumstances, if the general good, the promptitude 
 of the operation, and reasons of weight make it 
 advisable. The same measures will serve also for 
 Capua and Gaeta, if it shall happen that this same 
 operation embraces the question of the surrender of 
 those places. 
 
 " 7th. When Naples shall be entirely surrendered 
 and subdued, the Vicar-General shall at once take 
 possession of the entire government of the kingdom ; 
 and to this intent mil receive from the Prince Roval 
 the King's new ratification of this his commission 
 and charge, with all the particular determinations that 
 the circumstance requires, and any rules that the 
 importance of the time and special considerations 
 indispensably demand. 
 
 " 9th. As it .is the desire of his Majesty that the 
 forts of Naples shall be speedily evacuated by the 
 
 nemici clie occupauo S. Elmo, potra estendersi secondo le circou- 
 stanze la facolta di stipulare la parteuza a varj ribelli anche capi, se 
 il bene pubblico, la prontezza dell' operazioue, e ragioni di peso cosi 
 facessero opinare. Tale misura potra servire benanche per Capua, 
 e Gaeta, se accadera di intimarsene la resa nel complesso di questa 
 stessa operazione. 
 
 " 1°- Quando Napoli sara resa totalmente, e somniessa, il Vicario 
 Generale prendera per era il possesso dell' iutiero governo del regno, 
 ed a quell' effetto recevera dal Real Principe il nuovo confermo 
 del Re di questa sua commissione, ed incarico, con tutte le partico- 
 lari determinazioni che la circonstauza esige, e con alcune norma 
 che il momento, e speciali considerazioui richiedono indispeusa- 
 bilmente. 
 
 " 9"- Siccome e mente di S. M. che con prontezza siano evacuati i 
 castelli di Napoli dal nemico e ribelli di adoprare oltre la forza, altre
 
 23G DLiRIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 enemy and rebels, the Prince Royal is authorized to 
 pursue this design at any cost, and, should it be neces- 
 sary, to employ any other means besides force. 
 
 " 10th. The acts of clemency concerning the noted 
 offenders, and the pardoning of the same, are reserved 
 for the King, excepting those stipulated in the articles 
 of capitulation. 
 
 " Palermo, June 10th, 1799." 
 
 Sir Willi.\m Hamilton to Cardinal Ruffo. 
 
 "Onbotird the Foudroyant, in the Gulf of Naples, 
 '•June 24th, 179!». 
 
 " My Lord Nelson begs luc to inform your Emi- 
 nence that he has received from Captain Foote, com- 
 mander of the frigate Sea-horse, a copy of the capitu- 
 lation which your Eminence has judged it expedient 
 to make with the otficers in command of the castles of 
 St. Elmo, Castello Nuovo, and Castello del Uovo ; that 
 he disapproves entirely of these, and that he is quite 
 resolved not to remain neuter with the respectable 
 force which he has the honour to command ; that he 
 has detached to meet your Eminence the Captains 
 Troubridge and Ball, commanding his JNIajesty's 
 vessels Cullodeii and Alexander. These Captains 
 are fully informed of Lord Nelson's sentiments, and 
 will have the honour to explain them to your Emi- 
 
 qualunque mezzo, che sia necessario, viene autorizzato il Real Prin- 
 cipe, a conseguire quell' intento ad ogni costo. 
 
 " 10°- Gli atti di clemenza che possono riguai'dare i rei cono- 
 .sciuti, e laggraziare i medesimi, sono riseivati al Re, eccettuandosi 
 quanto si e detto all' articolo della capitolazione."
 
 TEE RIGHT HON. GEOllGE RO«E. 237 • 
 
 nence. j\Iy Lord hopes that the Cardinal Ruftb will 
 agree with him, and that to-morrow at the break of 
 dav he will be able to act in concert with your 
 Eminence. The object of each cannot but be the 
 same ; that is to say, to reduce the common enemy, 
 and to make the rebellious subjects of his Sicilian 
 Majesty submit to his clemency." 
 
 Sir William Hamilton to Cardinal Ruffo. 
 
 " June 25th, 1799. 
 
 " My Lord Nelson begs me to take up my pen again, 
 and to acquaint your Eminence, w^hom he understands 
 to speak of the Chev'- Micheroux, in the present negotia- 
 tions of your Eminence for the service of his Sicilian 
 Majesty, that he is quite determined to have nothing 
 to do with any one, be he who he may, except your 
 Eminence, with whom alone he wishes to consult and 
 act. My Lord Nelson also begs me to assure your 
 Eminence, that with respect to the Russian troops, he 
 will always keep in view the honour of his Majesty 
 the Emperor of all the Russias, as well as that of the 
 King his own sovereign." 
 
 The Same to the Same. 
 
 "June 27th, 1799. 
 
 " My Lord Nelson begs me to say to your Eminence, 
 that he has no doubt you will agree with him, that, for 
 the service of his Sicilian Majesty, it is necessary that 
 the Castle of St Elmo sliould be reduced as soon as 
 possible. My Lord proposes, then, with the appro-
 
 2;iy DIARIES AND COKUESPONDENC'E OF 
 
 bation ot' your Eminence, to send the body of marines, 
 about 1,200 men, together witli the Russian corps 
 attached to the army of your Eminence, to attack the 
 said castle. My Lord would desire that during tiiis 
 attack, your Eminence would place two or three hun- 
 dred men in the castles of Uovo and Nuovo, and to 
 keep the gates of these forts closed during the opera- 
 tions. My Lord would also desire your Eminence 
 to order a body of troops, with the re([uisite artillery, 
 to hold themselves in readiness to aid in the attack 
 contided to the lilnglish and Russian troops. My 
 Lord submits to the judgment of your Eminence, 
 whether it would not be expedient to publish an edict 
 to prevent the French garrison of St. Llmo being 
 provided daily with victuals and refreshments, as it is 
 said they are at present. My Lord begs me to add, 
 that if your Eminence judges it expedient to send 
 Caraccioli and the rest of the other rebels to him, 
 according to his proposal yesterday, he will dispose of 
 them." 
 
 The Same to the Same. 
 
 "June 28th, 1799. 
 
 " My Lord Nelson desires me to inform your 
 Eminence, that, in consequence of an order which he 
 has just received from his Sicilian Majesty, who 
 entirely disapproves of the capitulation made with his 
 rebellious subjects in the castles of Uovo and Nuovo, 
 he is about to seize and make sure of those who 
 have left them, and are on board the vessels in this 
 port, submitting it to the opinion of your Eminence
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOEGE ROSE. 231) 
 
 whether it would not be advisable to publish at first 
 in Naples the reason of this transaction, and at the 
 same time to warn the rebels w^ho have escaped to 
 Naples from the said castles, that they must submit 
 to the clemency of his Sicilian Majesty within the 
 space of twenty-foui' hours, under pain of death." 
 
 [The first subjoined letter from Mr. Rose to Lady 
 Hamilton shows that he had not only suggested the 
 application to Mr. Addington, but had supplied her 
 with the form of it. But it is remarkable throughout 
 this correspondence how constantly his own conscious- 
 ness of the impropriety of her position struggles against 
 his earnest desire to assist her ; not for her own sake, 
 but solely on account of his friend Lord Nelson, to 
 whom he considered it an act of justice to comply 
 with his requests. AVliile, therefore, he endeavours 
 to aid her views, he never fails to throw cold water 
 upon her hopes, and to predict failure. After Lord 
 Nelson's death he took up her cause more Avarmly, 
 but with the same conviction that there was still no 
 chance of success. — Ed.] 
 
 Mr. Rose to Lady Hamilton. 
 
 "Madam, "March 9th, 1804. 
 
 " Li proposing to you to write the enclosed letter 
 to Mr. Addington, I entreat I may not raise a hope 
 in your mind that your doing so will be likely to pro- 
 duce any good to you. I have, in conformity with
 
 210 UIAlllES AND t'UllUE.sPuNl>ENCE Ul- 
 
 the principle I Lave invariably ailhcred to, been 
 anxious from the first mention of your case to me, 
 to prevent yom* forming an expectation of success 
 from any application you might make to the Minister, 
 lest I should in the remotest possible degree con- 
 tribute to add disappointment to misfortune. But 
 I think in your situation the attemi)t is worth nuiking. 
 You will at least arrive at a certainty, for I am per- 
 suaded if it does not succeed now, it never can ; and 
 this sort of application will, I think, afford you as 
 good a chance of success as you can have. I sincerely 
 and heartily wish you had a better than I can ven- 
 ture to hope for. 
 
 " If you can prevail with either the peer or the knight 
 you mentioned to me to put your letter into Mr. 
 Addington's hands, or to enclose it to him, 1 should 
 strongly recommend your doing so. But on uo account 
 mention my name, or allude to me, as I am quite sure 
 that would not be useful to you ; and when you have 
 copied the letter to Mr. A., I must beg you will put 
 it in the fire. 
 
 "If anything requires explanation, I will liiive 
 the honour of waiting on you any morning you 
 please, between eleven and twelve o'clock." 
 
 Lady Hamilton to ^Ir. Rose.' 
 
 "My dear Sir '• Clarges street, Nov. 4th. 
 
 " You will excuse me for writing to you on the 
 subject that I do, but my wish that Lord Nelson 
 
 ' It is difficult to fix the date of the following letter. Welbore 
 Ellis, if Lord Meudip is meant, died in 1802; but Mr. Pitt was
 
 THE RIGHT HOX. GEORGE ROSE. 241 
 
 may be made happy, and his brother-in-law, Mr. 
 Bolton, placed in a situation that he would do justice 
 to, makes me take the liberty of asking, could you 
 not put in a good word for the place vacant now by 
 Welbore Ellis's death ? I know your power, and incli- 
 nation, and your wish to oblige Lord Nelson ; and 
 really it would be only justice in Mr. Pitt to do some- 
 thing for the family of a man who is doing all he can 
 for his country. But this I know : Lord Nelson has 
 the greatest reliance on your friendship for him, which 
 makes me take the liberty of now writing to you. I 
 hope you will call on me when you come to town, and 
 I promise you not to bore you with my own claims ; 
 for if those that have power will not do me justice, I 
 must be quiet ; and, in revenge to them, I can say, — 
 if ever I am a minister's wife again, with the power I 
 had then, why I will again do the same for my 
 country as I did before ; and I did more than any 
 ambassador ever did, though their pockets were 
 filled with secret-service money, and poor Sir William 
 and myself never got even a pat on the back. But, 
 indeed, the cold-hearted Grenville was in then. I 
 
 at that time out of office, and could not give away places undei' 
 Government. Lady Hamilton alludes to the death of Sir W. Hamil- 
 ton, which took place in 1803. It was not till the following year that 
 Mr. Pitt returned to office ; and since Nelson — who died in 1805 
 — was stiU living, the date cannot be sooner or later than 1804. 
 But who then is the Welbore Ellis mentioned ? There was a 
 Welbore Ellis Agar, who was a commissioner of customs. If he died 
 in 1804, he was the person named, and his the office wanted for 
 Mr. Bolton. It would seem, from a subsequent letter, that Lady 
 Hamilton had already urged her claims upon Mr. AdtUngton during 
 his administration, to no purpose. Her "sad story" made no 
 impression upon him. 
 
 VOL. I, R
 
 212 DIARIES ANT) COllUlvSl'ONDKNCK OF 
 
 know if I could tell my sloi y to Mr. Pitt lie would 
 
 do rae justice ; but I never am to l)c so happy as to 
 
 be in company with that great man : — I call hiiu the 
 
 Nelson of ministers. But I will not tire vou with mv 
 
 sad storj/. I shall be content to see Mr. Bolton 
 
 placed ; for that will make a worthy family happy, 
 
 and render Nelson jNlr. Pitt's and your grateful friend 
 
 for ever. Believe me, with more than T can express 
 
 of gratitude, 
 
 " Emma Hamilton." 
 
 [It is something in favour of Lady Hamilton, that 
 her first anxietv after the intelli<i:ence of Nelson's 
 death was not for herself, but for the family of his 
 sister. But the utter prostration of body and mind 
 which it brought on was more what might be ex- 
 pected from a deeply affectionate Avife than from a 
 " confidante and friend." It appears that she wa.s 
 obliged to get her mother to write for her; and three 
 Aveeks afterwards Avas still confined to her l)ed. From 
 the letter Avhich she then Avrote it seems that the 
 accusation Avas already current against her, Avhieh, at a 
 later period, became a more serious charge, of publish- 
 ing Lord Nelson's confidential communications. — Ed.] 
 
 I\Irs. Cadogan, Lady Hamilton's jMotiikr, to 
 
 Mr. Rose. 
 
 "9th November, 1805. 
 
 "Lady Hamilton's most Avretched state of mind 
 prevents her imploring her dear good Mr. Rose to
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 243 
 
 solicit Mr. Pitt to consider the family of our great 
 and glorious Nelson, who so gallantly died for his 
 country, leaving behind his favourite sister, with a 
 large family unprovided for. Her Ladyship is confi- 
 dent you will exert every nerve for these good people 
 as a mark of vour true and real attachment to our 
 lamented hero. Mr. Bolton was ever much esteemed by 
 his brother-in-law ; and, had it pleased the Almighty 
 to have spared Lord Nelson to his family, he 
 meant to have made them independent. They at 
 this moment surround her ladyship's bed, bewailing 
 their sad loss and miserable state. Ladv Hamilton, 
 whose situation is beyond description, only prays that 
 you, good sir, will do all you can for this worthy 
 family ; it will be the STcatest relief to her mind. 
 This is written by the mother of the most to be 
 pitied Lady Hamilton, who begs leave to subscribe 
 herself Mr. Rose's 
 
 " Most obedient and very humble servant, 
 
 " Mary Cadogan. 
 
 " P.S. — If Mr. Rose would condescend to acknow- 
 ledge this it would be a comfort to her just now." 
 
 Lady Hamilton to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Clarges Street, Nov. 29th, 1806. 
 
 "I write from my bed, where I have been ever 
 since the fatal sixth of this month, and only rose to 
 be removed from JNIerton here. I could not write to 
 
 R 2
 
 2'M DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 yon, my clear sir, before, but }our note recjuires that 
 I should justify myself. 
 
 " Believe me, then, when I assure you I do not see 
 any one but the family of my dear Nelson. His 
 letters are in tlie bed with me ; and only to the 
 presoit Earl did I ever read one, and then only a 
 part. It is true he is leaky, but I believe would not 
 w iiUnjz;ly tell anything ; but I have been told some- 
 thing like some of my letters have been printed in 
 some pai)er. I never now read a paper, and my 
 health and spirits are so bad 1 cannot enter into a 
 war with vile editors. Of this be assured, no one 
 shall ever see a letter of my glorious and dear 
 departed Nelson. It is true I have a journal from 
 him ever since he came up to Naples to get provisions 
 for our troops in Toulon, when he was in the 
 Agamemnon ; but his letters are sacred, and .shall 
 remain so. My dear sir, my heart is broken. Life 
 to me now is not worth having ; I lived but for 
 him. His glory I gloried in; it was my pride that 
 he should go forth ; and this fatal and last time he 
 went I persuaded hiui to it. But I cannot go 
 on ; — my heart and head are gone ; — only, believe 
 me, what you write to me shall ever be attended 
 to. Could you know me you would not think I 
 had such bad policy as to publish any thing at 
 this moment. My mind is not a common one ; and 
 Laving lived as a confidante and friend with such 
 men as Sir William Hamilton, and dearest, glorious 
 Nelson, I feel myself superior to vain tattling 
 woman. Excuse me, but I am ill and nervous,
 
 THE HIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 245 
 
 and hurt that tliose I value should thiuk meanly 
 of me. 
 
 "When you come to town, pray call on me. I do 
 not know if I shall live in England, as I promised the 
 Queen of Naples to go back to her in case of acci- 
 dents. You will not be able to read this scrawl, but 
 I am very, very ill. Mr. Bolton feels all your kind- 
 ness to him, and firmly relies on you. All the family 
 are with me, and very kind. ^\\q Earl you know ; but 
 a man must have great courage to accept the honour 
 of calling himself by that name. 
 
 " Write me a line to say you have got this, and 
 
 that you believe 
 
 " Your grateful 
 
 " Emma Hamilton. 
 
 *' You shall see what pictures T have got, and have 
 any copied." 
 
 [After the battle of Trafalgar and the return of the 
 fleet. Captain Hardy lost no time, as soon as he could 
 leave his ship, in repairing to Mr. Rose, as the person 
 in office most attached to his friend Lord Nelson, and 
 most likely to carry into execution his dying bequest 
 as to Lady Hamilton's interests. And he judged 
 rightly ; for he took up her cause with an ardour of 
 zeal which made him almost overlook all other con- 
 siderations, as if it were a sacred duty to give effect 
 to his friend's testamentary desires. This, however, was 
 not his first communication to her ; for it appears from 
 lier preceding letter that he had reason to suspect
 
 21G DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 her of having availed herself of private letters to 
 serve her own purposes. The letter in which that 
 charge was intimated is missing. Mr. Rose's view of 
 the subject is the same which he maintained through- 
 out the correspondence. — Ed.] 
 
 ^Ir. Rose to Lauy ILvmilton. 
 
 " Cuffnclls, Dec. 9th, 1805. 
 
 •' Madam, 
 
 " Cai)tain Hardy had the goodness to take the 
 trouble (at much inconvenience to himself) to come 
 over here immediately after the Victory anchored at 
 Spithead, to tell me what passed in the last moments 
 of the life of my late most invaluable friend ; respect- 
 ing whom I shall at no time attempt to express my 
 feelings. I learn from him that Lord Nelson, almost 
 with his latest breath, manifested a confidence that I 
 would do all in my power to make effectual the wish 
 he had more than once stated to mc respecting you ; 
 the Captain, at the same time, connnunicating to mc 
 the entry made in his lordship's pocket-book, just 
 before he went into the action in which he immor- 
 talized his name, recommending a remuneration to 
 you for the actual and important services rendered by 
 you to the country when the fleet under his com- 
 mand was in Sicily on his first return from Egypt. 
 I cannot, therefore, delay telling you I shall take the 
 very earliest opportunity of a personal communication 
 with Mr. Pitt to enforce that solemn request upon 
 him ; and, I am sure, his respect for the memory of
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 217 
 
 one of the greatest men that ever Hved, and his sense 
 of what is right to be done in such a case, will incline 
 him to listen attentively, and I hope favourably, to 
 the claim made for you ; of which, however, I never 
 heard anything till after he went out of office in 1801. 
 When I last had the honour of seeing you, somewhat 
 more than two years ago, in Mr. Addington's admini- 
 stration, I su2:2:ested the lenoth of time that had 
 elapsed subsequent to the performance of the service 
 as an obstacle. That difficulty is certainly not less- 
 ened ; but, considering when the solemn and earnest 
 recommendation was made, and the strong attestation 
 of the importance of your interposition, I am not 
 without a hope of success. I am anxious, however, 
 to guard you against entertaining a sanguine expec- 
 tation on the subject, that 1 may not have the self- 
 reproach of occasioning a disappointment to you. 
 My application must be to ^Ir. Pitt, but the reward 
 (to which I think you entitled both on principle 
 and policy) must, I conceive, be from the foreign 
 Secretary of State, on account of the nature of the 
 service. I can promise nothing but zeal; how far 
 that, acting on the conviction of my mind of the 
 justice of your pretensions, is likely to be effec- 
 tual, you shall know in a few days, at the latest, 
 after I shall see Mr. Pitt, either at Bath or in 
 London. 
 
 "I trouble you with no particulars about Mr. 
 Bolton, as I have written to himself. The earnest 
 manner in which Mr. Pitt wrote and spoke to me 
 about him repeatedly, will insure to him my best
 
 248 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 attention. He knows from me Mr. Pitt's positive 
 engagement to provide for him. 
 
 " I am, Madam, 
 
 " &c. &c. &c. 
 
 "G. Rose/' 
 
 [After the death of Mr. Pitt, in 1S06, ^[r. Rose 
 wrote to Lady Hamilton, to apologize for not having 
 obtained from liim any decision upon her case, and 
 signified his intention to resign, and consecpicntly his 
 loss of power to assist her, but encouraged her to rely 
 on Lord Nelson's will. Li another letter, a few months 
 afterwards, he cautioned her not to be sanguine. In 
 the following year, after two applications to Mr. 
 Caiming in her favour, the language of discourage- 
 ment is still stronger. Out of tenderness to her 
 feelings, the only objection which he represents to her 
 to be insurmountable is, the length of time which 
 had elapsed since the service to be rewarded was 
 performed ; the application was too late ; but it was 
 not too late for something to be done for the child 
 Horatia, whom Nelson had adopted. And so, in 
 writing to Lord Abercorn on the same subject in 1808, 
 he acknowledged the utter fruitlessness of his efforts 
 in behalf of Lady Hamilton, but still hoped for his 
 assistance in getting a pension for the child. He must 
 have seen from the first the impossibility of obtaining 
 any public grant of money for the lady ; but he relied 
 on the Foreign Minister consenting to give something
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 2i9 
 
 out of the secret-service money, to reward her services ; 
 and therefore, when Mr. Lavie, one of Lady Hamilton's 
 trustees, to whom she had sent the memorial of her 
 claims drawn up by Mr. Rose, consulted him as to 
 the best mode of proceeding with it, he suggested as 
 a last resource, the possibility of obtaining from the 
 person who was Foreign Minister at that time a certifi- 
 cate that it was a service which he would have rewarded 
 if application had been then made to him. A drowning 
 man will catch at a straw ; but the hope of obtaining any 
 assistance from the lofty principles of Lord Grenville, 
 who was then in office, — the cold-hearted Grenville, 
 as Lady H. called Jiim, because he had no sympathy 
 with her impassioned warmth of feeling, — was a straw 
 beyond her reach. He did not share in Mr. Rose's 
 veneration and attachment to Lord Nelson. At length, 
 in the year 1813, she lost even Mr. Rose's support, 
 as well as Mr. Canning's, by some false statements 
 which she introduced into a memorial prepared by 
 herself for the Prince Regent ; and having escaped 
 from prison for debt by the assistance of Lord Ellen- 
 borough, she hastened to find an asylum from her 
 creditors in France, before new writs could be issued 
 against her, and there still invoked the assistance 
 of Nelson's friends in behalf of the little Horatia. — 
 Ed.]
 
 250 DIARIES AND CORllKSPOyDEN'Cl': OF 
 
 Mr. Rose to Lady Hamilton. 
 
 " Madam, 
 
 ** Deeply as I am affected hy the recent loss I 
 have sustained in the death of Mr. Pitt, I cannot omit 
 to express to you my sincere and deep regret that I 
 had not a })ossiblc o})portunity of fultilling tlie engage- 
 ment whicli the veneration I have for the memory of 
 Lord Nelson induced me to make to you, in my letter 
 from Ciiflnells, after I had seen Captain Hardy. 
 
 " I had no alarm about Mr. Pitt's health till it was 
 decided he should leave Hath ; but on my seeing him 
 at Putney Heath, 1 found him so ill as to preclude 
 my talking to him on any business whatever; Sir 
 AValter Parquhar had indeed positively prohibited any 
 one from doing so. 
 
 " I shall certainly not remain in office ; and respect- 
 ing the arrangements that may take place in conse- 
 ([uence of ^Ir. Pitt's death I am utterly ignorant ; 
 but if it shall haj)pcn that any representation of mine 
 to those who may fill the departments of Government 
 can have the remotest chance of being useful to you, 
 it shall not be wanting. I am persuaded, however, 
 that Lord Nelson's last and solemn appeal to his 
 country for justice to be done to your claim, will be 
 the best possible support to it. 
 
 "I will have the honour of waiting on you some 
 morning in the course of the next week. 
 
 " I have the honour to be. Madam, 
 " Your faithful, and most obedient, humble servant, 
 
 " George Rose. 
 
 « Old Palace Yard, Jan. 27th, 1806."
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOHGE ROSE. 251 
 
 Mr. Rose to Lady HA:yiiLTOx\, 
 
 ., -n ^r . .. .. "July 3d, 1806. 
 
 " Dear Madam, 
 
 " I have made arrangements for to-morrow that 
 would render it really mconvenient to me to wait on 
 you while you are in town. I would, however, break 
 in upon these to call in Clarges Street, if I could 
 have a chance of being useful to you; but I am 
 certain I cannot. AVhat I have repeatedly suggested 
 I am more and more confirmed in, that the difficulty 
 in afi'ording you relief is increased to a great extent 
 by the length of time that has elapsed since your 
 claim arose, in which period there have been three 
 administrations. If you cannot obtain attention to it 
 now, I am sure you had better think no more of it. 
 I do not say this from indifference in the subject, 
 but from an anxiety that you should not continue to 
 entertain a hope that must (if you do not imme- 
 diately obtain relief) end in disappointment. Lord 
 Nelson's codicil, I think, afibrds a ground for making 
 a last attempt." 
 
 Mr. Rose to Lady Hamilton. 
 
 ^ , ^ " Old Palace Yard, June 4tb, 1807. 
 
 " Dear Madam, 
 
 " I have had a full conversation with ]\Ir. 
 Canning on the subject of your application. After 
 reading your papers, he Hstened to my statement very 
 patiently. The result was his promising to consider 
 all the circumstances attentively ; and that, if upon 
 full consideration of them, he should think anything
 
 252 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 can be done, he would talk with the Duke of roitland 
 on the subject, both as to the amount and the mode. 
 
 " Let me again caution you most earnestly against 
 raising your expectations ; that it" I cannot do you 
 good, at least that I may not be the occasion of a dis- 
 appointment to you. I aui the more anxious about 
 that, because the difticulty (from delay) is, I am afraid, 
 almost insurmountable. 
 
 ^Ir. Rose to Lady Hamiiton. 
 
 " Dear Madam, 
 
 " It has not been owing to any want of attention 
 on my part that you have not heard from me much 
 earlier ; the real truth is, that Mr. Canning has Ixien so 
 entirely occupied with urgent business, that although 
 I put your paper into his hand on his first coming 
 into office, I could not think myself justified in press- 
 ing him to any determination u})on them ; nor could 
 I have done so on any private concern whatever, 
 while matters of the highest importance to the public 
 were depending. I availed myself, however, of an 
 interval, which I was very glad to do before I left 
 London, to talk with him fully a few days ago on the 
 whole subject of your memorial ; and I must in justice 
 to him say, that I am persuaded the respect he has for 
 the memory of the incomparable man who recom- 
 mended you and the child to the justice and liberality 
 of his country, would induce him to make that recom- 
 mendation available to you both if he could do so ; 
 but, on the fullest and most attentive consideration of
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 253 
 
 all circumstances, lie thinks he cannot do that. I 
 have so invariably endeavoured to prepare you not to 
 expect success in your application, that I trust you 
 will not feel much disappointment at this communica- 
 tion, however you may regret it. There are always 
 people, who have no responsibility upon themselves, 
 ready enough to say to persons who consult them, 
 there should be no difficulty in points of a mere 
 embarrassing nature ; but I should not act fairly if I 
 did not say that (feeling, as I do, so warm and strong 
 an attachment to the memory of Lord Nelson), I 
 think Mr. Canning could not now do what I thought 
 might very properly have been done eighteen months 
 or still much longer ago. I make this communication 
 with deep and sincere regret ; but it is better to state 
 the whole plainly to you, than to mislead you, or to 
 throw blame on another, taking credit for favourable 
 intentions on my own part. 
 
 " The reward recommended by Lord Nelson for 
 yourself, on the score of public services, seems to be 
 now quite desperate. Tlie only hope I can venture to 
 hold out the remotest prospect of to you is, that Mr. 
 Canning may possibly on some favourable opportunity 
 propose to the Duke of Portland to recommend to 
 the King a small pension to the child. He wishes, I 
 verily believe sincerely, to do that ; but the carrying 
 this into execution must depend on contingencies he 
 cannot control, and if it should never be done, you 
 must not reproach him or me even in your own mind 
 for a moment ; for I am not authorized by him to give 
 you the slightest encouragement. My anxiety, how-
 
 251 DIARIES AND COllRESrONDENX'E OF 
 
 ever, to show how eagerly I wish to fulfil the dying 
 
 request of the man I most sincerely loved, and to 
 
 whom the country is most deeply indebted, has not, 1 
 
 hope, induced me to say too nmeh. 
 
 " T send herewith the j)npers you })ut into my 
 
 liands, by a careful servant, as 1 know they are of 
 
 value to vou. 
 
 " I am, dear Madam, 
 
 "Your most obedient and vi-rv humble servant, 
 
 " G. U. 
 
 "Old Palace Yard, August 21st, 1807." 
 
 Mi{. llosK TO Lord Abkrcokn. 
 
 " Old Palace Yard, April 9th, 1808. 
 
 " My Lord, 
 
 " I am afraid two or three weeks have elapsed 
 since 1 promised Lady Hamilton to state to yoirt* 
 Lordship what has passed, within my knowledge, 
 respecting any remuneration or ])rovision for her in 
 consequence of her claims on the public, from a com- 
 pliance with which I have been prevented only by an 
 uncommon pressure of business, in which I have lately 
 been unceasingly occupied. 
 
 " The first mention of those claims was made to me 
 by Lord Nelson on his return from the West Lidies, 
 in the summer of ISOo, when he requested me with 
 e^reat earnestness to submit the consideration of them 
 to Mr. Pitt, accompanied by strong assurances that it 
 was through her interposition exclusively he obtained 
 provisions and water for the English ships at Syracuse, 
 in the summer of 179S ; by which he was enabled to
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 255 
 
 return to Egypt in quest of the enemy's fleet ; — to 
 wliicli, therefore, the success of his brilUant action of 
 the Nile was owing, as he must otherwise have gone 
 down to Gibraltar to refit, and the enemy would have 
 escaped. 
 
 " A few Aveeks subsequent to that interview with his 
 Lordship, in London, he was again appointed to the 
 Mediterranean command ; and, previous to his sailing 
 for that station, I met him at Portsmouth at his 
 earnest request, — Mr. Canning, who was then in my 
 neighbourhood, in Ilampstead, accompanying me, — 
 when his Lordship repeated his entreaties that I would 
 recommend Lady Hamilton's case to Mr. Pitt's early 
 consideration ; an opportunity for which occurred a 
 few days afterwards, on Mr. Pitt coming to me at 
 Cuffnells. He listened favourably to my representation, 
 without making any sort of engagement, but finished 
 the conversation by saying he would discuss the subject 
 conclusively with me when we met in London. 
 
 " The next circumstance that I recollect was Sir 
 Thomas Hardy, Lord Nelson's captain, arriving at 
 Spithead in the Victory, in November or December, 
 with the corpse of the incomparable hero. He left 
 the ship as soon as she anchored at Spithead, in 
 an open boat, and came to Lymington, nearly thirty 
 miles, and from thence to me at Cuft'nells, to com- 
 municate to me Lord Nelson's dying sentiments in 
 support of Lady Hamilton's claims. His Lordship's 
 recommendation of them, on his going into the action, 
 is, I believe, proved as a part of his will. I am sure it 
 has been printed.
 
 25G DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 " Strongly impressed by these circumstances, I 
 wrote immediately to her Ladyship, assuring her of 
 my best exertions to obtain from Mr. Pitt an early 
 decision on her case ; under a persuasion I did not 
 venture to convey to her, tliat it would have been 
 a favourable one; but, unhappily, his last illness had 
 made too rapid a progress before I saw him to permit 
 me to mention any subject of business to him when 
 we met. 
 
 " From the time of Mr. I'itt's death to the forma- 
 tion of the present Govern tncnt, I know only of one 
 application, and tlia in Mr. Addington's time ; but 
 on the appointment of Mr. Canning to be Foreign 
 Secretary, I stated to him fully all that had passed 
 within my knowledge from the tirst mention of the 
 subject to me, accompanied with as earnest entreaties 
 as 1 could use, that he would give a siun of 6,000/. or 
 7,000/., out of foreign secret-service, to lier Ladyship ; 
 conceiving that to be a nuich more ])ropcr mode of 
 rewarding her, and likely to be attended with consider- 
 ably less ditticulty ; but with a perfectly good disjjosi- 
 tion on his part, that effort failed : a very faint hope, 
 however, having been afforded that a moderate pension 
 might at some time possibly be procured for the child 
 who Uves with her, and who was recommended also 
 by Lord Nelson in his last moments. 
 
 " These are the circumstances of Lady Hamilton's 
 case according to my knowledge. Whenever it has 
 been mentioned, I have uniforudy expressed as strong 
 an opinion in favour of it as I have invariably felt ; but 
 I have cautiously avoided raising an expectation in her
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 257 
 
 mind on the subject, that I might not have the self- 
 reproach of adding disappointment to misfortune. If 
 I ever gave her the faintest hope, it must have 
 been when I wrote to her after Captain Hardy's 
 arrival in December, 1805 ; but I wish her to com- 
 municate to you any letters of mine, if she has kept 
 them. 
 
 " My anxiety to contribute to fulfilling the dying 
 wish of Lord Nelson is unabated ; and if your Lord- 
 ship shall think my calling on you can afford the 
 remotest chance of that, I shall cheerfully obey your 
 commands on the subject." 
 
 Memorial of Lady Hamilton s claims, drawn iqj by 
 Mr. Bose in his own hand-writing, and forwarded 
 to Mr. Lavie, one of her Trustees. Referred to in 
 Mr. Lavie' s letter which follows. 
 
 " The ground on which I found my claim for some 
 remuneration from Government is a positive and most 
 important service I rendered to my country in obtain- 
 ing orders from the Court of Naples for the British 
 fleet to be victnalled and watered at Syracuse, in the 
 summer of 1798, contrary to direct instructions which 
 had been before given to furnish them with nothing. 
 If I had not prevailed in that respect, which was 
 attended with very great difficulty, and could have 
 been effected only by the influence I had with the 
 Queen, the British fleet must have gone down to 
 Gibraltar for provisions and water ; in which case the 
 
 VOL. I. s
 
 258 DIARIES AND COllKESPONDENCE OF 
 
 French fleet, that was destroyed at Aboukir, must 
 inevitably have escaped. 
 
 " This is a plain statement, most incontrovertibly 
 true. It has been attested by Lord Nelson repeatedly 
 under his hand and in frequent conversations ; am- 
 firmed by a solemn declaration almost in the hour of 
 death, lie requested to see Mr. Rose on the subject 
 previous to his leaving Portsmouth the last time, and 
 urged him strongly to recommend my case to the 
 favourable consideration of Mr. Pitt. Mr. Rose has 
 indeed admitted to me that his Lordship's expressions 
 of anxiety for some remuneration to me were amongst 
 the last words he uttered when he was taking leave of 
 him on board the Ticiort/. Mr. Pitt's death having 
 happened before Mr. Rose could have any personal 
 connnunication with him, in consequence of Lord 
 Nelson's request, I have derived no benefit from that ; 
 and I have been unsuccessful in every exertion I have 
 used since with subsequent Governments. 
 
 " This want of success has been more unfortunate 
 for me, as I have incurred very heavy expenses in 
 completing what Lord Nelson had left unfinished 
 at Merton, and have found it impossible to sell the 
 place. From these circumstances I have been reduced 
 to a situation the most painfid and distressing that 
 can be conceived ; and should have been actually con- 
 fined in prison, if a few friends, from attachment 
 to the memory of Lord Nelson, had not interfered to 
 prevent it, under whose kind protection alone I am 
 enabled now to exist. 
 
 " My case is plain and simple. 1 rendered a
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 259 
 
 service of the utmost importance to my country, 
 attested in tlie clearest and most undeniable manner 
 possible; and T have received no reward, although 
 justice was claimed for me by the hero who lost his 
 life in the performance of his duty to that country, in 
 one of the most brilliant victories that was ever accom- 
 plished, after a series of former services unexampled 
 almost in the history of the world. 
 
 " If I had bargained for a reward beforehand, there 
 can be no doubt but that it would have been given to 
 me, and liberally ; I hoped then not to want it. I do 
 now stand in the utmost need of it, and surely it will 
 not be refused to me. I accompany this paper with 
 a copy of what Lord Nelson wrote in the solemn 
 moments which preceded the action in which he fell ; 
 and I am still not without a hope that the dying, 
 earnest, entreaty of such a man, in favour of a child 
 he had adopted and was devotedly fond of, will be 
 complied with, as well as my own application. 
 
 " The letters I have received on different occasions 
 on this subject will show that the justness and fairness 
 of my claims have been repeatedly admitted by those 
 who were competent judges of the matter. 
 
 " I anxiously implore that my claims may not be 
 rejected without consideration, and that my forbear- 
 ing to urge them earlier may not be objected to me ; 
 because in the lifetime of Sir W. Hamilton I should not 
 have thought of even mentioning them, nor, indeed, after 
 his death, if I had been left in a less comparatively 
 destitute state. Allow me further to add, that if any 
 reference is necessary you will have the goodness to 
 
 s 2
 
 260 DIARIES AND CORRESrOXDEyCE OF 
 
 make it, and not leave me in my unprotected situation 
 to press my application other than to yourself; — not 
 entertaining, however, the slightest doubt of the just- 
 ness and })erfect fairness of any department to which 
 you may refer my pretensions. If to the Naval one, 
 w^here they can be well judged of, I sliould hope for 
 a due attention." 
 
 Mk. Lavie to Mr. Rose. 
 [Frivafe-I 
 
 " Sir, 
 
 " Lady IlamiUon has lianded me a most excel- 
 lent paper, of wliicli myself and the rest of lier 
 trustees will immediately avail ourselves ; but we 
 have some doubt whether any, and which department 
 of Government should be applied to previous to going 
 to Parliament. Lady IL gave me, some time ago, a 
 copy of a memorial to the King (not in council), 
 but I cannot learn that it was ever presented. 
 
 " I believe I could get half the City of London to 
 sign a recommendatory paper if it would be any use. 
 " You may rely that any communications you may 
 be pleased to make to me shall be held sacred. Lady 
 Hamilton and the little Horatia are to stay at West- 
 end till Tuesday, and I wish, if possible, to get the 
 above matter arranged before she leaves us. 
 " I have the honour to be, 
 
 " Your very obedient servant, 
 
 " Germain Lavie. 
 
 "Frederick's Place, 1st April, 1809.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 261 
 
 " ^^Jany years since, I had frequently the honour of 
 meeting you at my good friend Mr. Pott's, from whom 
 1 derived all my little legal knowledge." 
 
 Mr. Rose to G. La vie, Esq. 
 
 "Old Palace Yard, April 2d, 1809. 
 
 "Sir, 
 
 " I wish I knew how to give any advice likely to 
 be useful on the subject of your letter. I promised 
 Lord Nelson, on my last parting from him, to endea- 
 vour to give furtherance to his recommendation of 
 the case of Lady Hamilton ; conceiving it, from his 
 Lordship's statement, to be entitled to favourable 
 consideration. 
 
 " I have kept that promise faithfully, and regret 
 very sincerely my want of success. I certainly used 
 my best endeavours in trying the ground, and seeing 
 no prospect of doing her Ladyship any good, I avoided, 
 carefully, raising any expectations in her mind by a 
 fresh declaration that I could do no more. Under- 
 standing, however, that she had a hope her case, 
 especially considering the late severe and afflicting 
 pressure upon her, might be listened to if brought 
 forward from another quarter, — I did not feel myself 
 at liberty to dissuade her from the attempt, however 
 discouraging the prospect appears to be. 
 
 " If a reward should be thought of for Lady 
 Llamilton, for the actual service rendered to this 
 country, as certified by Lord Nelson, it should natur- 
 ally come from the foreign secret-service fund. Li
 
 262 UIAKIES AND COURESPONDENCE OF 
 
 that event the ap|)hcatioii should be to Mr. Canning, 
 who is not indisposed to do what would be strictly 
 and correctly conformable to his duty ; but after such 
 a lapse of time, and different persons havinic tilled 
 the office he holds, he very reasonably objected to 
 taking upon himself the responsibility of giving the 
 reward. 
 
 " On the part of Lady Hamilton it may I believe 
 with truth be urged, that she asked none at the time 
 from a hope of not wanting it ; — but that she now 
 does. 
 
 " In that view of the ."^ubjcct, the only ray of hope 
 (which I wish not to encourage) that could be enter- 
 tained would be by prevailing with tlie noble lord 
 who was Secretary of State when the service was 
 performed, to certify, that if ap})lication had been 
 made to him at the time he should have thought 
 himself justified in rewarding it. Without that I do 
 not see how even an attempt can be made ; for no 
 application can be received in Parliament without the 
 King's consent, siguitied by the Chancellor of the Ex- 
 che(juer, for which there does not seem to be any 
 claim in this case. 
 
 " If you should have occasion to come to town to- 
 morrow, and will take the trouble of calling here, 1 
 will state to you anything further that may occur to 
 me. You will be sure of finding mc at home, as I am 
 at present confined to the house, and shall be for at 
 least a few days. From one to three I am engaged 
 in public business. At any other hour I shall be able 
 to see you.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 263 
 
 " P.S. — Lord Grenvillc was Foreign Secretary of 
 State, and Lord Spencer First Lord of the Admiralty, 
 when Lord Nelson's victory of Aboukir was obtained." 
 
 Mr. Canning to Mr. Rose. 
 [Private^ 
 
 " Claremont, July 24th, 1800. 
 
 "Dear Rose, 
 
 " Yon must have thought it very extraordinary 
 that I did not take any notice to you, w^hen last 
 we met, of your letter of the 14th respecting Lady 
 Hamilton ; but I had so far misunderstood the private 
 note which accompanied it, as to imagine that you 
 had left me at liberty (or rather desired me) to put off 
 reading your letter till a moment of leisure ; and that 
 moment did not arrive till yesterday, when I came 
 here for a couple of days of rest, and brought a heap 
 of private unanswered letters with me. 
 
 "I am sorry to find in your letter a promise to 
 Lady H. which I shall have obliged you to break, 
 that you would call upon her at Richmond in your 
 way out of town, with a final answer. 
 
 " I do assure you that I should be very sincerely 
 disposed to gratify your anxious wdshes in behalf of 
 Lady H. if I could do so. But Lord Grenville's 
 letter, as you yom-self seem aware, does not help me 
 at all ; on the contrary, it is w^orded with the coldest 
 caution, and w^ould, I think, leave it quite open to 
 him, and is intended to leave it open to him, to say 
 that though Lady Hamilton's services deserved reward,
 
 2GI- UIAKIES AND CORKESrONDEN'CE OF 
 
 yet tlic Foreign S. S. Fund was not the proper fund 
 out of which tliat reward shoukl come. 
 
 " I confess I am myself of tliis opinion. 1 do 
 think that a pension miglit be well bestowed on Lady 
 H. But I do not think that, even at the time, the 
 influence of a Foreign Minister's wife with the Court 
 where her husband resides, is a fit subject for com- 
 pensation by secret-service money. There is still, 
 however, another consideration more embarrassing, 
 particularly in the times in which we are acting. The 
 S. S. fund is, by e\})ress designation, for secret ser- 
 vices — services that cannot be explained or avowed. 
 Now here is a service published not only in Lady IL's 
 memorials, and known to every person whom she has 
 solicited, but printed in extracts of a will registered in 
 Doctors' Commons, and accessible to all mankind. 
 \\ hat reason upon earth is there, it will be said, that if 
 this service is rcnumerated at all, it should be renume- 
 rated sccreth/ ? or how can it be rcnumerated secretli/ 
 in fact? AV'oidd not every one whom Lady IL has 
 solicited, and every member of opposition high and 
 low, know that Ladv IL had received the reward 
 of those services, and received it from a fund not 
 brought to account ? — and why not bring to account 
 a matter so notorious ? Do you not see the multitude 
 of inconvenient questions to which this transaction 
 would give rise ? Do you not see that by disclosing, 
 as it does of course, the manner in which a j)art of 
 this fund is applied, and a diiFerence of opinion existing 
 (as there certainly would) as to the propriety of such 
 an application, we should risk an inference being drawn
 
 THE IlIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 265 
 
 that much more was probably disposed of in a maimer 
 equally objectionable, and of which Parliament might 
 have cognizance with quite as little inconvenience to 
 the State ? 
 
 " A dear opinion of Lord G.'s in favour of the 
 measure would have saved some of these difficulties — 
 not all ; for I should then have been only paying a 
 debt incurred and acknowledged by a predecessor, 
 but accidentally left unsettled. 
 
 " I really feel as nuich pain in stating these diffi- 
 culties to you as you can do in the result of them. 
 But I wish above all things to show you that I have 
 given a fair consideration to the subject; and rather 
 to take your judgment upon them than to give my 
 
 own. 
 
 " Beheve me, dear Rose, 
 
 " Ever most sincerely yours, 
 
 " Geo. Canning. 
 
 " I return the paper." 
 
 Mr. Canning to Mr. Rose. 
 
 "Gloucester Lodge, Feb. 17th, 1813. 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " I have received a letter from Lady Hamilton 
 (^widow of Sir William), accompanying a copy of a 
 petition which she has presented, or intends to present, 
 to the Prince Regent, for a compensation for her losses 
 and services. I think her richly entitled to some 
 such compensation, and shall be happy if any unex- 
 ceptionable mode of granting it can be devised.
 
 2G6 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 " But the reason of my troubling you is, that in the 
 course of her narrative she refers to you and vie 
 johitly as having given assurances to Lord Nelson of 
 Mr. Pitt's determination to take her claims into con- 
 sideration, on the evening when we dined on board 
 the Victory, previous to Lord N.'s sailing for Cadiz. 
 
 "Now what assurances yon may have been then 
 authorized to give, I of course cannot undertake to 
 say; but very sure 1 am that / had no autliority to 
 say anything upon tlie subject. I very much doubt 
 whether I at that time knew anvthinG: of the existence 
 of sucli a claim, wliich, if 1 mistake not, was first 
 brought under my notice by you, when I was at the 
 Foreign Office, and when, as you know, I would gladly 
 have done anything that I couUl do to show my sense 
 of Lady H.'s services, but found (what appeared to 
 me) insuperable difficulties in the way. 
 
 "I wrote to Lady \\. (returning the copy of tiic 
 petition) to point out the inaccuracy of this reference 
 to me, in respect to the assurances given to Lord 
 Nelson ; which I do, not as meaning to disclaim the 
 opinion that she is entitled to remuneration, but 
 because an inaccurate statement, in point of fact, 
 however immaterial to the merits of the case, might 
 prejudice her application. 
 
 " Her claim is not the weaker or the stronger for 
 any assurances which either of us may have given ; 
 but it would be very awkward for her case that I 
 should be asked if I gave such assurances, and to be 
 obliged to answer (as I must do to such a question) 
 in the negative. Whether your assurances to Lord N.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 267 
 
 were given that day in my hearing, or not, 1 really 
 cannot take upon myself to say. You had much 
 conversation with him before me, and a good deal 
 apart from me, and I believe alone with him, while 
 we were on board the Victory. Be that as it may, 
 I have no recollection of the circumstance, and cer- 
 tainly could not vouch for it if appealed to. 
 
 " I very sincerely hope that the P. Rt. may be able 
 to comply with the prayer of the petition in some 
 
 shape or other. 
 
 " Yours very truly, 
 
 " Geo. Canning. 
 
 " I return your pamphlet, with many thanks for the 
 loan of it ; and very many for your criticisms, which 
 were of use to me in more instances than one, — in 
 one particularly. 
 
 " I trouble you in return with a small pamphlet 
 (of no very splendid form) in which you will find 
 some mention of Mr. Pitt, I hope not unpleasing to 
 you. It is full of false points ; but in general so 
 obvious as to correct themselves. It is hardly worth 
 your keeping, but you are welcome to keep it." 
 
 Mr. Rose to Lady PIamilton. 
 
 "Feb. 18th, 1813. 
 
 •' Dear Madam, 
 
 " I had a letter from Mr. Canning last night, 
 wherein he mentions vour havino- communicated to 
 him a petition to the Prince Regent, 'in which you 
 refer to him and mc jointly as having given assurances
 
 268 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 to Lord Nelson of Mr. Pitt's determination to take 
 your claims into consideration,' on the evening when 
 he and I dined on board the Viclori/, previous to Lord 
 Nelson sailing for Cadiz. It is incumbent on me, 
 therefore, to state to you, that Mr. Canning was not a 
 party to the conversation between Lord Nelson and 
 me respecting you, and could not have heard a syllable 
 of it, as he was not near us at the time. It is not 
 merely to state that, however, that I now trouble you, 
 but to apprise you that your recollection is not correct 
 as to what I told you [)assed between me and Lord 
 Nelson at the time alluded to. His Lordship urged 
 me with great earnestness to press your claim on 
 Mr. Pitt, and I gave him strong assurances that I 
 would do so ; and, generally, that I would endeavour 
 to be useful to you. 
 
 " Mr. Pitt's death soon after that, prevented my 
 interposition being productive of any benefit to you ; 
 but I am persuaded you will do me the justice to 
 admit that I endeavoured to give every support to 
 your claim while I thought there was the remotest 
 hope of its being entertained. I did not know you 
 were now bringing it forward again, till I received 
 Mr. Canning's letters." 
 
 Mr. Canning to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Gloucester Lodge, Feb. 20th, 1813. 
 
 "My dear Sir, 
 
 " I return the papers which you were so good as 
 to send me yesterday. They contain a very clear 
 account of your part in Lady II. 's business, and satisfy
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 269 
 
 me that my recollection was correct as to the only 
 knowledge I ever had of it. 
 
 " I think it may be right that you should see what 
 her impressions are upon the subject ; and therefore I 
 transmit to you a letter which I have this moment 
 received from her in reply to that from me, the 
 substance of which I stated to you in my former note. 
 " I am, dear Sir, 
 
 " Very sincerely yours, 
 
 " Geo. Canning." 
 
 Mr. Rose to Mr. Canning. 
 
 « Old Palace Yard, Feb. 21st, 1813. 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " I thank you for the perusal of Lady Hamilton's 
 letter, which I herewith return. 
 
 " As her Ladyship certainly never saw Lord Nelson 
 after our visit to him on board the Victory, the com- 
 munication from him of what passed there must have 
 been in writing, and now in her possession, to which 
 she can refer. 
 
 ''As far as she can have a chance of deriving 
 advantage from the anxiety of Lord Nelson for atten- 
 tion to her claims, my acknowledgment of his urgency 
 to rae on the subject will be available to her. The 
 hurry in which, perhaps, he wrote to her may have 
 occasioned his expressing himself so as to have been 
 misunderstood; but she never said anything like it 
 to me. 
 
 " The statement of her pretensions that I sent to 
 you was drawn by me, which, at the time I wrote it,
 
 270 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 she approved of cntiicly \ and you will luive seen that 
 in all that passed there was not a syllal)le that liad 
 a tendency towards authority having been given hy 
 Mr. Pitt of any sort." 
 
 Lady Hamilton to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " 150, Bond Street, March 4th, 1813. 
 
 " Dear Sir, 
 
 " I have been, and am, so ill w ith an.\ietv that 1 
 have scarce strength to write. But I had written to 
 you long since, and had enclosed \ou a copy of my 
 narrative to H. R. II. the Prince Regent, and to his 
 Ministers. I now send you one, and also a letter 
 I sent to Lord Sidmouth ; for a kind friend of mine 
 has told me that the reason my claims have not been 
 remunerated was owing to a most iidlunous falsehood 
 raised against mine honour and that of the brave and 
 virtuous Nelson, which is false, and it shall be made 
 known ; for I will a})peal to a generous public, who 
 will not let a woman who has served her country with 
 the zeal I have, be left to starve and insult. You, sir, 
 who have been ever kind, and ever will be, will, I am 
 sure, read the letter to Lord Sidmouth, and tell me if 
 you approve of it. I am so fatigued with anxiety, 
 and also with my situation about my pecuniary affairs, 
 that I can only say I am 
 
 " Yoiu" truly grateful 
 
 "E. Hamilton. 
 
 "P.S. — Mr. Canning has a short memory, as 1 have 
 Nelson's letter on the visit to the Vic fori/, the 14th of
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 271 
 
 September. If you could write me a Ime to say when 
 you could call for lialf-an-liour, Sunday excepted, 
 I will be at home, as I wish to ask your advice. 
 The Prince Regent is my friend, and wishes well to 
 my cause." 
 
 Mr. Rose to Lady Hamilton. 
 
 " Dear Madam, "Old Palace Yard, March. 6th, 1813. 
 
 "I return the copies of your memorial to the 
 Prince Regent, and of your letter to Lord Sidmouth ; 
 in doing which it is impossible for me to avoid express- 
 ing my very deep regret at your having referred to 
 Mr. Canning and myself for assurances having been 
 given by us to Lord Nelson, on board the Victory, 
 * that the promises made by Mr. Pitt in your favour 
 should be fully reahzed,' because the accuracy of that 
 cannot be supported by either of us. 
 
 " Li a letter I wrote to you about a fortnight ago, 
 I reminded you of what did pass in my last interview 
 with Lord Nelson, on the eve of his saihng for Cadiz ; 
 and I must lament that your statement was not con- 
 formable to that. 
 
 " It happens that Sunday, about two o'clock, woidd 
 be the most convenient time for me to wait on you ; 
 but as you exclude that day, I will endeavour to be 
 with you on Monday, at half-past one. 
 
 Lady Hamilton to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Hotel Dessin, Calais, July 4th, 
 
 " We arrived here safe, my dear sir, after three 
 days' sickness at sea, as for precaution we embarked
 
 272 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 at the Tower. ]\Ir. Smith got me the discharge from 
 Lord Ellenborough. 
 
 I then begged ^Ir. Smitli to witlidraw his bail, for I 
 would have died in prison sooner than that good man 
 should have suffered for me ; and I managed so well 
 with Iloratia alone, that I was at Calais before any 
 new writs could be issued out against me. I feel 
 so much better from change of climate, food, air, 
 large rooms, and liberfi/, that there is a chance I may 
 live to see my dear Iloratia brought up. I am 
 looking out for a lodging. I have an excellent French 
 woman, who is very good at everything; for Iloratia 
 and myself, and my old dame, who is coming, will 
 be my establishment. Near me is an English lady, 
 who has resided here for twenty-five years; who has 
 a day school, but not for eating nor sleeping. At eight 
 in the morning I take Iloratia ; fetch her at one ; at 
 three we dine; she goes till five, and then in the even- 
 ing we walk. She learns everything : piano, harp, lan- 
 guages grammatically. She knows French and Italian 
 well, but she will still improve. Not any girls but 
 those of the first families go there. Last evening we 
 walked two miles to Q.fete chamjitfre pour les bourgeois. 
 Everybody is pleased with Iloratia. The General and 
 his good old wife are very good to us ; but our little 
 world of happiness is in ourselves. If, my dear sir, 
 Lord Sidmouth would do something for dear Iloratia, 
 so that I can be enabled to give her an education, and 
 also for her dress, it would ease me, and make me very 
 happy. Surely he owes this to Nelson. For God's sake 
 do try for me, for you do not know how limited I am.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 273 
 
 I have left everything to be sold for the creditors, 
 who do not deserve anything ; for I have been the 
 victim of artful, mercenary wretches, and my too 
 great liberality and open heart has been the dupe of 
 villains. To you, sir, I trust, for my dearest Horatia, 
 to exert yourself for her, and that will be an easy 
 passport for me." 
 
 VOL. I.
 
 274j diaries and correspondence of 
 
 CHArTEll V. 
 
 1800 AND 1801. 
 
 CORRESPONDENCE |BETWEEN MR. PnT, MR. ROSE, AND MR. ADDINGTON — 
 MR. rose's notes ON TELE SCARCITY OK GRALN IN 1800 — HIS DIARY 
 FROM 28th op JANUARY TO 28TH FEBRUARY, 1801. 
 
 [To connect the sul)ject of Lady Hamilton's claims 
 in an unbroken series, it has been necessary to pass 
 over several years. Wc now, therefore, return to ISOO. 
 The sinecure otHce of Lord Privv Seal of Scotland 
 having become vacant by the death of Mr. Stuart 
 Mackenzie, Lord Auckland seems to have applied 
 for it, or something else. His disappointment, when 
 it was given to I\Ir. Dundas (who retained also his 
 own ofHce), was perhaps the grievance to which he 
 afterwards alluded. Mr. Rose thought he had a 
 better right to it, or at least some e([uivalent, after 
 sixteen years of hard labour at the Treasury, which he 
 began to find too much for him. But he merely 
 suggested his claim, and bided his time. Another 
 opportunity occurred when Lord Sidney died, a few 
 months after. He was Chief-Justice in Eyre, and his 
 son, on succeeding to the peerage, gave up his place 
 at the Treasury ; but Mr. Pitt had determined before-
 
 THE KIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 275 
 
 hand who should succeed them. The first office was 
 given to Mr. Grenville, and the second to Lord Gran- 
 ville Leveson Gower. Mr. Rose was satisfied that 
 what was best for Mr. Pitt was best for him, and 
 continued to discharge his arduous duties with as 
 much zeal as ever. — Ed.] - . 
 
 I ;■»■..■, .1. '•' ' , ' • ^ . 
 
 Mr. Rose to Mr. Pitt. 
 
 ' "■ ' ■ ■" "April 8th, 1800. 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " The enclosed, from Lord Auckland, was evi- 
 dently intended for you to see ; under the uncertainty 
 therefore of your being in town to-day I send it to 
 you. I shall say nothing about myself respecting the 
 possible openings w^hich may occur in consequence of 
 the event alluded to therein ; meaning now, as I 
 always have, to leave the consideration of my claims 
 to you who alone can judge of them. My health con- 
 tinues better than I had a right to hope, but I feel, in 
 more respects than one, the effect of a continuance of 
 more than sixteen years in my present situation. I 
 should really have not said even so much as this if I 
 had not been desired to call to your recollection the 
 situation of another. If I had had such an intention, 
 I should have written to you on Tuesday. In any 
 event, I shall always remain, what I have long very 
 truly professed myself, 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " Most entirely yours, 
 
 *' George Rose." 
 T 2
 
 276 ULiRlES AND CORllESPONDENXE OE 
 
 Mr. Pitt to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Hollwood, Tuesilay, April Sth, 1800. 
 
 " Dear Rose, 
 
 " Till I received your letter this luomiiig I really 
 was not aware that you entertained at present any 
 personal wish of the nature you refer to. I shall be 
 very glad to have an opportunity of conversing with 
 you upon it, with a view to such future occasions as 
 may arise. On the present, though I am not yet able 
 to fi.\ precisely the particulars of the arrangement to 
 be proposed, I had long ago settled the general outline 
 of it, in the expectation of the event which has now 
 taken place, of Stuart Mackenzie's death. 
 
 " ^^"^t]\ respect to Lord Auckland, I should have 
 been truly glad (as you know) to have the means of 
 giving him such an accession of income as he Avould 
 have from the othce of Treasurer of the Navy ; ' but 
 my object must be a move in the House of Commons, 
 and for that the Post-oftice would not be available. 
 
 " Ever sincerely yours, 
 
 " W. Pitt." 
 
 Mr. Rose to Mr. Pitt. 
 
 "April 8th, 1800 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " I have felt a real anxiety to remain in my 
 situation as long as there was a chance of mv being: 
 useful in it 3 but the truth is I am wearing out, 
 
 [^ Mr. Duudas was Treasurer of the Navy, aud continued to hold 
 that office till the Government was broken up in the following 
 yeai'.— Ed.]
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 277 
 
 which I have lately had symptoins of. I shall, how- 
 ever, most certamly not think of leaving it at a thne, 
 or in a manner, that can by the remotest possibility 
 put you to the slightest inconvenience. I have forborne 
 to mention to you anything respecting my views or 
 wishes, from a most unaffected reluctance to be trouble- 
 some to you about myself, and from a persuasion that 
 you would think of me at a proper season. If I have 
 pretensions of any sort you know them. I never had 
 a political connexion except with you, and I never 
 can with any other. I was perfectly serious in saying 
 that I should have been silent now, had I not been de- 
 sired by Lord A. to bring him to your notice. And 
 I am not less so in assuring you that I have a full 
 confidence in your doing with respect to me what 
 shall appear to you to be right. 
 
 " Ever entirely yours, 
 
 " George Rose." 
 
 Mr. Rose to Mr. Pitt. 
 
 "July 1st, 1800. 
 
 " I need not say that I have at no time been 
 
 urgent about myself. I should be ashamed of 
 even calling your attention to my case for a single 
 moment, at a time like the present, for any other pur- 
 pose than merely to say, that, if in the arrangement 
 consequent on the death of Lord Sydney, an open- 
 ing should occur which you might think not unfit 
 for me, I should be perfectly satisfied to continue in 
 my present situation, without one shilling additional
 
 278 DL\RIES AND CORRESPONDEXCE OF 
 
 income, till yoii can find a successor entirely to your 
 satisfaction, for which I should cheerfullv wait your 
 utmost leisiu'c." 
 
 Mr. Pitt to Mr. Rose. 
 
 "Downing Street, Sept. 22d, 1800. 
 
 " Dear Rose, 
 
 " I found your letter on niv arrival in town this 
 morning, and do not see any reason for your shorten- 
 ing your holidays before the time you propose. Our 
 first business when we meet must be to prepare our 
 budget, for which 1 hope you will have the materials 
 collected. It is not absolutely impossible that nego- 
 tiation before the end of the year may make ^our 
 labours unnecessary; but that prospect is as yet 
 very uncertain, and I think on the whole dis- 
 
 couracrmn;. 
 
 " Yours ever, 
 
 " W. P." 
 
 [The following letters show the intimate terms on 
 which Mr. Pitt, Mr. Addingtoji, and :\rr. Rose lived 
 at the close of this year, and the sort of hope which 
 the former entertained of a peace being concluded 
 through Lord Malmesbury's negotiation at Lisle. It 
 appears clearly, that though Mr.Pitt was prepared for 
 war, he desired peace. — Ed.]
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 279 
 
 Mr. Pitt to Mii. Rose. 
 
 " Dear Rose, " Woodley,i Friday, Oct. 24tli. 
 
 " As I should not see either Ryder or Hawkes- 
 bury, I think it would not answer my purpose to go 
 to Hollwood. You would not perhaps think it much 
 additional ti'ouble, when you find yourself either on 
 horseback or in a post-chaise, to come to me here on 
 Sunday, instead of going to Hollwood, and it will be a 
 great accommodation to me if you can do so. But if 
 your coming and remaining Monday would be any 
 inconvenience to business, let me know, and I will 
 still go either to Hollwood or to town. The Speaker 
 desires me to tell you that he shall be very happy to 
 see you, and depends upon your considering this as a 
 
 sufficient invitation. 
 
 " Yours ever, 
 
 '' W. P." 
 
 Mr. Addington to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " My dear Sir, " Woodley, Oct. 24th, ISOO. 
 
 " I have great pleasure in hoping that you may 
 he induced by a letter which Mr. Pitt is now writing, 
 to come to Woodley on Sunday, and I trust you will 
 remain here as long a time as you can spare from 
 your business in town. If Mr. Pitt should make no 
 further progress till you see him, I am sure you will 
 think that his health is evidently and materially im- 
 proved. 
 
 " I am ever, my dear Sir, sincerely yours, 
 
 . " Henry Addington." 
 
 1 Mr. Addington's house in Berkshire. , '
 
 280 DIARIES A3sD CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 ]\Ir. Pitt to Mr. "Rose. 
 
 " Woodley, Satui'day, Oct. 25th, 1800. 
 
 " Dear Rose, 
 
 " You will have found bv mv letter of yesterdav 
 evening that 1 hud anticipated your kind suggestion 
 of coming licre, and I am very glad to tind you can 
 do so without inconvenience. We shall expect you 
 to-morrow, and I hope you will stay Monday. Pray 
 bring with you (if you can get it) an account of all 
 the corn and flour imported in each month since the 
 beginning of the year, and all the ditierent papers and 
 accounts which in any way relate to corn. 
 
 " Yours ever, 
 
 " W. P. 
 
 " The market here at Reading has been very abun- 
 dant to-day, and fallen 7.v. per quarter, which I hope 
 augurs well for the London market on Monday." 
 
 [The year ISOO, though marked by no great political 
 event, obtained a disastrous celebrity as a year of 
 scarcity. At the commencement of harvest the rain 
 descended in torrents, the lowlands were deluged with 
 water, the crops were spoiled, the price of wheat rose 
 to more than 120 shillings a quarter, and people 
 resorted to all sorts of devices to economise the con- 
 sumption of bread. Potatoes, potato-flour, and rice, 
 were the ordinary substitutes, and an Act of Par- 
 liament forbade the bakers to sell any but wdiole
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 281 
 
 meal bread. In support of that measure a fact was 
 announced, wliich, though then received with ignorant 
 increduhtv, has since been admitted and confirmed. 
 Lord Holland sarcastically observes in his Memoirs,' 
 •' Mr. Addington gravely informed the world, from his 
 father's notes, that bran was more nutritive than 
 grain." The statement is inaccurate, but the sneer 
 might have been spared. Mr. Addington was on that 
 subject in advance of his age. It is now well known 
 that bran contains more of the muscle-producing 
 ingredient of food than fine flour. This was the Brown- 
 bread Act, repealed in the following year mider pecu- 
 liar circumstances, which will be noticed in their 
 place. On the part of the Treasury, Mr. Rose was 
 anxious to alleviate the general distress, by persuading 
 the starch-makers and distillers to refrain from making 
 use of grain in their respective trades, and to consent 
 to a Bill ])eing introduced into Parliament for their 
 regulation. The following paper shows what steps he 
 took for that i)urpose. — Ed.] 
 
 Mr. Rose's Notes on the Scarcity of Corn in 1800. 
 
 Wednesdcuj, October St/i. — Came to town from 
 Cuffnells. Dined with Mr. Pitt alone ; and after 
 much conversation with him on the state of th(^ 
 interior, prevailed with him to incline to an early 
 meeting of Parliament. 
 
 T/mrsdai/, dt//.. — Dined with the Chancellor at 
 
 1 Vol. i. p. 121.
 
 282 DLVRIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 Hampstead ; satisfied him that it is highly desirable 
 Parliament should meet ; that if no effectual measure 
 can be taken for relief of the country, with respect 
 to a supply of corn, or to lessen the price, that the 
 country may at least see the subject has not been 
 neglected. 
 
 Friday, 10///. — Lord Grcnville concurred in the 
 expediency of the early meeting of Parliament, and 
 the Cabinet decided on the measure. 
 
 .Mr. Alderman Shaw came to me on the state of 
 provisions ; suggested the expediency of giving the 
 bounties according to the actual prices of wheat and 
 Hour, instead of according to the average prices, as 
 under the Act of the last session ; stated the prices of 
 wheat having been raised from 105v., as set by the 
 Essex farmers, to 122.v. by a principal factor, and 
 alluded to Mr. C. S. 
 
 ^Ir. Garratt came to me, and })roposed an actual 
 survev of all the grain in the kingdom. Stated Mr. 
 Peacock having his warehouses full of flour, and his 
 refusing to sell a sack. 
 
 Mr. Wrench, a deputy in the city, and a dealer in 
 corn, came to me and suggested that it would be 
 highly expedient to compel the factors in Mark Lane 
 to open to the market at the beginning of the day the 
 whole quantities of grain they have to sell, as great 
 advantage is taken by them in producing samples of 
 small quantities to draw on buyers. He suggested 
 also the expediency of preventing the same persons 
 being factors and dealers. He spoke of the bounty in 
 the same manner that Mr. Alderman Shaw had done.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOEGE ROSE. 283 
 
 Saw Mr. Suter, a starch-maker, and proposed to 
 him to call a nieeting of the trade, to propose then* 
 stopping the use of wheat in their manufactory ; 
 which he expressed himself willing to do, but was 
 sure the others would not. binding the wheat must 
 be a month in steep to make starch, gave orders to 
 the Commissioners of Excise to direct their officers to 
 give notice to the starch-makers, that on the day of 
 Parliament meeting (11th of November), a Bill would 
 be moved for to prohibit their using grain, with a 
 commencement from that day ; that they would there- 
 fore steep any more wheat at their own risk : which 
 must produce the desired effect. 
 
 Saturday, Wth. — Mr. Bon well came at my desire, 
 and promised to convene all the distillers, for the 
 purpose of proposing to them to refrain from working 
 from grain on Monday next. 
 
 Understanding there is a considerable quantity of 
 rice in the country (especially in the capital), and that 
 orders had been actually received for purchasing the 
 whole for Holland, where it is selling at 40^., the 
 price now here 355. per quarter ; wrote to the Com- 
 missioners of the Customs to direct them not to allow 
 any of the article to be cleared out for exportation. 
 
 Sitmlai/, \2fh. — Went to Mr. Scott, at Plaistow 
 (in my way to Eden Farm), who satisfied me he had 
 no intent in raising the prices of the wheat last 
 Monday, as his profit arises solely from a commission 
 of Qd. per quarter on the wheat, as he sells only 
 foreign ; he also recommends a consideration of the 
 alterations of the bounty.
 
 281 DIARIES AND CORllESPONDENCE OF 
 
 Monday, 13M. — ^Ir. Bonwcll rctunicd to inc to 
 tell me two of the dustillers, Mr. Jiiish and Messrs 
 Smith iiiid Co., of lircntford, positively refused to 
 concur in not working from grain, and that therefore 
 the rest of the trade must also work in their own 
 defence, or they will lose their customers. On incjuiry 
 I learnt that the distillers steep their malt a fortnight 
 before they can use it. I tlierefore directed the (yom- 
 • missioners of Excise to give notice to every distiller 
 in and near London, before one o'clock to-morrow, 
 that a Bill would be moved the first day of the session, 
 to restrain them, which would narrow their working 
 to a fortnight. Mr. Bonwell, thereupon, told me he 
 was sure the whole, except the two before-mentioned, 
 would concur in signing an undertaking not to work. 
 
 Monday Evcniny, October 13///. — Desirous of in- 
 formation on several points respecting the corn trade, 
 I went u}) to jNIr. Charles Scott's house, in Gower 
 Street, from whom I learnt the following particulars, 
 and obtained the opinions here stated : — Of the corn 
 sold in Mark Lane, of English growth, nine-tenths 
 belongs to individual farmers, from the harvest-time 
 till the sunnncr months ; thenceforward, })robably 
 about five-sixths ; the remainder to middlemen. The 
 whole is sold bv factors on commission. 
 
 The number of farmers for whom the sales arc 
 made are incalculable; many hundreds, even thousands, 
 dispersed throughout the country, without knowledge 
 of or intercourse with each other ; sometimes the pro- 
 perty of fifty farmers is in one vessel. 
 
 We cannot state the number of middlemen who
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 285 
 
 are dealers ; in most sea-port towns there are several, 
 and a few in inland ones, unconnected entirely witli 
 each other, and a constant jealousy amongst them. 
 
 Of persons usually selling corn in Mark Lane, there 
 are about twenty strictly corn-factors, and about 
 fifteen who are also dealers or jobbers ; besides the 
 haymen, about fifteen in number, who sell the Kentish 
 wheat. 
 
 Mr. Scott himself sells about one-fourth of the 
 foreign wheat ; no English. 
 
 Another house sells about one-eighth of the English. 
 
 Mr. Scott thinks it would be highly inexpedient 
 to compel factors to state to the purchasers in the 
 market, in the beginning of the day, the whole 
 quantities each has to sell ; but is of opinion it may 
 be very proper to prevent a factor being likewise a 
 dealer. 
 
 Tuesday, Oct. 14M. — Mr. Bonweli showed me au 
 undertaking signed by every distiller in and near 
 London, to forbear working till the sense of Parlia- 
 ment shall be known. 
 
 Wrote to the Commissary-General in the Medi- 
 terranean, approving of the contract for bread in 
 Minorca; and urging him strongly to get all the 
 wheat and flour he can there for the supply of the 
 troops. 
 
 Gave directions to Mr. Harrison to draw bills for 
 the starch, distilling, and rice ; the latter with an 
 indemnity. 
 
 [Mr. Rose's Diary for 1801 contains an account of 
 the change of the Administration when Mr. Pitt
 
 286 DIARIES AND COltllESPONDENCE OE 
 
 resigned ; of a brief illness of the King, prodnced 
 by it ; of the formation and weakness of the succeed- 
 ing cabinet ; of the writer's aversion to it, and other 
 things alluded to in the letters of the same period, 
 the most remarkable of which is Mr. Pitt's determi- 
 nation to receive no grant from Parliament, because 
 he had failed to secure the prosperity of the nation. 
 —Ed.] 
 
 Mk. Kusse's Diary resumed. 
 
 From 28th of January to 11th June, 1801. 
 
 On AVednesday, the 2Sth of January, Mr. Pitt first 
 had distinct and clear proof of the Speaker taking an 
 eager and anxious part in influencing persons against 
 the measure of Catholic Emancipation. 
 
 On Friday the ;30th, the Speaker was at tiic 
 Queen's house for four hours ! 
 
 The means taken, as above alluded to, of commit- 
 ting persons on the question before discussion, having 
 been made certain, Mr. Pitt wrote his first letter to 
 the King, on the 1st of February. The correspond- 
 ence concluded on the 4th.' 
 
 On Thursday, the 5th of February, at 5 p.m. 
 
 ' It must have been on Wechiesday, the 4th, that the Speaker 
 finally agreed to accept the propositions made to him. Mr. Pitt, 
 however, gave him assurances the preceding day, Tuesday, the 3d, 
 of the most cordial support throughout, on which day the Speaker 
 ■was to have dined in Downing Street ; but the House sitting till 
 half-past six or seven o'clock, he did not get there till between seven 
 and eight, when he found Mr. Pitt by himself. [Anecdote from Mr. 
 Carthew, who went in to them at ten o'clock.]
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE HOSE. 287 
 
 Mr. P. sent me the letters above-named, enclosed 
 in the one to his brother, which was the first inti- 
 mation I had of the subject, or of the remotest 
 probability of the agitation of anything that could 
 even lead to serious consequences. I returned the 
 whole before I went to dinner, to be forwarded by 
 a messenger to the Earl of Chatham. 
 
 Mr. Pitt to Mr. Rose. 
 
 "Downing Street, Thursday, Feb. 5th, 1801. 
 " Three quarters past four. 
 
 " Dear Rose.' 
 
 " I have been occupied till this moment, and on 
 sending, found you were gone to the House. I should 
 be very glad to see you any time in the evening ; but 
 as what I wish is to communicate to you some papers 
 which I also want to send to my brother by a mes- 
 senger to-day, I think the shortest way is to enclose 
 them to you in the meantime, and beg you to return 
 them as soon as you have read them. You will 
 recollect what I said to you some days since on 
 the Catholic question, though you will hardly have 
 expected so rapid a result. As I wish you to know 
 at once the whole of my real sentiments, I have 
 thought it best to enclose with the other papers the 
 
 1 [Mr. Rose was the first person to whom the imi^ortant decision 
 of Mr. Pitt's intended resignation was imparted, nothing having 
 been previously known, except that some difficulty had arisen about 
 the Eoman Catholic question ; for Cabinet secrets always contrive 
 to ooze out, notwithstanding the secrecy to which the members 
 are bound. The following letters were the fii'st intimation of 
 what had passed between Mr. Pitt and the King. — Ed.]
 
 288 DIARIES AND CORIIESPON'DEN'CE OF 
 
 letter which I have but just had time to finish, aiul 
 am going to send with them to my brother. 
 
 " Ever sincerely yours, 
 
 " W. P. 
 
 " Take care not to read these papers where any- 
 body can overlook you. Dnndas dines with me, but 
 1 shall be at leisure any time in the evening." 
 
 Notes hi/ Mr. Rose, and Letters, from February 
 to May, ISOl, relative to the proposal for Mr. 
 Pitt's resu/ning office. 
 
 The papers sent to me by Mr. Pitt, were a long letter 
 from him to the King, dated the 1st of February, stat- 
 ing his deep and sincere regret, knowing his Majesty's 
 sentiments on the subject, to find himself under an 
 absolute necessity of submitting to him that he felt a 
 strong opinion, in concurrence with a majority of the 
 Cabinet, that it would be expedient to repeal the laws 
 which exclude Catholics from Parliament and offices, 
 and Dissenters from the latter ; that new guards were 
 already provided by the union ; that the ground of 
 exclusion no longer exists ; that the principles of the 
 Catholics cease to be dangerous, as they disclaim the 
 obnoxious tenets, epecially by the new test in Ireland ; 
 that a denial of the power of absolution may be 
 insisted upon, and would be as secure as the sacra- 
 mental test ; that it would not be difficult to have a 
 new test against the dissenters, pointed at Jacobinical 
 principles, which might be extended to their ministers
 
 THE RIGKT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 289 
 
 and teachers, and would afford a new security against 
 tiieir active exertions ; that the popish clergy would be 
 secured by making them dependent on the State for 
 a part of their provision, &c. &c ; that these reasons 
 operated so powerfully on his mind as to render it 
 impossible for him to remain in office if he should be" 
 expected to give up his opinion ; but that rather than 
 disturb his Majesty on a point on which he had too 
 much reason to fear his Majesty had a decided reluc- 
 tance, he would, if his Majesty continued to desire it, 
 endeavour, as far as could depend on him, to keep the 
 matter from being agitated, and if agitated, he would 
 quiet it if possible, or effect its being postponed till the 
 country should be extricated from its present critical 
 situation, provided his Majesty would engage to avoid 
 expressing his opinion so as to influence others in 
 their conduct ; adding expressions of duty, grati- 
 tude, &c. &c. 
 
 Answer from the King, dated 2d February, 
 lamenting in animated language the fixed opinion 
 expressed by Mr. Pitt, but stating in the most explicit 
 terms his determined resolution not to acquiesce in 
 the alteration of the laws respecting the Catholics 
 and the Dissenters ; conceiving himself bound by his 
 coronation oath to support them, confirmed by his 
 having received the sacrament thereupon ; and that as 
 he had never been in the habit of concealing his 
 sentiments on important occasions, he would enter 
 into no engagement to act otherwise now ; still trust- 
 ing, however, that Mr. Pitt would not quit him while 
 he lived. 
 
 VOL. I. U
 
 290 DIAKIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 Mr. Pitt's reply of tlu; 3cl, urged tlic impossi- 
 bility of his continuing in his Majesty's service, 
 knowing that his Majesty would influence the con- 
 duct of others on the Catholic question ; j)rofcssing 
 at the same time a continuation of his determined 
 attachment and gratitnde to his Majesty ; but re- 
 questing he \vo\d(l endeavour to make a new arrange- 
 ment as soon as he conveniently could, assuriuiij him 
 of sup])ort, and his best assistance to the new Ciovern- 
 ment. 
 
 To this the King, in his letter of the 4th, answered, 
 that he deeply regretted the necessity he was reduced 
 to, of parting with Mr. Pitt ; that he would endea- 
 vour to make a new arrangement as soon as possible, 
 and trusted that j\lr. Pitt woidd not press him in a 
 manner to compel him to do that too hastily. 
 
 These four letters were enclosed by Mr. Pitt in 
 another to Lord Chatham, telhuG; him he had not sent 
 for him to town, as it coidd have answered no end ; 
 that his retiring must take place as soon as the new 
 arrangement could be made ; that the King had (as 
 he conjectured and hoped he would) applied to the 
 Speaker, who had accepted ; that it was his deter- 
 mined purpose to give his best and most active 
 support to the new administration, and earnestly 
 entreated his brother to continue in office. 
 
 On the evening of February the 5th, at eleven 
 o'clock, I received the following note from Mr. Pitt, 
 desiring to see me before he went to rest.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 291 
 
 "February 5th, 1801. 
 
 " Dear Rose. 
 
 " I have been kept till this instant. If you can 
 come conveniently to yourself any time before twelve, 
 I shall feel a satisfaction in seeing you to-night. 
 
 " Yours ever, 
 
 " Thursday, three quarters past ten." W . r , 
 
 On going to him, he stated all that had passed, 
 and satisfied me that the bringing the business to 
 the point, as put in the correspondence, was, on 
 his part, absolutely unavoidable. Mr. Pitt assured 
 me that the Speaker taking upon him to form a new 
 Administration, was with his concurrence and upon 
 his advice, and that he therefore wished most anxiously 
 all his private and personal friends to remain in office ; 
 suggesting that it could not be expected I should 
 continue in my present situation of labour, &c. ; to 
 which I replied in the plainest and strongest terms in 
 Avhich I could express myself, that under such an 
 injunction, I should not hesitate, in any other situa- 
 tion, to remain in office ; but that after the unbounded 
 confidence I had possessed with him, it was utterly 
 inconsistent with my feelings to act in an official 
 situation with another, coming in on his resignation ; 
 that it was of course my fixed and irrevocable deter- 
 mination to withdraw; but that I would assist him as 
 usual in the budget, and would carry through the 
 Tax Bills, or any other immediate business, in order 
 to avoid the new Administration being put to any 
 serious inconvenience, till a proper successor should 
 
 TJ 2
 
 292 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 be found for rae ; that on the best consideration T 
 could give the subject on the sudden, however, it 
 appeared to me the Speaker liad done ill in catching 
 eagerly at the Prime Minister's station, which he 
 evidently must have done, by the dates of the letters 
 of his correspondence, so early as the 4th of February, 
 for that was comnuinicated to Lord Chatham on the 
 5th ; that I thought he should have thrown himself 
 at the King's feet, with the liveliest expressions of 
 duty, zeal, and affection, and assured liim of the abso- 
 lute impossibility of his undertaking the Government 
 with the remotest chance of being able to carry it on, 
 and conj»n-ed him therefore to find means of going on 
 with Mr. Pitt, as the only resource against every 
 calamity that can be dreaded by a nation. 
 
 If the Speaker was really with the King long on 
 the afternoon of the 30th of January, it is still more 
 unaccountable, because the first communication that 
 could have a tendency to lead to a change in the 
 Administration was on the 31st of Januarv, late at 
 night, and could not be received by the King till 
 Sunday morning, the 1st of February. 
 
 Februari/ 13///. — I am strongly confirmed in all 
 this on reflection, and from a variety of circumstances 
 have a clear conviction in my mind that there was 
 from the beginning an eagerness in Mr. A. to catch 
 at the situation, without regard to his friend, or 
 recollecting that he owed his political existence 
 to him. 
 
 On Saturday, the 7th, all the Privy Counsellors 
 in the House of Commons, and the Treasury, dined
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 293 
 
 with the Speaker, where nothing remarkable passed. 
 Mr. Canning's manner to the Speaker very marked, 
 — which the latter took notice of to me when I saw 
 him, on Tuesday, the 11th. In the evening, the 
 whole went to the Chancellor's, where also the con- 
 versation was quite general. Mr. Pitt carried me 
 home from the Chancellor's, and on the way I state 
 to him, as pointedly as I could, my opinions and 
 feelings respecting the Speaker's conduct in not de- 
 ploring to the King any change, and declaring the 
 dereliction of duty he should be guilty of if he were 
 to take the conduct of the Government, which no one 
 but Mr. Pitt could carry on. Late at night (half- 
 past eleven), Mr. Goldsmid came to tell me that on the 
 account of Mr. Pitt's resignation being heard in the 
 city, great confusion follov/ed, a fall of 5/. per cent, 
 in the funds, and no market for Exchequer Bills. As 
 this appeared in the course of the conversation with 
 Mr. Goldsmid to have arisen in a great degree from 
 an apprehension that Mr. P. was going out of office 
 instantly, I thought it expedient to say to him that 
 there was no intention of that sort, and that Mr. Pitt 
 would certainly open the budget, and provide com- 
 pletely for the ways and means of the year, before he 
 quitted his situation ; which Mr. G. seemed to think 
 would quiet people's minds sufficiently for the purpose 
 in view, 
 
 Mr. Wilberforce came in at the same time. The 
 only thing particular that passed in this conversation 
 was an allusion from him of the intriguing inter- 
 ference of a neighbour of his and mine.' 
 
 ^ Lord Auckland.
 
 294 DIARIES AND CORRESI'ONDEN'CE OF 
 
 Sunday, Feb mar u S//i. — On reflecting uponwliat had 
 passed witli Mr. Goldsmid last night, it occurred to 
 me that the best mode of making the communication 
 in the city respecting the change of Administration 
 would be through the Governor of the Bank, both on 
 account of liis public situation and his invari;d)l(' 
 attachment and character. With }>lv. Pitt's appro- 
 bation, therefore, 1 saw hiuj, and after explaining to 
 him the circumstances, I sent him to Mr. Pitt to 
 receive the proper authority for the conmumication he 
 should nuike to-morrow. 
 
 Mr. P. this day mentioned to me his having 
 received a letter from Lord Auckland, on Saturday, 
 the 31st of last month, complaining of his having 
 been treated unkindlv and not with due attention, in 
 having no conununication nuule to him respecting the 
 question about Catholic Emancipation, — with which 
 he had the misfortune to difter entirely with him ; — 
 at which time no determination of the Cabinet ha<l 
 been taken, and of course could not be communicated 
 to any one. Mr. Pitt therefore answered his letter 
 the same day, and observed that however widely 
 they might difter on the question itself, the difterence 
 of opinion would be much more wide as to which of 
 them had the most right to complain of want of 
 kindness and fairness. To that letter his Lordship 
 made no reply, or took any notice whatever till this 
 morning, remaining silent eight days under the 
 cutting reproach before stated; during all which 
 time he never attempted any intercourse with me. 
 If he had been conscious of innocence in the whole
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 295 
 
 transaction, he would naturally either have instantly 
 written to Mr. Pitt, or have come to me to talk of the 
 best mode of clearing up Mr. Pitt's misconceptions. 
 On my coming home, I found Lord A.'s letter, 
 No. 5, and immediately wrote the answer, No. G. 
 
 The Attorney-General has agreed to be Speaker. 
 
 Lord Chatham's answer received; laments the 
 result ; could have done no good if he had been in 
 town ; thinks that under the unfortunate circum- 
 stance of his brother's retiring, the King could not 
 have done better than send for the Speaker, and 
 states his reasons ; declines any answer to his brother's 
 entreaties for his remaining in office, but says he will 
 be in town in Sifeio days. The inference I draw from 
 that is, that he will keep his office. Lord Grenville 
 said to the Bishop of Lincoln he thought Lord Chatham 
 should not remain in office. 
 
 Monday, February Qth. — The communication made 
 through Mr. Newland, by direction of Mr. Thorn- 
 ton, Governor of the Bank, to the city, or rather to 
 the Stock Exchange, of the change of Administration, 
 but that Mr. Pitt would open the budget, &;c. Stocks 
 fell one quarter per cent. only. 
 
 Mr. Canning canvassing for persons to go out of 
 office. The two Elhs's (George and Charles) express 
 their determination to oppose the new Government. 
 Prevailed with Lord Granville Leveson. Lord Gower 
 will probably go on different grounds. • .. 
 
 Division taken that the Speaker should quit the 
 chair immediately, and that he should send a letter 
 for that purpose to-morrow.
 
 296 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 Wrote to Mr. Staj)lcton nn account of Mv. PKt's 
 resignation. 
 
 Tuesdai/, Fehruarij 10///. — Mr. Pitt told nic Lord 
 Hawkcsbnrv wonld be Foreiurn Sccretarv, and Lord 
 Hobart AV'ar Sccretarv; the Chancellor to resign ; Lord 
 Eldon to have the Great Seal, Sir Uidinrd Ardeii to 
 be Chief-Justice of the Common Picas, Sir W . Grant 
 to be Master of the Rolls, Mr. Law to be Attorney- 
 General, and Mr. Percival to be Solicitor-(ieneral. 
 
 Called on the Speaker on the subject of Sir Richard 
 Worslcy's seat offered to mc ; he entered into the sub- 
 ject of the intended arrangements, stated those above, 
 and added that Mr. Charles Vorke is to be Secre- 
 tary-at-War, and Mr. N. Vansittart to succeed me; 
 expressed strong regret at my cjnitting, and said some- 
 thing, in a voice much agitated, that I understood to 
 convey he was not sure whether in my situation he 
 should do the same ; which led to my writing to him, 
 No. 7. He told me Lord Chatham had agreed to 
 continue, in terms extremely flattering to him, the 
 substance of which he repeated. At this time Mr. Pitt 
 had received no answer from his brother. He expressed 
 great resentment at Canning's conduct, and said no- 
 body Avould follow his example in quitting, except 
 Lord Granville Leveson. I told him Lord Gowcr 
 would quit, whose motive probably is resentment to 
 the King, for what passed respecting the Stafford- 
 shire Militia. On the whole, the Speaker seemed con- 
 fident that he should form a strong and an efficient 
 Government.
 
 THE IIIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 297 
 
 The Chancellor' sent to request to speak with me 
 in his room ; but I was prevented getting to him till 
 within a quarter of four, my conversation with him 
 therefore was very short, — full of kindness on his 
 part — and in the course of it he told ine his retiring 
 was in consequence of a suggestion from the Speaker, 
 that his doing so would enable him to make an 
 arrangement in the law department (alluding to the 
 one mentioned to me that morning by Mr. Pitt) that 
 would greatly strengthen his administration. I agreed 
 to go to him in the evening, if I could ; but dining 
 with Mr. Pitt, and talking about the budget till past 
 ten o'clock, it was too late to go to his Lordship. 
 
 Wednesday, Fehruary Wth. — Saw Mr. Addington 
 in the morning, at his request, when he expressed 
 himself strongly as entering into my feelings on the 
 ground of my retiring. 
 
 At the levee the King appeared perfectly composed 
 and collected when speaking to Mr. Pitt ; and after- 
 wards, in a conversation of some length with me, 
 expressed his warmest and most imqualified appro- 
 bation of Mr. Pitt as to all he had done, and was now 
 doing, particularly with regard to what has lately 
 passed ; concluding with saying, that his whole conduct 
 was infinitely more honom^able on retiring than that 
 of any of his predecessors, dwelling on the word any, 
 and added, beyond all comparison so, and that he 
 possessed his highest esteem and good opinion. 
 
 Lord Chatham dined with his brother, and made 
 
 ^ Lord Rosslyn, then Lord Loughborough.
 
 298 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 the first communication to him of liis intention to 
 remain. 
 
 Thtirsdat/, February Vlth. — Mr. \\ hite' stated that 
 the late Attorney-General complained of his having 
 been prevailed with to take the chair without the 
 remotest intimation of any other law arrangement, 
 except the one in consequence of his being made 
 Speaker ; adtling, that if he should be removed from 
 the chair, he would never form another political con- 
 nexion ; evidently hurt beyond measure at the 
 uncandid treatment he conceived he had met with. 
 
 Mr. Pelham, after having declined to take any em- 
 ])loyment, tells his friends he is to have an ollice, 
 probablv a cabinet one. 
 
 J\Ir. Vansittart certainly to succeed me ; Mr. Loni; 
 (who told me that he thought he should quit) is to 
 remain in for some time at least. 
 
 j\lr. William Elliot^ declared liis intention to Mr. 
 Pitt to resign the Admiralty. 
 
 Mr. Yorke^ assured me he was firmly attached to 
 Mr. Pitt, and that no consideration could have induced 
 him to take office, but the impcrioua necemty of the 
 times, and being assured it would be agreeal)le to Mr. 
 Pitt. 
 
 In the evening, a meeting at Mr. Pitt's, to settle the 
 mode of bidding for the loan of 27,000,000/., includ- 
 ing Ireland ; six Sets present, which again prevented 
 my going to the Chancellor. 
 
 ^ The Solicitor to the Treasury. 
 
 * Afterwards Lord St. Germains, whose eldest brother married 
 Lady Harriet Pitt. 
 ^ Lord Hardwicke's brother.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 299 
 
 Friday, the Fast-day, February 13//^. — Lord St. 
 Vincent came to town in consequence of the overture 
 to him, and professed a perfect wiUingness to accept 
 the Admiralty; but suggested some embarrassment 
 from his being committed on the question respecting 
 the Test Act, as far as relates to Dissenters ; but Mr. 
 Pitt replied he was not bound by his acceptance of 
 the office to any particular line in Parliament, and he 
 left him with a determination to take the situation. 
 
 I met Lord Hobart' in the street after chm'ch, who 
 told me he did not think himself at liberty to refuse 
 the employment offered him in difficult times like the 
 present, but that he did not accept till he was assured 
 by Mr. Pitt it would be agreeable to him. He added, 
 he had hoped " that Mr. Pitt would not have forced 
 the Catholic question to a point at the present 
 moment ;" to which I did not feel myself at liberty to 
 reply; but that impression, if not removed by a dis- 
 closure of the real state of the matter, will be preju- 
 dicial to Mr. Pitt. 
 
 Li the evening I went up to the Chancellor as he 
 had desired, and from him I had a most interesting 
 narrative of all the circumstances bearing upon the 
 question of admitting the Catholics to the indulgences 
 they are in pursuit of. His Lordship began Avith the 
 period of Lord Fitzwilliam's short administration in 
 Ireland ; at which time the King (without any prelude, 
 or anything whatever having passed between his 
 Majesty and the Chancellor on the subject) Avrote a 
 letter to him, putting three questions abruptly, and 
 
 ' Afterwards Lord Buckingliainshire.
 
 300 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 the Chancellor added, "rather unfairly;" meaning 
 the taking him by surj)rise, and applying to liini 
 separately. 
 
 1st. Whether he could consistently witli his coro- 
 nation oath consent to a law freeing the Catholics 
 and tlic Dissenters from the disabilities and restric- 
 tions they are under? 
 
 2d. Could he do so consistently with the Act of 
 Union with Scotland? 
 
 3d. W hat would be the conduct of the Chancellor 
 respecting his putting the Great Seal to the l)ill, if it 
 should pass in Ireland ? 
 
 To the ft rsf his Lordship answered, he did not con- 
 ceive his Majesty was in any degree fettered by his 
 coronation oath, in giving the royal assent to a 
 measure which shoidd have the previous apj)robation 
 of both Houses of Parliament, as that could only be 
 a le(/ishitiL'e Act, in concurrence with the other 
 branches of the Legislature ; and not touching even on 
 the words of the oath, which was devised as a security 
 against any act of the King in his executive c^iViCxiy , at 
 a time too, when the Sovereign on the throne was of 
 a religion different from the established Church of 
 these kingdoms. 
 
 To the second he answered, he was clearly of opinion 
 that the Act of Union was no bar to such legislative 
 interference, though the words respecting the point aic 
 strong ; as a proof of that he instanced the Toleration 
 Act, and the act which put an end to the election of 
 the clergy in Scotland, and restored the patronage to
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 301 
 
 the proprietors ; adding other reasons in support of 
 that opinion. 
 
 To the third he answered, if any bill from Irehmd 
 shoidd be brought to him of a tendency so mischievous 
 in his opinion as to render it unfit for him to put the 
 Great Seal to it, he should think it his duty to resign 
 it into his Majesty's hands immediately. 
 
 The Chancellor told me that about this time his 
 Majesty said to him, " he had amongst his Ministers 
 some most valuable men, but he did not like the 
 mixture of Scotch metaphysics;" which his Lordship 
 applied to Mr. Dundas. 
 
 With the Chancellor's answers his Majesty appeared 
 to be very much dissatisfied, from which his Lordship 
 was persuaded the King had entertained a hope that 
 he should have been supported by his opinion in his 
 fixed aversion to the measure respecting the Catholics. 
 
 Nothing more, however, passed on the subject till 
 the month of October last, when Lord Westmoreland 
 showed the King a letter from Lord Clare, telhng him 
 the question was about to be agitated again, which 
 very much disturbed his Majesty ; and about that 
 time a paper was given in to the Cabinet, by Lord 
 Castlereagh, containing three propositions for discus- 
 sion, in order that the Irish Government might be 
 prepared to take such a line as the Cabinet should 
 decide on. 
 
 1st. A provision for the Catholic clergy, and of course, 
 if that should be decided in their favour, to include 
 the Dissenting clergy also.
 
 302 DIARIES AND CORllESPONDENCE OF 
 
 2d. The fidmission ot" the Ciitliolics to Parlia- 
 ment, &c. 
 'k\. Some aiTaiigemcnt about tithes. 
 
 Oil the opening of tlie discussion, the Chancellor 
 asked Lord Castlereagh,' if any engagement had been 
 made, or encouragement held out, to the Catholics, or 
 to any leading men amongst them, at the time of the 
 Union, to expect any new indulgence ; to which ho 
 answered, none whatever ; nor even that any sugges- 
 tion of the sort would be brought under consideration. 
 
 The Prince of Wales had conveyed to ^Ir. Pitt, very 
 distinctly, liis opinion in favour of the measure ; he 
 had, indeed, avowed that on former occasions, and 
 Lord Moira was known to be zealous for it. 
 
 From this time, discussions took place in the Cabinet, 
 from time to time, but loosely, and in the most friendly 
 manner possible, during which if ajipcarcd that the 
 members were as under : — 
 
 Fob the Question. Against it. 
 
 Mr. Pitt. The ChauceUor. 
 
 Lord Grenvillo — strongly. Duko of Portland. 
 
 IMi". Dundas — strongly. Lord Westmoreland. 
 
 Mr. Windham — strongly. Lord Liverpool — absent, but 
 
 Lord Spencer — very moderately vehement by letter. 
 
 so. Lord Chatham — absent, but un- 
 Lord Camden — in no office, but derstood to be against. 
 
 decided. 
 
 Li the course of these discussions, the Chancellor 
 asked Mr. Pitt, privately, whether he thought it would 
 be judicious to propose a measure of this sort, to 
 which the King was notoriously so averse, and on 
 
 ' Afterwards Marquis of Londonderry.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 303 
 
 which the whole bench of bishops would be against 
 him ; probably many lords from opinion, others from 
 an incUnation to follow the King ; most Hkely, Lord 
 Chatham, as well as others of the Cabinet, with many 
 of his most confidential friends, such as the Speaker, 
 the Master of the Rolls, &c. 
 
 Occasional meetings on the subject went on, or it 
 was sometimes brought forward after other business 
 was disposed of; Mr. Pitt from time to time proposing 
 modifications, or a test which should secure the Church 
 and the Constitution against any attempts of either the 
 Cathohcs or Dissenters, till Wednesday, the 2Sth of 
 January ; on which day, at the levee, the King said to 
 Mr. Dundas, he understood the question was agitating 
 amongst the Ministers ; that nothing could be more 
 disagreeable or painful to him, and that he should 
 consider the person who supported the question as 
 his worst enemy ; and repeated that so loud as to be 
 heard l\y two or three persons standing near, which 
 led to a cabinet being assembled the next day, when a 
 general wish was expressed that Lord Grenville would 
 prepare a paper, stating what would satisfy the majority 
 of the Cabinet, as a proposition to be made to Parlia- 
 ment, which his Lordship positively declined ; and Mr. 
 Pitt undertook to prepare the test for the Catholics 
 and Dissenters. He accordingly sent a draught thereof 
 to the Chancellor, on Friday, the 30th, the day, or 
 rather evening, on which, as before observed, Mr. 
 Addington was seen twice with the King. On 
 the 31st, at night, Mr. Pitt MTote his first letter to 
 the King, the heads of which are in No. 1 . This
 
 30i DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 was done witliout any opinion of the cabinet ministers 
 actually and finally expressed,— certainly witliout 
 ani/ minute of the Cabinet. The reference, there- 
 fore, in the letter was to a decision of tlie Cabinet, 
 not formally taken, though their o})inions were 
 ascertained ; and the letter was written without the 
 knowledge of some of the members, probably of any 
 of the minority of it. Tlie Chancellor was himself 
 utterly imiorant of it, and there was no further 
 meeting on the subject; but at the levee, on Wednes- 
 day, the 4th of February, the Ciiancellor talked to Mr. 
 Dundas of the foolish reports that had been in circu- 
 lation for some days,— at the time utterly without 
 foundation, — of changes in the Administration ; on 
 which Mr. Dundas replied. " AVhat will you say if I 
 tell you tliat Mr. Pitt, Lord Grenville, and myself, 
 will be under the necessity of withdrawing?" On 
 his repeating that seriously, the Chancellor was thun- 
 derstruck, and instead of going in to the King as he 
 had intended, he let the Duke of Portland go in, 
 and remained in conversation with Mr. Dundas, who 
 explained to him the substance of the correspondence 
 between his Majesty and Mr. Pitt, and the inevitable 
 consequence of that. This appeared the more extraor- 
 dinary to the Chancellor, because (as before observed) 
 nothing that passed in the Cabinet led to an imagina- 
 tion of the consideration of the question being brought 
 to a point suddenly, or prematurely. On the commu- 
 nication of the correspondence afterwards to the Chan- 
 cellor by the King, his Lordship was struck with what 
 he conceived to be the peremptory manner in which
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 305 
 
 Mr. Pitt expressed himself in his last letter, as to his 
 resignation, when the King appeared to him to have 
 consented not to take any steps to counteract what 
 might be a measure of his Ministers ; althougli he 
 would not engage to conceal his opinions, which he 
 had not been in the habit of doing. And his Lordship 
 urged that as a proof of some agency acting upon Mr. 
 Pitt between the first and second letters. He did not, 
 indeed, hesitate to say to me, that he thought -Mr. 
 Pitt was impelled by Lord Grenville and Mr. Dundas. 
 Lord Spencer had been extremely moderate on the 
 point from the beginning; Mr. Windham eager 
 upon it. 
 
 On the whole, from what passed with the Chancellor, 
 as well as from what INIr. Pitt said to me on the 28tli 
 or 29th of January (when I showed him a note from 
 Lord Auckland, respecting the Parliament being to 
 meet on the 2d of Pebruary), I am very strongly 
 inclined to believe that ]\Ir. Pitt had not, in the first 
 instance, an intention of pressing the Catholic ques- 
 tion on the King immediately ; and in the second, 
 that he would have been satisfied with his Majesty's 
 assurances of forbearance (if he had thought them 
 tlistinct and clear), with perhaps some explanation. 
 Possibly he did not act solely on his own judgment. 
 
 The Chancellor told me further, that when he went 
 in to the King, after the levee, on Wednesday, the 
 11th, the King expressed himself about Mr. Pitt in 
 the same terms I have already observed he did to me, 
 and asked his Lordship if he did not think he might 
 rely on Mr. Pitt continuing to act in the same hononr- 
 
 VOL I. X
 
 306 DIARIES AND CORllESPONDENCE UF 
 
 able manner he was now doing, and support the new- 
 Government strenuously; observing, at the same time, 
 how different the case had been with former ministers 
 who had retired, instancing Lord North in j)articular, 
 but imputed that to the gaming debt of George North 
 to Mr. Fox. To all which the Chancellor replied he 
 had the same confidence in Mr. Pitt's honour that 
 his Majesty had, and felt witli jjcrfect certainty that he 
 would support the new Administration to the utmost 
 extent of his power and talents ; but how long that 
 might contiiuie no one could safely predict, it not 
 depending upon Mr. Pitt himself ; that others might 
 act upon him in a way he coidd by no caution guard 
 against ; that he had seen repeated instances of this 
 in the course of his Majesty's reign ; that circum- 
 stances might arise from a variety of causes which 
 might lead to differences of a serious nature, and im- 
 portant in their consequences ; differences of opinion, 
 jealousies, &c. ; and that in the particular case referred 
 to by his Majesty, Lord North's conduct was really 
 not owing to the anecdote alluded to by his Majesty 
 (which, however, was currently reported at the time), 
 but to the constant solicitation and persuasion of 
 friends ; and that such, from disappointment, resent- 
 ment, or fair opinion, might be found to practise upon 
 Mr. Pitt. 
 
 The Chancellor then explained to his Majesty that 
 his retiring from the public service was not a thing 
 of his seeking, but one he had no choice about ; that 
 it was suggested to him broadly by Mr. Addington, 
 on Sunday, the 8th. That Mr. Addington, in the
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 307 
 
 coiu'se of conversation on that day, told the Chancellor 
 that he thought his Government would do extremely 
 well, and that the way would be considerably smoothed 
 by his conciliating different parties, and that several 
 individuals were firmly attached to him. That the 
 Chancellor's retiring would enable an arrangement to 
 be made in the law, which w^ould very greatly 
 strengthen the new Government, by securing the 
 eminent assistance of Sir William Grant, who, by 
 being placed at the Rolls (hi the room of Sir R. 
 Arden, to be made Chief-Justice of the Common 
 Pleas), would have leisure to attend to the House 
 of Commons ; and by opening the Attorney- General- 
 ship for ]\Ir. Law, with Percival as Solicitor- General ; 
 under which statement his Lordship told the King 
 he acquiesced, adding, that he was ready to retire to 
 the remotest corner of Scotland if it would conduce to 
 his Majesty's service. The King, drawing back a 
 little, and under some apparent surprise, expressed 
 himself with great kindness to the Chancellor, and 
 asked him if he had any wish in which he could be 
 gratified ; to w^hicli the Chancellor answered he had 
 not. And the King replied something must be thought 
 of for him. The King, in this interview with the 
 Chancellor, told him Mr. Addington had proposed 
 Mr. Bragge as Speaker, but that he had objected to it. 
 The Chancellor here told me he would not accept an 
 earldom, — without dropping a hint whether he would 
 take anything else if offered. 
 
 Fi'om this day, Friday, February 13th, nothing very 
 interesting occurred till Wednesday, February 18th, 
 
 x2
 
 308 DIARIES AND COKKESPONDENCE OE 
 
 except the intimation to me from Mr. Pitt, on Monday, 
 the l()th, that Mr. Vansittart set off tliat day on a 
 mission to Denmark (on a ho})e which lie thought 
 would fail), and would not return for three or four 
 weeks, which must necessarily keep me so long in 
 office; on which I asked what objection there would 
 be to Mr. Riley Adilington's succeeding me, instead 
 of Mr. Long ; i)ut Mr. Pitt earnestly pressed me not 
 to put the new Treasury to any distress. 
 
 Mr. Pitt opened the budget with a loan of 
 25,500,000/. for England, and 1,500,000/. for Ire- 
 land, accompanied by English ta.\es for 1,790,000/. 
 And after a full and clear statement from him, every 
 thing was so satisfactory that not one word was said by 
 the Opposition ; the whole passed off with unanimity, 
 which never happened before in seventeen years of 
 his administration. In the evening I went to him at 
 his desire, and we were alone more than three hours, 
 in an extremely interesting conversation ; in the course 
 of which he was, beyond all comparison, more affected 
 than I had seen him since the change first bm'st upon 
 me, but nothing particularly leading to any new dis- 
 closure occiUTcd. The most remarkable thing that fell 
 from him was a suggestion that on revolving in his 
 mind all that had passed, it did not occur to him that 
 he could have acted in any respect otherwise than he 
 had done, or that he had anything to blame himself 
 for, except not having earher endeavoured to reconcile 
 the King to the measure about the Catholics, or to 
 prevail with his Majesty not to take an active part on 
 the subject. I took occasion to press again as strongly
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 309 
 
 as possible my opinion of Mr, Addington's conduct in 
 catching at the Government suddenly and eagerly, in- 
 stead of throwing himself at the King's feet and implor- 
 ing him not to attempt to form a new Administration, 
 and least of all to think of him, who felt himself utterly 
 unequal to the undertaking. Mr. Pitt admitted to 
 me that Mr. Addington had been with the King for 
 some hours on Friday, the 30th of January, of course 
 previous to the first of the correspondence which led 
 in three davs to the change of the Administration, but 
 subsequent to what passed at the levee (on the 28th 
 January) with Mr. Dundas ; there was, however, no 
 actual admission on the part of Mr. Pitt that he 
 thought with me on the subject, but there were evi- 
 dent demonstrations of it, and there w^ere painful 
 workings in his mind, plainly discernible ; most of 
 the time tears in his eyes, and much agitated. 
 
 Lord Lewisham the head of the Board of Control. 
 
 Friday, February 2Wi. — A council at the Queen's 
 house; at which Lord Hawkesbury, as Secretary of 
 State, Lord St. Vincent, as first Lord of the Admiralty, 
 and Mr. Yorke, as Secretary at War, were sworn 
 into their offices, as Privy Councillors. 
 
 Saturday, %\st. — At dinner at the new Speaker's, 
 with Mr. Pitt, Mr. Dundas, &c. &c. 
 
 Mr. Pelham, after having first refused the Secre- 
 taryship of State, and accepted the Board of Control, 
 — having refused the latter, is now out of humour at 
 not having the former. 
 
 The King so unwell as to induce several persons to 
 make inquiries after his healtli. I did not, howevei-,
 
 310 DIARIES AND CORHESrONDEN'CE OF 
 
 hear a syllable that led mc to conjecture anything 
 affecting his I\Iajesty's mind ; but on this day, pro- 
 bably, the symptoms first showed themselves. At 
 dinner I asked Mr. John Villiers' whether it was right 
 to do so, and he answered decidedly in the negative ; 
 that the complaint was nothing more than a hoarseness 
 consequent upon a cold, and tiiat he had played at 
 cards with his Majesty for two hours on the preceding 
 evening, Friday. 
 
 Sinidai/, Fehruarif 22d. — With Mr. Pitt the greatest 
 part of the morning, on various arrangements of no 
 importance, previous to winding up matters, and dis- 
 posing of various employments, particularly Mr. Jekyll 
 and Mr. Carthew.^ 
 
 No mention of the King's illness, nor (Hd I hear a 
 word of it during the whole day. 
 
 A long conversation with Lord Eldon respecting 
 his acceptance of the Great Seal,'^ in the course of 
 which he stated to me all that passed on the subject ; 
 the first proposal to him on Sunday the 8th of this 
 month ; his determination not to accept it but on 
 Mr. Pitt's earnest entreaty, and engagement that he 
 would be Chancellor if he (Mr. Pitt) should ever 
 come into office again ; pension to him (4,000/. a-year), 
 to be secured immediately. Warmest assurances of 
 friendship from his Lordship to myself. 
 
 In the evening at the Speaker's ; nothing remarkable 
 occurred there. 
 
 ' Afterwards Earl of Clarendon. 
 
 - Mr. Pitt's private secretary. 
 
 » See Lord Eldon 's Life, by Twiss, vol. i. pp. 367, 368.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 311 
 
 Monday, Fchnmnj ^Scl — On this day Mr. Pitt 
 attended the Prince of Wales by his command. 
 His Royal Highness said he sent for him as his 
 father's actnal Minister on the present distressing 
 occasion. Mr. Pitt replied, that being de facto in the 
 situation of Minister, he should have no hesitation in 
 giving him the best advice and opinions in his power ; 
 but very respectfully, though firmly, stated to his Royal 
 Highness that he would do so only on the express 
 condition that his Royal Highness would forbear to 
 advise with those who had for a long time acted in 
 direct opposition to his Majesty's Government. The 
 Prince acquiesced as to the persons immediately 
 alluded to by Mr. Pitt ; but added, he should think 
 himself at liberty to advise occasionally with Lord 
 Moira, which he had long been in the habit of 
 doing. '' 
 
 Went with Mr. John Smyth,^ of Heath, to make 
 inquiry after the health of the King. Conversation 
 with him on the way, as to my opinion of the whole 
 of Mr. Addington's conduct throughout this unfortu- 
 nate convulsion. Under the Piazza at St. James's, 
 met Lord Essex, who told us the King was entirely 
 deranged. AVent up into the levee room, where 
 persons were writing their names. Lord Chester- 
 field spoke with great apparent feeling about the 
 situation of his Majesty, but declared he knew no 
 particulars of the state he was in ; no bulletin had 
 
 ^ An intimate friend of Mr. Rose's,' and a very independent Member 
 of Parliament.
 
 312 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OP 
 
 then been brought from the Queen's house respecting 
 the King's health. 
 
 On my return to Downing Street, Mr. Pitt tokl me 
 there were certainly synii)toms of derangement in his 
 Majesty, and that Dr. Willis was attending him ; hut 
 there were hopes that all woukl be right again soon ; 
 and that JMr. Addington saw his Majesty yesterday, 
 and found liim wandering on some points. 
 
 Lord Granville Leveson ' told me he met Mr. 
 Tierny yesterday, who dropped hints of the King's 
 situation, and assured him there would be unequi- 
 vocal ])roofs of it manifested beyond all doubt very 
 soon. (A tolerable proof that some one or more of 
 the servants have already been tampered with again.) 
 
 This day, or to-morrow at the latest, Lord Eldon 
 having to resign the Chief Secretaryship of the 
 Common Pleas, it occurred to me that he might be 
 taking steps for that purpose, such as would be 
 irrevocable, which would necessarily leave him in an 
 unpleasant situation if the King's malady should 
 unhappily continue upon him ; I was therefore induced 
 to convey to him by Mr. White the account of what 
 there was too great reason to dread was the appre- 
 hensions about the King's derangement. 
 
 Tuesday, Fehrv.ary 2'^th. — Lord Eldon came tn 
 me in the morning, and sat with me an hour. He 
 told me the account conveyed to him from me through 
 Mr. White,- was the only intimation he had received 
 
 1 The Marquis of Stafford's second son, afterwards Lord Granville. 
 ^ Mr. White, Solicitor of the Treasury, an intimate private friend 
 of Mr. Rose, and of Lord Eldon.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 313 
 
 of the state the King is supposed to be in ; on which he 
 expressed himself with a strong feeHng of resentment 
 and indignation at Mr. Addington, from whom he 
 conceived he ouo;ht to have heard it immediately after 
 he knew it himself, thinking, very justly, that to him 
 (Lord Eldon) as the King's Chancellor, the earliest 
 possible communication should have been made. Mr. 
 Addington saw the King on Sunday, and told Mr. Pitt 
 he found his mind much deranged on some subjects, 
 but apparently collected on others ; after which he was 
 at a cabinet where Lord Eldon w.as, without letting fall 
 a syllable to his Lordship on the subject. In conse- 
 quence of this silence, Lord Eldon had written in the 
 morning to Mr. Addington, with an intention of remon- 
 strating with him on his conduct, who appointed him at 
 a quarter before eleven. Lord Eldon did not, however, 
 reach New Palace Yard till seven minutes before eleven, 
 when he was told j\Ir. Addington was gone out on 
 horseback ! Such treatment naturally produced an 
 unpleasant effect. His Lordship accounted for it to a 
 certain extent by the language he had held to Mr. 
 Addington when he agreed to take the seals, viz. 
 that he w^as induced to accept them only in obedience 
 to the King's command, and at the advice and earnest 
 recommendation of Mr. Pitt, and that he would hold 
 them no longer than he could continue to do so in 
 perfect friendship with the latter. After a long dis- 
 cussion of the state of matters, Lord Eldon assured 
 me that no consideration whatever should induce him 
 to take the seals from the King's hand till his mind 
 should be as sound as his own.
 
 31 i DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 Lord Eldon told mc he was with tlic King alone 
 for more than two hours on Friday, during the whole 
 of which time he was as rational and collected as he 
 had ever seen him. That he talked to his Lordship of 
 his last malady, stating many particulars that occurred 
 to liiin during the continuance of it, and especially 
 dwelt on his feelings during some lucid intervals. The 
 King also quoted to Lord Eldon the questions which his 
 Lordship, as a member of the Privy Council, had asked 
 his physicians ; that he took down Blackstone's Com- 
 mentaries, and showed him a passage in them respect- 
 ing the point (the Catholic question) which had so 
 long and so anxiously agitated his mind. 
 
 Mr. Pitt told me at noon, that from the accounts 
 he had received of the King, he really entertained 
 hopes of a tolerably speedy recovery ; and that he 
 should abstain from going to the House, to avoid 
 questions that might be distressing or painful. 
 
 About one o'clock, went with George to the Queen's 
 house. The news there was, in substance, that the 
 Kino; was not worse than vesterdav. 
 
 On my return, near the parade, I met the Chan- 
 cellor walking ; turned back with him, and went as 
 far as the top of the park. He told me he had heard 
 from Dr. Willis, at eleven o'clock last night, that the 
 symptoms were favourable ; that he had left the 
 cabinet (Lord Grenville did not attend it, but Lord 
 Eldon and Mr. A. met at it,) to go to the Queen's 
 house, to get the commission (which he had sent to 
 the Queen's house last night) signed by his Majesty, 
 for the royal assent to the Bill for repealing the Act
 
 THE RIG^IIT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 315 
 
 Avhich prohibited the use of any except brown 
 bread. 
 
 About two o'clock the Chancellor came to me at 
 the Treasury, and told me he had sent the commission 
 in to the King by Dr. Willis, who brought it back 
 signed, and told him there would be no difficulty in 
 obtaining the royal signature to a dozen papers 
 respecting which no detailed statements were neces- 
 sary. That he (Dr. Willis) had allowed the King to 
 see the Queen and the Duke of Cumberland, but 
 no other of the royal family; that he should not, 
 however, hesitate about allowing such of them to have 
 access to his Majesty as he could see without being 
 deeply affected at the interview. That he could not 
 pronounce anything favourable about his Majesty's 
 recovery with certainty ; but that his hopes were very 
 good, and thought it not improbable but that con- 
 siderable amendment might appear in a week or ten 
 days 
 
 The Chancellor said to me, in the morning as we 
 walked up the park, that, in the event of the King's 
 malady lasting, it would be found useful that we are 
 actually prepared with a measure for settling the 
 Government and the care of his Majesty's person ; as 
 the Bill for the Regency, which passed the House of 
 Commons, and nearly went through the House of 
 Lords, in 1789, would be found to answer now in all 
 its provisions, and would save much discussion and 
 avoid serious inconvenience. [Which observation I 
 had made to my son half-an-hour before, and nearly 
 on the same spot.] The Chancellor, at the same time,
 
 316 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 coiulemnecl in strong terms Mr. Fox's indiscretion in 
 committing himself on the former occasion respecting 
 the devolving of the government on the Prince of 
 Wales. 
 
 At this period the Administration was left in a sin- 
 gnlar sitnation. Of those who were to (piit : — 
 
 Of the Cabinet .— 
 
 Lord Greuville, out ; and Lord Hiiwkesbury, Foreign Secretary. 
 Lord Speucer, out ; Lord St. Vincent, First Lord of the 
 
 Admiralty. 
 Mr. Windham, uut; Mr. Yorke, Secretary at War. 
 Mr. Dundas, ///, Secrctai-y of State ; Lord Hobart to succeed. 
 Lord Loughborough, in. Chancellor ; Lord Eldon to succeed. 
 Mr. Pitt, ill, Fii-st Lord of the Treasury ; Mr. Addington to 
 
 succeed. 
 
 honh of the Treasury : — 
 
 Lord Granville Leveson, in; Lord George Thynne to succeed. 
 Mr. Hiley Addington, ///; Mr. Nathaniel Bond to siicceed. 
 
 Sprretaries to the Treasury : — 
 
 Mr. Rose, in; Mr. N. Vansittart to succeed. 
 Mr. Long, in; Mr. Hiley Addington to succeed. 
 
 Lords of the Admiralty : — 
 
 Lord Arden, Admiral Gambier, Admiral Young, Admiral 
 Mason, out; Mr. Garthstone, Sir Thomas Troubridge, 
 Captain Markham, Mr. Adams, have succeeded. 
 
 Lord Arden appointed Master of the Mint, in room of Lord 
 Hawkesbury. 
 
 Lord Coruwallis, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, in ; was to have 
 been succeeded by Lord Hardwick. 
 
 Lord Castlereagh, Secretary for Ireland, /;/; was to have been 
 succeeded by Mr. Abbott.' 
 
 In the Law : — 
 
 Lord Eldon, Chief- Justice of Common Pleas, in; Sir Richard 
 Arden to succeed. 
 
 ' Mr. Abbott, aftenvards Speaker, and created Lord Colchester.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOllGE ROSE. 317 
 
 Sir Richard Arclen, Master of the Rolls, in; Sir WilUam 
 
 Grant to succeed. 
 Sir John Mitford/ Attorney-General, out ; chosen Speaker ; 
 
 succeeded by Mr. Law. 
 Sir William Grant, Solicitor-General, ocU; succeeded by 
 
 Mr. Percival. 
 
 Wednesday, Feb. 2Wt. — Mr. Pitt saw the Prince 
 of Wales again this day ; his Royal Highness having in 
 the interval seen the Chancellor, the Duke of Portland, 
 and Lord Spencer, &c., who took an ojjposite line from 
 Mr. Pitt in the last regency ; and it was explained 
 that they would not now create any difficulty in 
 passing the Bill with nearly similar provisions, if un- 
 happily the necessity should arise. 
 
 The Bishop of Lincoln told me he had last night a 
 long and interesting conversation with Mr. Pitt ; in 
 which he stated very fully and forcibly the public 
 opinion respecting the mode of Mr. Addington's 
 getting into office, imputing it broadly and plainly 
 to intrigue, — rather more strongly than I have con- 
 ceived it myself. The Bishop expressed an earnest 
 hope that Mr. Pitt would not commit himself to any 
 determination against not returning to office except 
 on condition of support from the throne on the 
 Catholic question ; more especially to guard himself 
 against being drawn into such a declaration by Mr. 
 Pox in the House of Commons, either on Monday 
 next, on the consideration of the state of the nation, 
 or on any future day. ]\Ir. Pitt made no promise to 
 the Bishop on the subject ; but appeared not to dis- 
 approve of the caution recommended. 
 
 ' Afterwai'ds Lord Redesdale, and Chancellor in Ireland.
 
 318 DIAKIES AND COllRESPONDENXE OF 
 
 The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Westmoreland) told me 
 this morning that the King was somewhat deranged 
 on Thnrsdav last. 
 
 Lord Bruce,' last night at the opera, told Miss 
 Jennings that Mr. Addington had for some time past 
 had the most easy and constant access to the King at 
 all hours, which gives additional sanction to the idea 
 of his iutrii'uinj^. 
 
 This brings to my recollection, that when the 
 bishopric of St. David's was lately vacant, the King 
 told Mr. Pitt that Dr. Huntingford (Warden of Win- 
 chester) woidd be the best man who could be thought 
 of to fill the see, for learning and every other quality ; 
 which his Majesty could have heard from no one but 
 Mr. Addington, who then possessed the King's mind 
 with the impression to carry his point, lest he should 
 fail with Mr. Pitt. 
 
 Thursdaij, February '2(jf/i. — The King's health, as 
 reported by the physicians, the same as before, but 
 the private accounts more favourable. A good deal 
 of fever, which is thought fortunate, and other symp- 
 toms which are stated to have preceded recovery in 
 the former case, in 1789. 
 
 Discussion with Mr. Pitt how long the Regency 
 could be deferred, if unlia})})ily his Majesty's recovery 
 should not be speedy. Prepare for the consent to the 
 Loan Bill, which will pass the House of Lords about 
 Monday next. The Chancellor thinks his Majesty's 
 nand may be obtained to it, as on the 24th to the 
 
 ' The Marquis of Aylesbury's son.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 319 
 
 Bread Bill. I suggested the importance and deli- 
 cacy of such a mcasui'e, as it will be argued that if 
 his Majesty's signature may be obtained to a Commis- 
 sion to assent to a bill which has passed both houses, 
 it may equally be obtained to dissent to many which 
 cannot be supported. The delicacy of this point in- 
 creased by the Chancellor not seeing the King sign 
 the instrument, which was given for his signature to 
 Dr. Willis ; the executive government therefore, pro 
 tanto, in the hands of that gentleman. Great diffi- 
 culty in this case ; as no regency can be established 
 without previous examination of physicians, &c. Diffi- 
 culty also in conununications with foreign Courts in 
 the King's name on points of the highest national 
 importance. No such correspondence during the 
 last derangement, — no despatch of any consequence 
 having been sent during the period of the King's 
 illness. Difficulty also in the remaining Ministers 
 resigning, and the new ones accepting, which Mr. 
 Pitt admitted. He expressed a strong opinion that 
 the Regent, if appointed, should call into his service 
 Mr. Addington ; that his Majesty, on his recovery, 
 might find in his service the person he meant before 
 his illness to place in it. Which opinion I combated 
 earnestly, under a conviction of its being a mistaken 
 one, and being impressed with the firm behef that Mr. 
 Pitt's friends and the public would not bear such an 
 arrangement. In the middle of this discussion we 
 were interrupted, and Mr. Pitt went to Wimbledon to 
 dinner. 
 
 Notice by Mr. Nicholl of a motion in tlie House of
 
 320 DIARIES AND COIIKESPONDENCE OF 
 
 Commons to-morrow respecting the present state of 
 the conntry. 
 
 Friday, Februari/ 27///.— Sent Mr. Pitt a printed 
 copy of the Regency Bill which })asscd the Mouse of 
 Commons, and was rejected in the House of Lords, 
 in February 19th, 17S9, on the King's recovery, with 
 MS. alterations in the margin of the amendments 
 made by the Lords, that he might have leisure to 
 consider the points before his return to town. Not 
 unlikely but Mr. Nicholl's notice has reference to tlie 
 execution of the royal authority iu various respects 
 at this moment ; despatches to foreign ministers, 
 decisions on important national concerns and in- 
 terests. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel told me he had been urged by many 
 independent men to state in the House of Commons 
 the necessity of Mr. Pitt remaining in a responsible 
 situation, and not abandoning the country ; referred 
 plainly to the total want of contidence in Mr. Adding- 
 ton, and stated that to be general in and out of 
 Parliament. 
 
 Was with Mr. Pitt some time before he went to 
 the House. He had a firm persuasion that the Oppo- 
 sition would act with decorum, and would not create 
 the smallest embarrassment till the situation of the 
 King should be so decided as to render it evident 
 whether a Regency will be necessary or not. He 
 thought it not likely that they would adopt any mea- 
 sures plainly ruinous or seriously mischievous to the 
 country, from a disinchnation to destroy that Govei-n- 
 ment which is the object of their ambition. On which
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 321 
 
 I observed that I thouglit that very likely to depend 
 upon the probability they conceived there was of their 
 obtaining their object. That if they should once 
 completely despair of it, some of them were of a dis- 
 position (especially then- leader) to do the utmost 
 mischief the V could. Mr. Pitt then said Mr. Fox had 
 decided not to take his seat to-day, although he had 
 before intended it, lest it should be attributed to his 
 meaning to countenance Mr. Nicholl's motion. On 
 going into the House of Commons with Mr. Pitt we 
 found Mr. Sheridan on his legs, moving the adjourn- 
 ment of the House to Monday, to get rid of Mr. 
 Nicholl's motion, stating the utter impropriety of any 
 discussion of public matters in the present uncertain 
 state of the King's health. Mr. Pitt gave him great 
 credit for his conduct. Urged very strongly that no 
 man with a heart, or who had the slightest feelings of 
 humanity or of gratitude, duty, or affection for a be- 
 loved sovereign, would even allude to his situation at 
 present, in the uncertain state he is in. He assured 
 the House, at the same time, that before it became 
 necessary to take any step of importance in public 
 business, the state of his Majesty's health should be 
 investigated, if unhappily, his Majesty should not be 
 able to give the proper directions. 
 
 Mr. Addington was in the house for the first time 
 since his re-election. Lord Hawkesbury declined taking 
 his seat, from a doubt as to his eligibility, on account 
 of the disqualifying clause respecting the third Secre- 
 tary of State, or Secretary for the Colonies, in the 
 Act of 1782, commonly called Burke's Act. 
 
 VOL. I. T '
 
 322 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 Mrs. Gooclenoiigh (sister to Mr. A.) told Miss Jen- 
 nings that the King had an attack somewhat similar 
 to the present in 1795, from which he recovered in 
 abont a Aveek. 
 
 The Dnke of Kent met ^Ir. Pitt coming in from 
 Wimbledon, and told him the hopes of the King's 
 recovery were more encouraging. I lis ]\Iajesty not 
 yet so ill as to be put under any personal constraint. 
 
 Saturdai/, February 28M. — Tlu' pul)lic account of 
 the King's health .somewhat more encouraging than 
 yesterday, and the private one very considerably so. 
 An abatement of the fever and of the symptoms of 
 derangement, with a reasonable degree of perspiration. 
 On the whole, it seems probable that in the course of 
 the ensuing week his Majesty's recovery may be sufli- 
 ciently advanced for him at least to sign papers, and 
 so avoid resorting to the painful and distressing mea- 
 sure of a regency, as on an attentive investigation of 
 the state of the money it seems quite clear we can go 
 on, provided the Loan Bill (which will be read a third 
 time on Monday next in the House of Lords) shall 
 receive the royal assent by the 10th March, or 
 thereabouts. 
 
 Mr. Addington frequently with Mr. Pitt during 
 the last three days. 
 
 I met Mr. Canning in the park, who expressed an 
 anxious hope that if a necessity should arise for a 
 regency, Mr. Pitt would not in that event think 
 himself called upon to recommend (if it should depend 
 on him) the Administration being placed in the hands 
 of Mr. Addington.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 323 
 
 Wrote in the morning to the Bishop of Lincohi, 
 urging his coming to town, under an impression that 
 practices would be attempted to induce Mr. Pitt to 
 prevail with the Prince of Wales (in the event of a 
 regency) to take Mr. Addington as his Minister. And 
 believing that great advantage might be derived from 
 one so intimately connected with Mr. Pitt being 
 always near him ; but in the afternoon I wrote again, 
 saying that I did not think the necessity for the 
 Bishop's coming so m'gent, as the King's health 
 happily promised so much better. 
 
 Sunday, March \st. — The bulletins of the King's 
 health very favourable, for the first time ; and the 
 private accounts extremely so. 
 
 Lord G , in walking with me from early 
 
 service at the Chapel Royal, told me he had been 
 assured that Buonaparte, on hearing of the King's 
 determination to make the change in the Adminis- 
 tration, attributed it to derangement. 
 
 y2
 
 324 DIARIES AND CORRESrONDENCE OF 
 
 CHArTER VI. 
 
 1801. 
 
 MR. rose's diary FROM IST MARCH, TO llTH JUNE, 1801. 
 
 Monday y March M. — The bulletins at the Queen's 
 house much less favourable ; stating an increase of 
 the fever yesterday in the afternoon. The private 
 account attributes that to the medicines given to his 
 Majesty. 
 
 Mr. Grey' put off his motion for the state of the 
 nation (on a suggestion from !Mr. Rydei-, in the 
 absence of Mr. Pitt) to AVednesday, the 11th. 
 
 Letter from the Bishop of Lincoln that he had 
 received the second I wrote on Saturdav, but not the 
 first. Wrote to the Secretary of the Post-office 
 about it. 
 
 Mr. Fox took the oaths and his seat this day. 
 
 Tuesday, March M. — The public account of the 
 King's health extremely favourable this morning; 
 that his Majesty had had a good deal of rest. Less 
 fever, and better in all respects. 
 
 Mr. Pitt desired to see me as soon as he came 
 down-stairs, to tell me that the King had been so ill 
 
 * Afterwards Lord Grey.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 325 
 
 in the early part of tlie afternoon of yesterday as to 
 occasion the most serious alarms, that even his life was 
 thought in danger from the violent turn the disorder 
 was taking ; that his person had undergone a visible 
 change; and, on the whole, the physicians were in 
 great despondency and alarm; but that about five 
 o'clock in the afternoon the disorder was at a crisis, 
 when his Majesty fell into a sleep, which was con- 
 sidered as the thing to lead to the best hope ; that 
 he continued in it for two hours, and after lying 
 awake a short time, he fell asleep again, and did not 
 stir till about four o'clock in the morning, when he 
 awoke quite tranquil ; asked what bed he was in 
 (being sensible of its not being the one he usually 
 slept in), and how long he had been ill. On being 
 told eight days, he said he felt himself much better 
 than he had been. At the crisis, his pulse was at 
 136; this morning at eight it was only 84. On 
 the whole, the alteration for the better appeared to 
 be most extraordinary. The King was thought so 
 well, that the Queen and Princesses took an airing in 
 their carriages. This account was brought to Mr. 
 Pitt while in bed, before eight o'clock, by Mr. Ad- 
 dington. 
 
 Mr. Pitt then told me he had wished for an oppor- 
 tunity to explain to me more particularly what had 
 passed between him and the Prince of Wales at those 
 interviews he had had with his Royal Highness, which 
 was, in substance, that he had expressed a willingness 
 to submit his advice to his Royal Highness whenever
 
 326 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 he should condescend to desire it ; but that it must 
 be on the express condition, that if unliap})ily there 
 shouhl be a necessity for a regency, that liis Royal 
 Highness shoukl accjuiesce in the arrangement as 
 settled in 1789; that the Prince seemed to be struck 
 at that being put to him so distinctly, and perlia})s a 
 little averse to the uncpialitied tones used (as if Mr. 
 Pitt was conscious of his manner of stating his deter- 
 mination having been severe), and that his Royal 
 Highness asked iiow some of those now acting with 
 Mr. Pitt would feel on the subject who had taken a 
 very different line on the former occasion, to which 
 Mr. Pitt replied he thought every one concerned in it, 
 without excepting his Royal Highness, could not 
 do better than accord with what was most evidently 
 the clear sense of the Legislature, expressed so as 
 not to be mistaken ; the Prince then expressed un- 
 easiness at some of the restrictions as likelv to be 
 found extremely inconvenient. Nothing, however, 
 passed conclusive between them as to any arrange- 
 ment of an administration. The interview ended with 
 the Prince saying that he must take time to consider 
 all that JNIr. Pitt had said ; his whole demeanour per- 
 fectly decorous and proper, as well with Mr. Pitt as at 
 the Queen's house, when he was there. Mr. Fox has 
 certainly not been Avith his Royal Highness, and i\Ir. 
 Pitt thinks he has not seen Mr. Sheridan. 
 
 Mr. Addington came to Mr. Pitt late in the day, 
 when I was with him, and said the accounts from the 
 Queen's house continued as favourable as possible.
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 327 
 
 The call of the House was deferred for a fortnight. 
 Mr. Fox ill the House. 
 
 Wednesday, March 4<th. — Account of the King's 
 health favourable — as improving. 
 
 Thursdai/, March ^th. — The same account of the 
 King's health as yesterday — continued improvement. 
 
 On considering this day how long we could go on 
 without the royal assent to any bill, it appeared that 
 by the utmost management that could be used we 
 might contrive to find money till the 24th. Of course, 
 the Loan Bill must be passed on the 23d. In order, 
 however, to secure that, we agreed that a Regency 
 Bill must be ready before that day, even in the event 
 of his Majesty going on in a progressive state of 
 recovery, unless he should be quite tvell before the 
 12th, because that is the latest day to which an exa- 
 mination of the physicians can be deferred (whether 
 by the Privy Council or by the House of Commons) : 
 in which case a bill could be brought in on the 14th, 
 to pass by the 23d, as above mentioned; and that only 
 on a supposition of the bill being allowed to go on 
 without delay being created by opposition in any one 
 of its stages ; of course that it will not be safe to defer 
 the inquiry of the physicians to the 12th, unless it can 
 be ascertained that no delay will be created, in order to 
 which Mr. Pitt agreed, the best mode would be to have 
 an intercourse with Mr. Fox, either by letter or through 
 some person who can communicate directly with him ; 
 first waiting upon the Prince of Wales again, to know 
 whether his Royal Highness will acquiesce in the pro- 
 visions of the last Regency Bill, with perhaps a modi-
 
 328 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OP 
 
 fication in the restrictions as to peerages, confining 
 that to one year, or till a certain period after the com- 
 mencement of the next session of Parliament. 
 
 Friday, March (Sth. — The public account of the 
 King's health remarkably good. "Although the fever 
 has not entirely subsided, his Majesty is considerably 
 better;" but the private account still more en- 
 couraging, liis Majesty this morning perfectly com- 
 posed, and so well as to see the Queen for half an 
 hour, during all which time perfectly rational ; but once 
 or twice a little hurried, of which he was sensible, and 
 checked himself. He asked Dr. Willis the state of 
 business in the House of Commons, and expressed 
 himself perfectly satisfied with it, and the train 
 matters were in ; he desired the doctor would write 
 to Mr. Addington to inform him how well he is, witli 
 directions to him to communicate the same to Mr. 
 Pitt and Lord Eldon, which is a decisive proof of the 
 accuracy of his Majesty's recollection of the state of 
 the Administration when he was taken ill. The King 
 was awake a considerable part of the night, but quite 
 tranquil during the whole time, and this day ate his 
 dinner with his usual appetite. 
 
 Lord Chatham told the Bishop of Lincoln he had 
 not made up his mind decidedly on the Catholic 
 question ; but that the inclination of his opinion was 
 against the question, and of course favourable to his 
 Majesty's view of the subject. 
 
 Lord Moira, in the House of Lords, suggests the 
 expediency of sitting de die i?i diem, to be ready to 
 take any steps that the urgency of affairs might require.
 
 THE UiaHT HON. GEORGE EOSE. 329 
 
 evidently pointing at a regency — while the King is 
 rapidly recovering. 
 
 Mr. Pitt seems to admit more than he has at all 
 heretofore done, during the last four weeks, the possi- 
 bility of its being right that he should remain in, or 
 rather return to, his situation ; in which possible case 
 it would become necessary to dispose honourably and 
 advantageously of Mr. Addington. 
 
 Saturday, March 1th. — The physicians* note respect- 
 ing the King's health still more encouraging than 
 yesterday. Mr. Pitt told me the King was in his 
 mind quite right, though a little fever remained; 
 that his Majesty last night played at piquet with the 
 Queen for half an hour, and saw the Dukes of Kent 
 and Cumberland. The conduct of the Duke of Cla- 
 rence, as stated by Lord Auckland, respecting the 
 detention of the fleet, and by Mr. Harris respecting 
 the head of the admiralty ! 
 
 Sunday, March Sth. — The King's health continues 
 improving. 
 
 Monday, March ^th. — The King stated by the 
 physicians to be in the way of speedy recovery. 
 
 While I was in the porter's lodge at the Queen's 
 house this morning, reading the bulletin, the Prince 
 of Wales passed the door and went towards the apart- 
 ments in the house, soon after which he was seen 
 going into Mr. Addington's gateway, in New Palace 
 Yard. 
 
 The King sent Dr. Thomas Willis this day to Mr. 
 Pitt, to desire he would come to him, finding himself 
 well enough to talk with him, and wishing to see him
 
 330 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 before any one else ; but Mr. Pitt, conceiving Mr. 
 Addiiigton ought first to attend his Majesty, entreated 
 that he might do so, and decHned it himself. 
 
 Mr. Pitt told me the King saw the Duke of York 
 last Friday, and is to see the Prince of Wales 
 
 to-day. 
 
 About three o'clock, Admiral Payne called at the 
 Treasury, and waited some time in my room, while I 
 was at the Board ; evidently with a desire to talk 
 with me. He told me the Prince of Wales had not 
 seen the King yet, which his Royal Highness felt 
 painfully; that the Duke of Cumberland had last 
 Monday sent to the Duke of York to apprize him of 
 the King's situation, when his Majesty's life was 
 thought to be in great danger, but that no intimation 
 of it was conveyed to the Prince, about which he 
 remonstrated with the Duke of Cumberland, who jus- 
 tified himself by saying he made the conununicatiou 
 to the Duke of York, as he was in his Majesty's con- 
 fidence, which the Prince thought an aggravation. 
 The Admiral assured me the Prince had had nothing 
 to do with any cabals which might have been going 
 forward, and had seen nobodv but Mr. Pitt and ^Ir. 
 Addington ; he added that the Duke of Cumberiand's 
 conduct had on the whole been most extraordinary ; 
 that he had complained loudly to the Prince of the 
 Chancellor having obtained the King's signature to 
 the commission, on the 24th of last month, to the 
 Bread Bill, for which he said his Lordship deserved a 
 rope and a hatchet. 
 
 In the House of Lords I saw the Chancellor
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 331 
 
 respecting the third reading of the Loan Bill, who 
 told me the King was perfectly rational and well; that 
 he had inquired very particularly about the state of 
 public business, and about his Lordship's health ; and, 
 among other things, spoke of his having signed the 
 commission for the passing of the Bread Bill, express- 
 ing at the same time some uneasiness lest he should 
 not have written his name well. 
 
 Tuesday, March 10///. — The King approaching fast 
 to recovery. 
 
 Question in the House of Commons respecting the 
 examination of witnesses as to Mr. Home Tooke 
 being a priest. Mr. Pitt not in the House. Mr. 
 Fox took part in the debate for the first time since his 
 return to Parliament. Great irregularity and con- 
 fusion. Specimen of what may be expected under 
 the new Government. Mr. Pitt dined with me to 
 meet Lord St. Vincent and Lord Eldon. Admiral 
 Payne came early before dinner, and told me the 
 Prince of Wales had still not seen the King, but 
 expected to be admitted in the afternoon. The Duke 
 of Cumberland had been with the Prince (accompanied 
 by the Duke of Kent) yesterday, for the first time 
 since the King's illness. 
 
 Wednesday, March Wth. — The King so entirely 
 recovered as to want nothing but the recovery of his 
 strength ; and notice Avas given at the Queen's house 
 that there would be no more bulletins after this day. 
 On coming away from thence I met Doctor John 
 Willis at the door of the porter's lodge, and exchanged 
 only a few words with him; he just said he was almost
 
 332 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 worn out, lie had gone tliroiigh too miicli for any one 
 man to stand. 
 
 The Chancellor and Mr. Addington saw the King 
 to-day for the first time; the former had with him the 
 commission for the royal assent to the Loan Hill 
 which he was to give to his Majesty for his royal 
 signature, if he should find him entirely well enough 
 for business. 
 
 Thursdai/, March Villi. — Admiral Payne came from 
 the Prince of Wales to tell me his Royal Highness 
 had seen the King yesterday ; but that he had not 
 been with him more than a minute or two before 
 Doctor Thomas Willis came into tlie room without 
 having been sent for, and remained in it the whole 
 time his Koyal Plighness was there, which of coiu*se 
 prevented any confidential conversation, but that 
 much passed of a general nature. Among other 
 matters entered upon by his Majesty, he said he was 
 glad to find the inquiries made about his health had 
 been very general; the Prince answered, he believed 
 everybody had been to the Queen's house who could 
 either go there or be carried ; to which the King 
 replied, Mr. Fox had not been, but that Mr. Sheridan 
 had, who he verily thought had a respect and regard 
 for him ; particularly dwelling on his conduct at 
 Drury Lane Theatre, when the attempt was made on 
 his Majesty's life by the madman who had been in 
 the dragoons ; which led his j\Lnjesty to ask whether 
 the Prince was in the house at the time ; who said he 
 was not, but that he repaired there the moment he 
 heard of the transaction. His Majesty then proceeded
 
 THE BIGHT HON. GEOEGE ROSE. 333 
 
 to tell what his owii conduct on the occasion was : 
 that he had spoken to the Queen in German to quiet 
 her alarm : and then bursting into an agony for a few 
 seconds, said with much agitation, there was a Provi- 
 dence or a good God above who had, and would pro- 
 tect him ; in all other respects his Majesty was quite 
 composed during the whole interview. His Majesty 
 took up the conversation just as he had left it on , 
 Friday, the 20th of February, and said again he hoped 
 Mr. Pitt would be comfortable ; the Prince having 
 before said he would be very poor, on which the King 
 said " it would be his own fault," but did not explain 
 himself. His Majesty's eyes were a good deal affected, 
 was thinner, and had lost the ruddiness of his com- 
 plexion. He complained of the looking-glass in his 
 room as faulty in the reflection from it ; it had been 
 covered with green baize during his illness. 
 
 Admiral Payne expressed a wish that the warrant 
 for the allowance for the Princess Charlotte might be 
 made for the arrears from her birth. 
 
 The Admiral had hardly left me before the Chan- 
 cellor came to me at the Treasmy, and sat with me 
 there for an hour and a half; his Lordship had also 
 been with the King for about half an hour, when his 
 Majesty signed the commission for the royal assent to 
 the Loan Bill, on doing which he asked with some 
 solicitude whether he had written his name well to 
 the commission for the Brown-bread Bill, the signing 
 which he perfectly recollected. His Majesty's whole 
 manner perfectly collected, and possessing himself 
 entirely. On the Chancellor giving him a true account
 
 334 DIARIES AND COIlRESPONDE^'CE OF 
 
 of the feelings of the people, and of their anxiety for 
 his Majesty's recovery, he ai)[)earcd much aftected, 
 and said he hoped it would j)lcase God to give some 
 continuance to his life, that he might pro^c to his 
 subjects how deeply sensil)le he is of their attachment 
 and love. 
 
 After stating some other particulars of what passed 
 at the Queen's house, his Lordshij) entered again very 
 much at large into all the circumstances which led to 
 the change of the Administration, particularly dwelhng 
 on his being persuaded that some extraordinary intlu- 
 ence must have acted on Mr. Pitt from Sunday the 
 1st to Tuesday the 3d of February, which induced 
 him to press the King so much on the point which 
 led to his resit^nation. Thou'dit he had not been 
 treated with that degree of conlidencc previous to the 
 change which he might reasonably have expected ; 
 which is the only thing like a complaint I have heard 
 from him. His Lordship then stated at some length 
 his opinion as to the probable consequences of the 
 new Government coming into ottice, and asked for 
 mine in such a way as to induce me to think I could 
 not withhold it; I therefore told him plainly, that 
 mider the extreme contempt universally expressed for 
 them, and the conviction in the public mind on the 
 subject, it did not appear to me to be possible Mr. 
 Addington could carry on the government; his Lord- 
 ship assented in that entirely, and added, he had been 
 extremely desirous of consulting with me whether it 
 is not still possible for Mr. Pitt to remain in office, or 
 to return to it imraediatelv, which I did not hesitate
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEOEGE ROSE. 335 
 
 one minute to answer in the negative, under a clear 
 conviction that Mr. Pitt cannot again be the King's 
 minister till called upon by the country to come for- 
 ward ; his Lordship, however, urged me so forcibly 
 to ask the question of Mr. Pitt that I did so, almost 
 immediately, telling him at the same time the answer 
 I had made, in which he concurred most heartily ; and 
 in consequence thereof I wrote so to the Chancellor, 
 before I went to the House of Commons. 
 
 In the House, Lord Castlereagh proposed the 
 bill for continuing martial law in L-eland, supported 
 by a train of most respectable country gentlemen 
 from thence, and Opposition were afraid to divide 
 upon it. ' '^'^ 
 
 Friday^ March \Wi, — Mr. Pitt expressed doubts to 
 me whether he could send the Prince of Wales's war- 
 rants to the King for a loan to his Royal Highness 
 from the Civil List, and an augmented allowance 
 for the Princess Charlotte ; but quite clear the latter 
 was to have no retrospect beyond Lady-day ISOO. 
 If he does not send them, decides at least to leave 
 them with Mr. Addington as a matter positively 
 arranged. 
 
 Saturday, March 14;th. — Mr. Pitt went to the King 
 at three o'clock, and returned about half-past four, and 
 I saw him at five for a few minutes, before he Avent on to 
 Mr. Addington ; he had resigned the Exchequer Seal 
 to his Majesty ; he said his Majesty possessed himself 
 most perfectly, though naturally somewhat agitated on 
 such an occasion ; that his kindness was unbounded. 
 Mr. Pitt said he was sm'e the King would be greatly
 
 336 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 relieved by the interview being over, and his resigna- 
 tion being accepted ; adding, wliat 1 am sure was 
 true, that his own mind was greatly relieved. 
 
 In the evening, between eight and nine, Doctor 
 Thomas Willis came to me by his Majesty's com- 
 mand, to desire I would give what furtherance I could 
 to two pension warrants, for COO/, a year to Lady 
 Louisa Paget, about to be married to Colonel Erskine ; 
 which message he had received from the King while 
 playing at cards with the Queen and Princesses ; he 
 mentioned other matters to me from his Majesty of 
 little consequence, and he told me that although iMr. 
 Pitt was an hour and a half at the Queen's house, 
 he was not with his Majesty more tlian fifteen or 
 twenty minutes. 
 
 Dr. Willis (on my expressing great satisfaction that 
 his Majesty's illness had been of so short duration) 
 reminded me that during his Majesty's former illness, 
 in 1788 and 1789, he had told me that if his 
 Majesty had then been under the care of his family 
 from the beginning he would have been well much 
 sooner. 
 
 Dr. WiUis told me also the remark the King 
 had made respecting Mr. Pox and ^Ir. Sheridan; 
 in the same terms Admiral Payne did, and added 
 further, that to that time j\Ir. Pox had not been 
 to make an inquiry about him ; which led Dr. 
 Willis to look at the list, where he found Mr. Fox's 
 name the very last upon it ; he having been at the 
 Queen's house on the 11th inst., between six and 
 seven o'clock in the evening.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOllGE HOSE. 337 
 
 Sunday, March \^fh. — Mr. Pitt explained to me 
 much more at large what passed when he was with 
 the King yesterday ; repeated that his Majesty showed 
 the utmost possible kindness to him both in words 
 and manner ; that his Majesty begun the conversation 
 by saying, that although from this time i\Ir. Pitt 
 ceased to be his minister, he hoped he would allow 
 him to consider him as his friend, and that he would 
 not hesitate to come to him whenever he might wish 
 it, or when he should think he could do so with 
 propriety ; adding, that in any event he relied on his 
 making him a visit at Weymouth, as he knew Mr. 
 Pitt would go to his mother, in Somersetshire, in the 
 summer/ 
 
 The King told Mr. Pitt he recollected that in 1789, 
 he was sufficiently recovered to transact business on 
 the 12th of March, and that he had therefore dated 
 all the warrants (which were sent to him on Friday 
 and Saturday, the 13th and 14th) on the 12th of this 
 month. 
 
 Mr. Pitt sent to the King the two warrants for 
 Lady Louisa Paget, and I wrote a note to Dr. WiUis 
 to apprize him of it, and to say that Mr. Pitt would 
 not then trouble his Majesty with any other warrants. 
 
 Thursday, March 19//^.— With Mr. Pitt alone the 
 whole evening, when a conversation arose about his 
 
 ^ At the close of the last conversation Mr. Pitt had with the 
 King before his illness, his Majesty expressed an earnest wish that 
 Mr. Pitt would see him frequently as a friend ; on which Mr. Pitt 
 obsei'ved that his Majesty would, he was sure, on a little reflection, 
 be aware that such visits might give rise to much observation and 
 animadversion, and be attended with inconvenience. 
 
 VOL. I. Z
 
 338 DIARIES AND COKKESl'ONDEN'CE OF 
 
 own situation : on mentioning to him that an intention 
 had been expressed l)y many friends of bringing 
 forward a motion in the House of Connnons respeeting 
 a grant to him, he assured me in the most solemn 
 manner of his fixed determination on no consideration 
 whatever to accept anytliing from the pubhc ; rather 
 than do which he woukl struggle with any ditliculties ; 
 that if he had had the good fortune to carry the 
 country safe through all its dangers, and to have seen 
 it in a state of prosperity, he should have had a pride 
 in accepting such a grant ; but that under all the pre- 
 sent circumstances of the situation of the country, and 
 of himself, it was utterly inconsistent with his feelings 
 to receive anything. In all which (notwithstanding 
 the severe pressure I am sure he has upon him) 1 
 could not do otherwise than entirely concur Avith 
 him. 
 
 Friday, Marvh '20//i. — Mr. Steele told me the King 
 had expressed a determined })urpose to extricate Mr. 
 Pitt from his pecuniary ditHculties to the })erson from 
 whom ]\Ir. Steele had it, imder a most solemn engage- 
 ment not to mention the name of the person who told 
 it to him ; but that he could rely most firmly on the 
 veracity of the said person ; his Majesty told that per- 
 son that he had talked with Lord Grenville about 
 Mr. Pitt, who said to the King that he had good 
 reason to beheve Mr. Pitt was under no considerable 
 pecuniary embarrassment, which surprised his jNIajcsty 
 a good deal ; but he was convinced to the contrary by 
 the said person above alluded to. 
 
 Saturday, March '^\st. — ]\Iy functions ceased lus
 
 THE HIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 339 
 
 Secretary to the Treasury, having been in that office 
 exactly eighteen years, viz. nine months from July 
 1782 to April 1788, and from December 1783 to 
 March 1801. 
 
 Monday, March 23^. — Signed a few papers at the 
 Treasury, and took my leave of the five chief clerks 
 there. In the evening met the Prince of Wales ; 
 strong assurances from his Royal Highness respecting 
 myself and my son. 
 
 Tuesday, March 24M. — A council fixed for to- 
 morrow, for the Great Seal to be given to Lord 
 Eldon ; but notice given to his Lordship this day, that 
 the council will not be held till after Easter. 
 
 A drawing-room fixed for Thursday. Various 
 reports respecting his Majesty's health during the last 
 eight days of a doubtful and unpleasant nature. 
 
 Thursday, March %Uh. — The Queen had a drawing- 
 room. Mr. Eox and Mr. Sheridan there. 
 
 Saturday, March 2Sth. — The state of the King's 
 health cannot be perfectly good; there are at least 
 eight hundred warrants unsigned ; and none are 
 returned that were lately sent. 
 
 Saturday, April Uh. — The Chancellor told me he 
 did not carry the commission to the King for the 
 royal assent (which he intended to have done) in 
 consequence of a message from Dr. Willis, saying his 
 Majesty wished to walk early, and requesting therefore 
 the commission might be sent to him. His Lordship 
 had sent a list of the bills to which the royal assent 
 was to be given, in a box on the preceding evening, 
 
 z2
 
 340 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 which had not been usual. The signature to the 
 commission very well written. 
 
 Met Mr. Addington in the street, who expressed an 
 anxious wish to see me, although he had nothing 
 particular to say to me, and requested I would call 
 on him on Monday morning. 
 
 The account from Copenhagen (in Captain Ham- 
 mond's letter) discouraging, as it appears the Danish 
 fleet are in the basin, except three ships of the line, 
 and a formidable defence to keep our ships out of 
 bomb distance. 
 
 Sunday, April ^th. — Lord Eldon dined [with me ; 
 only Mr. W.' with him, when wo. had nnich confidential 
 conversation. The Duke of Cumberland told him that 
 on the day when Lord Ilobart and Lord Lewisham 
 were appointed to their situations, it was intended the 
 Great Seal should have been given to his Lordship, but 
 that the present Chancellor, Lord Loughborough, told 
 the King Lord Eldon was out of town, which prevented 
 his attendance; his Lordship said he was in town, 
 and had never had any intimation whatever that his 
 attendance at the Queen's house was expected. Lord 
 Eldon repeated what he had said to me on a former 
 occasion, that no consideration should induce him to 
 take the Seal till he was perfectly ascertained of the 
 King being in a fit condition to give it to him, of 
 which fitness he entertained great doubt at the present 
 moment. His Lordship very seriously questioned the 
 propriety of the Chancellor obtaining the King's 
 ^ Mr, White, Solicitor to the Treasury.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOKGE ROSE. 341 
 
 signature for the royal assent to the bills on Thurs- 
 day last, as well as on the two former occasions. 
 According to my own judgment, the obtaining the 
 signature to the commission for the assent to the 
 Brown-bread Act, on the 24th of "February, was by 
 much the most objectionable measure, as that was 
 carried in by Dr. Willis when nobody was allowed to 
 see the King ; whereas at this time other acts are 
 done by his Majesty, such as the papers laid before 
 the House of Commons by his command on \yednes- 
 day last. 
 
 I found also, from Lord Eldon's conversation, he 
 was persuaded Lord Thurlow would take the Great 
 Seal if offered him, but without the speakership of the 
 House of Lords. 
 
 Lord Kenyon told Lord Eldon that Lord Thurlow 
 had been with him, and that his conversation about 
 the King was perfectly shocking to his ears ; that in 
 short he was a beast, and that their conversation 
 ended by his (Lord Kenyon) saying, I swear to God, 
 my Lord, I believe he (the King) is more in his senses 
 than your Lordship. 
 
 I learnt from Mr. White that Major Scott told him 
 Lord Thurlow had been prevailed with by Mr. Tox to 
 take the Great Seal, without the House of Lords, if 
 they should be able to get into Government. 
 
 Monday, Ajpril Wi. — Saw Mr. Addington at his 
 house at Downing Street according to his request 
 expressed on Saturday last. My feelings on first 
 entering the room he was in, in which I had been with 
 Mr. Pitt daily, when in town, for more than seventeen
 
 342 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 years ! Mr. Acldington received me on his part with 
 great seeming cordiahty; at first spoke on general 
 topics : said that Sir John Warren was blocking np 
 Ganthanme, in Toulon, with the four sail of the line 
 he carried with him into the Mediterranean, and two 
 from j\Iinorca, the French having seven ; in speaking 
 of the Danish business, he expressed himself san- 
 guinely; I answered, T was sure that what could be 
 done by man would be executed by the two admirals 
 who commanded ; he observed that Lord Nelson was 
 the most likely to strike a great blow, though both 
 were good, on which I reminded him of the distin- 
 guished courage, and still more remarkable presence 
 of mind of Sir Hyde Parker, when he forced the 
 passage of the North River, above New York, early 
 in the American war, under circumstances as trying 
 to an officer as ever happened in a hazardous enter- 
 prise. Mr. Addington said he was then almost thirty 
 years younger ; that he should prefer him to command 
 the great fleet in the Channel, but that for such a 
 service as tliat at Copenhagen he should prefer Lord 
 Nelson ; from whence I infer that Sir Hyde has 
 stated to Ministers some greater difficulties in the 
 way of destroying the Danish fleet than were ex- 
 pected. 
 
 On my rising to come away, Mr. Addington told 
 me Mr. Pitt had mentioned to him his wish that I 
 should be made a privy counsellor, and that he 
 should very readily make that communication to the 
 King, to show his good disposition towards me, and 
 he hoped I should feel properly on the subject, and
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 343 
 
 consider his doing so as a mark of kindness towards 
 me. To which I answered that I had certainly sug- 
 gested to Mr. Pitt, that if I could be made a privy 
 comisellor, through his interposition, I should consider 
 it as an honourable reward for my services to the public 
 and my attachment to him ; but that the value of it 
 would be lost unless I felt that I owed the distinction 
 to Mr. Pitt. Mr. Addington then said he hoped 
 neither I nor my friends would disclaim any obliga- 
 tions to him ; which induced me to observe that where 
 no merit was claimed (conceiving that in the present 
 instance he could take none to himself) there could 
 be no ground for disclaiming. Mr. Addington then 
 asked me what T should have done if Mr. Pitt had 
 died ? To which my answer was, that in that event my 
 thoughts would not have been employed in consider- 
 ing whether I should be a privy counsellor or not ; 
 that I should, of course, have abandoned all thought 
 about it. He then expressed a hope that I would 
 admit his being the channel through which Mr. Pitt's 
 wish should be expressed ; and I replied instantly, 
 perhaps a little quickly, that knowing Mr. Pitt's 
 feelings, I was sure that out of office he could not 
 think himself at liberty to communicate with the 
 King, except through his Minister. Mr. Addington, 
 before the words were well out of my mouth, said he 
 hoped I beheved him to be equally incapable of any 
 improper communications with the King out of a 
 responsible situation ; which not appearing to me to 
 call for any observation, I made none. It seemed to 
 savour of a consciousness that my remark about Mr.
 
 344 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 Pitt touched him somewhat. He conchidcd that part 
 of the conversation (in the course of which lie made 
 repeated attempts to extort from me something like 
 an acknowledgment of an obligation) by saying that 
 he would take the earliest opportunity of submitting 
 Mr. Pitt's request to the King, and he was certain 
 there would be no hesitation in a compliance with it ; 
 adding, that he hoped I would allow him at least the 
 satisfaction of assuring me he should have ])leasure 
 in being the channel of conununication. 
 
 Sunday, April \^lh. — The King much improved in 
 his health. He saw Mr. Addington for a considerable 
 time, and the Duke of York on military matters for 
 two hours ; then dined with the Queen, and had the 
 Princesses with him in the evening. 
 
 Monday, April 13///. — The King not quite so well ; 
 which is attributed to his having exerted himself too 
 much yesterday. 
 
 Tuesday, April \^th. — An account was received by 
 a special messenger from St. Petersburgh of the death of 
 the Emperor Paul, who died suddenly in the night of 
 the 23d of last month; supposed really to have been 
 in an apoplexy, he having had a fit of a dangerous 
 kind some time asro. 
 
 The messenger brought to Count Woronzo (ill at 
 Southampton, where he has been living ever since his 
 functions ceased as ambassador from Russia) letters 
 of credence to this Court, to be used as soon as a 
 British messenger should be sent to St. Petersburgh, 
 and a proclamation that the new Emperor meant to 
 tread in the steps of his grandmother, the Empress
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 345 
 
 Catlieriiie ; — wliicli probably will put an end to the 
 Northern confederacy. 
 
 Wednesday, April Xhth. — The authentic account 
 from Sir Hyde Parker of the entire destruction of the 
 Danish naval line of defence at Copenhagen, one of 
 the most brilliant victories that ever did honour to 
 the naval heroes of this country ; and in all its points 
 certainly exalting the national character of Great 
 Britain infinitely higher than any occurrence that 
 ever happened in any war we have carried on. Cir- 
 cumstances in the conduct of Lord Nelson marking 
 his coolness, firmness, presence of mind, and resources 
 in a situation of great difficulty, as superior, if pos- 
 sible, to his heroism in action. The conduct of Sir 
 Hyde Parker, in coolly looking on, not intelligible to 
 me ; but his character for intrepidity and resource 
 in a time of danger and difficulty is too well estab- 
 lished to admit of a conjecture that his not engaging 
 could arise from any improper motive. 
 
 Saturday, April I'^th. — The conversation I had with 
 Mr. Addington on the 6th, having impressed me 
 strongly with a persuasion that he wished to take to 
 himself the merit of making me a privy counsellor, 
 to which the delay in the notification would give 
 a sanction, I determined to decline it altogether. 
 I accordingly wrote a letter to Mr. Addington to 
 that effect, assigning as my reason that it would not 
 now have the appearance to the public of flowing 
 from Mr. Pitt's solicitation ; determined at the same 
 time not to allow the disappointment to influence 
 my conduct in the remotest degree. Before sending
 
 346 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 the letter, however, I consulted j\Ir. Pitt on the 
 subject, as there was a reference to his name and 
 interposition in it, who entreated me so anxiously to 
 delay sending it for a few days, that in his presence I 
 threw it into my desk in my own room. 
 
 Monday, April 20M.— Tlic King and royal family 
 went to Kcw. His IMajesty rode there with the 
 Prince of Wales, and after dinner rode again. The 
 exercise, so much exceeding what his ?^Iajesty had 
 lately taken, and his conversing with a great nund)or 
 of people, workmen and others, occasioned some 
 degree of irritation and alarm. 
 
 Tuesday, April 2Ls'/. — Lord Eldon (Chancellor) 
 was prevented dining with me this day, to meet Mr. 
 Pitt, by having been sent for by the Prince of Wales. 
 On his attending his Royal Highness, the Prince told 
 his Lordship that it was the intention of his ^Lajcsty, 
 declared yesterday, to devolve the government on him, 
 the Prince ; that he wished therefore the Chancellor 
 would consider the proper mode of that being carried 
 into effect ; and that it was the Kim/s intention to retire 
 to Hanover or to America. The Prince had expressed 
 in his letter, that the King was particularly desirous 
 his Lordship should give to his Royal Highness a 
 paper delivered into the hands of the Chancellor 
 some days ago. He desired therefore that his Lordship 
 would carry it with him to Carlton House, but in the 
 conversation he did not' ask for it. That the Queen 
 and his brothers wished him to take measures for 
 confining the King; that his Royal Highness very 
 greatly disliked the Willis family being about the King,
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 347 
 
 and he was therefore desirous of knowing if they were 
 placed there by any authority, or how they might be 
 got rid of. That his Royal Highness had seen Lord 
 Thurlow, and wished the Chancellor to see him. To 
 all which the Chancellor said very little ; refused to 
 see Lord Thurlow ; the paper was not delivered ; 
 that Dr. Willis, &c. were not about the King by any 
 positive authority, but on grounds of propriety and 
 notorious necessity, justifying in the clearest point of 
 view the measure. On many of the points no reply at 
 all was made by his Lordship. 
 
 In the Gazette, a continuation of the title of St. 
 Vincent to the children of the present Earl's sister, 
 Mrs. Ricketts, with the dignity of a Viscount. 
 
 Wednesday, April ^2d. — Breakfasted with Lord 
 St. Vincent by appointment. 
 
 Agreed that Mr. Nelson (brother to the hero in the 
 Baltic) should not be a Commissioner of the Navy, 
 but that I would state to Mr. Addington Mr. Pitt's 
 intention to place him on the Board of Customs or 
 Excise. 
 
 His Lordship entered on the late glorious victory 
 at Copenhagen, and told me the merit of the attack 
 rested solely with Lord Nelson, as Sir Hyde Parker 
 had been decidedly adverse to the attempt being 
 made, and was overruled only by the perseverance and 
 firmness of the former ; and that in the middle of the 
 action Sir Hyde had made the signal (No. 39) for 
 discontinuing the engagement, which Lord Nelson said 
 to the officer who communicated it to him, he was sure 
 proceeded from some mistake. When it was men-
 
 348 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 tioned to Admiral Graves, he asked if it was repeated 
 by Lord Nelson ; and on being answered in the 
 negative, he said, " Then we have nothing to do with 
 it." Lord St. Vincent then added, "For these and 
 other causes," probably alluding to the armistice, " we 
 have recalled Sir Hyde, and Lord Nelson is to remain 
 with the command." His Lordship proceeded to say 
 that this measure of necessity put the Administration 
 under some difficultv as to rewards of honour to 
 the officers who had distinguished themselves ; and 
 that he had thought it advisable to delay any distri- 
 bution of medals or to recommend any stage in the 
 peerage to Lord Nelson, conceiving that the whole 
 might be done on the termination of the service 
 with propriety, and without embarrassment respect- 
 ing Sir Hyde Parker. My Lord told me that in 
 the course of the action at Copenhagen two guns 
 had burst in each of the three Admirals' ships, 
 and one in another, — making seven in the whole ; 
 — by which accident a large proportion of the men 
 were killed or wounded probably, who suffered in 
 the battle. 
 
 After I had left his Lordship, it occurred to me 
 that as no measures can be kept with Sir Hyde 
 Parker, it might be desirable to confer the intended 
 step in the peerage on Lord Nelson now, and the 
 medals on the other officers ; in which opinion j\Ir. 
 Pitt concurring, I wrote to suggest that to his Lord- 
 ship before twelve o'clock. 
 
 I sent his Lordship also a note of various sugges- 
 tions for improvements in the naval service, a copy
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 349 
 
 of which I think I gave to Lord Chatham when he 
 was at the head of the admiralty in 1788 or 
 1789. 
 
 Sunday y April 26M. — Having seen in the Gazette 
 of the 21st the grant of a new peerage to Lord 
 St. Vincent, and knowing that Mr. Addington has had 
 intercourse with his Majesty on other matters, I felt 
 an increased reluctance to accept of being made a 
 privy counsellor now; and I copied my letter to 
 Mr. Addington, with necessary alterations, to send it 
 to him to-day, and went up to Mr. Pitt to apprize 
 him of my determination, to whom I stated, as 
 strongly as I could, that the thing would (after such 
 a lapse of time, and the King's pleasure having been 
 taken on so many other matters) be absolutely hatefid 
 to me, instead of being at all pleasant. Mr. Pitt still, 
 however, urged me so strongly not to send the letter 
 that I again declined to do it. He assured me that 
 Mr. Addington had not lately seen the King. 
 
 Tuesday, April 28M. — The Earl of Rosslyn (late 
 Lord Loughborough) called upon me, and stated at 
 much length what had lately passed between him 
 and the King, and between him and the Prince of 
 Wales. Of the former, the most interesting was, that 
 when he attended his Majesty to deliver up the Great 
 Seal, the King put into his hand a paper which he 
 Avrote in 1795, testifying his approbation of the recall 
 of Lord Pitzwilliam, and the reasons for that ; which 
 paper, his Majesty said, would be a decisive proof that 
 he had not changed his mind on the subject of the 
 Irish Catholics ; and he added, that he had a duplicate
 
 350 DIARIES AND CORIIESPOXDEXCE OF 
 
 of it, which he shoukl soon put into the hands of 
 another person. 
 
 With respect to the conversation with the Prince 
 of Wales, it was very niucli the same as that witli 
 the Prince and the Chancellor (Lord Eklon). Lord 
 Rosslyn had seen his Royal lliglnu'ss twice, and heard 
 nearly the same things repeated, and had since received 
 a message, by Admiral Payne, on the subject of his 
 Royal Highness being Regent. 
 
 In the afternoon, after the House of Lords had 
 risen, when the Bill was read the third time for pre- 
 venting seditious meetings, I sat more than an hour 
 with the Chancellor in his room, near the House, and 
 he told me he was under an engagement to his 
 Majesty to re-deliver to him the paper alluded to 
 above ; but that Lord Rosslyn's copy was to be left in 
 his Lordship's hands. The Chancellor was under a 
 difficulty about the mode of obtaining his Majesty's 
 signature to the commission for the royal assent to the 
 Bills now ready for it ; on which I suggested to him 
 that it appeared to me, rebus sic staniihus, to be more 
 desirable, upon the whole, so to manage the matter 
 as to have a letter from the King, transmitting the 
 commission signed by him ; as that might perhaps be 
 more satisfactory than even his Lordship seeing the 
 King sign it, because he would then be in possession 
 of a written testimony of his Majesty's competency to 
 execute such an instrument. Whereas, in the other 
 mode, however his Lordship might be convinced of the 
 King being in a proper state to transact business, he 
 could hereafter have no means <di proving it \ in which
 
 THE IIIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 351 
 
 his Lordship concurred. He seemed to think it not 
 necessary that his Majesty should be in an U7iin- 
 terrupted state of health and composure to justify his 
 being called upon to discharge the ordinary duties of 
 the Sovereign ; but that it would be sufficient for his 
 Lordship's justification if his Majesty should, at the 
 time of his being called upon to perform any act of 
 sovereignty, be in a proper situation to do such act. 
 
 Sunday, May 10//^.- — Mr. Braun^ came to me with 
 a message from the King, to desire I would ask 
 Sir Henry Mildniay whether he would lend his house, 
 in Winchester, for his Majesty's residence for a day or 
 two, in his way to Weymouth. He came to my bed- 
 side, as I was extremely unwell at the time. I told 
 him he might assure the King that he might depend 
 on having the house, as Sir Henry authorized me 
 to offer it two years ago for the use of the King, when 
 it was supposed his Majesty was going to review the 
 provincial troops in Hampshire, &c. In the course 
 of conversation, however, Mr. Braun suggested that his 
 Majesty had more than once dropped expressions of 
 his persuasion that, if Cuffnells should be thought a 
 fitter residence for him, he was sure I would let him 
 have it. I was, therefore, induced to write on the 
 11th to Dr. Thomas Wilhs, to desire if he should ever 
 hear a wish expressed about Cuffnells, that he would 
 say, from me, I should be delighted if his Majesty 
 would make use of it in any manner and for any time 
 he might choose. I wrote, at the same time, to Sir 
 Henry Mildmay, to request he would call on me. 
 ^ The King's page, an old confidential attendant.
 
 352 DIARIES AND CORHESPOXDENCE OF 
 
 Tuesdaij, May \2th. — Received an answer from 
 Dr. Willis, telling me that the King would very 
 thankfully accept of my house ; with strong expres- 
 sions of acknowledgment, as well for that as for my 
 soHcitude about him diu-ing his illness. 
 
 Mr. Braun and Mr, Bowman called in the course 
 of a few days to settle about the apartments, and de- 
 livered messages to me from the King, that he ex- 
 pected I would remain at Cufthells. After this, to 
 request that at any rate that I would be so near it that 
 I might be constantly with him during his residence 
 there. 
 
 Sunday, May IG///. — Wrote to Mr, Addington to 
 decline the honour of being made a privy counsellor, 
 and to desire he would not propose it to his Majesty, 
 as it could not now appear to be connected with, or to 
 arise from, my services under Mr. Pitt's administra- 
 tion, or to be conferred on me at his instance ; but 
 that it would make no difference whatever in my 
 conduct. To this letter no answer of any sort was 
 returned ! ! 
 
 Monday, May 17//^— The Chancellor told me he 
 had had a long conversation with the King, who was 
 perfectly well. His Majesty told his Lordship that 
 whatever he advised him to do in icriting, he would 
 implicitly comply with it, 
 
 Friday, May 21 5/. — The first public council for 
 some time past was held at the Queen's house, at 
 which Mr. Abbott and ^Ir, Wallace were sworn privy 
 counsellors ! 
 
 May 31*^.— The King, at the instance of the Lord
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOKGE 1108E. 353 
 
 Chancellor, agreed to defer his journey till the rising 
 of Parliament ; and at night I received a letter from 
 Mr. Braini, written by his Majesty's command, to 
 apprize me of it. 
 
 Tuesday, June 8///. — Mr. Pitt told me there was an 
 intention of dissuading his Majesty from going to 
 Weymouth, on account of the inconvenience likely to 
 arise from the concourse of people there. Asked me 
 about the house, late Lord Bute's, near Christ- 
 church, which I told him was half taken down, and 
 would not now do. Talked of Walmer Castle, as likely 
 to afibrd accommodation for the King, and that Deal 
 Castle would do for the attendants; to which I 
 answered, that it was entirely for others to judge of 
 the comparative risk stated, and also of that of dis- 
 turbing the King's mind by turning him from a 
 scheme he had an extreme fondness for. 
 
 Wednesdaij, June ^th. — The Chancellor dined with 
 me alone, bv his own desire. We had a Ions; and 
 interesting conversation on various points, public and 
 private. 
 
 He told me the King had expressed much un- 
 easiness at no notice having been taken by Parliament 
 or his people of his recovery from his illness ; that 
 Mr. Addington had opposed any parliamentary pro- 
 ceeding in it, as no notice had been taken by the two 
 Houses of his illness. This I stated as in my opinion 
 a frivolousobjcction, because, if his Majesty had been 
 afflicted with a fever of a common sort, or any other 
 illness, the Houses would naturally have congratulated 
 hiiu on his recovery ; and that the Privy Council 
 
 VOL. I. A A
 
 354 DIAllIES AND CURllESPONDEN'CE OF 
 
 having ordered public tliaiiksgiviug prayers in all 
 clmrclies throughout the kingdom, the matter was oi 
 sufficient notoriety for a congratulatory address ; in 
 Avhich his Lordship seemed to concur, lie mentioned 
 the intention of making an attempt to prevent the 
 Weymouth journey, accompanied with strong expres- 
 sions of disapprobation. He told me that when at 
 Kew with the King, some weeks ago, he found his 
 Majesty in a house there, separated from his ftunily, 
 with the ^^■illis's, &c. living with him ; under which 
 arrangement the King was extremely uneasy, and at 
 lenuth t(jld the Chancellor he had taken a solemn 
 deterinhiation, that unless he was that day allowed to 
 go over to the house where the Queen and his family 
 were, no carthlv consideration should induce him to 
 sign his name to any paper or to do any one act of 
 sovenmient whatever. This resolution he affirmed, 
 with the strongest declaration, that he would abide 
 by, as a gentleman and as a king. Accordingly, the 
 Chancellor consented to his ^lajesty going to the 
 house where the Queen was. 
 
 TInimlmj, June 10///. — Doctor Thomas Wdlis came 
 to me to express the King's Avish again, that I would 
 be so near him (as I declined remaining in the house) 
 as to ensure mv beinpr with him the whole time he 
 should remain at Cnffnells. He told me Mr. Adding- 
 ton had a positive determination to dissuade the King 
 from going to A\'eymouth, which was seriously lamented 
 by himself and brothers, and equally so by Dr. Gisborne 
 and the other physicians, as likely to incur a serious 
 risk of disturbing the King's mind. That the premises
 
 THE IIIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE, 855 
 
 at Weymouth had withhi a few weeks been purchased 
 from the Duke of Gloucester, alterations made, and 
 hot and cold baths constructed there, under the dh'ec- 
 tions of the physicians, and every preparation made 
 for the journey ; but that Mr. Addington was bent on 
 effecting his purpose, and he believed he would make 
 the report that day, much to his grief and uneasiness. 
 He told me that unfortunately the King had taken a 
 decided aversion to himself and the other medical 
 peo})le about him, and showed great impatience to get 
 from under their restraint. That after his Majesty 
 went to Kew, they had been under the necessity of 
 removing him from the house where the Queen and 
 Princesses were ; but that tJiat was not effected without 
 a mark of violence from his Majesty towards him. He 
 assured me, however, that his Alajesty was now almost 
 entirely well, and that there was every appearance he 
 would remain so. He assured me also, that it was a 
 subject of constant complaint and regret with the 
 King that no notice had been taken by Parliament &c. 
 of his recovery ; contrasting that with the conduct of 
 his people in Hanover, who had congratulated him on 
 the occasion. 
 
 Friday, June 11///. — The Chancellor came to me 
 before breakfast for half an hour. He complained of 
 Mr. Pitt not havhig attended last night in the House 
 of Commons, on the Indemnity Bill (respecting the 
 commitments for treasonable practices), and said he 
 should write to him, to desire he would urge the attend- 
 ance of his friends in the House of Lords upon the 
 discussion. He apprehended Lord Thurlow would 
 
 A A 2
 
 356 DIARIES AND COllRESPONDEXCE OF^ 
 
 oppose it strongly. His Lordship told inc he would 
 strenuoushj resist the King being diverted from going 
 to Weymouth, under ii elear conviction that the 
 attempt even could not be made without great hazard. 
 He again mentioned the address, and concurred with 
 me in opinion about it, if it could be done so that his 
 Majesty should receive it upon his throne, and not be 
 pestered with others ; to which I re})lied, that if it 
 should be delayed till very near the end of the session, 
 his Majesty would escape all others by his excursion to 
 the sea-side. This his Lordship seemed to approve of. 
 Mr. Beresford, in talking of the extraordinary cir- 
 cumstances attending the debate on the Irish Martial 
 Law Bill, on Wednesday evening, the Oth, told mc 
 that before that business came on, jNIr. Addington said 
 their intention was to propose the continuation of the 
 bill to one month after the peace, which ]\L'.B. very nmcli 
 approved of; but that in less than ten minutes (and 
 while Mr. Abbott was making that proposal), Mr. Ad- 
 dington returned to him and said, their friends would 
 not support so long a continuance of the bill, to which 
 Mr. B. replied, if so, there was no remedy but to take 
 a shorter one ; asking, however, who the friends were 
 who alarmed him, to which it was answered Lord 
 Folkestone and .Mr. Calvert ! Mr. Addinorton then 
 said, he would send Mr. Vansittart to ^Ir. Ponsonby 
 (who had risen to speak) to tell him he would pi'opose 
 the bill should be in force only one year, which Mr. 
 Beresford dissuaded him from, as likely to make Mr. 
 Ponsonby more bold in his objections ; which effect 
 was produced by the message. jNFr. Addington then
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 357 
 
 rose, and declared '' he had never intended to 
 
 PROPOSE THE BILL SHOULD HAVE CONTINUANCE FOR 
 MORE THAN ONE YEAR, OR RATHER TO THE 25tH OF 
 
 March, 1802," and tliat in the hearing of Mr. 
 Beresford, to whom he had half an hour before said it 
 was settled to have the proposal made in the terms 
 moved by Mr. Abbott ! The latter was of course 
 exposed to the most virulent attacks of the Opposition, 
 of which they availed themselves to the utmost. 
 
 Mr. Tierney had appeared for some time past 
 wavering — certainly holding back from the front 
 ranks of opposition — and apparently making advances 
 to Mr. Addington ; but the conduct of that gentle- 
 man in the late debates made him relinquish all 
 idea of connecting himself with such a head of a 
 party. .. 
 
 Sir Charles Grey to be made a peer; — surely a 
 reflection on Mr. Pitt, — his only merit could be his 
 conduct in the West Indies; which, if so rewarded 
 at all, should have been done in Mr. Pitt's adminis- 
 tration. 
 
 I found myself unwell on the 28th May, the day I 
 returned to London to dine as usual with some friends, 
 at Mr. Dundas's, on Mr. Pitt's birthday (having been 
 to Hampstead, at Whitsuntide, for the Friendly 
 Societies); but went with Mr. Pitt toDeptford, Trinity 
 Monday, June 1st. Prom the 2d I was confined to 
 the house, with an inflammatory complaint in my lungs, 
 till the 13th, when I went to Holly Grove.
 
 358 DLIUIES AND CORRESPONDEXCE OF 
 
 CHAPTEil VII. 
 
 1801. 
 
 CORRESPONDENCE ON MR. riTT'S RETIREMKNT FROM OFFICE IN 1801, 
 BETWEEN MR. ROSE, THE BISHOP UF LINCOLN, LORD Al'CKLANU, MR. 
 PITT, MR. ADDINOTON, AND LORD ELDON — MIS-STATEMENTS OP THE 
 WHIG WRITERS ON MR. PITT'S ADMINISTRATION, AND THE CAUSES OF 
 HIS LEAVING OFFICE. 
 
 [Great was the consternation with wliich the tidings 
 of Mr. Pitt's resignation were received by liis fol- 
 lowers, who seemed to say, " Can tliese things be, 
 and overcome us Uke a summer cloud, without our 
 special wonder?" Either not knowing, or not appre- 
 ciating at their real value, the motives by wliich he 
 was actuated, they displayed their irrepressible dis- 
 satisfaction, and no small obli(piity of judgment. The 
 Bishop of Lincoln was much alarmed at the idea 
 of the Roman Catholic Bill, and thought that by the 
 promise of abandoning it all would be set straight 
 again. In this he was quite mistaken, as well as 
 in the corrections of Mr. Rose's letter to the King, 
 which he suggested. The promise did not extend 
 beyond the King's reign, and it was not true that it 
 would hold good at all times and under all cir- 
 cumstances. — Ed.]
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE EOSE. 359 
 
 Dii. ToMLiNE, Bishop op Lincoln, to Mr. Rose. 
 \T^rwate?\ 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " I hear, and I think from good anthority, 
 that somethmg very unpleasant is passing relative 
 to a Roman Catholic Bill, Avhich Government stands 
 pledged to Ireland to introduce into the Imperial 
 Parliament, and which is said to be disapproved by a 
 great personage to such a degree that very unpleasant 
 consequences indeed may follow. If what I hear con- 
 cerning the intended measure be correct, I cannot 
 but most earnestly deprecate it ; and I am satisfied 
 that it never can be carried throui>;h the House of 
 Lords. I think that every bishop would be against 
 it ; it has already excited no small alarm amongst 
 some of our bench. I am unwilling to write to ]\Ir. 
 Pitt about it, and you will judge whether it be expe- 
 dient for you to mention to him what I have said. 
 You and he both know that I am always ready to go 
 up to town ; but I could not well leave home till the 
 14th, as I have company coming hither out of York- 
 shire and Suffolk the beginning of next week, and 
 I have promised to preach in this church on the fast- 
 day. Let me know what you think and wish ; as 
 I really am at present in a state of considerable 
 anxiety and uneasiness. 
 
 " Adieu, my dear sir. Every good wish from this 
 house to you and yours. 
 
 " Yours ever most tridy, 
 
 "G. Lincoln. 
 
 " Buckden Palace, Feb. 6th, 1801."
 
 360 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 Letter from Mr. Rose to the Kin(;. 
 
 " It affords me great satisfaction to be able to say 
 to your Majesty that I am authorized by Mr. Pitt to 
 assure your Majesty, that (in whatsoever situation, 
 public or private, he may happen to be ') he will not 
 bring forward the question respecting the Catholics of 
 Ireland : and that if it should be agitated by others 
 he will supply a proposition for deferring the con- 
 sideration of it. And that I mention this with the 
 less hesitation, from Mr, Pitt not having thought 
 himself at liberty (for the reasons T stated last 
 year at Cuffnells) to avail himself of your Majesty's 
 very gracious and condescending kindness and li- 
 berality." 
 
 [Letters from ^Ir. George Rose, Lord Bolton, and 
 Lady Chatham, may next be introduced, expressing 
 their anxieties and regrets at the change. — Ed.] 
 
 Mr. George Rose to Mr. Rose. 
 
 "Holly Grove, Feb. 6th, 1801. 
 
 " My dear Father, 
 
 " William is just come. The news so con- 
 founds and perplexes me (without, Heaven knows, 
 the mixture of any but public feelings, except as to 
 
 ' Instead of these words within parentheses, the Bishop of Lincoln 
 suggested — "at no time, and under no circumstances." It is 
 unnecessary to add, " during your Majesty's reign," as that must be 
 fairly understood. — Ed.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 361 
 
 what relates to you) that, in the instant I have to write 
 in, I can but say the only single consolation I can feel 
 is the ease and retreat it holds out to you, and for 
 which my anxiety has been more than I can express. 
 We shall be but one family, please God; and no 
 trifling inconvenience can weigh for a moment against 
 the advantages of retirement to you after a life of such 
 unprecedented exertion and fatigue. 
 
 " The prospect of unhinging the Government to raise 
 a new one with so weak a head is too frightful. Is it 
 credible that I conversed very long to-day with a 
 gentleman [the King] hunting, who talked of all the 
 people most affected as if nothing had happened, or 
 was to happen, and who was in unusual spirits ? 
 
 " May Heaven preserve you, my dearest Pather, 
 *'G. H.Rose." 
 
 " ' Lord Bolton to Mr. Rose. 
 
 [Private.'] - 
 
 "Hackwood Park, 8th Feb. 1801. 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " One hasty line to thank you truly for yours, 
 received this day. The confidential communication 
 of an event of real importance makes all our little 
 county arrangements seem still smaller. I am really 
 and truly sorry for this great change, although I by no 
 means wonder at Mr. Pitt's desire to withdraw for a 
 time from a weight which would have sunk most men 
 long ago. I would have had liim at the helm till we 
 could have reached the port; but such strange and 
 contrary winds blow, that perhaps the superstition
 
 362 DIAllIES AND CORRESrONDENCE OF 
 
 of the crew must be awakened and yielded to, and 
 a change of pilot for that cause alone must be made. 
 Yet I wonder at the successor, not from douljt of 
 his talents, but at his willingness to move from the 
 other situation at such a time, 
 
 " I hardly venture to reckon upon all the good 
 which may have been hoped. If the Speaker is 
 placed there as a medium of attraction for conciliat- 
 ing parties, I can in some degree understand the ob- 
 ject, although doubtful of success. If lie is to be 
 the ministir upon the old ground, iiis House of 
 Commons popularity with the other side will be 
 soon gone. Some, indeed, have gone far in positive 
 declarations against any peace to be made by Mr. 
 Pitt, and may be a little freed by a new appointment ; 
 but this is the decided friend and confidant of ^Ir. 
 Pitt. 
 
 " I will only add iny best wishes for all possible 
 satisfaction to Mr. Pitt, and success to his successor, 
 if he does right, and I have no doubt about him. 
 I am so out of the way of politics or political men 
 that 1 am very ill (pialified for judgment. 
 
 " You do not surprise me by your own resolution ; 
 for indeed you must be well tired of it all, and you are 
 fairly now entitled to retreat. I could not have held 
 out half so long, even if I had had health. I trust 
 that happier days may come, when we may meet 
 more comfortably in the country. 
 
 "How soon will this all take place? But it is 
 unreasonable to ask a line from you, as you must be 
 doubly hurried.
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 363 
 
 " I am half guessing a successor to you in tins 
 
 county. I think it would he agreeable to him : but 
 
 all this confidential. Adieu. 
 
 " Ever most cordially yours, 
 
 " Bolton." 
 
 Mrs. Stapleton^ to Mr. Rose. 
 
 ''"" ' "BurtonPynsent, 11th Feb. 1801. 
 
 " Sir, 
 
 " The rumours of the last ten or twelve days 
 have kept Lady Chatham in a constant state of painful 
 anxiety. Your silence upon the subject of Mr. Pitt's 
 health, — of all things, next to his honour, nearest her 
 heart, — satisfied her, from your former kind attention, 
 that he was not seriously ill ; and your most friendly, 
 obliging letter of last night, relieves her from the very 
 irksome, painful uncertainty of not knowing what to 
 think possible or true of the various things, at best 
 most cruelly unpleasant, which reached us in a desul- 
 tory manner and style. A few lines, with yours, from 
 Mr. Pitt, was the first information we received that 
 could gain further faith than the fear that some severe 
 storm was gathering. Pray God it prove not destruc- 
 tive. A change, with every favourable circumstance 
 that the present appears to be attended with, it is 
 impossible not to dread, must prove destructive at a 
 period when unanimity and ]\Ir. Pitt at the helm 
 furnished sufficient difficulties to baffle with. His 
 promised aid, with the will of the Almighty, may still 
 
 1 Mrs. Stapleton was a friend of Lady Chatham, who lived with 
 her, and latterly wrote letters for her.
 
 364 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 support us; and, if things put on a less threaten- 
 ing aspect, his greater degree of rehixation from busi- 
 ness will probably more firmly establish his health, — 
 of such near consequence to almost the whole known 
 world, whatever situation he may be in. His 
 dearest mother and himself are so much one in mind 
 and sentiment, that the rectitude of his conduct you 
 now give to him, and ever his due, with his own 
 account of perfect health, places her above any disap- 
 pointment. To yourself she owes the knowledge of 
 even the shadow of a new administration. Mr. Pitt 
 simply mentioned the unfortunate event as unavoidable, 
 with his feelings, and not a name. Lady Chatham 
 entreats your acceptance of her best regards and sin- 
 cerest thanks for your most friendly attention, which 
 she shall ever retain the most grateful sense of ; and 
 ventures to flatter herself, as occasion offers, you will 
 not withdraw the kindness of letting her hear any im- 
 portant event which she may otherwise lose, or not 
 learn from equally good authority. God grant success 
 to any right undertaking, and avert all fatal conse- 
 quences from this most unlooked-for change. I don't 
 think there is a better heart in human breast than 
 Mr. Addington's, or a man that loves Mr. Pitt better ; 
 so far it is pleasant. I ought to have acknowledged 
 the favour of your letter last night, but the post came 
 in late, and went out by seven o'clock this morning. 
 " I am, Sir, your very much obliged, 
 
 " And obedient, humble servant, 
 
 " C.\TH. Stapleton."
 
 the right hon. geoege rose. 365 
 
 Lord Auckland to Mr. Rose. 
 
 \_Private.'\ 
 
 " Palace Yard, February 8th, 1801. 
 
 " My DEAR Sir, - - 
 
 " I have sent to Mr. Pitt the several documents 
 respecting the proposed duties of postage, except, 
 only, an explanatory paper, which you will find in the 
 bundle of his minutes for the budget. 
 
 " As to the rest, stunned, grieved, and aggrieved, as 
 I am, I shall now have ample leisure to think ; and 1 
 have no particular desire to talk. I very cordially 
 hope, however, that we shall meet, whenever it may 
 not be disagreeable to you to spare a quarter of an 
 hour. 
 
 " Believe me, most sincerely yours, 
 
 " Auckland." 
 
 Mr. Rose to Lord Auckland. 
 
 "Sunday, February 8th, 1801. 
 
 " My dear Lord, 
 
 " Mr. Pitt told me he had received the Post- 
 office papers from you, which I dare say will justify 
 our taking the sum 3^ou mentioned towards our taxes 
 in the approaching budget. 
 
 " The allusion in the latter part of your note is to a 
 subject as painful and distressing to me, in various 
 points of view, as it can be to any individual in this 
 country, the principals not excepted. Any discussion 
 upon it with you for the present could answer no pos- 
 sible good end, and there are occasions on which con-
 
 366 DIARIES AND COllKESPONDENX'K OF 
 
 versatioii on anij subject liad better for a time Ix* 
 avoided between persons who have long been in the 
 habit of talking confidentially on <?//." 
 
 [Mr. Rose, weighing the mediocrity of Mr. Addingtoii 
 against the superior talents of Mr. Pitt, not ordy re- 
 jected his solicitation to iiinain in office at the Trea- 
 sury, but would not accc})t a favour from him ; and 
 the offer of being enrolled in the I'rivy Council was 
 rejected, unless it was fully understood that it was the 
 reward of his service under the cx-Minister, and that 
 to him he was indebted for the iiunour. This is 
 shown in the annexed correspondence. — Ed.] 
 
 Mr. Rose to Mr. Addin(;ton. 
 
 "Feb. lOtb, 1801. 
 
 " I thought something fell from vou this morniuf^ 
 that implied a doubt whether, in my situation, you 
 should have taken the same line I have. On points, 
 exclusively of feeling, with Mhich the judgment has 
 not much to do, I can easily conceive two persons, 
 whose habits of thinking arc much alike, may differ. 
 In this instance, I act on the impulse of my feelings ; 
 and I repeat to you, with the sinccrest truth, that in 
 any other situation whatever but that I at present 
 hold, I should have complied icith ihe ivish expremed 
 hy Mr. Pitt, without the slightest hesitation ; and that 
 I am influenced by no motive but the one I expressed 
 to you."
 
 the right hon. george rose. 367 
 Mr. Rose to Mr. Pitt. 
 
 "April 18th, 1801. 
 
 " My dear Sik, 
 
 " I should not think myself justified in making 
 any commnnication, where there is even a mention of 
 your name, without apprizing you of it ; but I have 
 other and more interesting reasons for begging you to 
 read the enclosed before I send it. I have been led to 
 write it principally from what fell from Mr. Addington 
 in the conversation I had wdth him twelve days ago. 
 If }ou happen to recollect what I stated of that, I 
 think you will not disapprove of this letter. If, how- 
 ever, you see anything objectionable in it, I will either 
 alter it or put it in the fire. 
 
 "I am still lame ; but I can get up to you in a 
 carriage any time in the day, if you wish to see me." 
 
 Mr. Rose to Mr. Addington. 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " When you mentioned to me three w^eks ago 
 that Mr. Pitt had requested you to submit to his 
 Majesty his wisli that I might be made a privy coun- 
 sellor, you told me you were persuaded there would be 
 no hesitation on the part of his Majesty in a com- 
 pliance therewith. In the course of that conversation 
 I felt myself called upon to say, that, consistently with 
 my feelings, I could owe the obligation only to Mr. 
 Pitt, under an impression that the distinction being 
 conferred on me early, would be considered as a proof 
 that my services under him for more then seventeen
 
 368 DL-^RIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 years had rendered me worthy of the houour I sought ; 
 adding, however, tliat being aware (as circiunstances 
 had unavoidably prevented Mr. Pitt from submitting 
 the request to his jMajesty l)efore he retired from 
 office) it coukl now only be proj)oscd by you, I was 
 perfectly content 6v to receive what T had asked of 
 Mr. Pitt. But as you have taken his Majesty's 
 pleasm'e on various subjects in the interval since 1 
 saw you, and I have had no intimation from you re- 
 specting myself, the favour if granted could not have 
 the appearance of flowing from ^Ir. Pitt's solicitati(jii. 
 I have, therefore, no longer any wish for the distinc- 
 tion at present, and desire to decline giving you any 
 trouble about it. The reasons for the omission arc 
 to me quite unimportant. 
 
 "You know me, T trust, well enough to be (piite 
 sure that this determination does not arise from the 
 remotest tendency to captiousness, or from any other 
 cause than the one I have stated, and that the disap- 
 pointment cannot produce any alteration whatever in 
 my conduct. 
 
 " I am, my dear Sir, 
 
 " Your very obedient and faithful, humble servant, 
 
 " George Rose. 
 
 " Old Palace Yard, April 2.jth, 1801." 
 
 Mr. Rose to Mr. Addington. 
 
 "May 17th, 1801. 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 "As my having the honour conferred upon me 
 of being admitted to his Majesty's Privy Council
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE RO«E. 369 
 
 could not noio be connected with my services under 
 Mr. Pitt's administration, or appear to arise from his 
 approbation of them, I could not consistently with my 
 feelings receive it at present. I desire, therefore, to 
 decline givhig you any trouble about it. 
 
 ' ' You know me, 1 trust, well enougli to be very 
 sure that this determination does not arise from any 
 other cause than the one I have assigned, and that 
 the disappointment cannot produce the slightest 
 possible alteration in my conduct." 
 
 [It might be supposed that nothing coidd shake the 
 determination here so strongly expressed by Mr. Rose, 
 of resisting Mr. Addington's offer; especially since his 
 eldest son entirely concurred in his view of the matter, 
 and endeavoured to persuade him to adhere to it. But 
 Mr. Pitt was so sincerely desirous to support his suc- 
 cessor, so long as he committed no grave faults in his 
 administration, which might compromise the interests 
 of the country, that his friend could not stand out 
 against his earnest and repeated entreaties that he 
 would strengthen the government by accepting a seat 
 in the Privy Council. The public would suspect the 
 sincerity of his intentions, if his most intimate friend 
 stood absolutely aloof from the Minister, and refused 
 to accept the smallest obligation from him. Mr. Pitt 
 seems to have requested Mr. Addington to name the 
 subject to the King, and the latter not only complied 
 with that request, but judiciously desired Mr. Pitt to 
 make the communication to his friend. Mr. Rose having 
 
 VOL. I. B B
 
 370 DIARIES AND COIUIESPONDENCE OF 
 
 constrained himself to make this concession to the 
 pohcy of Mr. Pitt, thought it a favourable oj)i)ort unity 
 to put forward the claims of his son for employment 
 mider the new Ministry ; for though the ex-Minister's 
 influence was crippled, it was not destroyed l)y loss of 
 office, and he had a right to ex})cct, that if he wished 
 to obtain a situation for some competent and trust- 
 worthy person, his recommendation would not be 
 disregarded. In this case there was no reason to 
 hesitate. Mr. George Kose had already obtained dis- 
 tinction in the diplomatic line, and his previous 
 character fully justitied an application in his behalf — 
 
 [After the short illness, occasioned by the change 
 of administration in the beginning of the year, the 
 King resolved to go to Weymouth, as a healthful and 
 quiet place, but it was too far to get there in a day. 
 Mr. Rose having learned that he did not like to sleep 
 at Southampton, offered him the use of his house, 
 called Cuffnells,' on the borders of the New Forest, 
 which pleased the King very much, and he employed 
 his doctor, T. Willis, to convey to him the thanks, 
 which are expressed in the first of the two following 
 letters. The second is from Lord Eldon, who had been 
 to visit the King at Weymouth, and, being obliged to 
 return speedily to town, writes to Mr. Rose asking 
 him to relieve him from a comical perplexity in 
 administering justice between man and man. In the
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 371 
 
 postscript there are some good remarks upon traffick- 
 ing in Church patronage, and a revelation of the 
 plague which the possession of that patronage entails 
 upon the patron. — Ed.] 
 
 Dr. Willis to Mr. Rose. 
 
 - - ■.'■'. V • -" • 'i^Kew House, May 12, 1801. 
 
 " Dear Sir, 
 
 " I am commanded by his Majesty to write to 
 you, and say that he feels himself very much obliged 
 to you for your offer of Caffnells, which will be much 
 more pleasing to him than being at "Winchester. 
 He has also desired me to wTite to his page, Mr. 
 Bowman, — who has gone to Weymouth, and who was 
 to call at Winchester on his way back, to make pre- 
 parations for the King, — and say, that his Majesty 
 now^ intends to stop at Cuffnells for three or four 
 days, on his way to AVeymouth ; and that instead of 
 his (Mr. Bowman's) going to Winchester, he desires he 
 wall now return by Cuffnells, and see into the accom- 
 modation there and in the neighbourhood. 
 
 " I cannot express to you how gratifying this offer of 
 yours is to his Majesty. If anything should suggest 
 itself that you might wish to say to Mr. Bowman, you 
 Avould probably think it right to write to him to- 
 night, at Gloucester Lodge, Weymouth. He will 
 probably be at Cuffnells about Thursday. But it 
 will be requisite that a letter should find him at 
 Weymouth. 
 
 " Let me not forget to add, that his Majesty com- 
 manded me to say in this letter, that he had heard of 
 
 B B 2
 
 372 DIAKIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 vour solicitude clnriiiGr his illness, and that he should 
 ever remember it. Of this, also, he spoke to-day to 
 Lord Eldon, who says he never knew the King to be 
 at any time better. 
 
 " Should you wish to say anything further upon the 
 subject of Cuffuells, I would advise that you called 
 upon me (for I cannot come to you) at a house 1 
 have a few doors below the Rose and Crown, on Kcw 
 Green, somewhere about half after twelve to-morrow, 
 if you can spare the time. This is of course not 
 necessary ; but I only state it, that if you wisli it, you 
 may know how you may see me. And I think his 
 Majesty may be inquiring into particulars, which it 
 might be satisfactory to him to know. 
 
 " I need not add that I have been obliged to write 
 in a great hurry. 
 
 " I am, dear Sir, most truly, 
 
 " Yours very faithfully, 
 
 " Thos. Willis. 
 
 " I should imagine that the King will set off about 
 the beginning of the second week in June. Her 
 Majesty, the Queen, is delighted with the idea of 
 stopping at CufFnells." 
 
 Lord Eldon to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Dear Rose, 
 
 " I got to Weymouth on the morning of Mon- 
 day, the 17th, and, according to what usually befalls 
 me, I was compelled to leave it, and to return to 
 town forthwith, setting out from thence on Wednes-
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 373 
 
 day evening. So that my expectations of making what 
 may be called a stay there were ntterly disappointed, 
 and my golden hopes of being a night or two at 
 Cuffnells fell to the ground. I could not help lament- 
 ing this for a great many reasons, principally, that I 
 was unable to gratify jny inclination to take you by the 
 hand in my passage, and to assure myself by ocular 
 proof that you are got quite well. I had some 
 subordinate views undoubtedly ; and principally one 
 w^hich relates to a subject that distresses me, because 
 it puzzles me, and because it distresses poor Brodie, 
 whilst it continues to puzzle me. The business in 
 Avhich he has been engaged I never heard of, whilst 
 it has been pending in the House, except simply 
 that I had been informed that there was some such 
 business pending, and that Lord Rosslyn asked me 
 if I would undertake to settle what should be done. 
 Here it rested, without more being said to me till I 
 received some of your letters, which were written cer- 
 tainlv under a notion that I knew somewhat more of 
 this matter than I really did know. In the next place, 
 I was applied to by Mr. Adam and Mr. Brodie, to 
 direct all papers to be removed from Evans's to Brodie's 
 hands, and he joined in the proposition that 500/. 
 should by me be ordered to be paid to each of them, 
 and that Brodie should go on with the work. 
 
 " I was startled with this, for it was not till after this 
 that the resolutions of the Lords were communicated 
 to me. Erom these resolutions, as I understand them 
 (pray tell me if I am right), the Lords, I conceive, have 
 determined that Brodie is to go on with the work.
 
 374 DIARIES AND CORKE.SPONDKNCE OF 
 
 but in such manner as I f^halJ dirrct, and they are 
 both to be paid in such manner for what is past, a-f J 
 also shall direct. Now, in having taken the good- 
 natured part of removing this business from that scene 
 of squabble Avhich I understand tlie committee-room 
 exhibited, I liave permitted myself to be i)laced in n 
 situation of more ditficultv than i^ at all comfortable. 
 In the first place, with an absolute ignorance of all 
 that has been doing, and responsible to the Lords for 
 the propriety of my directions, ignorant both as to 
 what ^Ir. Brodie has done, and as to what Mr. Evans 
 has done, how can I, without complete information 
 given me from some quarter, judge, in any sort, what 
 I OUGHT to direct to be paid to either of these gentle- 
 men for the time past, so as to be able to account to 
 the Lords whv I ordered so much or so little, as it 
 may happen, to be paid ? 
 
 In the next place, as I understand the order, though 
 Brodie is to proceed, he is to proceed as I shall direct. 
 Now, I feel it prodigiously difficult, — in absolute igno- 
 rance of all that has been doing, and all that has been 
 contended to have been rightly done, or injudiciously 
 done, and with no more knowledge of the subject than 
 your horse, or of the reasons why one plan has been 
 thought good and another has been thought bad, — 
 either to tell ]\Ir. Brodie to proceed upon the plan he 
 has hitherto been executing, or to tell him Avhat better 
 plan he can adopt and ought to pursue. And be 
 pleased to note well, that by the Lords' order, the 
 plan in future must be mine. Here I am without a 
 soul to give me any information on the subject, and I
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 875 
 
 cannot take my lesson from Brodie himself, "vvliom 
 I am to direct, and who into the bargain is a Scotch- 
 man : — a circumstance I feel, because I practically 
 know, from my friend Loughborough's having got me 
 into, and himself out of, this scrape, that I am not 
 equal to gentlemen from that part of the island. 
 
 " In the meantime, Brodie gets nothing, and is 
 starving. I am therefore mortified that the state of 
 public matters robbed me of the opportunity of seeing 
 you in my way from Weymouth ; but it was impossible. 
 But pray take up your pen, and tell me, if you'll be 
 so good, to what extent, and how, these gentlemen 
 should be paid for what is past, and ujpon what 
 grounds they are to be paid now to any such proposed 
 extent ; — grounds which I can state and assign to the 
 Lords when they look at the payment to that extent 
 as my act. As to Brodie's going on in the manner 
 he has hitherto proceeded, I really have not the power 
 or the means of judging whether that be right ; and, 
 as I understand the resolutions of the committee, he 
 is not to go on so, unless / think it right that he 
 should. Now, I am so ignorant upon the subject, so 
 little competent to judge whether it is right or wrong, 
 that I do not even know what the quarrel has been, 
 or on what grounds it has stood. Pray also tell me, 
 as largely as your convenience will admit, what have 
 been the different plans suggested, and what you 
 think, and for what reasons, the best. I need not tell 
 you that Brodie is hungry, and in a hurry, and there- 
 fore the sooner you can indulge me with a full answer 
 the better. I am heartily sorry that I have got into
 
 37fi DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 this business at all. However, I must make the best 
 of it I can. 
 
 " I found the King doing very well, but not I think 
 in high spirits, which is perhaps so much the better. 
 With my best regards to Mrs. Rose and all the family, 
 " Believe me, dear Sir, fnithfnlly yours, 
 
 " Eldon. 
 
 " P.vS. — I had forgot in the enclosed to say a word 
 to you about Mr. B., who, you intimate, has a living 
 to dispose of, and you suppose looks to a ])rebend. 
 The thing is impossible for many reasons, Tn the 
 first place, my serious opinion is, that though ecclesi- 
 astical men of the highest stations and best characters, 
 * imdti et boni,' think nothing of these exchanges, 
 there is an illegality about such transactions which 
 makes it impossible for a man at the head of the 
 law to have anvthinj^ to do with them. I know this 
 was the rule with my best predecessors, and I have 
 positively refused already in many instances to take 
 any part in them. In the next place, as matters now 
 go on, that is, as nothing of any sort has in my time 
 become vacant, or next to nothing, I look to a prebend 
 rather with a wish to have some vacant than a hope ; 
 and I have two royal commands already for prebends. 
 They happen also to suit my brothers-in-law, and 
 some other people nearly connected with me, for none 
 of whom I was ever able to get any provision in the 
 church to which they belong, and I do hope anxiously, 
 somehow or other, by some chance, not to fail in my 
 last hopes on their behalf, though I am afraid I shall.
 
 THE Rin^HT HON. GlEORGE ROSE. 377 
 
 My friend, Lord Rosslyn, presented to nineteen livings 
 in February. I liave presented to two in four months ; 
 neither of them worth acceptance. A wish to obhge 
 yon, when I can, I ever shall anxiously have, and this 
 I persuade myself you do me the justice to give me 
 credit for. In these circumstances, to me it is pro- 
 voking beyond endurance, that every day brings me 
 as many letters for preferment, from men strangers to 
 me, as if every parson in England were dead, though 
 they seem to be all immortal." 
 
 [We have now come to the close of Mr. Pitt's first 
 administration, the history of which has been greatly 
 misunderstood, by friends and foes, and much un- 
 deserved obloquy has been cast upon him by both. 
 Lord Malmesbury comes nearest to the truth, though 
 even his account is mixed with considerable error. 
 He says " This measure (the Catholic relief bill) is to 
 be attributed in part to Pitt's carelessness, and in 
 part to his want of real respect for the King ; for 
 had he been provident enough to prepare the King's 
 mind gradually, and to prove to him that the test 
 proposed was, as far as went to allegiance and supre- 
 macy, as binding as the present oath, no difficulty 
 could have arisen. Instead of this, he reckons on 
 his own power, never mentions the idea at St. 
 James's, and gives time for Lord Loughborough 
 directly, and for Lord Auckland indirectly, through 
 the Archbishop of Canterbury and Bishop of London,
 
 878 DIARIES AND CORKESPONDENCE 0"F 
 
 to raise an alarm in the King's mind, and to indispose 
 and exasperate him against the framcrs of the measure. 
 This was very blameable in Pitt.' Afterwards, lie fell 
 still more under the intincnce of the backl)iters who 
 disseminate their malevolence in clubs and drawing- 
 rooms, and accused him of playing a very sclHsh and 
 criminal part:^ of trying to be entreated by the king to 
 keep the government in his own hands, or of letting 
 his successors remain in oilice long enough to make 
 peace, and then turn them out."* 
 
 If Lord Malmesbury had published his own Diaries, 
 he would scarcely have allowed these unjust surmises 
 to have held a place in them, since they are com- 
 pletely contradicted by the authentic facts which are 
 afterwards detailed at great length.^ If such was 
 the treatment that Mr. Pitt received from his friends, it 
 may be supposed that his opponents would not spare 
 him. Lord Holland was not far wrong in saying 
 that Mr. Pitt accpiiesced in an expedient by which 
 a ministry was formed for the express purpose of 
 resisting a great national measure, which he had 
 earnestly recommended ; and it is true that he 
 wished his friends who differed with him on that point 
 to remain in office. But it is not true that he suggested 
 that expedient ; and it is not true that the ministry 
 was formed chiefly of his own creatures and depen- 
 dants. Still less is it true, that Lord Auckland and 
 
 1 Diaries, &c. vol. iv. p. 3. ^ Ihid. page 3. ^ Ibid, page 40. 
 
 * Ibid. p. 75, et seq.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOKGE ROSE. 379 
 
 Lord Loughborough produced the breach between the 
 King and Mr. Pitt.^ Lord Brougham remarks upon 
 Pitt's resignation : " Xre the motives of it wholly 
 free from suspicion ? Cui hono ? He was incalculably 
 a gainer by it. Finding it impossible to continue 
 any longer the ruinous expenditure of the war, he 
 retired, placing in his office his puppet, with whom 
 lie quarrelled for refusing to retire wdien he was 
 bidden ; but the ostensible ground of his resignation 
 was the King's bigoted refusal to emancipate the 
 
 L'ish Catholics." ' - - • - ; 
 
 The bigotry which is here imputed to George III., 
 calls forth, in another place, the wrath of the noble 
 WTiter. Like the lion who is said to have a thorn 
 in his tail, he lashes himself into ungovernable fury, 
 and lavishes upon the unfortunate monarch the wealth 
 of his invective, with a ferocity w^hich shows that the 
 most bitter animosity and the most unforgiving re- 
 sentment, w^hich he attributes to the King, had taken 
 possession of his own breast. *' Ira furor brevis est:'* 
 and certainly the inconsistency of his anger looks very 
 nuich like a temporary mental alienation ; for he says, 
 " the habits of friendship, the ties of blood, the dic- 
 tates of conscience, the rules of honesty, were alike 
 forgotten; and the fury of the tyrant, with the resources 
 of a cunning which mental alienation is supposed to 
 
 ^ Memoirs of the Whig Party, vol. i. p. 171. 
 ^ Historical Sketches of Statesmen in the time of George III., 
 by Lord Brougham, vol. i. p. 201.
 
 380 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OP 
 
 whet, were ready to circumvent or to destroy all \\ iio 
 interposed an obstacle to tlie fierceness of nnljridled 
 desire." ' And yet, in his calmer mood, tiie noble Lord 
 does not forget the rules of honesty, but makes this 
 candid acknowledgment : " That he (the King) only 
 discharged the duty of his station by thinking for him- 
 self, acting according to his conscientious opinions, 
 and using his influence for giving those opinions effect, 
 cannot be denied."^ 
 
 In remarking upon the intolerance of Percival and 
 his party, Lord Brougham says, " They forget that 
 those of opposite sentiments have exactly the same 
 excuse for unyielding obstinacy that they have for 
 rooted dislike towards adverse doctrines. 'J'hey feel 
 all the heat of intolerance, but make no kind of 
 allowance for others feeling somewhat of the fire 
 which burns so fiercely within themselves." ^ Mutato 
 nomine de te fabula narratur. So easy is it to 
 discern the mote in another's eye without perceiving 
 the beam in our own. An additional instance of 
 this ''furor brevis' may be fovmd in the charge 
 brought against George IIL, of all men in the 
 world, of forgetting the ties of blood. The sandy 
 foundation on which this accusation rests, is stated 
 thus: " The treatment of his eldest son, whom he hated 
 with a hatred scarcely consistent with the supposition 
 
 1 Historical Sketches of Statesmen in the time of George III., by 
 Lord Brougham, vol. i. p. 201. 
 
 2 Ibid. vol. i. 3 j(ji^ ^q\^ j p^ 263.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOEGE ROSE. 381 
 
 of a sound mind, iniglit seem to illustrate the shadier 
 part of his personal disposition. He had no better 
 reason for this implacable aversion, than the jealousy 
 which men have of their successors, and the conscious- 
 ness that the Prince, who must succeed him, was 
 unlike him ; and being disliked by him, mast during 
 their joint lives be thrown into the hands of the Whig 
 party, the adversaries he most of all detested and 
 feared." 
 
 No better reason for aversion ! Now what was 
 the character of the person thus disliked? After 
 running a course of dissipation uninterrupted by 
 any rational or worthy pursuit, prematurely exhaust- 
 ing the resources of indulgence both animal and 
 mental, and becoming incapable of receiving further 
 gratification, it was found that a life of what was 
 called unbounded profusion, could not be passed with- 
 out unlimited extravagance. He had become wholly 
 selfish through unrestrained indulgence. He neither 
 commanded respect, nor conciliated esteem. He had 
 neither firmness nor truth in his character. "The 
 Whig party, being the enemies of George HI., found 
 favour in the sight of his son and became his natural 
 allies."* But perhaps this is an overcharged state- 
 ment. It may be, but it is the statement of Lord 
 Brougham himself. If the King therefore detested 
 and feared the Whigs, it was not because they were 
 Whigs. On the contrary, he declared to Lord 
 
 1 Histoi'ical Sketches, vol. ii. pp. 4, 5, 6.
 
 382 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 Malmesbury, that he himself was an olil Whig. Hut 
 there are better reasons for disHkc than jealousy or 
 whiggery, or even the despicable character of the man, 
 which the historian of the statesmen of that reign can 
 scarcely be permitted to ignore. 
 
 From his earliest youth, the Prince had been a source 
 of pain and sorrow to his father. When he was fourteen 
 years old the King was very ill. Lord Hertford said, 
 " Think what he must feel at finding already that his 
 son is so headstrong that he has not the least autho- 
 rity over him." His tutors too were driven away by 
 his ungovernable temper. When he was eighteen, 
 and became emancipated from the surveillance under 
 which he had lived, he is described by Walpole as 
 getting drunk, swearing, and intriguing with various 
 women. This w^as the period too of the following 
 complaint : — 
 
 " When we hunt together," said the King (in 17S1), 
 " neither my son nor my brother will speak to me; and 
 lately when the chase ended at a little village, where 
 there was but a single postchaise to be hired, my son 
 and brother got into it, drove to London, and left]me to 
 get home in a cart, if I could find one. Me com- 
 plained, too, that the Prince, when invited to dine 
 with him, came an hour too late, and all the servants 
 saw the father waiting an hour for the son." ' From 
 the same authority we learn, that " the Prince of 
 
 ' Memoirs and Correspondence of C. J. Fox, by Lord John Russell, 
 vol. i. p. 270.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 383 
 
 Wales had of late thrown himself into the arms of 
 Charles Pox, and this in the most undisgnised 
 manner," who dictated his politics in his lodging ; 
 " and in this school did the heir of the crown attend 
 his lessons, and imbibe them. Fox's followers, to 
 whom he never enjoined Pythagorean silence, were 
 strangely licentious in then* conversations about the 
 King. At Brookes's they proposed wagers on the 
 duration of his reign, and if they moderated their 
 irreverent jests in the presence of the Prince, it was 
 not extraordinary that the orgies of Brookes's might 
 be reported to have passed at Pox's levees, or that the 
 King should suspect that the same disloyal topics 
 should be handled in the morning, that he knew had 
 been the themes of each preceding evening." ' It was 
 believed that he had demanded of the Lord Chancellor, 
 and Lord Ashburton, " what redress he could have 
 against a man who had alienated from him the affec- 
 tions of his son." 
 
 The true causes of the King's estrangement from 
 his son are distinctly visible in the Diaries of Lord 
 Malmesbury and Lord Eldon. Li an interview with the 
 Prince in 178.5, Sir James Harris" proposed to get Mr. 
 Pitt to obtain from Parliament an income of 100,000/. 
 a-year, on condition, that he would set aside 50,000/. 
 to pay his debts and cease to be a party man. The 
 Prince's answer was, " It will not do. I tell you the 
 
 ' Memoirs, &c. vol. ii. p. 47. 
 
 ' Afterwards Earl of Malmesbury.
 
 384 UIAKIES AND COIUlESrONUENCE OF 
 
 King hates me. He would turn out Pitt for i-utur- 
 taining such an idea : besides 1 cannot abandon 
 Ciiarles (Fox), and my friends." How was it possible 
 for the virtuous monarch to tolerate such a man, wlio 
 shuffled from the path of duty by meanly pretending 
 scruples about turning out IMtt, which was the very 
 thing most desired by Charles and liis friends; and 
 who preferred associntion with ])n>fligacy to being an 
 honest man and a good son ? What a striking con- 
 trast to this undutiful conduct of the Prince is i)re- 
 sented to us by his vounj^er brother the Duke of 
 Kent, who made this declaration of his feeUngs to 
 Lord Eldon : " The King is my object ; to stand by 
 him at all times my tirst duty, and my inclination ; 
 and I think I cannot prove this more strongly, than 
 by pledging myself always to support his servants. 
 I have ever acted up to this profession, and I always 
 will." ' 
 
 But there is other evidence of the unworthy and 
 unscrupulous behaviour which provoked the severity 
 of the King, in their private correspondence. That 
 private correspondence the Prince proposed to publish, 
 because his requests, whicli were probably mireason- 
 able, were refused, and his extravagance and dissipated 
 manner of living reprobated. So callous and dead- 
 ened was his conscience, that he said to Lord Malmes- 
 bmy, who had seen the letters, " I cannot bring 
 myself to say that I am in the wrong when I am in 
 
 1 Lord Eldon's Life, by H. Twiss, vol. i. p. 485.
 
 THE IIIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 385 
 
 the right. The King hcas used me ill, and I wish the 
 public knew what you now know, and had to pro- 
 nounce between us." The sage counsel which he then 
 received should have shown him the folly of his unfilial 
 treachery ; for Sir James Harris replied, " I should 
 be very sorry indeed, Sir, if this was known beyond 
 these walls ; for I am much mistaken if the public 
 would not pronounce a judgment widely different from 
 what you think. It is not sufficient for the King to be 
 wrong on one point, unless you are in the right in all ; 
 and as long as any part of your conduct is open to 
 ' censure, the voice of the public will always go with 
 the King." ^ Nevertheless, the Prince published the 
 private correspondence. Who can wonder that this 
 act of baseness rankled in the royal mind, and proved 
 the only bar to a perfect reconciliation ? When at a 
 subsequent period, one sohtary symptom of a better 
 spirit touched the tenderness of a father's heart, the 
 King said to Lord Eldon, " The Prince of Wales's 
 making the offer of having the dear little Charlotte's 
 education and principles attended to, is the best earnest 
 he can give of returning to a sense of what he owes to 
 his father, and indeed to his country, and may to 
 a degree mollify the feelings of an injured parent ; but 
 it will require some reflection before the King can 
 answer how soon he can brins himself to receive the 
 publisher of his letters. 
 
 " 2 
 
 * Lord Malmesbury's Diary, vol. ii. p. 129. 
 
 2 Lord Eldon's Life, by H. Twiss, vol. i. p. 485. 
 
 VOL. I. C C
 
 386 DDVKIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 There was another correspondence ' published in 
 1S03, but that contained only one short letter from 
 the King, and cannot be accepted for the " letters" to 
 which he alludes. But the manifest insincerity which 
 the Prince's letters breathe throughout, the almost 
 irony with which he beseeches an affeclionate father 
 to open his ears to the supplications of a dutiful son — 
 supplications to which he knew fidl well the King 
 could not, would not, and ought not to listen ; and the 
 prevaricating spirit of altercation with his brother the 
 Duke of York, v\'ho steadfastly resolved to obey his 
 father, show more desire to plague the King, and 
 embarrass his government, than any serious wish to 
 gain his confidence. The high military command to 
 which he aspired had been repeatedly and resolutely 
 refused, for obvious political reasons, which he does not 
 attempt to controvert. From all this it is abundantly 
 manifest, that the King had plenty of better reasons 
 for disliking his eldest son, than the foolish jealousy 
 which is imputed to him. Thirdly, Lord Brougham 
 says, that the Whigs were "the adversaries whom 
 he (the King) most detested and feared." How far 
 this is true or otherwise, we shall have another oppor- 
 tunity of showing. At present it is sufficient to say, 
 that it was not because they were Whigs ; for, as we 
 have seen, he said of himself that he was an old Whig, 
 and the Whig administration of Queen Anne he con- 
 
 1 Annual Register, 1803, p. 564.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 387 
 
 sidered the most able we had ever had.^ Lastly, the 
 accuser asserts, that m all that related to his kingly 
 office, he was the slave of deep-rooted selfishness ; and 
 yet he owns, that when he threatened to abdicate 
 rather than do what he considered wrong, they who 
 knew him were well aware that he did not threaten 
 without a full resolution to act.^ The Duke of Port- 
 land said, he was sure the King had rather suffer 
 martyrdom than submit to the measure of Roman 
 Catholic emancipation.^ : . ; ^ '•. 
 
 It was no theological bigotry that actuated him 
 in his pertinacious resistance to that measure, but a 
 conscientious conviction that it was his duty. He 
 probably knew little or nothing of the doctrinal 
 differences between Protestants and Roman Catholics, 
 but the oath which he had taken at his coronation 
 bound him to support the established Church. In 
 that sense he had taken the oath. In that sense 
 he believed it was intended to be understood by 
 those who framed it, and therefore he was resolved 
 to abide by the obligation which the state had laid 
 upon him, and to which he had vowed his un- 
 reserved adhesion. This is no mere surmise, or 
 arbitrary assumption, but rests on the King's own 
 declaration, and the uniform expression of his feel- 
 ings on other occasions. To Mr. Pitt he wrote 
 thus : " A sense of religious, as well as political duty, 
 
 ^ Lord Malmesbury's Diary, vol. iv. p. 44. 
 
 2 Historical Sketches, p. 8. ^ Ibid. 
 
 c c 2
 
 388 DIi\.RIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 has made me, from the moment I mounted the throne, 
 consider the oath, that the wisdom of our forefathers 
 has enjoined the Kings of this reahn to take at their 
 coronation, and enforced by the obhgation of instantly 
 following it in the course of the ceremony with takini: 
 the sacrament, as a Ijinding rehgious obhgation on nie 
 to maintain tlie fundamental maxims on whicli our 
 constitution is placed; — namely, that the Church of 
 England is the established Church ; that those who 
 hold employments in the state nnist ])e mend)ers of it ; 
 and conse(iuently obliged not oidy to take oaths against 
 Popery, but to receive the Holy Communion agreeably 
 to the rites of the Church of England." ' Stronger 
 stiU was his statement in a conversation with the 
 Duke of Portland, in whicli he said, " that were lie to 
 agree to it, he should betray his trust, and forfeit his 
 crown, and that it might bring the framers of the 
 measure to the gibbet." - 
 
 In all this there was no symptom of antipathy to 
 other creeds, or their professors; but a deep, ineradi- 
 cable impression that he was bound by his oath to 
 defend the Church to which he belonged from all 
 encroachments. This was the uppermost idea in his 
 mind during his illness ; and when he came to him- 
 self, he said, after a silence of several hours, " I am 
 better now ; but I will remain true to the Church."' 
 It was, in fact, the cause of his illness on that occa- 
 
 ' Memoirs of Fox, vol. iii. p. 251. 
 
 2 Lord Malmesbury, vol. iv. p. 44. a [hid. vol. iv. p. ID.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 389 
 
 sion, which he thus signified to Mr. Pitt : "Tell him," 
 said he to Dr. Willis, " I am now quite well ; quite 
 recovered from my illness ; but what has not he to 
 answer for, who is the cause of my being ill at all ? " ^ 
 No better proof can be desired of his warm affection 
 for the minister who had served him faithfully for 
 seventeen years, than the pain at parting from him 
 which produced this derangement. He told General 
 Bode that " this was the first and only difterence of 
 opinion between them ; that the measure took him 
 quite by surprise, and hurt him very much."^ But 
 that no " unforgiving resentment took possession of 
 his breast," is proved by the conversation which he 
 held with Lord Malmesbury a few months afterwards, 
 in which " he spoke in friendly terms of Pitt," ^ and 
 by his desiring, through the Duke of York, to see 
 him. If he had been a selfish man, he would have 
 consulted his own ease, and undisturbed enjoyment 
 of life, by yielding to the earnest entreaties of so 
 great an authority. But he was cast in a nobler 
 mould ; and even those who most widely differ from 
 the conclusion at which he arrived, must reverence 
 the high sense of duty which prompted him to sever 
 his strongest attachment, and sacrifice his peace of 
 mind rather than do that which his conscience told 
 him would be a great sin. 
 
 The state of the King's feelings on this subject, 
 
 ^ Lord Malmesbury, vol. iv. p. 32, ^ jn^^ yQ[^ iy_ p^ 3^ 
 
 3 Ibid, vol. iv. p. 63,
 
 390 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OY 
 
 after his recovery, is shown in the following extract 
 from a letter of Sir George Rose, who at that time 
 lived at Holly Grove, near AVindsor, and frequently 
 conversed with the King in his rides. He is writing 
 to his father : — " Many jwints in the Bishop of 
 Lincoln's letter are indeed highly satisfactory, and 
 give a hope of termination to a state of affairs so 
 abject, so galling, and so humiliating." (This refers 
 to a scheme of Mr. Pitt's friends, unknown to him, 
 to induce Mr. Addington to resign a post for 
 which they considered him quite unfit.) " Tlie obsti- 
 nacy on the Catholic question is most mortifying. 
 This country docs not care a straw about it, — per- 
 haps is against it ; and with the enormous advantage 
 of the Union, and the means of making various 
 concessions, short of the grand one, we might safely 
 have w\aited at least for experience to know whether 
 it was indispensably necessary or not. In this neigh- 
 bourhood it is distinctlv understood, that Mr. Pitt 
 put himself under the governance of Lord Castle- 
 reagh, who drove him to the question in the view^ to 
 debase and pull down the established Church, to 
 Avhich he (his family being at the head of the 
 Dissenters in Ireland) is peculiarly hostile. You will 
 judge how this persuasion will render the resistance 
 to Mr. Pitt's views acrimonious and insurmountable. 
 
 This leads me to a recent conversation, in which a 
 firm belief was expressed (by the King), that :\Ir. 
 Pitt, before the question had been agitated, or the
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 391 
 
 violent hostility to it which drove him out was known, 
 had pledged himself to some person (I suppose Lord 
 Castlereagh w-as meant) to carry the question or to 
 resign his office. I could not pretend to say that no 
 such pledge existed ; but, as I could not believe Mr. 
 Pitt capable of giving it to that extent, upon a question 
 in great measure speculative, and in the state of the 
 country, and of a w^ar which he had undertaken, 
 I used every argument in my power, drawn from 
 circumstances, the nature, principles, and high feel- 
 ings of the man to eradicate this opinion. If what 
 I said did not convince, I am sure it did not offend. 
 I was told shortly before that, that Mr. Pitt had but 
 one fault, — pride. I endeavoured, as far as I was 
 able, to soften that opinion, and to put the amiable 
 parts of his character in as strong a light as I could." 
 A similar charge has been preferred against Mr. Pitt 
 by others of his friends besides the King ; and where 
 many voices concur in pronouncing the same sentence, 
 it may usually be taken for granted that there is some 
 truth in the allegation. But where better motives 
 are sufficient to account for the phenomena of political 
 conduct, it is the part of Christian charity not to attri- 
 bute it to worse. Mr. Pitt's conduct has been much 
 misunderstood, or rather it has not been vmderstood 
 at all. A recent writer in the Edinhurgh Review, wuth 
 all the assistance which the memoirs hitherto published 
 can give, says, " His conduct at this crisis was as un- 
 inteUigible to those of his contemporaries to whom it
 
 392 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OP 
 
 was known, as it is to us at present : " and again, "We 
 confess ourselves at a loss to justify, and scarcely even 
 to explain, the course whicli he pursued ; why, if he 
 was willing to remain in March, he was so resolvetl 
 on resigning in February, or why, if he was so resolved 
 on resigning in February, he was so wilUng to remain 
 in in March, we are equally unable to detennine." 
 
 Nevertheless, with the additional light reflected on 
 this transaction by the Rose jjapers, the explanation 
 is not difficult. Besides that self-respect, which, 
 though invidiously denominated pride, is felt more 
 or less by every great man, the two motives, which 
 from first to last most swayed Mr. Pitt's political 
 conduct, were attachment to his sovereign, and his 
 duty to the country. For the long period of seven- 
 teen years, they had worked together in perfect 
 harmony ; but now a case had occurred in which 
 they Avere at variance, and which impelled them in 
 opposite directions. He knew the King's aversion 
 to the measure he proposed, and yet he thought it 
 his duty to propose it. But why (if Sir George Rose 
 was right in saying, that at that time the country 
 did not want it) did he voluntarily and suddenly 
 bring forward a measure which he knew must make 
 a breach between the Khig and himself? For it is 
 well known that he was bound by no engagement 
 to the Roman Catholics. He had given them no 
 pledge or promise of relief, and his own declared 
 opinion was, that it was a remote contingency de-
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 393 
 
 pending upon their good conduct. But it is probable 
 that the report then current was correct; and that 
 Lord Castlereagh was the person who introduced the 
 question into the Cabinet, not from any hostihty to 
 the Church of England, of which there is no ground 
 whatever to suspect him, but because, having been 
 employed to bring about the union, in his anxiety to 
 accomplish the task assigned to him, he had over- 
 stepped the bounds of discretion, and encouraged 
 hopes which he was not authorized to inspire. 
 
 The majority of the Cabinet, however, having decided 
 in favour of the c(mcession, Mr. Pitt was bound to 
 report that decision to the King. Perhaps he was not 
 without a hope, that the influence by Avhicli his 
 Majesty had so long been governed, might overcome 
 the resistance which he foresaw ; but he also foresaw, 
 that the only alternative would be his own resignation 
 of office, unless the King should be satisfied with the 
 assurance, that he not only would not introduce the 
 measure himself during his Majesty's reign, but that 
 he would do all in his power to prevent the discussion 
 of it in Parliament. It was necessary, however, that 
 such an assurance should be accompanied by one 
 stipulation, for the sake of the country. It was im- 
 possible to administer its affairs with any tolerable 
 chance of success if it should appear that the Minister 
 did not enjoy the full confidence of the Sovereign ; if 
 the servants of the Crown were opposed by the Crown, 
 and the Cabinet defeated by the King's own friends.
 
 394 DIARIES AKD CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 The condition, therefore, of his sacrificing his opinion, 
 and retaining office, was, that the King should not use 
 his personal influence to control the proceedings of 
 Parhament. To this demand, however, the King 
 refused to accede, and Mr. Pitt resigned. But when 
 he found that to this desertion of him the King attri- 
 buted the derangement of his mind, his inflexibility 
 melted at such a ])roof of the monarch's personal attach- 
 ment, and he felt that, according to his own cx})res- 
 sion, in proportion to the difficulty which a sovereign 
 might have in accepting the resignation of a minister, 
 who, for good reasons, sought permission to retire, so 
 ought to be his love for such a sovereign' ; and this 
 moved him to write the contrite letter mentioned by 
 Lord Malmesbury, retracting, it may be supposed, the 
 condition on which he had insisted before. 
 
 It may be doubted, however, whether this letter was 
 ever actually sent ; at least, no notice is taken of it 
 in Mr. Rose's Diary, amongst the confidential commu- 
 nications which he had with Mr. Pitt. Yet the feeling 
 which would have dictated that letter, plainly existed ; 
 for we learn from the Diary, that at that period Mr. 
 Pitt showed much more willingness to return to office 
 than he had ever done since his resignation ; which, 
 of course, indicated an unconditional submission to 
 the King's wishes. But it is not, therefore, to 
 be assumed that he acted upon this impulse. His 
 own deliberate feelings upon the whole subject are 
 
 1 Gifford's Life of Pitt, vol. vi. p. 599.
 
 ,THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 395 
 
 recorded by Lord Malinesbury, as communicated to 
 Mr. Canning. He said that " he went out, not on the 
 Catholic question simply, as a measure on which he 
 was opposed, but from the manner in which he had 
 been opposed ; and to which, if he had assented, he 
 would, as a minister, have been on a footing totally 
 different from what he had ever before been in the 
 Cabinet." 
 
 This obliged him to resign ; but as his sincere wish 
 was, that his going out should distress neither the 
 King nor the country, he had required no one to fol- 
 low him. Those who did so, did it voluntarily, and 
 against his desire. He had quitted office, leaving 
 behind him means and preparations so likely to insure 
 success, both in the expedition to Egypt then pending, 
 and in the proposed attack on the Northern Powers,' 
 as to free him, in his own breast, from any deserved 
 reproach of deserting his post at an hour of distress, 
 and of abandoning war measures when they were in an 
 unprovided or inauspicious situation. It had been his 
 anxious hope and endeavour to leave behind him such 
 a ministry as would be most agreeable to his Majesty ; 
 and who, on all great national points, would act on 
 the same principles that he had acted on. For this 
 purpose he had pledged himself, but himself singly, to 
 advise and support the present ministry. This pledge 
 he considered as solemnly binding, nor ever to be can- 
 celled, without the express consent of Mr. Addington. 
 
 The fruit of this was the battle of Copenhagen.
 
 396 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 Being asked whether, in case of war, it would not be 
 his duty to resume office, he said, " I do not deny it ; 
 I will not afl'ect a childish modesty ; but recollect 
 what I have just said ; I stand pledged. 1 make no 
 scruple of owning that I am ambitious; but my ambi- 
 tion is character, not office. 1 may have engaged my- 
 self inconsiderately, but I am irrecoverably engaged." 
 AVhen he was asked whether he would not seek to be 
 released from his engagement, he answered, " I cannot 
 bring myself to do it. It is imj)ossil)le to prevent its 
 wearing the aspect of caballing and intriguing for 
 power." 
 
 This plain statement of facts entirely demolishes 
 the unjust surmises of the iNIarcpiis of Buckingham, 
 who seems to have gloated over every malevolent 
 report, and viewed every action of Mr. Pitt through 
 the distortin-T- medium of a venomous ill-will. It 
 shows that his retirement was not a sham ; and that 
 Addington was not his creature, his agent, or his 
 representative, in any sense of preconcerted subordi- 
 nation, though the latter was weak enough at first 
 to call himself his locum tcncM ; but, having tasted 
 the sweets of office, he determined to hold it as long as 
 he could, without considting his friend, or attempting 
 to secure his approbation of the measures by which 
 the country was to be governed. 
 
 The hostility of the Grenvillites, after their long 
 and intimate union with ]\Ir. Pitt, is explained by 
 an observation of Mr. Canning's. Lord Grenville,
 
 THE RIGHT HON. aEORGE ROSE. 397 
 
 he said, cannot be persuaded but tliat Lord Buck- 
 ingham would be a good and popular Prime 
 Minister; and whenever his family come upon him 
 with this idea, it bears down before it every other 
 consideration. Such was his subserviency to his 
 brother, who was infinitely inferior to himself in 
 abilities and character, and who was described by 
 Lord Mahou, on the evidence of his letters, as steeped 
 in selfishness and pride, that though he had previously 
 been ready to declare that the Catholic question Avas 
 completely abandoned, and considered by him quite 
 gone by and dead, and that the strongest assurances of 
 this might be given to the King ; yet afterw^ards, under 
 the influence of his brother, he retracted, because he 
 found that the question which he, on his part, had 
 agreed to consider as given up, was by no means so 
 readily to be put aside by others.' They were all 
 piqued at finding that the Marquis was not held in the 
 same consideration by Mr. Pitt, as in his own family, 
 and vented their spleen in captious animadversions 
 upon his conduct : yet that conduct, it is now per- 
 fectly clear, w^as dictated by principles which it is im- 
 possible not to admire. 
 
 The union with L'eland had brought the question 
 of repealing the Roman Catholic disabilities into 
 discussion in the Cabinet, the result of which was 
 that Mr. Pitt concurred with the majority of his 
 colleagues in judging that to grant the repeal 
 
 ^ Lord Malmesbury's Diary.
 
 398 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENXE OF 
 
 would be the wisest policy. IVrliaps lie foresaw that 
 the time would come when it would he inevitable. 
 But he felt no immediate necessity for forcing it for- 
 ward ; and he was unwilling to harass the mind of a 
 Sovereign whose unvarying affection he had enjoyed 
 for so long a time, and to embitter his life, which was 
 not likely to have a long duration, by insisting upon a 
 measure to which he was conscientiously opposed, and 
 which the country not only did not demand, but pro- 
 bably viewed with apj)rehension and dislike. As the 
 friend of the King, therefore, Mr. Pitt thought him- 
 self justified in engaging, as far as depended on him, 
 to postpone the agitation of this question. But then, 
 there were other duties to be taken into account. He 
 was at the head of the Government, and maintained 
 in that high position, not only by royal favour, but by 
 the confidence of a large majority of the people of 
 England ; and it was his opinion, that ho could not 
 carry on that government with credit to himself, or 
 advantage to the country, if he had to encounter a 
 new sort of opposition, — the opposition of the King 
 — or if any of the Opposition, or of his own col- 
 leagues, who did not concur in his views, and were 
 not actuated by his motives, should bring forward 
 the question, a case might arise in which it would be 
 necessary for him either to suppress his conscientious 
 convictions, or find himself at war with his soverei'^u. 
 and perhaps defeated by the party called the King's 
 friends. This he thought it necessary to guard against,
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 399 
 
 by stipulating that no sucli party should be formed 
 against him. 
 
 When, therefore, the King, conceiving that neu- 
 trality in such a cause would be treason to the 
 Church, which his coronation oatli bound him to de- 
 fend, refused to abstain from exercising his influence 
 to defeat the measure, nothing remained for Mr. Pitt 
 but to resign his office. Still he was sincerely anxious 
 that neither the King nor the country should suffer 
 from his retirement, and therefore desired that his 
 successor should be a personal friend of the King, and 
 at the same time one who would continue to follow 
 the same policy, which, in his judgment, was best for 
 the country both at home and abroad : at home by 
 the similarity of his financial arrangements, and abroad 
 by strenuous warfare, or an honourable peace. He 
 suggested no one ; but when the King sent for Mr. 
 Addington, who was on terms of intimacy with both, 
 he thought his object was attained, and found out too 
 late how much he was mistaken. The consequence 
 was, that he not only promised Mr. Addington his 
 support, but wished his friends to serve under him; for 
 his own resignation was from motives entirely per- 
 sonal, and peculiar to his position ; so much so, that he 
 took no counsel, even of his closest intimates, till the 
 die was cast and the act of his abdication signed. 
 
 But we must now go back to the spring of this year, 
 w^hen a cold interchange of letters took place between 
 Mr. Rose and Lord Auckland, both bewailing the resig-
 
 iOO DIARIES AND COllRESPONDEXCE OF 
 
 nation of Mr. Pitt, but with a nuitual reserve, wliicli 
 soon afterwards broke out into open hostility; for on 
 the 21st of ]\Iarch, Loi-d Auckland, thinking himself 
 aggrieved by it, because no provision had been made 
 for him, attacked Mr. Pitt in the House of Lords, in 
 a manner, which drew this remark from Lord Malmes- 
 bury: — "Lord Auckland has received from Mr. Pitt 
 obligations that no minister but one possessing the 
 power of Pitt could bestow, or any one less eager for 
 office than Lord Auckland ask; yet scarcely has he 
 left office, than Lord Auckland insinuates that he did 
 it from some concealed motive, and that the ostensible 
 one is insincere." For this speech Lord Auckland 
 was much abused ; and Mr. Rose, who was probably 
 personally touched by the censure, resented it so 
 much, that he declined all further intercourse with his 
 unsniteful friend. 
 
 Mr. Rose to Lord xVuckland. 
 
 "Saturday Evening, Maich 21st, 1801. 
 
 " The accomit I have had this day of what fell from 
 your Lordship in the House of Lords last night, must 
 interrupt the intercourse I have had with your Lord- 
 ship during the last fourteen or fifteen years. Ever 
 since I have mixed in public matters I have thought 
 it possible that persons taking different lines in politics 
 (separated very widely indeed on subjects of that sort) 
 might mix pleasantly in private society, at least occa- 
 sionally. But there are circumstances in the present
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 101 
 
 case of so peculiar a nature as to render that impos- 
 sible with respect to your Lordship and me. It would 
 be as painful to me to enter upon these as I think it 
 would be to you to have them even more directly 
 alluded to. You will, of course, not take the trouble 
 of calling on me for the papers we talked about this 
 morning." 
 
 VOL. I. D D
 
 402 DIAHIES AND COIUIESPONDENCE OF 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 1801. 
 
 CORRESPONDENCE AND NEGOTIATIONS RESPECTING THE PAYMENT OF 
 MR. Pin's DEBTS IN 1601, BETWEEN MR. ROSE, THE DL8H0P OF 
 LINCOLN, AND LORD CAMDEN — ll,7f>0/. SUBSCRIBED DY MR. PITT's 
 FRIENDS— THE KINGS OFFER DECLINED — MR. PITT's FRIENDS URGE 
 HIM TO WITHDRAW HIS SUPPORT FROM THE ADDINGTON ADMINIS- 
 TRATION, ON A STRONG SUSPICION OF TREACHERY BEING INTENDED 
 TOWARDS HIM. 
 
 Mr. Pitt's mind was so much devoted to public 
 business, and engrossed by the affairs of tlie nation, 
 that he entirely forgot his domestic concerns, and the 
 duties of regulating his household. The consequence 
 was, as might well be expected, that he became the 
 prey of unprincipled men ; his tradesmen and his 
 servants plundered him at their discretion ; for in- 
 stance, hi one year, the charge for his servants in 
 London and at Hollwood — their wages, board wages, 
 Hveries, and bills, amounted to more than 2,300/. It 
 may be supposed, that the large amounts entered 
 against him for his stable and his housekeeping were 
 neither controlled nor understood by him ; but the 
 heavy expense of his cellar, it is probable, was too 
 well known and sanctioned. He was a great drinker 
 of port wine, but he had no other extravagant taste. 
 He was not a collector of costly curiosities or works
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOEGE ROSE. 403 
 
 of art; he was not a speculator in schemes for 
 makmg money, or for spending it ; he had no turn, 
 as his father had, for ostentatious extravagance; his 
 debts were not hke those of Charles Fox, the effect of 
 gambling and profligacy. Wlien in both cases the 
 partisans of the respective leaders offered to raise money 
 for their payment, Mr. Fox had no scruple in accept- 
 ing their assistance, though a sense of honour induced 
 him from that time to abstain from gambling, which 
 was so much the more meritorious in him, because he 
 is recorded to have said, that the greatest pleasure in 
 life was to win a game of hazard, and the next was to 
 lose it. But Mr. Pitt was too proud to consent to be 
 treated like a pauper, living on charity, at the expense 
 of others ; and when it was mentioned to him, he said 
 he would sooner return to his early profession, and 
 earn enough by practice at the bar to discharge his 
 debts. This, no doubt, he might have accomplished 
 without much difficulty, if he had remained out of 
 office ; for who would not have been anxious to 
 employ his powers of oratory ? George III. testified 
 his reo-ard for so faithful a servant in the handsomest 
 way, by offering to pay 30,000/. out of the privy 
 pm-se, but, with the delicacy of true affection, desired 
 that it might not be knowai from what quarter the 
 payment came. No better proof than this can be 
 wanted of the truth of Wilberforce's statement, that 
 " the King and Pitt part on affectionate terms ; the 
 King saying that ' it is a struggle betw^een duty and 
 
 D D 3
 
 401 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 affection, in whicli duty carries it.'" But this most 
 liberal offer was declined. Nevertheless, Mr. Pitt was 
 reduced to the greatest extremities, and the trial was 
 severe; for this great political financier not having 
 been able to control his own finances, or to attend to 
 the administration of his private revenues, his debts 
 amounted to 45,804/., and now that be was out of 
 office, his creditors became clamorous. Executions 
 Avere threatened, his houses were in dauger of being 
 stripped of their furniture, and his stables of their 
 horses. In this emergency some of his most intiuiate 
 friends came forward to his relief, by contributing a 
 sum of money, which he was content to receive in the 
 light of a loan, to avert the pressure of his most immi- 
 nent embarrassments, and to save him from the mortifi- 
 cations and distresses which hung over his path. That 
 sum was 11,700/. The proportions subscribed, as 
 well as the general state of Mr. Pitt's debts at that 
 time, will be given at the close of the following 
 correspondence between the Bishop of Lincoln, Lord 
 Camden, and jMr. Rose. Their letters show the 
 timidity with which they approached the subject, and 
 their great fear of offending Mr. Pitt, and meeting 
 with a rebuff. — Ed.] 
 
 The Bishop of Lincoln to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " My Dear Sir, 
 
 " You may rest assured that Mr. Pitt's assigned 
 reason for not going to the Cambridge commemo-
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 405 
 
 ration was considered unsatisfactory ; but still, things 
 remaining as they now are, I do not think that any 
 opposition either to him or to Lord Euston would 
 prevail. I have no expectation of seeing Mr. Pitt at 
 Buckden, and indeed a visit to me without going to 
 Cambridge, would only aggravate the offence. He 
 cannot go to Cambridge before November with any 
 propriety. It is exactly with me as it is with you ; — 
 the more I consider Mr. Pitt's debts, the more dis- 
 tressed and perplexed I am ; but I think you consider 
 relief as more practicable than I do. Lord Alvanley 
 dined here on Tuesday, on his way to York, and came 
 two hours before dinner, principally, I believe, to talk 
 to me upon this subject. I found that Lord Camden 
 had been talking to him, and that Lord C. had seen 
 Joe Smith, and had Hkewise mentioned the subject to 
 Lord Carrington. Lord Camden said that some of 
 the creditors were growing very importunate, and 
 that there was real danger of violent measures being 
 soon taken against Mr. Pitt's horses, carriages, or 
 furniture, at Hollwood or Walmer. Nothing had 
 occurred to Lord C. and Lord A. but some subscrip- 
 tion amongst Mr. Pitt's private friends ; but then, of 
 course, the difficulty of Mr. Pitt's consent, or acting 
 without his knowledge, occurred ; and also the diffi- 
 culty of raising a sufficient sum. Lord Camden and 
 Lord Carrington talked of 1,000/. each, but afterwards 
 Lord Camden said they would go farther. Lord 
 Alvanley said that he would give nothing which 
 should diminish his principal; — he meant that he 
 would advance only such a sum as could be spared
 
 406 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OP 
 
 out of his income, but mentioned no specific sum. 
 I went so far with him as to say I had reason to 
 think that there was more difficulty in applying than 
 in raising the money ; and that I believed the money 
 would be ready, if any mode could be devised for 
 paying the debts which should not be liable to 
 serious objections. He seemed to think that the 
 debts might be paid, and tlie receipts sent to Mr. 
 Pitt. But then, who is to pay the debts, and what is 
 he to say when questioned by Mr. Pitt ? We parted 
 without being able to fix upon any plan. Indeed I 
 do not think our friend Lord A. a very good man for 
 such a business. The enclosed is a copy of a paper 
 which Lord Camden received from Joe Smith. If 
 Mr. Pitt would allow llollwood to be sold by auction, 
 it would certainly sell for more than by any other mode; 
 and there might also be a contrivance for increasing 
 the sum. AVould he consent to an auction? or does 
 he think of that mode of selling? To give more 
 than a common broker or purchaser would give, in 
 the common way, would be a very inadecpiate relief. 
 To offer much more than the real Avorth of the thing to 
 be disposed of, would immediately excite suspicion in 
 Mr. Pitt's mind, and wholly defeat the scheme. To 
 give a little more would answer no purpose. The 
 largeness of the debts is a great obstacle to any indirect 
 method of relief. I do not feel the confidence, I 
 must own, which you do, in the thing remaining a 
 secret if done by the King ; and were it to be so 
 done, and ever known to Mr. Pitt, the mischief might 
 be very serious. Do not, however, suppose that I
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 407 
 
 fall short of you in reverence and admiration of 
 the King's character. I entirely agree with you 
 that Hollwood should not be kept. I am most 
 decidedly of opinion that you may consult the Lord 
 Chancellor, unless before you see him any practicable 
 mode of effecting this great business shall have 
 occurred — of which I despair, 
 
 " I am sorry that you have no faith in the conver- 
 sation said to have passed between the King and Sir 
 J. Banks. Is his JMajesty satisfied that Mr. Pitt, 
 during his Majesty's life, w^iether in office or out of 
 office, would never bring forward the Catholic ques- 
 tion ? It seems to me very material that this should 
 be strongly impressed upon his mind. I fear at 
 AVeyraouth you will not have much opportunity for 
 private conversation. Besides your objection to the 
 scheme upon the score of disingenuity, it is a very 
 important question, whether Mr. Pitt, upon discover- 
 ing so peculiar an obligation to the King, would not 
 refuse ever to take office again. 
 
 " Adieu, mv dear sir. I shall be most anxious to 
 hear from you. 
 
 " Believe me always most truly and 
 
 " cordially yours, 
 
 " G. Lincoln. 
 
 " Buckden Palace, July 16th, 1801. 
 
 "Dundas has certainly a very fair claim to a 
 peerage, and there ought to be no difficulty about 
 it."
 
 408 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 Lord Camden to Mu. Rose. 
 
 [Most secret^ 
 
 " Dear Rose, 
 
 " As I am confident there is no person more 
 interested tlian you are in Mr. Pitt's public character 
 and private convenience, I feel no dillicuhy in writing 
 to you on a subject in a great degree connected with 
 both those circumstances ; — I mean the state of his 
 affairs. In conversing with two or three of Mr. Pitt's 
 friends most confidentially, I learn from the best 
 authority, what I too well guessed before, that unless 
 some arrangement takes place, and he is enabled to 
 discharge a portion of his debts, he will suffer the 
 greatest inconvenience. 
 
 " From communications I have had with Mr. Pitt 
 himself upon this subject, I am convinced it will ])e 
 more difficult to induce him to listen to any loan from 
 his friends, than to induce them to offer it, and various 
 expedients have suggested themselves to me in order 
 to relieve him ; but I am convinced, upon reflection, 
 that he will discover any attempt to discharge his 
 debts without his knowledge, and will be displeased 
 at that sort of conduct in his friends. It has, there- 
 fore, been thought best that upon the review he cannot 
 fail to be obliged to take of his affairs, it should be 
 stated to him, which Long and Smith have undertaken 
 to do, that it is impossible to discharge the bills that 
 are owing, unless a sum of money is raised ; that they 
 know such a sum can be raised, if he chooses, without
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 409 
 
 any interest being paid j but as we are sure from what 
 he has said that he will not allow of that sort of loan, 
 the payment of, or at least the undertaking on his part 
 to pay, the interest, must be submitted to. Long and 
 Smith have also undertaken to tell Mr. Pitt that they 
 can procure the money, but that he must not know 
 the source. This secrecy is absolutely requisite, and 
 without it I certainly can have no share in it. With it 
 I have been desirous of taking as active a part in the 
 transaction as I can : 18,000/. or 20,000/. is the least 
 sum which, together with the sale of Hollwood, upon 
 which Long writes me word he has determined, will 
 relieve him. There are those who are ready and 
 desirous to give or to lend some part of this sum, and 
 they are Mr. Pitt's most intimate and confidential 
 friends ; beyond these I think we ought not to apply, 
 and there would indeed be little chance, if we did, of 
 retaining the secret. Those who can afford it have 
 agreed to lend 1,000/., — or more, if they please; — 
 those to whom such a sum is inconvenient will give 
 500/., below which sum it is thought not proper 
 to go. 
 
 " I have thus given you a sketch of this plan ; if it 
 were in my power to give you more details, I would 
 do it ; but I trust I have said enough to enhst you as 
 our assistant in this undertaking, which I am aware 
 there is no one so fit to direct. Pray let me hear from 
 you, with an account of your opinion upon this busi- 
 ness, and the sum you will be willing to lend upon it. 
 Lord Carrington, Lord Bathurst, myself. Smith, Long, 
 the Bishop of Lincoln, Lord Alvanley, and some
 
 410 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 others, are eager upon the subject. I do not mean to 
 mention it to any of the present Ail ministration. 
 " You had better direct to me in Arlington Street. 
 
 " .Most sincerely yours, 
 
 " Camden. 
 
 " Bayham Abbey, July 23rd, 1801." 
 
 The Bisnop of Lincoln to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Mr DEAR Sir, 
 
 " I thank you for your short note and long letter. 
 I believe the 5,800/. to be a separate debt of Mr. 
 Pitt's, originally charged upon Burton, for which 
 Lady Chatham ought to pay interest, but does not. 
 The security was transferred to Coutts when he ad- 
 vanced the money. I cannot hear the idea of j\Ir. Pitt 
 accepting any office in the gift of Mr. Addington. 
 I cannot think that Ilollwood would sell for 10,000/., 
 except it were by auction. I am very anxious you 
 should have such a conversation as you propose with 
 Mr. Pitt, when you see him at CufFnells. You may, 
 perhaps, gain from thence some new light. It cannot 
 leave us in a more perplexed state than we are in at 
 present, and I am confident he will not be offended 
 at it. I have told Mr. Pitt that I should be at the 
 Deanery next Friday noon, and that I should be glad 
 to see him on that day, or any of the two or three 
 following ones, if he be still in the neighbourhood of 
 London. I have also written to Joe Smith. If I hear 
 anything of importance, or anything passes between 
 Mr. Pitt and me, you may depend upon my commu- 
 nicating it to you instantly.
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 411 
 
 " I really think that even if others were to bring 
 forward the Catholic question, Mr. Pitt would find 
 means of not acting contrary to the King's sentiments. 
 I am confident he thinks so, and it seems to me highly 
 important that the King should know it. Perhaps 
 you may also ascertain this point when Mr. Pitt is at 
 CufFnells. I agree with you entirely about the private 
 subscription amongst /nVw<r/^; the sum is far too large. 
 
 " I own I do not see any great objection to Mr. Pitt 
 having a second sinecure place, provided it comes 
 directly from the King, and it was understood that he 
 owed it to him only. The PUfs are most perfectly 
 out of the question in my judgment. 
 
 " Kindest compliments and wishes from Mrs. T. 
 and myself. 
 
 " Yours, ever most truly and affectionately, 
 
 " G. Lincoln. 
 
 « Buckden Palace, July 24tli, 1801. 
 
 " Surely facts have proved to demonstration that 
 Mr. Pitt was deceived with respect to the state of the 
 Irish Catholics ; and this may justify a change of sen- 
 timent, as upon the Reform Question. 
 
 " Pray remember the Prebendal Papers." 
 
 Mr. Rose to Lord Camden. 
 
 " My dear Lord, 
 
 " You do me but justice in supposing that I feel 
 great anxiety respecting Mr. Pitt's situation. I can 
 say with the sinccrest truth, that it disturbs me inces- 
 santly by night and by day. I. had a long con-
 
 412 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 versation with iMr. Pitt on the subject, before I 
 left London, wliich I became less satisfied with in 
 proportion as I reflected on his statements, unques- 
 tionably sanguine ones. This led me into a corre- 
 spondence with the Bishop of Lincoln, full and explicit 
 on all points of the case, and on the possible ways of 
 extricating ^h•. Pitt, as any probable ones, I own I 
 cannot devise ; for he has most unecpiivocally declared 
 to me that no consideration shall induce him to accept 
 of relief from Parliament (if he could even be sure of 
 an unanimous vote), or from the King, who, if we may 
 judge from former circumstances, has it not to give ; 
 or from individuals. He will not, I think, easily be 
 brought to submit to promise not to ask who lenda 
 the money, because he knows that in his situation a 
 loan is a positive gift. I am not sure whether I ever 
 told. you, that in the spring of 17S9 the merchants of 
 London agreed to raise 100,000/., and to present it 
 to him as a token of their gratitude for his services to 
 the country, and of tlieir warm approbation of his 
 public conduct. One body of them raised their pro- 
 portion of 20,000/. instantly. The remainder would 
 have been completed in a few days, of which I had 
 intimation, with assurances that not a name of a sub- 
 scriber would ever be known to Mr. Pitt; and not 
 choosing he should be taken by surprise, I mentioned 
 it to him, when he desired me to express to the party 
 from whom I had my information, his positive and 
 mialterable determination never to receive a shillins: 
 in that mode. The subscription now proposed would 
 certainly be a cheaper one, but in my own mind, there
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE, 413 
 
 are objections to it stronger than to the other, unless 
 it can be confined to an extremely small number of 
 most intimate and confidential friends. Would it be 
 fair to subject him to obligations to persons, who, 
 however liberally and disinterestedly they may feel, 
 he would not like to be obliged to? For myself, the 
 smallncss of my means will hardly be believed, but I 
 am willing to take from those who can ill spare it 
 (I mean Mrs. Rose and my daughters), to contribute 
 to make up the sum wanted. I cannot, consistently 
 with my feelings, avoid saying this ; and yet it might, 
 to some, savour of ostentation, with the impression on 
 my mind, that Mr. Pitt will not avail himself of a sub- 
 scription. I think 25,000/. must be found to put 
 him at ease ; to raise which more than thirty persons 
 must of course contribute, if the subscription is to be 
 made up of sums of 1,000/. and 500/. Are there half 
 of that number you would choose to call upon ? 
 
 " In my last letter to the Bishop of Lincoln, a few 
 days ago, I told him my determination to state dis- 
 tinctly to Mr. Pitt the absolute necessity of his availing 
 himself of so^ne mode of assistance to avoid the conse- 
 quences you allude to, which would certainly be injurious 
 to him as a public man, and, of necessity, to the country, 
 the interests of which are inseparable from his conduct 
 and character ; and would be not less painful to the 
 feelings of himself and his friends. I expect to see 
 him soon on his way to Weymouth and to his mother ; 
 and I have a plan to propose to him, easy and certain 
 in execution if he will acquiesce in it, that I have not
 
 414 DIAKIES AND COllllESPONUENCE OF 
 
 tliouglit myself at liberty to allude to in the remotest 
 possible way to any human being except the Bishop 
 of Lincoln, Avhich I think injinitelj/ less exceptionable 
 than a subscription of twenty or thirty persons, and 
 which would leave him in possession of a very large 
 part of his income. If he refuses that, the other mode 
 may be resorted to on his return to London, and I 
 should hope Smith might, by seeing the most urgent 
 of the creditors, prevent any disagreeable measures 
 being taken during that interval. If, however, your 
 Lordship is clearly of opinion that a subscription 
 should be entered into immediately, tell me so, and 
 I will explain to you with tlie utmost fairness my 
 pecuniary situation, and what I will contribute. You 
 will have the goodness to consider the jjarficulars I 
 have here entered into as strictly confidential and to 
 be confined to yourself. I feel mvself on most delicate 
 ground, and surrounded with ditliculties. You will, I 
 hope, be able to devise means of deferring the measure 
 thought of for two or three months Avithout referring 
 to me, if you shall concur in thinking it advisable to 
 do so. I agree with you most entii'cly in the pro- 
 priety of not communicating on the subject, in any 
 event, with persons in the present Administration ; 
 but I am persuaded your Lordship would not include 
 Steele in that number, nor Ryder, if he was in a state 
 to be spoken to. I am grieved to the heart at the 
 accounts I hear of the latter. He can very ill be spared. 
 You know as well as I do, the correctness of the judg- 
 ment of both, and their cordial attachment to Mr. Pitt.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. -415 
 
 If the subscription shall be decided on, I know no 
 man living I should more wish to be consulted than 
 Steele. 
 
 " I am, my dear Lord, 
 
 " Very truly yours, 
 
 " George Rose. 
 
 " College, Christchurch, July 26th, 
 
 " The objections to the subscription plan (to me in- 
 surmountable) are of a nature which prevents my com- 
 mitting them to paper in a hurry, even to your Lord- 
 ship. I will cheerfully go as far as Farnham, under 
 the colour of a visit to the Bishop of Winchester, more 
 than sixty miles from hence, to meet you, that we 
 may talk these matters over, if you shall wish it ; or 
 even to London if it shall be thought essential ; though 
 in the present state of my health, I had rather avoid 
 the latter, for I am still forced to observe strict rules. 
 I write this by return of post. If anything further 
 occurs to me, you shall hear fi'om me again." 
 
 The Bishop of Lincoln to Mr. Rose. ; 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " Yesterday's post brought me your letter, enclos- 
 ing Smith's; and it also brought me a letter from 
 Lord Camden. I believe I mentioned to you that I 
 had a long conversation, at the Deanery, with Lord C. 
 just before I left town, about Mr. Pitt's affairs. This 
 letter is to inform me, that Mr. Pitt had consented to 
 a sum of money being raised, by way of loan, amongst 
 his friends, but he does not know whether it be pro-
 
 416 DIARIES AND COERESPONDENCE OF 
 
 posed that interest should be paid ; that is, this point 
 seems not to be settled. That it is intended to apply to 
 intimate friends only ; that Mr. Pitt is not to know 
 from whom the money comes; that 18,00C/. or 
 20,000/. are to be raised ; that tliose who can afibrd 
 it, are to advance 1000/., or more if they please, 
 and none less than 500/. ; and that a progress is made 
 to the amount of 7000/. or SOOO/. Lord C. seems 
 himself to have had no conversation with Mr. Pitt, 
 but only with Long, Smith, and Lord Alvanley ; 
 and Mr. Pitt's consent seems to have been communi- 
 cated by Long. 1 was rather at a loss to know what 
 answer to give; but I have just written to him, that 
 it is to no purpose to discuss whether this be the best 
 plan that could be devised. That being the only one 
 to which ^Ir. Pitt would consent, it must be adopted 
 by his real friends, and acted upon with zeal and 
 discretion. That the two principal points to be attended 
 to were, secrecy and care not to apply to any person 
 to whom Mr. Pitt ought not to owe such a favour. 
 That I despaired of secrecy, as so many must be privy 
 to it. That with a view to give it as little resemblance 
 as possible to the subscription for Fox, the money 
 should be advanced as a loan, not as a gift (Lord 
 C. in his letter had mentioned gift) ; and also upon 
 interest, without the slightest idea or wish in the 
 contributors that either principal or interest should 
 ever be paid. That at the end of the year, ^Ir. Pitt's 
 affairs should be looked over, and if there should be 
 any surplus, wdiich there certainly would not be, it 
 should go as interest; and that Mr, Pitt's friends
 
 THE KIGHT HON. GEORGE llOSiE. 417 
 
 would not suffer any debt incurred in the year to 
 remain undischarged at the end of it. Have I said 
 anything wrong or improper ? I have not mentioned 
 your name, or alkided to our correspondence, or the 
 subject of it. Shall I say anything about you, or 
 will you write to Lord Camden, or Long, or Smith ? 
 I forgot to say that I had declared myself ready to 
 contribute 1000/., and that I would mention the subject 
 to the Bishop of London and another friend; and 
 that I considered .20,000/. at least as necessary. The 
 precise sum of com'se depends upon the price that Holl- 
 wood and the reversion of the pension sell for. Will 
 they together produce 20,000/. ? I think they would, 
 if HoUwood were sold by auction, to which I shall 
 press Mr. Pitt, if I see him. Could the King be 
 informed of this plan, and if so could he be permitted 
 to contribute? This seems to me a very nice and 
 delicate point. Let me hear from you, if possible, by 
 return of post, and in that case direct your letter 
 hither. If you do not write till Wednesday, direct 
 to the Deanery, where I shall be on Friday noon. I 
 entirely agree with you in your distinction of true and 
 fair value, and I am also satisfied that all Mr. Pitt's 
 property of all sorts, if sold in the ordinary way, would 
 not clear him. My mind is a little relieved at the 
 prospect of something being done to which he 
 will not object. I feel very anxious th;it his feelings 
 should be consulted, though I am fully aware of 
 his thoughtlessness, blamcable thoughtlessness, in 
 this respect. I cannot bear ihe idea of his having 
 less than his Cinque Ports to live upon, or at least 
 
 VOL. 1. E E
 
 4dl8 DIARIES AND COKKiiSJrONDENCJi OJb' 
 
 2,500/. a year. He cannot live upon less with any 
 degree of eoinlbrt. 1 shall l)e impatient to hear from 
 you. If I see Mr. Pitt in town, may I state to him 
 the King's proposal to you, tiiat Mr. P. may be in pos- 
 session of all circumstances before any step is taken, 
 or shall 1 mention it to Lord Camden, if I see him ? 
 He wrote to me from Bayham Abbey, but he seems not 
 stationary there, as he desired me to direct my answer 
 to town. I have told liim that I shall be in London 
 on Friday, for two or three days, and perhaps he may 
 wish to have some conversation with me. Adieu ; 
 kindest compliments and wishes. 
 
 " Yours, ever most truly, and atlectionately, 
 
 " G. Lincoln. 
 
 " Buckdeu Palace, July 26th, 1801." 
 
 Loud Camden to Mk. Rose. 
 \_Mosl sec re L^ 
 
 " Bayham Abbey, July 28th, 1801. 
 
 " Dear Rose, 
 
 " 1 agree in many of the suggestions in your letter, 
 and in the wisdom of many of your observations. I 
 have been induced to interest myself in this business 
 from the persuasion that communication and corre- 
 spondence will bring matters into some train, although 
 it may not be precisely that which is the subject 
 of the first proposal. I am by no means wedded 
 to the particular plan I have mentioned, which has 
 been proposed to me by Long and .Smith, and is not 
 calculated to raise so large a sum as 25,000/. : but 
 I hope that a smaller sum than that will answer a
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOUGE ROSE. 419 
 
 very good purpose. As Mr. Pitt's particular friends 
 are now dispersed, it is not probable that any great 
 progress will be made in the transaction upon which 
 we have corresponded ; and you will therefore, I doubt 
 not, have ample time to speak to Mr. Pitt upon the 
 proposition you have to submit to him. Another 
 mode in which ]\ir. Pitt might be induced to accept 
 the assistance of his friends, would perhaps be, that 
 they should enter into joint bonds with him, and that 
 then they (his friends) should raise the money, and 
 pay it to the nominal person who advances it upon that 
 security. This would prevent the danger of pint 
 botids, to which I am extremely averse ; but then the 
 secrecy cannot be preserved. All my anxiety is to 
 preserve Mr. Pitt's mind from the embarrassment, and 
 his character from the imputation, which executions 
 and actions for debt always cast upon a man ; and 
 whether by subscription, loan, or gift, or by any 
 trouble I can take, I can relieve him, 1 shall conceive 
 my time and my money well employed. I am there- 
 fore ready to listen to and adopt any suggestion 
 calculated to the object ; but as Mr. Pitt has so many 
 friends interested for his case and credit, do not let 
 us suffer him to lose the benefit of such a connexion. 
 You will, therefore, let me hear from you when you 
 think } ourself at liberty to communicate any further. 
 I certainly did not mean to exclude Steele and 
 Ryder, to both of Avhom I feel in the same manner 
 as vou do. Bathurst and Lonft- have communicated 
 with the former. I imagined the latter too ill to be 
 addressed on such a subject. I do not think it will 
 
 £ £ 2
 
 420 DIARIES AND COllKESPONDENCE OF 
 
 be of essential use that we should meet at present, and 
 I also, who have not been well, should find a journey 
 to Farnham not advantageous to iny health ; and at 
 present I really think it unnecessary. It" anvthing 
 occurs, you shall hear from me ; and I hope to hear 
 from you, when you have anything to tell me. 
 
 " iMost truly, sincerely }ours, 
 
 '' Camden." 
 
 The Bisuop or Lincoln to Mk. Rose. 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " The letter which I wrote to you on Sunday 
 makes any detailed observations upon the letters 
 which I received from you this morning]: unnecessary. 
 I retm*n them, and at the same time I seiul you Lord 
 Camden's letter to me. 1 have no copy of mine to 
 him, but I mentioned to you the substance of it. I 
 now rather doubt whether I was rii^lit in concluding 
 that Mr. Pitt had said he woidd consent to the loan, 
 &c. I inferred it from these words, " to which he 
 will consent," in Lord C.'s letter to me, page 2. 
 [ shall write to Lord C. to ask an explanation 
 upon that point by to-day's post. The more I con- 
 sider this most distressing business, the more I am 
 convinced of the importance of laying immediately 
 before Mr. Pitt the King's proposal. I cannot bear 
 the idea of anything being done from that quarter 
 without Mr. Pitt's knowledge, and :\Ir. Pitt ought to 
 be apprised of every circumstance before he decides. 
 I really think that a delay of two or three months 
 should not be risked, at least, not without con-
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 421 
 
 suiting Smith, who is better acquainted than you or 
 I with the disposition of the creditors. I fear some 
 of them are very clamorous. I received a letter from 
 Mr. Pitt this morning, in which he says, that I shall 
 find a note from him at the Deanery on Friday 
 morning, fixing either Friday or Saturday for me to 
 dine with him in Park Place. I am engaged to dine 
 with the Bishop of London, at Pulham, on Friday ; 
 but I shall, of course, put off that engagement and 
 dine with Mr. Pitt, if he should fix Friday. I will 
 make a point of having a full conversation with him 
 about his affairs, and the modes of relief, with or 
 without mentioning to him his Majesty's proposal, as 
 you shall direct in the letter which I expect to receive 
 from you here on Thursday, or to find at the Deanery 
 on Friday. If I by any accident shall not hear from 
 you, I shall, of course, say not a syllable about his 
 Majesty's proposal. The great point seems to be to 
 make Mr. Pitt consent to something effectual, which 
 will leave him a comfortable income and not embarrass 
 him in any respect in future. 
 
 " Lord Camden's idea that Mr. Pitt is not to know 
 who subscribe, seems to me a very good one. I think 
 you see this subscription in a stronger point of view 
 than I do. Indeed, I think it very objectionable, and 
 that it cannot be kept secret ; but considering it as 
 the only plan to which Mr. Pitt would consent, I am 
 disposed to try it. Something must be done, and with- 
 out assistance Mr. Pitt would, as you first observed, 
 be left literally without a shilling. Adieu. Kindest 
 remembrance to all your ladies. I scarcely know
 
 422 DIARIES AND corhespoxdexce or 
 
 u'lietlicr to dii'cct this letter to Cuffnells or tlie 
 College. 
 
 " Yours, always most truly and afFectionatcly, 
 
 '' Buckden Palace, July 28th, 1801. " ^- LiNCOLN. 
 
 " Pray return Lord Camden's letter, and remember 
 my Prebendal Papers," 
 
 The Bishop of Lincoln to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 "I hayc had a pretty full conversation with Mr. 
 Pitt about his affairs, and upon tlie whole am inclined 
 to think that he would agree to a subscription ; but, 
 T am decidedly of opinion that he ought to have laid 
 before him every plan and idea which is in contempla- 
 tion before he determines upon any one. I also think 
 that something must be done, as speedily as may be. 
 No one can state to him so properly, and witli so fair 
 a hope of success as yourself, the King's proposal ; 
 consequently, I think that it would be right, and may 
 be useful, that von should come to town as soon as 
 possible; and as some preparation, I have just now 
 told him that you have somethinfj of a very delicate 
 aud important nature, relative to his private affairs, to 
 communicate to him, and that you are not unwilling 
 to come to town on Tuesday for the purpose of stating 
 it to him. He said that he would see you at any time 
 on Wednesday morning you would fix. I thought, 
 that if I did not mention the business thus far to liini, 
 die might be out of town, and you might wait several 
 days without seeing him. As a further strong reason
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 423 
 
 for your coming, I am persuaded that Mr. Pitt will 
 not go into the west for some weeks, and he already 
 thinks that it may be best for him to go straight for 
 Burton ; and then afterwards, if he has time, make his 
 other visits. Therefore there is some doubt whether 
 you will see him at all at Cuffnells, and certainly not 
 for six or eight weeks, and I think much longer. — 
 All these things put together, I think it pretty clear 
 that you will set out from Southampton on Tuesday 
 morning, and arrive in town either that evening or 
 Wednesday morning ; and I have determined to stay 
 in town to see you, though I really must a second 
 time put off my father and mother from coming to 
 Buckden, which will give me a good deal of pain : — 
 but I am very anxious to see you and to talk with 
 you, and I do not Hke to leave London without some 
 plan being settled, or at least some better prospect of 
 a decision than there is at present. I think it may be 
 right for Long to come to town too when you are 
 here, but I see no use in Steele or Lord Camden 
 being here ; but if you are of a different opinion you 
 will write or send to them. I say nothing more, as 
 I really have not time to enter upon the particular 
 subjects of your letter written yesterday, and as I 
 hope to see you so soon. Mr. Pitt is very well. I 
 write in Park Place. Adieu. 
 
 " Yours, most truly and affectionately, 
 
 " G. Lincoln. 
 
 " I will meet you in Palace Yard any hour you may 
 fix. 
 
 " Saturday, August 1st."
 
 424 diaries and cotirespondence op 
 
 The Bishop of Lincoln to Mr. Kosk. 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 "The conversation with .^^l•. Pitt vesterdav was 
 very short. We first examined the statement whicli 
 was placed before us in Hill Street, and Mr. Pitt made 
 some deductions and some additions, in consequence of 
 money which had been paid and debts incurred since 
 tliat paper was made out. The result was more favour- 
 able by about 2,000/. as I thought : he thought by 
 about 3,000/. I thou told him that some of the creditors 
 were extremely importunate and })ut to serious in- 
 conveniences by the want of the money, and that it 
 was very much to be wished that the debts of all the 
 common tradesmen, at least, which were to a large 
 amount, should be immediately discharged ; and all 
 other plans being rejected there remained only the 
 one whiich I had mentioned to him the day before, — 
 namely, the assistance of private friends. — To this he 
 expressed his readiness to accede. I then asked him 
 whether he persisted in his determination to know the 
 names of those friends from whom he was to receive 
 this assistance : he answered, most certainly. I then 
 told him that the matter had been considered, and 
 that six of his friends, namely. Lord Camden, Steele, 
 Rose, Long, Smith, and myself, were ready to stand 
 forward and put his affairs into such a situation im- 
 mediately, that he might assure himself that he would 
 suffer no inconvenience or embarrassment from his 
 creditors. He signified his consent without a mo- 
 ment's hesitation, and added, there were no persons
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEOKGE ROSE. 425 
 
 to whom he had rather owe a kindness or accommo- 
 dation than those whom I had mentioned. I instantly 
 said, ' Then I believe, sir, we need not tronble you any 
 further; you and J. Smith can engage for the thing 
 being done.' Thus ended the conversation. I went 
 and told Lord Camden, who seemed perfectly satisfied 
 with what had passed. I then returned and sat with Mr. 
 Pitt alone at least half an hour. He said nothing about 
 this particular plan, but mentioned an idea of insuring 
 his life, and assigning the policy as a security for the 
 money he borrows. I am inclined to think that this 
 would be a better scheme than selling a part of his 
 Cinque Ports, and ought perhaps to be adopted in 
 preference to any other, if he resolves to do some- 
 thing. I am confident he means to pay interest, and 
 I think he will not be easy unless he provides some 
 security for the principal. Pie thinks he shall want, 
 after the sale of HoUwood and his reversion, about 
 1 2,000/.; the interest and insurance of which sum would 
 be about 1000/. a year. But that point, when I have 
 leisure, I can ascertain accurately. I wish him to do 
 nothing, and I do not despair of the thing working on 
 as it is. You will observe that neither the whole sum 
 to be advanced by these six persons, nor the propor- 
 tion of each, was mentioned. I thought it a great 
 point to get the business left to us in this general 
 manner, and shall be happy to hear that you approve 
 what passed. 
 
 " The above is a copy of what I wrote to Long, 
 and having the same story to tell you, and very little 
 time, I troubled Mrs. T. to copy it. Wheu you go
 
 426 DIARIES AND CORTIESPOXDENTT] OP 
 
 to Weymouth, do not forget the Catliolic question. 
 Remember my Prebendal Papers. All well liere. 
 Kindest compliments. 
 
 "Yours, ever most tndy, 
 
 "G. LiNCOI-N. 
 
 "Buckden Palace, August 7th, 1801." 
 
 The Bishop of Lincoln to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 "I am very glad that you think of going to 
 Weymouth, and I am impatient that you should have 
 the conversation with the King. Recollect that when 
 the King was recovering from his illness, Mr. Pitt 
 saw Dr. J. Willis at Mr. Addington's; and before Mr. 
 Addington, authorized Dr. Willis to tell his Majesty 
 that during his reign he wouhl never agitate the 
 Catholic question ; that is, whether in office or out of 
 office. Mr. Pitt left Dr. Willis and Mr. Addington 
 together. I saw Dr. Willis's letter to Mr. Pitt, and 
 I suspect that the message was not properly and fully 
 delivered. All this is of course private history, but I 
 think it very important. Joe Smith has sent for 
 Bullock from town, and as soon as there are meavs 
 the bills will begin to be discharged. Soane's office 
 has offered only 19,000/. for the pension of 2,000/. a 
 year for the three lives of Lady Chatham, Lord Chat- 
 ham, and Mr. Pitt, which is a Jeivish offer. I have 
 desired Smith to apply to other offices. Pray send 
 my Prebendal Papers, as the Prebend is near lapsing. 
 Mrs. T. thanks Miss Rose for her letter. Kindest
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE HOSE.' 427 
 
 compliments, and every possible good wish to you 
 
 all. Adieu. 
 
 " Yours, always most cordially, 
 
 « Buckden Palace, August 14th, 1801 . " G. LiN COLN . 
 
 " Our wheat is all carried, and I hear from every 
 quarter excellent accounts of the harvest." 
 
 The Bishop of Lincoln to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " I am confident that Mr. Pitt's message and 
 the determination of his own mind were not confined 
 to his bringing forward the question himself. Mrs. 
 Pretyman now recollects the account which I gave her 
 of this business at the time, and she is certain that the 
 words I used were, that the ' Catholic question should 
 never again give his Majesty any trouble during his 
 reign.' 
 
 " It was expected, as you know, that the Opposi- 
 tion would bring forward the question last session ; 
 and Mr. Pitt's intention was to have resisted it upon 
 this ground, — that such a proposition ought to be 
 brought forward only by his Majesty's ministers, and 
 that he should oppose it now, and at all future times, 
 whenever it should be brought forward from any 
 other quarter. 
 
 " This is a general principle, and would apply to all 
 times and cases, even, indeed, if another King were on 
 the throne. It is true that Mr. Pitt cannot prevent the 
 discussion, but he may always find means to get rid 
 of the question. What those precise means may be, 
 will depend upon circumstances at the time, but I am
 
 428 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 positive you may answer for this ; that Mr. Pitt will 
 never bring forward the Catholic question himself, 
 and that he will resist it if brought forward by nnother, 
 during the King's reign : and tliis, whether Mr. Pitt 
 be in office or not. Surely he was as nuich pledged 
 upon the question of reform, as upon the Catholic 
 question. The former he had actually moved ; the 
 latter he has not. The enclosed is perfectly correct 
 and proper. I prefer the words in the parenthesis, 
 and it does not appear to me necessary to add, 
 ' during your Majesty's reign :' that is understood. 
 
 " T thought the paper alluded to by you a most 
 imprudent and unfortunate one, but I was not aware 
 that Mr. Pitt adopted it in any degree that would 
 fetter him hereafter. I have no copy of it. I per- 
 fectly agree with yon in what you say of such 
 pledges. 
 
 " I have only time to add our kindest wishes to 
 all our good friends at Cuffnells. 
 
 " Yours, most tridv and affectionately, &c. 
 
 " G. Lincoln. 
 
 " Buckden Palace, August 18th, 1801." 
 
 Estimate of Mr. Pitt's Debts in 1801. 
 
 To Contra, advanced upon security of Burton Pynsent . ^5.000 
 
 Ditto, on Bond 6^000 
 
 Ditto, overdrawn 1,750 
 
 Mortgage, Hollwood 11,000 
 
 State of Debts, 1st of February 7.408 
 
 Old Debts, Hollwood 2,190 
 
 Mr. Soane 2,098 
 
 Bills unpaid 9,618 
 
 ^£45,064
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOKGE KOSE. 429 
 
 Contributors to the Sum of ^11,700 advanced in 1801. 
 
 Lord Camden £1,000 
 
 Lord Bathurst 1,000 
 
 Bishop of Lincoln ' . . . 1,000 
 
 Lord Carrington 1,000 
 
 Mr. Steele 1,000 
 
 Mr. Rose 1,000 
 
 From Scotland, supposed to be — 
 
 LordMelvUle . . . Jl,000 
 Duke of Buccleugh . 1,000 
 Duke of Gordon . . 1,000 
 Chief Baron .... 1,000 
 
 4,000 
 
 Mr. Wilberforce 500 
 
 Mr. Long 500 
 
 Mr. Joseph Smith 500 
 
 Uncertain, probably from Lord Alvanley 200 
 
 Jll,700 
 
 [On the 1st of October, 1801, Mr. Pitt showed 
 how much he was in the conlidence of the Govern- 
 ment at that time, by sending to his correspondent the 
 first intimation of the preUminaries of peace being 
 signed, before the fact was pubhcly known. — Ed.] 
 
 ^1r. Pitt to Mr. Rose. 
 
 ■ " Park Place, Oct. 1st, 1801, 6 p.m. 
 
 " Deak. Rose, 
 
 " Though 1 liave but a moment to save the post, 
 [ must send you one hasty Hue, to tell you that the 
 die is at length cast, and tlie preliminaries are actually 
 signed. I am not at liberty to-day to mention parti- 
 culars, but I think I can venture to promise you that
 
 ti30 DIARIES AND COltilJisrONDENt;!: Ui- 
 
 the terms, thoii<^li perhaps not in every point exactly 
 what one shoukl wish, are, on tlie whole, advanta- 
 geous, and certainly very creditable to the country. 1 
 hope to be able to send you a t'ulKr account to- 
 morrow or next day. The signature has but just 
 taken place, and will not be made public till to- 
 morrow morning. 
 
 " Ever sincerely yours, 
 
 "W. Pitt." 
 jMh. Pitt to Mk. Kusk. 
 
 "Park Place, Oct. 3d, IhOl. 
 
 " Dexr Rose, 
 
 " On coming to town this morning for a few 
 hours, 1 have just found your two letters. I will, 
 with the greatest pleasure, take an early opportunity 
 of mentioning your son to Lord Ilawkesbury, who 
 will, I tiatter myself, be very favourably inclined 
 to consider his pretensions ; but 1 think it would be 
 clearly desirable that he should also himself state his 
 wish to be considered as a candidate for any proper 
 situation in the foreign line, and that you should, at 
 the same time, write to Lord Ilawkesbury. 
 
 " I hope the particulars which you will have re- 
 ceived by this morning's post, from Hiley, will have 
 answered your expectation. 
 
 " Ever sincerely yours, 
 
 "AV. Pitt."
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOEGE ROSE. 431 
 
 Mr. Pitt to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Park Place, Monday, Oct. 26th, 1801. 
 
 " Dear Rose, 
 
 " I received your letter yesterday morning, just 
 as I was setting out from Walmer. All the senti- 
 ments it states are precisely those which 1 feel, and in 
 which, I think, all moderate and dispassionate men 
 will concur ; but I fear there are some of our I'riends 
 who will not be found to be of that number. I am 
 very glad that you have determined to come up, and, 
 if it will really be no inconvenience to you to be in 
 town on Wednesday, 1 shall be much obliged to you, 
 as there are many points connected with finance on 
 which I wish much to converse with you, and on 
 which I have some large projects in my mind. 
 
 " Ever sincerely yom-s, 
 
 ''W. Pitt." 
 
 [About the end of this year there seems to have 
 been a suspicion amongst the friends of Mr. Pitt, that 
 some acts of treachery towards him had been practised 
 by certain members of the Government, in order to 
 lower him in public estimation, and withdraw from 
 him the affection of the Kino;. Evil rumours were 
 circulated about him, and royal messages were with- 
 held. It is not likely that Mr. Addington would 
 have wished to injure him ; but injury may sometimes 
 be inflicted by forgetfulness and reckless language. 
 Certain, however, it is, that from this time Mr. Pitt's
 
 4:32 DlxUilES AM) CUlaiJ:;J5^U^i>E^t'l:; Ui 
 
 friends began to besiege him with importunities to 
 withdraw his support, and let the Administration die 
 of a poHtical atropliy ; in wliicli, after a long struggle, 
 they succeeded. The Bishop of Lincoln and Mr, Rose 
 led the way. — En.] 
 
 The Bisnoi' of Lincoln to Mk. Rosk. 
 
 " You will easily believe, my dear Sir, that your 
 letter was as little satisfactory to me, as your conversa- 
 tion with Mr. Pitt was to you 1 will not, however, 
 trouble }ou with niy lamentations, as you know pre- 
 cisely how 1 feel upon this most truly mortifying sub- 
 ject. There is, however, one point upon which 1 must 
 express my anxiety, and that is, that you will yoursdf 
 contradict, to the King, the account which he received 
 of Mr. Pitt's determination to resign last October ; and 
 also that you will state to his ^lajesty, that his mes- 
 sage to Mr. Pitt to keep his engagement of visiting 
 him at AVeymouth, was never dehvered. These .sub- 
 jects the King has already mentioned to you, and 
 surely there can be no impropriety in your recurring 
 to them. A little breach of eti([uette may be risked in 
 matters of such importance. Be assured that Lord C. 
 is not a fit person to trust such an explanation to; 
 and, indeed, no one is so well suited to it as yourself. 
 I entreat that you will not leave the neighbourhood 
 of Windsor without accomplishing this object ; and 
 I hope that in every conversation you may have with 
 his Majesty, you will be upon the watcli for any 
 opportunity whicli may offer of opening his eyes.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 433 
 
 With respect to Mr. Pitt, the point to urge to him 
 seems to be, that the conckict he is uow pursuing is 
 the very one most calculated to lower his influence and 
 consequence in the country ; and that others are taking- 
 great pains to bring about the same thing, and are 
 aiming, in all their measures, to be able to do without 
 him. The only ' ray of hope ' your letter conveys is, 
 where you say that Mr. Pitt owns he feels uncomfort- 
 ably. If he will but cease to have such complete confi- 
 dence in Mr. A., and see that he does not deserve his 
 active support and assistance in the degree he has 
 hitherto given it, circumstances will soon point out 
 some line of conduct different from his present, and 
 perfectly consistent with his honour ; which, after all, 
 is the first thing to be considered. If ]\Ir. Pitt 
 withholds his advice and direction, the face of things 
 will soon be changed. Insufficiency and profligacy 
 will soon appear, and the public will be convinced 
 that Mr. Pitt has just ground for altering his conduct. 
 
 " You seem to think of going soon to Cuffnells. If 
 we do not sec each other before you set out, pray let 
 me know by letter whether I be at liberty to state to 
 Mr. Pitt any of the circumstances and facts you have 
 mentioned to me, and to comment upon them. I am 
 fully aware that nothing must be done or said to 
 revolt Mr. Pitt. 
 
 " I have written to Mr. Carthew, as vou suo-o-ested, 
 and directed my letter to him at No. 13, Queen 
 Anne Street West ; concluding that he had not 
 changed his habitation. If he has, pray send after the 
 letter, and in any case I should be glad you Avould 
 
 VOL. I. F F
 
 434j diaeies and cokkesi'ondence of 
 
 inquire whether he has received it, as T should be 
 sorry if it fell into other hands.' 
 
 "If this should find you at Ilully Grove, pray dis- 
 tribute our kindest coniplinients to all yoiu' party. 
 Mrs. Pretyuian desires to be kindly remembered to 
 you. 
 
 " I am, my dear Sir, 
 
 " Always most truly and cordially yours, 
 
 ** G. Lincoln. 
 
 " Buckdea Palace, Nov. I'Jth, 1»01. 
 
 " I think you might urge to Air. l*itt the effect — 
 — the revolting effect — which the continuing his pre- 
 sent line of conduct will have u[)on his real friends, 
 and the most respectable men in the country firmly 
 attached to the constitution j now that A. has taken 
 Tierney and formed a coalition with Opposition : and 
 the real mai);nanimitv of his conduct is not \inderstood, 
 but his motives misrepresented." 
 
 The Bishop of Lincoln to Mr. Rose. 
 
 '' My dear Sir, 
 
 " The King is, iu my judgment, perfectly clear. 
 The design most certainly is to kick away the ladder ; 
 and this makes me exceedingly anxious that no further 
 assistance should be given upon the subject of finance, 
 or indeed upon any other point. Surely Mr. Pitt's eyes 
 must be soon opened. Pray watch the debate on the 
 25th, and see whether new light cannot be collected 
 
 ^ Allusions to letters intercepted at the Post-Office, as stated \vith 
 regard to !Mr. Pitt.
 
 THE IIIGHT HON. GEOUGE HOSE. 435 
 
 from the speeches of certain persons ; and if anything 
 appears, do not fail to state it strongly to Mr. Pitt. 
 
 " It seems to me very desirable that you should 
 have some conversation with Steele, not only on his 
 own account, but as some criterion to judge how 
 Mr. Pitt's other friends feel concerning what is now 
 going on. j:^ 
 
 "I see no objection to the receiving 1,000/. from 
 Lord RoUe ; but I think the thing should first be 
 mentioned to Lord Camden. Above all, do not fail to 
 show the last paragraph in the enclosed Times to Mr. 
 Pitt, and to tell him of the communication between 
 Hiley Addington and Mr. Waller. I hope you Avill 
 keep the enclosed paper, or send it again to me, that 
 we may keep it with other things of a similar nature. 
 The spirit of Jacobinism is surely visible in the above 
 paragraph. In great haste. 
 
 " Yours, ever most truly and affectionately, 
 
 " G. Lincoln. 
 
 " Euckden Palace, Nov. 20th, 1801. 
 
 " Pray let me hear again from you." 
 Mr. Rose to Mr. Pitt. 
 
 , ..;. ; ^. .,. a HqHj Grove, Nov. 22d, 1801. 
 " My DEAll SlK, 
 
 " The opportunities I have had of talking with 
 you on confidential matters lately have been so inter- 
 rupted, that I fear nothing but the strongest attach-, 
 ment to you, and the most sincere and unaltered 
 regard for the public interest, could have induced me 
 so often lately to press on yom' attention, points which 
 
 F F 2
 
 436 DlAltLES AND CUllKKSrONUENCE OF 
 
 appear to me as important tor tlie latter as tlicy arc to 
 yourself. My want of discretion may be blamed, but 
 you cannot mistake my motive. To the hour of your 
 anuouucin<; to mc that Mr. Addiiigton was to succeed 
 you, I considered him as one of your most attached 
 and devoted friends, and was in the habit of going to 
 him in preference to any other person on the most 
 confidential matters. The very day on which 1 was in- 
 formed by you of that event, 1 had appointed to see 
 him in order to have a conversation of the sort. 1 can 
 therefore have no prejudice against him, nor can 
 1 have been led to express to you the opinion T enter- 
 tain of what is going forward at present by any inter- 
 ested motive. I shall not have the remotest wish to 
 see you in office again so long as you continue to 
 feel that you cannot return to it with credit and com- 
 fort. But, having a firm impression on my mind that 
 there is a systematic plan, originating I know not 
 where, to lessen you as well in the opinion of the 
 public as of the King, I do feel most anxiously 
 desirous that that should be counteracted ; couceivhig 
 it to be for the interest of both, as well as from consi- 
 derations of a nature personal to yourself, that it 
 should be done as efl'ectually as possible. At the 
 same time I cannot help deeply lamenting that you 
 see the difficulties in the way of your returning to the 
 public service so forcibly as you do ; and I feel con- 
 vinced that the best aid you can give in a private 
 station is very far short of what you could do if you 
 had the direction of matters, of which recent experience 
 can leave no doubt. I may be mistaken as to a uego-
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 437 
 
 tiation having been attempted with any other person 
 in opposition besides Mr. Tierney ; but I beheve his 
 reception by Mr. A. affords a ray of hope to Mr. Fox 
 and every other enhghtened Jacobin in the country, 
 as well as to the gentleman himself. They will natu- 
 rally speculate on the possibility, at least, of that open- 
 ing the way to more of their friends, perhaps finally 
 to the exclusion of Mr. A. ; and to an adoption of 
 some of their measures, when it may not be in your 
 power to prevent it. It will be a great satisfaction to 
 me to have a quiet hour or two with you before I go 
 into Hampshire. I wash indeed to have your opinion 
 as to the best mode of combining the matter in my 
 two pamphlets, so as to connect all that is material 
 respecting finance in your administration. I hope, 
 therefore, you will have the goodness to come here 
 with me the end of this week' — though you must be 
 
 in town on Sunday." 
 
 < 
 
 Mr. Rose to Mr. Pitt. 
 
 " Holly Grove, Dec. 7th, 1801. 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " My son, with the same opinion as my own on 
 
 the subject of the wish you expressed to me on 
 
 Friday, and repeated with irlcreascd anxiety the day 
 
 following, has not diver^I the strong inclination I 
 
 have felt, since our last conversation, to comply with 
 
 your desire ; and it is a great relief to me that I can 
 
 thus give another proof of my strong attachmment to 
 
 you. 
 
 You will, I am sure, permit me to say to the venj
 
 438 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENX'E OF 
 
 fev to wliom I shall think it necessary to sav any- 
 thing, that I (lid not ask the scat in the Privy 
 Council from ls\\. A. but that I receive it at your 
 instance, because I shall receive it under circum- 
 stances of a very ditfercnt nature from those that 
 existed when I sought it as a fflsfjnrfin)}. I had been 
 Secretary of the Trcasiu'y under you longer than aiiv 
 person had held the situation who was appointed in 
 the whole of the last century. T had not been 
 entirely idle when the exertions were making which 
 opened the way for the Administration to come in, at 
 the head of which you rendered such important, and, 
 I may say, unexampled services to your country ; and 
 in the early part of it especially T had laboured 
 indefatigably. I had acquired some influence in the 
 county in which I settled, and l)rought forward use- 
 fully to Government the infinitely greater weight of 
 others, — at the same time that I secured to myself 
 and my family, honestly and fairly, a permanent 
 paliamentarv interest ; and I was at the time of vour 
 retiring from ottice the only person who remained in 
 the same political employment so filled on your 
 entrance into the public service. If I had been 
 selected for an honour then, it would naturally have 
 been considered as a reward for the sort of claim 
 I thought I had when I asked for it ; and I should 
 have had an honest pride in receiving it : it must 
 come to me very differently now. I assure you, that, 
 seriously, I do not state this with an intention either of 
 making a merit in acquiescing in your wish, or of 
 suggesting anything in the shape of a grievance;
 
 THE RIGHT HOX. GEORGE ROSE. 439 
 
 both are utterly repugnant to me. I have not the 
 shghtest ground of complaint, and my attachment is 
 more strongly riveted to you than when you were in 
 power. I wish you only to be apprised distinctly 
 why I was solicitous for the object before, and hesi- 
 tated to comply at once with your wish when I saw 
 you were earnest about it. Having taken my deter- 
 mination, I shall drive from my mind every reflection 
 that can be painful about it ; and you shall never see 
 or hear of a symptom respecting it that is unpleasant. 
 " It was not my intention to have said anything 
 more to you about the object my son has at heart; 
 but I found here the Ihnes of Saturday, in which 
 persons are mentioned for all the missions open, I 
 believe, except Madrid, Avithout any notice taken of 
 him. I imagine Mr. Drummond is at Naples. If 
 the information had been in another paper, I should 
 not have much regarded it ; but I happen to know 
 that Lord Hawkesbury particularly favours that one, 
 though I have no imagination that he can influence it. 
 One of the gentlemen named (Sir James Crawford) 
 came into the line long after my sou, as Mr. Erere 
 and Mr. Drummond did. I am perfectly sure that 
 there is not an individual in it whose education was 
 likely to qualify him better for it. At the head of 
 Winchester School a year or two earlier than usual, he 
 had an opportunity of spending eighteen months in 
 Geneva, under the care of one of the ablest and most 
 respectable men there, in attaining modern languages, 
 acquiring the principles of the law of nations, &c., 
 and then went to Cambridge at eighteen. As soon as
 
 440 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDKXCE OF 
 
 he had taken his Bachelor's degree, he was placed 
 under Lord Auckland at the Hague, with the privilege 
 of seeing the whole correspondence of Europe, then 
 passing through there, where he remained for more 
 than a year, working at least ten hours a day, till 
 Lord Grenville sent him to Berhn, with the charge of 
 the King's affairs, on the ground of the character he 
 heard of him, without any application from me; and 
 I had the satisfaction of being toKl npcatedly, by his 
 Lordship, that he was most entirely satisfied with 
 him, I know, too, that Lord jMalmesbury (an impar- 
 tial judge at least) has several times spoken of him in 
 extremely flattering terms, from the observations he 
 had opportunities of making while he was with him 
 at Berlin. It was not in the smallest degree my son's 
 fault that he has not been employed for some years. 
 
 " You will not, I trust, understand me as con- 
 veying a wish that you should do anything on the 
 subject in the remotest degree unpleasant to you. 
 I flattered myself that rjour support of reasonably fair 
 pretensions with Lord Ilawkesbury would have been 
 decisive. If it shall prove otherwise, it will not make 
 the slightest alteration in my mind or conduct. If it 
 is meant to open Naples, I think my son would be 
 perfectly satisfied and happy with it." 
 
 Mr. Addington to Mr. Pitt. 
 
 " Downing Street, Dec. 19th, 1801. 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " I expressed to his Majesty, on Wednesday, 
 your wish and my own that Rose and Long should
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 441 
 
 become members of the Privy Council. He acceded 
 
 to it most graciously, and I have told Long what has 
 
 passed. The communication to Rose should^ I think, 
 
 proceed from yourself, and I hope this will be in time 
 
 to enable you to make it by this evening's post. 
 
 " I will take my chance of finding you at home at 
 
 three to-morrow. 
 
 - " Yours, affectionately, 
 
 " H. Addington." 
 The Bishop of Lincoln to Mr. Rose. 
 
 "Deanery, St. Paul's, Dec. 23rd, 1801. 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " I remained in town till the 14th, and then 
 went with Mr. Pitt to Cambridge. On the 16th, 
 after dining at a great feast in Trinity College Hall, 
 we went to Buckden, and he left us on the 19th. 
 I did not receive your very interesting letter till I 
 reached Buckden; and the short time I was there 
 I was so occupied by company and business (having 
 an Ordination on the 20th) that I really had not 
 leisure to write to you. I set out from Buckden 
 yesterday, and came hither this morning. I saw very 
 little of Mr. Pitt while I was in town. He was a day 
 or two at Lord Hawkesbury's, and then he went to 
 Hollwood. When he was in town he was engaged 
 every day to dinner. I scarcely know why, but I 
 could not bring myself to enter upon any of these 
 important subjects on which I knew I should differ 
 from him as we went along in the carriage, and I felt 
 almost an equal reluctance when he was at Buckden.
 
 442 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 However, in the last walk we took on the Friday, we 
 fell insensibly into politic;^, and lie talked with his 
 usual openness and good temper. I expressed very 
 decidedlv niv ()|)inion concerninii; the insufHcienrv of 
 the present Administration, espeeially npon sid)ji'cts 
 of finance, and reprobated the dangerous tendency of 
 that spirit of candonr and coneiliation whieii had 
 hitherto marked his condnct to Mr. A. I endca- 
 vonred to prove to him that he wonld materially injure 
 his own eharacter, if he continued upon his present 
 intimate footing with Mr. A., and if he abstained from 
 declaring his opinion u})on the measures which he 
 really disapproved. I told him that such a line of 
 conduct appeared to me a betrayal of the interests of 
 his country. I mentioned the pains which had been 
 taken, and which were still continued, to lower him 
 in the estimation of the public, and I ventured to say 
 that his present conduct was precisely what his 
 enemies wished and his friends could not approve. 
 
 " I am willing to think that I made some impres- 
 sion upon him. He owned that the opening of the 
 distilleries was 'perfectly absurd.' He said that if 
 the peace establishment should not be settled as he 
 wished, or that one or two certain measures of finance 
 should not be adopted, he would certainly declare his 
 opinion in Parliament. He seemed to think it not 
 impossible but this opportunity might be aff'orded 
 him. 
 
 " Upon the Catholic question our conversation was 
 less satisfactory. He certainly looks forward to the 
 time when he may carry that point, and I fear he does
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 443 
 
 not wisli to take office again unless he could be per- 
 mitted to bring it forward, and to be properly sup- 
 ported. I endeavoured to convince him that he had 
 been deceived by those on whom he relied on this 
 question, as far as Ireland itself was concerned, and 
 that the measure would be very unpopular in England. 
 I did not seem to make much impression upon this 
 point, but I had not time to say all I wished and 
 could have said. I thought it better not to touch 
 upon the treacherous part of a certain person's cha- 
 racter and conduct. That point had been fully urged 
 by you, and I had no new matter to state. It ap- 
 peared to me wiser to argue upon public grounds, and 
 upon regard and concern for his own character. 
 
 " When he was leaving Buckden, I told him I hoped 
 1 should see him in town this week, as I did not 
 think of being in London again till the first of April. 
 He received that information in a manner which 
 struck Mrs. Pretyman and me exceedingly ; and 
 immediately said that he would make a point of 
 coming to town for a day on purpose to meet me. 
 In the course of the conversation I have alluded to, 
 I said there were other matters upon which I wished to 
 talk to him, but which I could not then enter upon, 
 and I am inclined to think he is desirous of talkino; 
 to me again. 
 
 " He was certainly not in so good spirits after this 
 conversation, and he remained some time in his room 
 doing nothing immediately after it, although he knew 
 that a large party from Cambridge was waiting for 
 him in the drawing-room. I am confident that he is
 
 444 DIARIES AND CORRESrONDENCE OF 
 
 not perfectly easy in his own mind ahout public matters, 
 and I am satisfied that his uneasiness will increase. 
 
 " What may be the terinination of this stran^^e 
 uncomfortable state of things at home, even without 
 any fresh convulsion in Paris (wjiich seems expected), 
 it is impossible to conjecture. 
 
 " I have been interrupted several times, and have 
 now only time left to say that Mr. Pitt told me of 
 your acceptance, &c. with great satisfaction, and he 
 said he shouhl write to you as soon as he got to town. 
 I was delighted that you had so full a conversation at 
 Windsor. I hope you will tell Mr. Pitt about the 
 offer to Grey. Depend upon it, such incompetency 
 and such knavery cannot long go on and prosper. 
 
 " I shall stay in town till Monday, perhaps Tues- 
 day. 1 left Mrs. Pretyman not quite well ; she has 
 fever hanging about her, which disturbs her sleep, &c. 
 
 " Kindest compliments to your party at Cuffnclls. 
 " Yours, most cordially and affectionately, 
 
 " G. Lincoln." 
 
 Mr. Smith to Mr. Rose. 
 
 ^ " Hereford Street, Dec. 24th, 1801. 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " Messrs, Biddulph and Cocks have informed me 
 that you have paid in to my account one thousand 
 pounds, which I will take care to apply to the dis- 
 charge of certain debts. 
 
 " I am, dear Sir, yours very faithfully, 
 
 "Jos. Smith."
 
 THE IIIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. M5 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 1802. 
 
 CORRKSPONDENCE BETWEEN MR. PITT, MR. ROSE, THE BISHOP OF LINCOLN, 
 AND MR. CANNING, RELATIVE TO THE ADDINGTON ADMINISTRATION, 
 
 [The debate alluded to in the following letter seems 
 to be that in which the question arose, whether the 
 debts of the Civil List should be paid by Parliament ; 
 and whether the King should, or could, be bound to 
 keep his expenditure within the sum allowed him at 
 his accession to the throne. Another question then 
 raised was, whether the Prince of Wales was not 
 entitled to be reimbursed for all the sums, minus the 
 expenses of his education, which were paid to the 
 Crown out of the Duchy of Cornwall, during his 
 minority. —Ed.] 
 
 Mr. Pitt to Mr. Rose. 
 
 "Dear Rose "ParkPlace, Friday, Feb. 1 9th, I8O2. 
 
 " I knew nothing of the precise day on which the 
 Civil List was to be brought on till I returned to town 
 accidentally on Tuesday, after a week's absence at 
 Walmer. The Committee is now sitting from day to 
 day, and, I imaghie, will probably make a report in the 
 course of the next week, though I have not happened
 
 446 DIARIES AND COllKESPONDENCE OF 
 
 to hear anything ])articuhu* as to their [jrogrcss. It is 
 certainly very material that nothing slioukl be omitted 
 which can phice the subject in a clear and just j)oint 
 of view ; and though I think the leading parts oi' tlie 
 case will be so clear on the face of the accounts that 
 they will hardly escape notice, the materials which 
 you have in your possession may be of considerable 
 use. If, therefore, it is really no inconvenience to 
 you to come for a few days next week, I shall be very 
 glad of it ; and, indeed, there are some things con- 
 nected with the debate of last week which I should be 
 2;lad to talk with vou about. Awkward as that de- 
 bate was in some of its circumstances at the moment, 
 I am persuaded, in its consecjuences, it has dont', and 
 will do good. 
 
 " I shall be in town all next week, unless, perhaps, 
 for a single day either on Wednesday or Friday. 
 
 " Ever sincerely yours, 
 
 "W. Pitt." 
 
 [In the next letter, the modest simplicity of Mr. 
 Pitt's character is remarkably exemplitied in the slight 
 notice W'hich he takes of a high compliment which had 
 just been paid him by a numerous body of his sup- 
 porters, on which most men would have delighted to 
 dwell without any undue self-complacency. Nearly 
 nine hundred persons, the most eminent in rank, 
 character, and talent, assembled in Merchant Taylors' 
 Hall, on the 2Sth of May, to celebrate Mr. Pitt's 
 birthday. — Ed.]
 
 the right hon. george rose. 447 
 
 Mr. Pitt to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Walmer Castle, June 7th, 1802 
 
 " Dear Rose, 
 
 " I felt, as you will believe, truly obliged to you 
 for your very satisfactory account of the 28th, and for 
 all the trouble you have had snice in prolonging my 
 furlough here. Immediately on receiving your letter, 
 I returned to Mr. Darke the copy of the paper in 
 question, with a certificate, which, as I have heard 
 nothing since, I suppose fully answered the purpose. 
 
 " This air, and the quiet and retirement which I 
 have been enjoying, have been of great use to me. I 
 mean to remain here till quite the end of the week, 
 and am not without hopes of stealing another eight or 
 ten days afterwards before the dissolution, which, I 
 imagine, we may expect somewhere about the 24th 
 or 25th; at least, if it be true, as I am told, that 
 all the business will be out of the House of Commons 
 on the 28th. 
 
 " Ever sincerely yom's, 
 ■•'■■''- • "W. Pitt." 
 
 [In the following notice of the general election, in 
 1802, it will be observed that Mr. Pitt identifies him- 
 self with the ministerial party, in opposition to the 
 Poxites, whom he calls Jacobins : a name which the 
 leaders of that party had earned for it, by their 
 sympathy with the Prench Revolution ; but it is 
 remarkable also for his characteristic forbearance in 
 avoiding personalities. He alludes to them in general
 
 448 DIARIES AND COIIRESPONDENXE OF 
 
 terms ; but there is no attack upon any one individual. 
 The rest of the letter is an overflowing of kindness 
 towards his correspondent and friend. — Ed.] 
 
 jMu. Pitt to Mu. Rose. 
 
 " Bromloy ilill, Saturday, July 10th, 1802. 
 " Dear Rose, 
 
 " I was sincerely glad to find that the election at 
 Southampton passed in a numuer which must have 
 been so satisfactory to yourself and your son. You 
 will have seen that ours at Cambridtre was pertVctly 
 quiet ; and it was not only (piict, but attended with 
 every mark of zeal and cordiality. I wish we had as 
 good accounts of three or four other places, where (as 
 it has turned out) the Jacobins have triumphed, and, 
 in some instances, unaccountably ; but, upon the whole, 
 I do not see anything likely materially to change the 
 relative strength of parties or the general complexion 
 of the House. 
 
 " I am likely to be detained by diff'erent engage- 
 ments near town for a week or ten days, and shall 
 then return to Walmer Castle, where I shall be most 
 happy to see you whenever you find it most con- 
 venient, and have a fair wind. T shall probably not 
 go to Somersetshire till late in the autumn ; but I 
 hope to find an opportunity of making a coasting 
 voyage, and returning your visit in the course of the 
 summer. If your sons are with you Avhen you em- 
 bark, I shall be very glad, if it suits them, to be of your 
 party. I am going on extremely well, and expect to
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. M-9 
 
 pass muster as a stout and able-bodied seaman by the 
 
 time I see you. ,, ti 
 
 •^ Ever yours, 
 
 "W. Pitt." 
 
 [The determined hostility with which the Bishop of 
 Lincoln continued to assail the Addington Adminis- 
 tration is displayed in these three following letters, 
 and also the perseverance with which he endeavoured 
 to shake the " immobile saxum " of Mr. Pitt's mind. 
 —Ed.] 
 
 The Bishop or Lincoln to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " I have this morning received a long letter from 
 Mr. Pitt, and you will like to know the contents of it, 
 if you have not heard from him yourself. He says 
 that the Bath waters agree with him, and he seems to 
 have a very confident hope that they will be of material 
 service to his health. He is going to Burton this 
 week, for a day or two. Not thinking it right to be 
 absent from the meeting of Parliament, in the present 
 state of the country, he means to be in town about the 
 19th, to stay for live or six days ; then go to Walmer 
 for ten days, pass through town in his way to Bath, 
 where he liopes to arrive about the 10th of next 
 month, and to stay there till Parliament meets after 
 the Christmas holidays. All this is, of course, subject 
 to what may arise to require attendance upon the 
 House of Commons.. In speaking of political matters, 
 he says the state of things is full of difficulty; that 
 
 VOL. I. G G
 
 450 DIAIUES ANL> COllllESPONDENCE OF 
 
 during the siiiniiier lie knew notliinc; of what was 
 going on, except from the newspapers ; that in passing 
 through London, on his way to Bath, he was ghid to 
 learn that the line taken by our Government was such 
 as he approved ; and that their future intentions 
 seemed to be right. lie thinks that war with Trance 
 cannot long be avoided. This is the substance of 
 what he writes ; and 1 own that the political part of 
 bis letter has not given me nuich satisfaction or com- 
 fort. I am aware that he has a very difKcult pait to 
 act ; but 1 think lie will injure his own character 
 if he expresses, which J fear h(^ will, an unqualified 
 approbation of the conduct of our present ministry. 
 
 " All things taken together, the situation of the 
 country seems to me truly alarming. I write in great 
 haste, and have only time to add our kindest respects 
 to Mrs. Rose. 
 
 " Ever most affectionately and truly, 
 
 " G. Lincoln. 
 
 "Buckden Palace, Nov. 7th, 1802." 
 
 The Bisnor of Lincoln to Mr. Hose. 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " I thank you for your letter which I received 
 this morning, and rejoice most heartily that Mr. Pitt 
 has desired to see you at Bath. I really think that 
 your meeting may be very useful. I am most de- 
 cidedly of opinion that what you propose to state in 
 the House of Commons is exceedingly right in itself, 
 and of the highest importance. It ought surely to be 
 said as early as may be on the first day, before people
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 451 
 
 have committed themselves. I have no doubt there 
 are many members whose minds are in suspense, and 
 who would be determined by such a speech as you de- 
 scribe. Remember to state your approbation of the 
 preliminaries, and to mark strongly the conduct of 
 ministers since they were signed ; and that the only 
 cliance of preserving the peace and sparing the country 
 is by having a iirm, able, and respected ministry. If, 
 however, you mean to wait for Mr, Pitt's full and 
 clieerful consent, I fear your speech will never be 
 made. Consider whether you need mention your in- 
 tention to him, provided he be not in the House, and 
 you have reason to think that what you will say will 
 not be opposite to his real opinion. 
 
 " I wish to apprize you that I wrote a very strong 
 letter to Mr. Pitt, last Monday, entreating that he 
 would not, in the House of Commons, express an un- 
 qualified approbation of the late measures of Govern- 
 ment ; reminding him that he had not be en consulted 
 during the summer, and that now his assistance was 
 hkely to be wanted, they were paying court to him ; 
 that they used ' every effort and every art ' to obtain 
 his support when necessary. I told him how much 
 ministers were despised in the country, and begged 
 that he would not identifv himself with such men. 
 And, lastly, I begged that he would stay at Bath, for 
 which his health afforded a sufficient reason, and wait 
 to see what turn things will take. I told him also, 
 which I am sure is true, that by giving his unqualified 
 support to the present Ministers, he would lose the 
 confidence of the country. 
 
 G G 2
 
 152 DIARIES A^D COKllESPONUENCE or 
 
 " Remember that you cannot do your country a 
 greater service than by making the speech you medi- 
 tate. I write in great haste, and have only time to 
 say that I shall expect with great impatience your 
 next letter. Adieu. 
 
 " Yours, most atiectionately and truly, 
 
 " G. Lincoln. 
 
 " Buckden Palace, Nov. Uth, 1802." 
 
 'i'ui: Bisnoi' of Lincoln to AIk. Rose. 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " Your compromise is, upon the whole, as good a 
 mode of settling the business as could be expected. I 
 was confident that Mr. Pitt would not consent to your 
 making your intended speech ; and 1 agree with you 
 in thinking it a great i)oint that Mr. Pitt should not 
 attend at the opening of the session under the present 
 impression of his mind. I almost shudder at the idea 
 of Mr. Pitt's expressing his approbation of the late 
 measures of Government. 
 
 " I am persuaded that Lord Grenville will take a 
 directly op[)osite line, and I greatly feai' that Mr. Pitt 
 will soon be driven to make his choice between the 
 present ministers and Lord Grenville, with those who 
 will act with him. 1 fear it, because I am convinced 
 that Mr. Pitt will support Government. 
 
 " I am very glad that you are remaining at Rath ; 
 and, if anything occurs, I trust that I shall hear from 
 you. You say nothing of Mr. Pitt's health.
 
 THE RIGHT HOX. GEORGE ROSE. 453 
 
 " Adieu. Mrs. Pretyman desires her kindest com- 
 pliments. 
 
 " Ever, my dear Sir, most truly yours, 
 
 " G. Lincoln. 
 
 "Buckden Palace, Nov. 17th, 1802." 
 
 [The correspondence which closes this year consists 
 of letters from Mr. Canning to Mr. Rose, with answers 
 to some of them. They contain evidence of the high 
 veneration with w^hich Mr. Pitt was regarded not only by 
 men of ordinary stamp, but by the brilliant talents of 
 Mr. Canning ; they show Mr. C.'s anxiety not to cross 
 that great man's path, or throw any obstacle in the way 
 of his purposes, whatever they might be ; and the perse- 
 verance with which he endeavoured to worm out from 
 his friend Rose his secret feelings and opinions, in 
 order to regulate his own course in accordance with 
 thein, proves his conviction, that no one else enjoyed 
 so large a share of Mr. Pitt's confidence, or was ad- 
 mitted to see so much of the interior of his mind ; but 
 they also show how much machinery w^as at work to 
 influence those feelings and opinions against Mr. Ad- 
 dington, and to undermine the Administration. — Ed.] 
 
 Mr, Canning to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Dogmersfield, Thursday, Nov. 11th, 1802. 
 
 " My DEAR Sir, 
 
 " It has been a great disappointment to me that 
 the invitation of our friend Sir H. Mildmay did not
 
 454 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 liappen to find you disengaged this week. Inde- 
 pendently of the pleasure of meeting you here, I was 
 very particularly desirous of an ojjportunity of some 
 communication with you before the opening of the 
 session, upon subjects, not very fit to l)e discussed by 
 letter, u})on which I am confident you would feel as 1. 
 and other persons wlunn you would have found here 
 feel upon them : — and to the measures relating to which 
 you coidd, and I am pei^uadcd would, have contri- 
 buted the most efficacious and valuable assistance. 
 
 " I shouM be very glad to know if you are likely 
 to be in town before the meeting — and how soon ? 
 
 " I return to town from hence on Saturday ; and 
 for that, and the few first days of the ensuing week, 
 a letter would find me at Lothian's Hotel. On Thurs- 
 day or I'riday, 1 have promised to meet Mr. Pitt at 
 l^ropmorc, on his road from Bath ; aiul shall return 
 to town either with him, or the day after liim. It', 
 with this knowledge of my motions, you could con- 
 trive to give me notice of yours, so that we might fall 
 in with each other the first time that we are within 
 each other's reach, I shall be very desirous of profiting 
 by the opportunity. 
 
 " Believe me, my dear Sir, 
 
 " Very sincerely yours, 
 
 " Geo. Canning. 
 
 " P. S. I understand that you intend taking this 
 place on your w^ay to town. If that should be the 
 case, and if you would let me know beforehand the time 
 of your coming, I would endeavour to meet you."
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. doS 
 
 [Towards the end of the year Mr. Pitt went to Bath 
 to recruit his faiUng healtli ; and being now out of the 
 trammels of office, the next letter shows more of the 
 affectionate kindness which he felt for Mr. Rose, than 
 when his head was full of matters of business. It 
 shows also that he was still determined to support 
 the Government on material points, though he seems 
 to apprehend, that something might be introduced 
 into the speech from the Throne, which might make 
 him desirous to be absent from the address. It 
 brought Mr. Rose into that immediate contact with 
 him which induced Mr. Canning to write the follow- 
 ing letters. — Ed.] 
 
 Mil. Pitt to Mr. Rose. —" 
 
 . . "Bath, Nov. 7th, 1802. 
 
 " Dear Rose, 
 
 " Your letter of yesterday reached me this morn- 
 ing. I am very sorry you should have given yourself 
 a moment's trouble about my mislaid letter, as its 
 contents were not such as to make the accident of any 
 consequence. I had been meaning to write to you to 
 tell you, what I know you will be glad to hear, that 
 I am much the better for my visit hither ; and I meant 
 also to say to you, that if you have really no engage- 
 ment to make it inconvenient to you, you w^ould make 
 rae very happy if you can let me have the satisfaction 
 of seeing you while I am here. There are many 
 points too long for a letter which I shall be very glad, 
 if we meet, to talk over with you. I mean to go
 
 456 DIAKIES AND COKKESPONDEXCK OF 
 
 on Thursday to my mother's, but slmll returti here in 
 time for my afternoon's ch-aui^ht of the waters on 
 Saturday ; and from thence shall continue here till the 
 business of the session calls ine to town. It is 
 possible things may take a turn that may make me 
 wish to be present the day of the Speech, which will, 
 I understand, be on Monday the 2'2d ; but it is quite 
 as likely that I may not see occasion to go till either 
 the vote for the army or navy, or some material motion, 
 is brought forward. 
 
 " Perhaps even the circumstances may be such as 
 to make me doubt about going at all before Christ- 
 mas ; but of this I shall know more in a short time. 
 If it suits you to be here on Saturday by diimer, 
 I shall be happy to see yon then ; if not, the first day 
 afterwards that you find in your power, 
 
 " Ever sincerely yours, 
 
 " W. P." 
 
 Mr. Canning to Mu. Rose. 
 
 "Lothian's Hotel, Saturday, Nov. 20th, 1802. 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 Though I have but a moment to save the post, 
 I will not put off till Monday giving you the pleasure, 
 which I am sure yon will derive, from hearing that 
 Lord G. (whom I have seen to-day) appears to enter 
 cordially into all the considerations of delicacy towards 
 ]\Ir. P., which you thought it of so much importance 
 that he should entertain ; and that the line of argument 
 which he has laid down to himself, is one which will 
 carry him safely past all the embarrassing and uncom-
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 457 
 
 fortable points of difference between them. There is 
 no intention of movinor anv amendment. 
 
 " In return for this intelHgence, I shall be glad to 
 hear from you that Mr. P. continues satisfied with his 
 wise and saving determination to remain where he is ; 
 and that he has done himself the justice to avoid (and 
 'to say that he must avoid) mixing himself by advice in 
 the councils for which he ought to be in no degree 
 responsible. 
 
 " Yours, dear Sir, very sincerely, 
 
 " G. C." 
 
 Mr. Canning to ]\[r. Rose. 
 
 " 37, Conduit Street, 
 " Monday, Nov. 29th, 1802. 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " The last letter with which I troubled vou 
 produced me so comfortable an answer, that I can- 
 not forbear to give myself the chance of another 
 such return for the very little that I have to tell 
 you. 
 
 " The navv estimates come on on Wednesdav : they 
 mean to vote 50,000 seamen — as it is understood, 
 only for three months. I should like very much to 
 know (but w^ithout in the smallest degree intending to 
 make any use of my knowledge) Mr. P.'s opinion of 
 the sufficiency or insufficiency of such a vote. I do 
 not write to him to ask — first, because I wish not to 
 trouble him with letters just at present more than 
 is absolutely necessary (he is nuich better left to his
 
 158 DIARIES AND COKRESPONDENTK OF 
 
 own reflections); and secondly, because 1 do not think 
 it fair to put such a question to liiin at a nuMUcnt 
 when, if put from other (piarters, 1 trust he woidd 
 decHne to answer it. Hut if yon shouhl happen to 
 collect Avliat lie thinks upon th(^ subject, and slionid 
 see no impropriety in letting nic know it, it would be 
 some satisfaction to my mind. I certainly have mv 
 own opinion : but I sliouhl be desirous to avoid stating 
 one opposite to his — at least I would not do so 
 knowingly. However, the debate will be in a great 
 measure independent of this particular (juestion. 
 
 " Above all things, T anxiously hope to liear from 
 vou that he remains firm in his resolution U) abstain 
 from attendance, or interference. 
 
 " The voting the establishments for three months 
 ai)pears to me to relieve him from the only awkward- 
 ness which he could possibly have felt — that of not 
 being present at the settlement of the permanent 
 peace establishment. This measure is confessedly 
 temporary, adapted to their view of the circumstances 
 of THE moment, to which he is no party, and liable to 
 revision hereafter ; when it will (T trust) be his hn.si- 
 nesB to revise it. 
 
 " Peel is not in town. I stated your Swiss argu- 
 ment for you — and it was not answered — as indeed it 
 could not well be. 
 
 " Ever, my dear Sir, 
 
 " Most sincerely yours, 
 
 " G. C."
 
 the right hon. george rose. 459 
 
 Mr. Canning to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Conduit Street, Tuesday, Nov. 30th, 1802. 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " As I mentioned to you yesterday that the 
 estimates were to be voted only for three months — 
 which was then true — I think it right to let you know 
 that the Doctor' has just announced the intention of 
 voting them for the year. This, 1 am persuaded, is 
 Ryder's doing, and it is done wisely. I do trust that 
 it Avill make no alteration in Mr. Pitt's intentions 
 of staying where he is. But it makes it still more 
 desirable, to know if possible, what are his ideas of 
 the force that ought to be kept up. The Navy comes 
 on to-morrow, 50,000 seamen, as I before told you. 
 The proposed amount of the Army I have not heard. 
 It (the army) does not come on till Wednesday. Fox, 
 it is now confidently said, will not attend either, cer- 
 tainly not the navy. God knows he has done mischief 
 enough already, and may well rest contented for a 
 while with the tone to which he has brought the 
 Government down. Perhaps, indeed, he is so well 
 contented that he thinks it dangerous to risk any 
 apparent diminution of his influence with them by 
 attending debates on which he thinks they may receive 
 a lesson from other quarters ; and it is obviously his 
 policy not to be obliged at the present moment to 
 express a difference of opinion with Addington. 
 
 " You shall hear from me again as anything occurs. 
 
 "Yours very sincerely, 
 
 ''G. 0." 
 
 1 The sobriquet by which Addington was faiuiHarly designated.
 
 460 DIARIES AND COURKSPONDENCE OP 
 
 Mr. Rose to Mr. Canning. 
 
 "Bath, Nov. 30th, 1802. 
 
 "My dear Sir, 
 
 " I conceive it to be quite impossible for Mr. 
 Pitt to form an opinion of tlie .siifiiciency or insuffi- 
 ciency of tlie 50,000 senmen for three months, with- 
 out any information wliatever of wliat lias been going 
 forward lately, or of the actual situation we are in 
 with France, — I mean as to the probability or improba- 
 bility of a Avar with her. 'riirrc are passages in Lord 
 TTawkesbury's speech, cither on the first or second 
 day, which looked like his having no intention to lay 
 papers before Parliament relative to the late discussion 
 with the First Consul. That th«y should not do so now, 
 is intelligible, and perhnps propiT ; but calling for a 
 vote, evidently for a larger force than they can ])ossibly 
 mean for a peace establishment, can only be justified 
 by the persuasion ministers have of the necessity for 
 such a force on account of a conduct on the part of 
 France which creates a just alarm in their minds. T 
 can conceive discussions, even of importance, with a 
 foreign country, passing even without papers laid, 
 when Parliament is not called u))on to act in conse- 
 cpience of them ; hut ichen it is, information at some 
 period or other is surely demandable. Ministers may 
 surelv be driven to sav whv 50,000 men are desired 
 for three mouths ; they need not tell the specific cause, 
 but they must admit that something extraordinary 
 leads to it. Mr. Pitt went out for his ride before I 
 got your letter, and I have no chance of an opportu- 
 nity of talking to him on the above subject before 
 dinner, but I am quite sure he could say nothing upon
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 461 
 
 it at all satisfactory. His health improves evidently, 
 and he holds his resolution now to a certainty not to 
 go to London, about which, however, he was a good 
 deal shaken at the end of last week." 
 
 Mr. Rose to Mr. Canning. 
 
 "Bath, Dec. 1st, 1802. 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " I thought it right, under so considerable a 
 change in the vote for the seamen, as you mention, to 
 show the letter I have just received from you, to Mr. 
 Pitt, who desires me to say to you nearly what I did 
 from myself yesterday ; — that at this distance, and 
 utterly uninformed as he is of everything that could 
 enable him to form a judgment on the subject, he can 
 express no opinion whatever upon it. It appears 
 manifestly to be better to vote the strength for a year 
 than for a short period, as showing a better counte- 
 nance to the enemy. The number may be increased 
 in the course of the session, if it be found necessary, 
 and if so large a force should not be wanted, the surplus 
 money may.be otherwise disposed of. The period of 
 the naval vote being extended strengthens my remark 
 of yesterday respecting information of some sort being 
 communicated to Parliament. In 1793, the vote was 
 for 45,000 seamen; for lo,000 in 1792. I am not 
 sure w4iether papers were then laid, but the ground 
 for that augmentation, I am sure, was stated and 
 debated. I trust Mr. Pitt will not be induced by 
 anything that one can foresee as likely to happen to 
 change his opinion respecting his remaining here."
 
 •462 diaries and correspondence of 
 Mr. Canning to Mr. Rose. 
 
 '\Conduit Street, 
 "Thursday, Deo. 2d, I8111'. 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " Many thanks to you for your letter of yester- 
 day, which I have just received. Vou will have seen 
 with no small indignation how (juietly the navv esti- 
 mates went oft' yesterday. As far as /am implicated 
 in the guilt of that remissness, I will honestly own to 
 you that my excuse is this— that 1 wished to hear 
 from you again hcl'orc 1 opened my lips iipon the 
 subject. The change from three montiis to a year, 
 though laudable in itself, appeared to me (as I now 
 see it does to you) only to aggravate the folly and 
 inconsistency of the conduct of Govermnent, and to 
 make their want of fair explanation with Parliament 
 still more reprehensible. "Rut I did not feel sure how 
 it might have been represented at Bath ; and tliough 
 1 am very far (as I ho])c you will understand me 
 throughout) from either presuming to ask, or still less 
 taking for granted that I have heard, anything of 
 Mr. P.'s opinions, yet I thought that if he had been 
 fully informed and fully satisfied upon the subject, he 
 would have said so, and that would, with me, have 
 been decisive against saying a word. As it is, you 
 will be better satisfied with to-day than yesterday. 
 And the loss of one day does us no harm. It has 
 shown how little disposition the Government has to 
 communicate information ; and the indignation which 
 everybody, whom I have seen or heard of, feels at 
 such a vote so passed, will be a great help to us to-
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOllGE ROSE. 463 
 
 day, and will take off any imputation of a vexatious 
 seeking of opportunities to oppose. You shall hear 
 from nie again, and I hope you will send me from 
 time to time any hint that may occur to you. 
 
 " ¥010*8 most sincerely, 
 • - : ' •. "G. C." 
 
 Mr. Rose to Mr. Canning. 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " I have no hesitation in saying that I believe 
 such a vote as was adopted by the House of Com- 
 mons on Wednesday, is, I believe, unexampled in the 
 history of Parliament ; I mean without a syllable said 
 on the subject by the ministers. My observation was 
 purely my own, and not meant to implicate Mr. Pitt 
 in the remotest degree. It is impossible at the present 
 instant to be too cautious, not only of using his name, 
 but of saying anything that can lead to conjecture 
 as to what his opinion is. 
 
 " I shall return to Cuffnells early in the next week, 
 and I think Mr. Pitt will probably go to Long Leat 
 about the middle of it, 
 
 " I am, my dear Sir, 
 : . , ) ,. , . " Yours, &c. 
 
 '" , , . , "G. R. 
 
 " Bath, Dec. 3d, 1802." 
 
 Mr. Canning to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Conduit Street, Friday, Dec. 3d, 1802. 
 
 " My dear Sir, ':■: 
 
 " I hope the debate of yesterday will satisfy you 
 and will not f/^>-satisfy Mr. P., as I am confident, if
 
 464 DIARIES AND CORKESrONDENCE (JF 
 
 fairly represented to liiiii (and if a miseliievoiis para- 
 graph in the Morning Chronicle does not deceive, and 
 alarm him), there is no reason why it shoukl. The 
 disavowal which was ol)tained from Hawkesbmy of 
 Fox's doctrine of small establishments, I hope he will 
 consider as an essential point gained, and (though I 
 do not see that any paper, except the True Briton, 
 states that part of what I said at all sutliciently) I am 
 sure he will think / did ri«^ht in hailin'' as cordiallv 
 as I did this symptom of returning good sense and 
 consistency. Ilawkesbury's language was the more 
 important ; and it was the more important that it 
 should be strongly remarked upon, as Addington had 
 shirked in the meanest and most pitiful manner the 
 whole of the (piestions which T. Grenville addressed 
 to hun ; and indeed his (A.'s) whole exhibition was as 
 contcmptii)le as even I could wish. His own troops 
 were heartily ashamed of him, and there is but one voice 
 amongst all who heard his waverings aiul shufflings, 
 that this man cannot govern the countrv ; that we 
 are not safe in his hands. AVill he be the last man 
 in the country to perceive this? ^^'e shall see on 
 Wednesday how A. will face Fox if he comes down. 
 Then (since he has not done it sooner) he nmst be 
 called upon to adopt Ilawkesbury's disavowal. But, 
 depend upon it, Mr. P.'s presence would do us no good 
 as yet. For God's sake let him remain quietly where 
 he is, unpledged, unmixed with anything that is going 
 forward. Assure him (what is strictly true) that his 
 name was not once brought into question in last 
 night's debate ; nor shall be, unforced, by any of ns.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. - 465 
 
 The Grenvilles we cannot answer for, nor are they at 
 all considered as answering for him. We keep our- 
 selves quite distinct from them. 
 
 " You will be glad to hear, and so will Mr. P., that 
 Sturges distinguished himself in last night's debate 
 most eminently. His speech was unquestionably the 
 best of the night; and as a proof of its impres- 
 sion, old Pulteney came across the House to thank 
 him for it, and to subscribe to every sentiment that it 
 contained. 
 
 " Ever sincerely yours, 
 
 " G. G." 
 
 Mr. Canning to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Conduit Street, Saturday, Dec. 4th. 
 
 "My Dear Sir, 
 
 " Do not be alarmed lest I should have misun- 
 derstood you, or misquoted Mr. P., or quoted him at 
 all. Be assured I have done no such thing. What I 
 said to you of my readiness to say nothing if he had 
 thought fit to say to me through you, ' Hold your 
 tongue,' is purely between ourselves. I never quote 
 him. I do not pretend to hear from him. Others 
 do, but I hope I am not to believe them. I trust to 
 hearing from you again on Tuesday. 
 
 " Ever sincerely yours, 
 
 "G. C. 
 
 " The effect of Thursday's debate is excellent. The 
 marked difference of the language of Addington and 
 Hawkesbury, in respect to Fox's doctrines, strikes 
 people as one could wish. With Hawkesbury it is, 
 
 VOL. I. H H
 
 166 DIARIES AND CORUKSPONDENCK OF 
 
 I am persuaded, Ryder's doinpf ; but I am heartily 
 glad that he has profited hy Ryder's advice. A., I 
 trust and believe, is doubly armed in vanity and folly 
 against any such impression." 
 
 Mil. Canning to Mr. Rosk. 
 
 " Conduit Street, Monday, Dec. 6th, 1802. 
 
 **My Deaii 8iu, 
 
 " I have this moment received your letter of 
 yesterday, and as you talk of leaving Hath on Wed- 
 nesday, lose not a moment in answering it. 
 
 " I am not sorry that you arc not so satisfied with 
 the result of Thursday, since your dissatisfaction is so 
 entirely on the right side. I am quite aware that we 
 did not do half of what we might have done ; but 
 recollect the fcf/crs in which irr act from the dread 
 of misrepresentation to Mr. P. ; from the apprehen- 
 sion of being mixed up too much in public opinion 
 with the Grenville opposition of last year (which 
 would do us a disservice just at the present mo- 
 ment that you cannot well calculate without being 
 on the spot) ; and above all, under the uncer- 
 tainty which some of the letters of last week 
 from Bath had created, and which a thousand Iving 
 reports, circulated with incredible industry on AVed- 
 nesday or Thursday, had contributed to aggravate, 
 respecting the possibility of ]\lr. Pitt's coming up; 
 an event which, whatever had been the real motive, 
 they (the Addingtons) would not have failed to ascribe 
 to the opposition to them ; on which interpretation, 
 our going one step or shade beyond what Mr. P.'s
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 467 
 
 opinion, when he arrived, might turn out to be, 
 wouki have appeared to countenance them. The 
 'others,' to whom I aUuded as quoting letters sup- 
 posed to be received from Bath, are people hanging 
 on to Addington and Hawkesbury, who have told 
 tliose, that related it to me again (and I beheve for 
 the purpose of its being so related to me), that Mr. P. 
 had Avritten to A. last week, offering to come up if he 
 was wanted ; that he had written to Hawkesbmy, 
 dictating the answer to be made to Fox, in conse- 
 quence of which H. made that declaration on Thurs- 
 day ; which therefore, perhaps, as well as on other 
 uccoimts (I mean because it was understood to pro- 
 ceed from Mr. P., and ])ecause I believed it to 
 proceed not indeed directly from Idm, but from Ryder 
 speaking his sense), I thought it right to hail for a 
 (jreat deal more than it ivas reatly worth. ' ' ' ■ 
 
 " In what sense he did write to Ryder, I would 
 give much to know. Ryder's wish to see Mr. P. 
 where he ought to be, and where he must be again, 
 it is impossible to doubt ; but his tenderness for A. 
 is so great, that he supplies him beforehand with all 
 the means he can of meeting the strong points to be 
 brought against him ; and thereby, I think, throws 
 difficulties in the way of Mr. P.'s return, in exact 
 proportion as the faults which it is to remedy are 
 rendered less observable. I cannot help being of 
 opinion that in his precise situation he might properly 
 abstain as much as Mr. P. himself does. 
 
 " Of what has been written to Long, if one is to 
 judge from the effect, I cannot but judge well, as he 
 
 H H 2
 
 468 DIAUIES AND CORRESrONDKNCE OF 
 
 has not been in the House (I believe) since the first 
 day — certainly has not stayed out any debate. 
 
 " After all, the essential point is that of which your 
 letter of to-dav briuiirs the continued assurance, — 
 Mr. P.'s not coming up. This will give us on Wed- 
 nesday an opportunity of more free debate, and more 
 clear speakitig out than we have yet ventured. The 
 two last debates, and especially the Attorney-General's 
 speech (which was a very good one of its kind), were 
 full of taunting invitations to us to say distinctly what 
 we meant, — whether we agreed w ith the firenvilles 
 in thinking Ministers untit, &c. kc. And our discro- 
 I'lon — o?vv-discretioii, 1 should think it, if there were 
 not room to repair it on Wednesday — has had the 
 effect of emboldening the Doctor's friends to assert, and 
 of inclining stupid and shabby people to believe, that 
 all that we have been doing is purchj out of pique to 
 Addi)igto)i, and not in the smallest degree from devotion 
 to Mr. P. It is impossible to acquiesce in this impu- 
 tation ; but I am not sorry that we have borne it in 
 silence thus long, and 1 hope that even on Wednesday 
 that silence will not be broken without fresh and 
 instant provocation : — but that we shall assuredly have, 
 and as assuredly we must not suffer ourselves to be 
 misconstrued and misrepresented to so mischievous 
 a purpose any longer. 
 
 " Wednesday will afford opportunity for most of the 
 observations in your letter ; — many of which, however, 
 were pressed out lightly last week, but remaining 
 perfectly nnanswered by Ministers, make the less 
 figure in report.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 469 
 
 '' I entreat you to let me have your last words from 
 Bath. I cannot but be concerned that you are leav- 
 ing him. 
 
 " Ever, my dear Sir, 
 
 " Most sincerely yours, 
 
 " G. C. 
 
 " Have you time to state your Exchequer Bills' 
 observations ? "
 
 470 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE or 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 1802. 
 
 MR. rose's diary, FROM THE llTH OF NOVEMBER TO THE 27TH OF 
 
 DECEMBER, 1802. 
 
 [Mr. Rosk's Diarv of this year (1802) occupies only 
 tlic two lust months. The coniincnccmcnt of it is the 
 substance of an attack which he would liiive nuide in 
 the House of Commons upon the Atldington adminis- 
 tration, if he had not been prevented by Mr. Pitt. 
 The rest consists of frequent conversations between 
 them at Bath and at Cuffnells, in which the one is 
 always using the spur and the other the rein ; the one 
 eager for the fray, the other checking his ardent desire 
 to turn out the Government. It was not that Mr. 
 Rose thirsted for place. He might have retained his 
 office, and was vehemently pressed to do so by Mr. 
 Pitt, at the time of his resignation; but he had been 
 accustomed to see the reins of government held by 
 a firm and unfaltering hand, and could not bear 
 the feebleness and vacillations to Avhich they were 
 now consigned. Notwithstanding all the difficulties 
 that stood in the way, and all the objections which 
 were but too apparent, his devoted attachment to his
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 471 
 
 friend led him to conclude that nothing could save 
 the country, which was then hovering between peace 
 and war, but his return to power. But Mr. Pitt's 
 attachment to the King weighed down the scale on 
 . the other side. He had promised his support and 
 assistance ; and the strictness of his principles bound 
 him to keep that engagement, even under great provo- 
 cation to think himself released from it ; for Mr. Ad- 
 din gton forgot that the obligations in such a contract 
 are reciprocal : that if he wanted assistance, he must 
 ask for it ; that he could not expect to find in Mr. Pitt 
 an obsequious follower, ready to support every mea- 
 sure, whether good or bad, and to sanction every plan, 
 however objectionable, and proposed without his pre- 
 vious concurrence ; that, in fact, the relation in which 
 his predecessor stood to him was that of a guide, to 
 be consulted on all occasions, to whose experience and 
 authority he ought, for the most part, to defer. But 
 that was not the light in which Mr. Addington chose 
 to view it. He prided himself on being independent ; 
 and it was only at rare intervals, and under circum- 
 stances of great perplexity, that he resorted to Mr. Pitt 
 for advice. It argues, therefore, a great amount of self- 
 complacency in him, when his biographer declares 
 that, " to the close of his life, he considered that he 
 had been unkindly and unfairly treated by Mr. Pitt. 
 He promised him his assistance and advice whenever 
 he might request it, and nevertheless removed to a 
 distance where it would be impossible to consult him ;
 
 472 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 he would neither be the adviser of the Administration 
 nor its head : nothing woukl satisfy liiiu l)ut its disso- 
 lution." ' 
 
 Could it really be expeeted that Mr. Pitt would 
 put himself at the head of a (Jovernment falling tu 
 pieces from its weakness, without infusing some new 
 blood into it ? With this proviso, Mr. Addington was 
 ^Wiling to accept his advice, l)ut his Cabinet rejected 
 it. His advice was never asked at anv other time, 
 except on two or three isolated points, of which no 
 judgment could be formed separate from the context 
 of his policy. It has been proved that he went to 
 Jiith for his health, though he sometimes stayed there 
 to avoid being mixed up with the passing of measures 
 about which he had not been consulted, and of which 
 he disapproved. But Bath and Walmcr were not 
 situated in America or Australia. His friends found it 
 not impossible to consult him at either of thf)se places, 
 and a letter would have reached him in two davs. 
 He who expected a servile assistance from him, as 
 Aladdin did from the charm-bound Genius, deserved 
 to be disappointed. It is true that when Lord Hawkes- 
 bury wrote to him, as related in these notes, in order to 
 obtain from him an ex-post facto sanction to a course 
 of policy about Avhich he had never been consulted 
 before, he evaded the compromising effects of that 
 manoeuvre by the plea that they were too far asunder ; 
 but it is quite obvious that this was not his real 
 
 ^ Pellew's Life of Lord Sidmouth.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 473 
 
 opinion ; that it was only a specimen of diplomatic 
 insincerity, a retort courteous for the disingennous 
 treatment which he felt that he had received. In one 
 of his conversations he had stated that the plea of 
 ignorance upon the subject would have drawn down 
 upon him additional papers, which would only have 
 added to his embarrassment : for he was too friendly 
 to the Government to censure when it could do no 
 good, and he was too honest to applaud what he was 
 unable to approve. The whole object of his answer was 
 to prevent his hearing anything more about the matter. 
 It was not impossible that it was too late. — Ed.] 
 
 Mr. Rose's Diary resumed. 
 
 Cuffiiells, Thursday, November 11. — On reflecting 
 on the present appearance of public affairs, uninformed 
 as I am of what has been doing by Government 
 during the last two or three months, I think it right 
 before I see Mr. Pitt, to embody in a few notes what 
 occurs to me from the conjectures I can form. 
 
 If Ministers have held a language to Prance that 
 their proceedhigs in Switzerland (violent, atrocious, and 
 unjustifiable as they have been) shall be considered as 
 a just ground of war, — or if they have used anything 
 like a serious threat that this country will resent them, 
 especially if that has been done without a certainty 
 that Austria will be a principal in the (juarrel, — it will 
 be difficult to find terms strong enough to express a 
 censure of their conduct; especially as at the time
 
 474 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 the correspondence began, tlie remotest liopc could 
 not be entertained of the co-operation of Russia, 
 because the channje of the Minister of that country 
 by the a})pointnient of Count Woronzow, brother to 
 the Great Chancellor, (who is unfortunately suspected 
 to be corrupt, and not to have so decided an inHucnce 
 as was at first supposed,) had not then taken place. 
 This opinion is formed not umh r a duubt of tlie 
 iiifuiite importance that ought to be attached to the 
 independence of Switzerland, jior from a want of a 
 warm feeling for the cruel and lamentable situation tliat 
 ///«/ brave and virtuous people are in; but from a 
 clear and strong conviction that our interposition can 
 produce no possible good to the suflerers. It is cpiitc 
 certain that we can send thcni no force, and that even 
 with the aid of our purse, they cannot collect a suffi- 
 cient strength to resist the power of France suddcidy 
 poured in u])on them, as well from that country as 
 from Italy. Can any man in his senses hope that the 
 First Consul will attend to the threats' of our Minis- 
 ters (conveyed in the strongest expressions they could 
 devise) to save Switzerland, important as it is to all 
 his views of aggrandizement and security, when they 
 tamely and quietly suffered the most direct and 
 unequivocal insults and injuries to be inflicted upon 
 us since the signing the preliminaries, without, as it 
 is believed, a representation on the subject ? It will 
 be sufficient to state a few of these occurrences. 
 
 * Demosthenes, in the Second Olynthiac, observes, " Words, in 
 general, if not supported by deeds, appear frivolous and vain ; and 
 in proportion as we use them with gi-eater promptitude and alacrity, 
 so do all mankind more assureiUy disbelieve them.*'
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 475 
 
 First. — France prevailed with Spain, or rather 
 ordered her, to cede the province of Louisiana; the 
 importance of which does not appear to me to be suffi- 
 ciently felt. The French have everything now within 
 their grasp except the precious metals. In this pro- 
 vince they may assemble wdth ease an army sufficient 
 for the conquest of Mexico, on which it borders. The 
 soil and climate are equal to any in the world ; and if it 
 shall be found difficult to march an army to take pos- 
 session of the Spanish wealth, on account of not being 
 able to find provisions, &c. in an unsettled country, the 
 voyage across the Gulf must be short (favoured by the 
 trade wind), and not easily interrupted. This Avill not 
 appear romantic, or improbable, when the spirit of 
 enterprise of French troops is considered, especially 
 under a certainty of acquiring great Avealth and other 
 luxuries ; and the invincible indolence and want of 
 discipline of the Spaniards, as well as the utter dislike 
 the natives have to them. The acquisition gives the 
 French also an immense influence with the American 
 States, by completely bringing under their subjection the 
 State of Kentucky, already a very flourishing county, 
 and likely to become infinitely more so, from the 
 healthiness of the climate and the fertility of the soil, 
 in which respects it has at least equal advantages with 
 Louisiana, and is better inhabited. The exports from 
 Kentucky already amount to about 1,500,000/., 
 though it has not been settled five-and-twenty years. 
 The communication between it and the other States 
 of America, for the conveyance of goods by land, is 
 impracticable, being divided from them by the Alle-
 
 476 DIARIES AND COKHKSPOXDENCE OF 
 
 ghany mountains. Tlic only outlet it has, therefore, is 
 by the Ohio, which tails into the Mississippi ; which 
 latter is navigable nuich higher than where it receives 
 the former, without lither a fall or a rapid. The situ- 
 ation of New Orleans, about thirty or forty leagues up 
 the river, must give the I'rench the command of the 
 navigation most completely. Must not the represen- 
 tatives of this Stale be under the direct infiuence of 
 iVance in the Compress? And \\ill not the mischief 
 of stoj)ping the trade between this and other parts of 
 the continent of America, produce a considerable eti'ect 
 in the other States? It will evidently, too, shut us 
 out of all trade with the county of Kentucky, fruitful 
 in flour, hemp, and naval stores. 
 
 Secondly. — France was permitted to consolidate 
 with itself the Italian Republic, deeply affecting 
 thereby not only the balance of power in Europe, 
 but some of the most important commercial interests of 
 this coimtri/. — Compare this alone with Switzerland ! 
 
 Thirdly. — She was allowed to make such terms in 
 the definitive treaty respecting Malta, as insured to 
 her the possession of that island whenever she should 
 please to have it ; the insutticiency of a Neapolitan 
 garrison is notorious. But if the bravest troops in 
 the world had been stipulated for, and adequate in 
 number to the defence of the place, the French would 
 have nothing to do but to direct the King of Naples 
 to order his troops to march out and allow their's to 
 possess themselves of the island ; and he must in- 
 stantly obey, or they would without hesitation dis- 
 possess him of his kingdom. If the French should
 
 THE KIGHT HON. GEORGE HOSE. 477 
 
 not avail themselves of the interval while the Neapo- 
 litans are in Malta to get possession of it, how is it 
 afterwards to be preserved in a state of independency ? 
 There is no Avay in which an income can be found to 
 maintain a sufficient garrison and support the whole 
 establishments. The revenue of the island is trifling ; 
 the estates of the Knights are almost all gone ; those 
 in Germany are distributed amongst the indemnities ; 
 in Spain they are confiscated ; in France they are of 
 course passed into other hands ; — in short, none of any 
 consequence are left. The provisions therefore under 
 the definitive treaty were a mockery upon us, and not 
 capable of being carried into effect. 
 
 Nothing surely can be worse than loose stipula- 
 tions in a treaty of peace, or such as are difficult to 
 execute. They are sure to occasion strife and ill-blood, 
 and when a proper time occurs bloodj^ and expensive 
 wars. It were better infinitely at once to know what 
 we are to depend upon, — the best or the worst we 
 have to expect. In making peace, it is of the last 
 importance to avoid, as far as honour and foresight 
 will enable us, the occasion of future w^ars. 
 
 Fourthly. — The Island of Elba, (which in our hands 
 had proved impregnable,) ceded by the definitive 
 treaty to Tuscany, was immediately taken from the 
 King of Etruria, a monarch of French creation, and 
 annexed to the dominions of France ; which country 
 thereby acquired another important port in that part 
 of the Mediterranean^ for the protection of their 
 commerce and the annoyance of ours. Tuscany too 
 was taken into their hands, including the important
 
 478 DIARIES AND COURESPONDENCE UF 
 
 port of Leghorn ; and in tlio Knst Indies tlio still 
 infinitely more important port of Cocliin. No notice 
 is taken of the advantages acquired to France on the 
 side of Brazil, l\v the boundaries as settled by the 
 definitive treaty. I do not understand that part of 
 the subject suiticiently to remark upon it with 
 accuracy. 
 
 It is quite clear that tlie four points before enumer- 
 ated, relate distinctly and [)lainly to the immediate 
 interests of this country; and to these may be added 
 France retaining possession of the port of Flushing 
 (and of course of the whole Island of Walcheren in 
 which is the port of Middleburg, the princi[)al mart 
 for the East India trade), a most important one for 
 their own coninierce, and in a future war tor the 
 annoyance of ours ; giving the I'rench too a direct 
 power in the affairs of Holland, deeply affecting our 
 commerce and navigation, as well as greatly adding 
 to the before gigantic strength of FYance. All these 
 occurrences happened after the signing of the pre- 
 liminary articles of peace. These were borne, as far 
 as the public are aware, with patience ; they were 
 certainly borne with submission ; — for not a single 
 remonstrance was known to have been made, — not an 
 observation upon them in the papers favourable to 
 Government. So matters stood, when the French, in 
 the month of September, interfered in a most atrocious 
 manner with the affairs of Switzerland, and in October 
 proceeded to acts of positive violence. Here the 
 Ministers interfered, to what extent I know not, — 
 but they certainlj made the conduct of France a
 
 THE RIGHT HOX. GEORGE ROSE. 479 
 
 subject of loud complaint and remonstrance, if not of 
 threat.' Much pains were taken to rouse the feelings 
 and spirit of the country, by the papers connected 
 with Government, and with considerable success. 
 Having so roused them, the Ministers appeared to 
 feel strong, and to decide on hostility if France 
 should not recede. Thus in the spirit of chivalry 
 and romance, embarking in the cause of Switzerland 
 (without any aid or support whatever) ; after having 
 allowed the French to injure and to insult us in the 
 manner already alluded to under the four different 
 heads, — deeply affecting our navigation and com- 
 mercial interest.^ V-- :J- :-!• }>; ') r i , ■■■/. 
 
 It is essential next to consider the state this country 
 was in when we patiently submitted to these injuries. 
 
 Firstly. — We had then the greatest navy, beyond all 
 comparison, that this country ever had, with 135,000 
 seamen. • 
 
 Secondly. — We had a large army well disciplined 
 and inured to service. * ^ — 
 
 • On this part of tlie subject it is curious to refer to the address 
 ou the peace, as proposed by Mr. Windham, and as amended by the 
 Ministers : — " And above all, that his Majesty will imiformly deter- 
 mine and prepare to defend against every encroachment the great 
 sources of the wealth, commerce, and naval power of the empire." 
 On these points can there be any comparison between the annexing 
 all Italy, Louisiana, probably Malta, FIushing/&c. &c. to France ; 
 and her establishing her j)Ower more firmly in Switzerland ? 
 
 - " A spirited behaviour in almost any circumstance of strength, 
 is the most politic as well as the most honourable course. We pre- 
 serve a respect at least by it, and with that we generally preserve 
 everything ; but when we lose respect, everything is lost. We invite 
 rather than suffer insults, and the fii'st is the only one we can resist 
 with prudence." — Account of the European Settlements in America. 
 (Supposed to have been written by Burke).
 
 480 DIARIES AND COIIUESPONDENCE OF 
 
 AVe had a disciplined militia that had been embodied 
 nine years. 
 
 We had about 30,000 volunteers, in general toler- 
 ably well trained, and in most ])laces well instructed 
 how to act and what to do in the event of an in- 
 vasion. 
 
 AVe had a great munber of armed vessels liired, and 
 ships fitted, for the defence of the coast. 
 
 There were in the whole Kil sail of pendants, 
 under the command of Lord Nelson, between Beachy 
 Mead (Hastings) and Harwich, for the protection of 
 the coasts of Sussex, Kent, and part of Essex, to 
 prevent the approach of the enemy to the capital. 
 
 Thirdly. — We had almost all the colonies of France 
 and Holland, and some of those of Spain. 
 
 Fourthly. — We had upwards of 25,000 French 
 seamen, and more than 10,000 Dutch and Spanish, 
 in our prisons. 
 
 Fifthly. — The commerce and navigation of France 
 were utterly annihilated ; those of Holland and 
 Spain most materially crippled ; and the manufac- 
 tures of the former in a state of the utmost de- 
 pression. 
 
 And lastly. — Exclusively of all these advantages, 
 while the definitive treaty was depending, an account 
 came of Toussaint resisting the force sent bv the First 
 Consul against Saint Domingo, which put completely 
 at our mercy twenty-nine sail of the line, with frigates, 
 armed transports, &c., and 35,000 troops. If we had 
 interposed hostility, we should not only have secured 
 the greatest part of these, but have enabled Toussaint
 
 THE KIGllT HON. GEORGE HOSE. . 481 
 
 to resist successfully the attempts of France, and de- 
 prived her for a long time at least, perhaps for ever, 
 of that invaluable island, the trade to which, when 
 the island was in full cultivation, was considerably 
 more than one-third of the whole commerce of 
 France. By an account in my possession the value 
 of the exports from Saint Domingo to France alone, 
 was to the amount of 10,000,000/. sterling; and to 
 America they were immense. 
 
 After losing such an opportunity as this, and suf- 
 fering the injuries before enumerated under the four 
 heads, when we were armed at all points, — we are 
 now threatening to go to war for the protection of 
 Switzerland ! And in what condition are we for war 
 as compared with our situation in the five preceding 
 instances? 
 
 The following table shows the average number of 
 seamen in each year, not the greatest number in each ; 
 and to these are to be added the men in the hired 
 armed ships, cutters, armed transports and storeships \ 
 — in the whole 7 or 8000 men at the least : — 
 
 
 VOTED. 
 
 ACTUALLY MUSTERED 
 
 1793 . . 
 
 , . 45,000 
 
 . . . 59,000. 
 
 1794 . . 
 
 . 85,000 
 
 . . . 83,700. 
 
 1795 . . 
 
 . 100,000 
 
 . . . 101,700. 
 
 1796 . . 
 
 , . 110,000 
 
 . . . 112,800. 
 
 1797 . , 
 
 . . 120,000 
 
 . . . 120,000. 
 
 1798 . . 
 
 , . 120,000 
 
 . . . 119,900. 
 
 1799 . . 
 
 . . 120,000 
 
 . . . 122,500. 
 
 1800 . . 
 
 , . 120,000 
 
 . . . 128,700. 
 
 1801 . , 
 
 . . 135,000 
 
 . . . 132,800. 
 
 This would afford an encouraging prospect for the re- 
 manning our navy two or three or more years hence 
 
 VOL. I. II
 
 482 DIAllIES AND COKRESirONDENCE OF 
 
 with an increased trade ; but it is perfectly certain for 
 the reasons stated, that that eoukl not be expected now. 
 lu tlie first place, — our navy at present is reduced 
 almost to the peace establishment ; not more than 
 44,000 men left, without a hope of gettin-; as many 
 more in the course of two or three years. No exertions 
 will man a frigate; nor can it be expected that after 
 a service of six, seven, eight, or nine years, men will 
 immediately enter as they did in the former war, 
 though in a year or two they would probably not be 
 reluctant. We should not m the tirst year get men 
 enough to complete the crews of tlie ships wanted 
 for the protection of the capital, on the scale of the 
 last war, and all the rest of the coast left destitute, as 
 well as our foreign possessions. 
 
 Secondly. — Our army is greatly reduced, with a 
 difficulty of recruiting it as in the case of the navy. 
 Ministers say we have a stronger army and navy now 
 than we ever had before in peace. But the comparison 
 with a view to the present question is to be made with 
 what they were in the war ; — more especially consider- 
 ing the means of strength and ofience we have given 
 to the French. 
 
 The militia are disembodied, — and when re- 
 assembled the men will be raw and undisciplined ; 
 many of the officers too have quitted, and few will 
 be found to supply their places. 
 
 The volunteer corps are disembodied, and in most 
 instances will not be found again. 
 
 The armed vessels are discharged and the gun- 
 boats sold.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 483 
 
 Thirdly. — All the colonies of France and Holland 
 are restored, not only afFordino; those countries the 
 means of commerce and navigation, but of reviving 
 their manufactures ; and, worst of all, of getting pos- 
 session of our colonies in the West Indies, and of 
 greatly annoying us in the East Indies.^ ■ 
 
 Fourthly. — The French have the whole number of 
 from 25,000 to 35,000 seamen to man their fleet at 
 once, as under their government they will be able to 
 lay their hands on them directly. 
 
 Fifthly. — The commerce and navigation of France 
 is already or in part restored, and will progressively go 
 on, having the w^hole Mediterranean to herself, and 
 advantageous treaties with Spain and Turkey ; Italy 
 her own ; and the East Indies opened to her. 
 
 Lastly. — Saint Domingo is now quietly in the 
 possession of France. 
 
 When the whole of this plain statement is con- 
 sidered, is it possible to account for the conduct of 
 Ministers but by imputing it to the weakest imbecility ? 
 They suffer the grossest injuries from France, affect- 
 ing directly our commerce, navigation,^ &c. &c. when 
 they had in their hands the means of repelling them ; 
 and as soon as they have greatly reduced the force of 
 the countr}', they threaten to go to war for an object 
 interesting enough, God knows, but one not immedi- 
 ately/ connected with the welfare of Great Britain, or 
 affectinp; our conmiercial interests, &c. 
 
 ' CochiQ given up to France by the Dutch ; which can only be 
 for the purpose of annoying us, as there is no commerce to that 
 place. 
 ^ See again the Address on the Peace. i- ■ ■'■■ -. i . ■ 
 
 1 I 2
 
 484 DIARIES AND COllllESPONDENCE OF 
 
 What has hcen said of the Ministers putting up 
 with the injuries before enumerated, a})plies only to 
 thcni personally. In reasoning on the ex})ediency of 
 war or peace at present, that conduct, 1 am aware, 
 should not l)c mixed with the (piestion. Tiie gross 
 inconsistency of their proceedings is sutiicient to decide 
 as to their utter incapacity for their situations ; but 
 when that is admitted, aiul taking the (juestion of 
 Switzerland by itself, no rational man will suppose we 
 ought, in the actual state of the country and of its 
 resources in various respects, to threaten France with 
 war. It is ridiculous to suppose she will mind our 
 bullying when we cannot strike. We must thus 
 recede, and add one more degradation to the list 
 before given, and so confirm more strongly to France 
 that she may treat us as she pleases with imi)unity. 
 Is not this, as I have already said, rather provoking 
 insults than merely bearing them ? It was truly 
 observed that the first is the only one that can safely 
 be resisted. 
 
 These ai'e the reflections which occur to me,' and 
 which I have thus hastilv stated before I leave Cutt- 
 nells, in consequence of a letter from Mr. Pitt, at 
 Bath, requesting me to go to him there. 
 
 Baf/t, Nocemher \Wi, 1802. — Arrived at Bath, and 
 found Lord Camden and Lord Carrington with .Mr, 
 Pitt. In the evening I was quite alone with the latter. 
 
 ^ I had determined to state these iu my place in the House of 
 Commons, under a persuasion that such a statement would open the 
 eyes of many independent and respectable men to the utter incapa- 
 city and unfitness of the present Ministers ; but I was so strongly 
 dissuaded from it by Mx'. Pitt, as to induce me to give it up.
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 485 
 
 I learnt from him tliat he had known nothing during 
 the latter part of the summer of what had been going 
 forward respecting foreign politics but what he col- 
 lected from newspapers, except that in passing through 
 London, on his way from Walmer here, he had some 
 conversation with Lord Castlereagh, Lord Haw^kes- 
 bury, and Mr. Addington. That even then he saw no 
 papers, and could therefore have only an imperfect 
 knowledge of the steps they had taken respecting the 
 business of Switzerland, or of the grounds on which 
 they had proceeded ; but that from all he knew" he 
 thought jNIinisters had done right in interposing about 
 Switzerland, even without having previously ascer- 
 tained whether we could have a co-operation of the 
 German Emperor ; that as the Swiss had applied to 
 us, with offers on their part to resist the tyranny and 
 injustice of France, if they could have our support, 
 our refusing them that until we could hear from 
 Vienna, might occasion the loss of a favourable oppor- 
 tunity of preventing a further dangerous aggrandize- 
 ment of the power of France. 
 
 I found, in the course of the conversation, that Mr. 
 Pitt had been led to express the foregoing opinion to the 
 Ministers he talked with (Lord Castlereagh is in the 
 Cabinet) ; and knowing the generosity of his nature, 
 with the high point of honour on which he invariably 
 acts, it occurred to me strongly and irresistibly, that 
 the proceeding on the part of Mr. A. and Lord H. was 
 unfair in the highest degree. I mean by making no 
 previous communication, nor consulting Mr. Pitt at 
 all, in the course of the correspondence with France,
 
 486 DIARIES AND COKUESFONDENCF, OF 
 
 and then endeavouring to entrap him into a sanction 
 of measures wliich they now tind will either make 
 them superlatively ridiculous or involve the country 
 in war, for an object nlrcadii ahso/iifc/i/ losf, by the 
 unequivocal submission of Switzerland ; but which, if 
 still open for contention, would be beyond all possible 
 comparison of less importance to the country than 
 those alreadv mentioned, which they shamefullv bore 
 with tameness and pusillanimity. I found too that 
 Mr. Pitt meant to attend Parliament on the 23d, 
 (the debate on the King's speech), and from all that 
 passed I had a firm and clear conviction that in that 
 case he woidd, on the principle on which he has acted 
 invariably since his resignation, commit himself to an 
 approbation of the measures taken by Government 
 with respect to Switzerland. Under the impression 
 stated in a preceding page, deeply fixed in my mind, 
 and persuaded that it was of the last importance to 
 the public good and to his own unsullied character, 
 that he should not lose the weight and consideration 
 which he now justly has in the coimtry,' by support- 
 ing measures, which I am most confidently persuaded 
 he woidd not himself have adopted if he had been in 
 administration, I used all the means in my power to 
 dissuade him from attending the House of Commons 
 
 ^ It is hardly possible to imagine anything so extraordinary 
 respecting the public mind, as the warm and universal esteem in 
 which he is at this moment held by all descriptions of persons, 
 when it is considered that the grounds on which he went out of 
 office are yet unexplained, which is incalculably to his disadvantage ; 
 and that every newspaper, except the 2'rue Briton, is eternally abus- 
 ing him ; and even that is much louder in commendation of Mr. 
 Addington than of him.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 487 
 
 on the day of the opening of the Session. He dis- 
 cussed the matter with me temperately, and with his 
 usual kindness, but came to no determination. He 
 told me Lord Bathurst, who was here a few days ago, 
 had expressed the same wish, without saying why, or 
 entering into any reasons for it. 
 
 Sundajj, November lA-th. — A good deal of general 
 conversation in the course of the day, chiefly respect- 
 ing the opinions Mr. Pitt had entertained and ex- 
 pressed to some of the Ministers, about the interposi- 
 tion in favour of Switzerland ; in the course of which 
 he relaxed a good deal as to the propriety of it. 
 
 Monday, November \hth. — The conversation was 
 renewed respecting Mr. Pitt's attending Parliament 
 on the opening, and with regard to my intentions 
 already referred to. Mr. Pitt said, if I made such a 
 statement as that, it would be impossible to avoid 
 people suspecting that I was acting in concert w'ith 
 him, more especially as it would be known that-I had 
 been with him here ; that if he absented himself as I 
 wished, and I w^ent up, it would not be to be wondered 
 at if it should be said andjaelieved that the part I took 
 was connected with him. I felt the justice of this 
 observation, but renewed my urgency respecting the 
 importance of his not committing himself, so as to be 
 implicated in the blunders and disgrace of the Minis- 
 ters. And the discussion ended in a positive assurance 
 from Mr. Pitt that he would not go to London, and 
 on my promising to remain here with him, with which 
 he declared himself to be perfectly satisfied. 
 
 Mr. Pitt, how^ever, said he could not avoid going to
 
 i88 DIARIES AXD COHRESPOXDENCE OF 
 
 London for the votes for the army and navy, if there 
 should be the least dithciilty about a large peace 
 establishment. 
 
 In the course of the discussion tliis day I found 
 Mr. Pitt nuicli less reluctant about taking otHce. 
 He at first urged to me the improbabihty of his being 
 able, if he came in, to do anything of essential service 
 to the country ; to which I replied, T thought he might 
 in the finances, and settling the peace establishment ; 
 but above all, that a strong Government, in which the 
 country would have confidence, and that would be 
 respected abroad, would prevent a repetition of insults 
 and injuries, which would otherwise be heaped upon 
 us till we should be compelled to go to war; and that 
 if it should not be able to avert that evil, it wouhl be 
 prompt in making the utmost exertions the country 
 should be found capable of, at the first moment they 
 could be made, — which is evidently of the last impor- 
 tance. 
 
 Mr. Canning iiaving written earnestly desiring to 
 see me in my way to London, if possible, and if not, 
 as soon as possible after my arrival there, I this day 
 wrote to him, to say that Mr. Pitt had decided to stay 
 here, which I was perfectly sure was right, and that I 
 should remain with him. I expressed a wish also 
 that Lord Grenville might not go such lengths in the 
 House of Lords, as mi<T;ht make it extremelv ditticult 
 for Mr. Pitt and him to act together ; which I did in 
 the hope that it would be conveyed to his Lordship, 
 and take the chance (however desperate) of its pro- 
 ducing some effect.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOUGE ROSE. 489 
 
 Tuesday, November \Uli. — Nothing material oc- 
 curred in the course of this clay ; but I took different 
 opportunities of quietly suggesting what occurred to 
 me, as carrying conviction, that our interposition 
 (especially considering the manner of it), in favour of 
 Switzerland, could have no other end than humbling 
 the country by one more degradation, and so pro- 
 voking further aggression ; which seemed to me to 
 produce considerable impression on Mr. Pitt, and 
 made him entireh/ satisfied with his determination 
 not to leave Bath. 
 
 Wed7iesday, November 17 i/i. — This morning, Mr. 
 Canning arrived about nine, in consequence of my 
 letter, having travelled all night. Finding that Mr. 
 Pitt would not go up, he wished to discuss some points 
 with him. 
 
 I had much conversation Avith Mr. Canning, in which 
 I did not disguise from him at all my general view of 
 matters, nor the advice I had given to Mr. Pitt. 
 
 In the evening, I was alone with Mr. Pitt, and he 
 told me he had received in the forenoon a packet from 
 Lord Hawkesbury, with papers respecting matters now 
 depending with France, accompanied by a wish to 
 know his opinion on the whole subject ; and that he 
 felt very considerably embarrassed by it. This led to 
 a further retrospect of all that we had before discussed, 
 and especially as to the opinion he expressed in his 
 way hither from Walmer ; on which subject I said all 
 I could to strengthen his mind, on the ground of his 
 being surprised in a manner not at all justifiable. He 
 admitted that the papers now sent were by no means
 
 490 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 sufficient to eiiahle him to judge of all that lias passed ; 
 but said, if he sliould state that as the reason for 
 giving no opinion, they would, of course, furnish hini 
 witli more papers. After much consideration, he 
 asrreed to write to Lord Ilawkcshurv "that lie felt 
 the absolute impossibility of making up his mind on 
 proceedings of such a nature as he had consulted liiin 
 upon, by any information that coidd be conununicatcd 
 at the distance they were from each other." So I 
 trust he stands clear of any responsil)ility, and cannot 
 be identified with the blunderers, which appears to be 
 equally important to his own character and the ])ubhc 
 good. 
 
 Thursday, November 18///. — Mr. Canning cominuiu- 
 cated to me a plan in agitation famongst persons wlio 
 are strongly of opiuion that the weakness and imbe- 
 cility of the present Government must plunge the 
 country deeper and deeper in disgrace and mischief) 
 to induce Mr. Addington to relinciuish the govern- 
 ment, by convincing him of the dangerous situation in 
 which he stands, and the want of confidence of the 
 country in him ; the hope of accom{)lishing which rests 
 on some very respectable men, entirely unconnected 
 with Mr. Pitt, making such a statement as shall shake 
 Mr. Addington, and prevail with him to make over- 
 tures to Mr. Pitt ; a persuasion being entertained 
 that if Mr. Addington refuses that, a separation from 
 Mr. Pitt must necessarily follow. 
 
 This plan struck me instantly as yery unlikelv to 
 succeed, as well as highly objectionable, and to be at- 
 tended with considerable hazard : — not likely to sue-
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 491 
 
 ceed, because unless there should be a decided falling 
 off of support in Parliament, or a plain manifestation of 
 the public mind in some unequivocal way, Mr. Adding- 
 ton's vanity will never allow him to believe the country 
 entertains any belief of his insufftciency, or that it 
 wishes for a change ; he might also find difficulties 
 with his colleagues : hazardous, because, if there 
 should be the remotest trace of any concert with 
 Mr. Pitt in the plan, or any plausible ground afforded 
 for imputing that to him, it would be likely to affect 
 his character deeply. In this Lord Camden concurs, 
 to whom Mr. Canning mentioned the plan, as well as 
 to me. I am strengthened in my opinion, too, by 
 learning from Mr. Canning that the person proposed 
 to take the lead in the business is Mr. Cartwright, 
 member for Northamptonshire ; who, although as re- 
 spectable and independent a man as Hves, is known to 
 be an enthusiastic admirer of Mr. Pitt, and was the 
 person who seconded the motion of thanks to him in 
 the last Parliament. 
 
 Mr. Canning assured me that Lord Grenville had a 
 most anxious desire to continue well with Mr. Pitt, 
 and that he would do nothing to produce a separation 
 from him ; that he would not take the line in the 
 House of Lords of endeavouring to force the country 
 into a war, in any event, as its only resource against 
 the spirit of ambition and aggrandizement of France ; 
 and that his Lordship had given him the most unequi- 
 vocal assurance that he would be entirely satisfied if he 
 could see Mr. Pitt again in the Administration, with- 
 out a desire of coming into office himself. On the
 
 492 DIARIES AND CORRESrONDENCE OF 
 
 whole, I derive great comfort at the account ^fr. 
 Canning gave me of the state of Lord Grenville's 
 mind, and of his intentions. 
 
 In the evening, Mr, Canning set off for London. 
 Friday, November 19///. — Lord Camden left us to 
 go to Lord l^atluH'st's and to Loii(h)n ; and Lord 
 ^lulgravc arrived. In tlic evening, more conversa- 
 tion with Mr. Pitt al)out his coinint; into oftice. Ilr 
 nthnitted to me that he now found his lieahh (juite 
 equal to the duties of it ; and that he slioukl have no 
 rehictance to enter on them again, if his coming in 
 could be brought about in a manner perfectly satisfac- 
 tory to himself. 
 
 I thought it right, in this conversation, to mention 
 to Mr. Pitt the plan respecting svhich Mr. Canning had 
 talked to Lord Camden and to me, that I might not. 
 in discouraging it, act upon my own judgment j and 
 he concurred entirely with T^ord Camden and me on 
 the subject. 
 
 Thinking over what passed last night, T talked 
 to Mr. Pitt about difficulties that might occur in 
 arrangements, even if the way to his taking office 
 should be opened iu a manner that might satisfy him ; 
 and I suggested, in particular, a serious doubt whether 
 he could be safe in taking his former situation, with 
 Mr. A. in the Cabinet, considering the personal in- 
 fluence the latter had acquired with the King, and the 
 degree of weight he would have with him. To which 
 Mr. Pitt answered he should have no apprehension of 
 lliat ; that he was persuaded the King nuist have seen 
 there is no firmness of character in ]\[r. A., and
 
 THE BIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 193 
 
 that his Majesty must also be convinced before now 
 of his deficiency in other respects. I own, however, I 
 am not at ease on the point. His Majesty may be 
 aware of what is obvious enough in Mr. A. ; and 
 yet the latter may have so ingratiated himself, as to 
 have it in his power to make impressions on the King's 
 mind very unfavourable to any one he may w'ish to in- 
 jure. I know the use that has been made of partial 
 or inaccurate information of vv^hat has passed in the 
 Cabinet in the last Administration, as well as on other 
 occasions. 
 
 Mr. Pitt thought he could not make any arrange- 
 ment that should exclude Lord Hawkesbury or Lord 
 Castlereagh, both of whom he pressed to take office 
 with the present Government. 
 
 The conversation "was renewed about the mode in 
 which he should decline to give any opinion on the 
 present state of foreign affairs, and what has been done 
 on the subject ; and Mr. Pitt promised he would 
 WTite to Lord H., as was agreed on Wednesday ; 
 and that he would also write to Mr. Addington, 
 thinking it better to speak out to him at once. He 
 agreed with me, on reflection, that it is hardly possible 
 it can be necessary he should fulfil his intention of 
 going to the House for the army and navy votes, as 
 alluded to on Monday last, there not being the remotest 
 probability of large ones being objected to. In the 
 event of his not going up, he said he would stay here 
 till about the 18 th of December ; then go to Cuffnells 
 with me for two or three days, and proceed by the 
 coast to Walmer.
 
 494 DIARIES AND COllRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 Sundni/, Novtnnhor 2]sf. — Hcceivctl a letter this 
 morning from Mr. Canning, in uliich he says, " Lord 
 Grenvillc (whom I have seen to-ihiy) appears to enter 
 cordially into all the considerations of delicacy towards 
 Mr. Pitt which yon thonght it of so much importance 
 that he should entertain ; and that the line of argument 
 which he has laid down to himself is one which will 
 carry liim sf/fc/y past all the embarrassing and uncom- 
 fortable points of ditference between them. There is 
 no intention of moving an amendment." This gives 
 me great comfort, and is, indeed, all that could be ex- 
 pected or wished from Lord rirenville; as it affords 
 the best possible chance of Mr. i'itt and him acting 
 together, if an occasion shall offer. Mr. J^itt has 
 written to-day, as he agreed to do yesterday, to Lord 
 Hawkesbury, not only declining to give an opinion as 
 to what has been done, but in a manner that must 
 prevent their attempting to draw him in to mix him- 
 self bv advice in councils, for which he ought in no 
 degree to be responsible. 
 
 No copy of the speech sent to Mr. Pitt, in which he 
 expressed great satisfaction, as relieving him from any 
 embarrassment on the subject. 
 
 MoncUui, November 22f/. — I fonnd, from the cow- 
 versation at breakfast this morning, that Mr. Pitt did 
 not write to Mr. Addinsrton vcsterdav, thinking it 
 would be too formal ; but that he stated to Lord 
 Hawkesbury that the sort of approbation he had con- 
 veyed of measures, when he was passing through 
 London, must not be considered as at all conclusive, 
 as it arose from partitd information ; and that, on the
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 495 
 
 subject of the despatch which he returned to him, he 
 could make no observation at all. ^That he would on 
 no account attend the House of Commons ; that he 
 imagined, indeed, there was little chance of that being 
 of any importance ; but that, in any event, he knew 
 too little of the grounds on which they had proceeded 
 to be of any use ; and that it was essential to his health 
 to persevere in drinking the waters. Lord H. had 
 written, pressing urgently Mr. Pitt's attendance in the 
 House of Commons. 
 
 Tuesday, November '2'^d. — Mr. Pitt is decidedly of 
 opinion that Ministers will recede from their com- 
 plaints of the conduct of France, which must neces- 
 sarily be a submission to the Pii'st Consid;' and 
 as necessarily an encouragement to him to offer 
 injuries or insults of a more direct nature to us 
 than overrunning Switzerland ; and that no occasion 
 is less likely to interest Austria than the late busi- 
 ness. If Buonaparte should now take measures 
 without disguise, for securing Malta, or wait till he 
 gets the Cape, all the difficulties of our situation, 
 suggested before, will open upon us as forcibly as 
 they do now. AVe must expect that, because we have 
 provoked it. Is the island of Malta, in the present 
 moment, an object to go to war for ? Where will the 
 encroachments and aggrandizement of France end? 
 She will next unite Holland with herself ; will again 
 get possession of Egypt, of which we shall not be able 
 a second time to dispossess her. In neither of which 
 
 1 This of course arises out of the ' despatch of Lord Hawkesbury, 
 which he returned to his Lordship on Sunday. . , j i .
 
 ■196 DIARIES AND COUUESPOMJENCE 01' 
 
 cases will Austria move a finger, us Switzerland was 
 an object infinitely nearer to her than these. 
 
 Wednesday, Noccinber 2Af/i. — Mr. Pitt received a 
 letter from Lord Camden, who had seen Lord Spencer 
 and Lord (irenvillc, both concurring that his returning 
 to office is tlie onlv thine; that can save the countrv ; 
 confirming what Mr. Canning wrole, that tliey would 
 not move an amendment to the address, but that, 
 consistently with the line they had firndy taken, 
 they must of necessity expose the conduct of the 
 Administration in their late proceedings (which I 
 cannot regret), and point out to the public the 
 absurdity of them ; not intending, however, to go on 
 making motions in the House of Lords, or to take 
 any measures merely to harass Government. That 
 Lord Lowther had been applied to to move the 
 address, which he had declined. Lord Nelson was to 
 second. Mover not settled, but hopes of the Duke of 
 Rutland. That it appeared to him (Lord Camden) 
 that Lord Lowther had been consulted on the sugges- 
 tion of a statement to Mr. Addingtou of the necessity 
 of Mr. Pitt's coming in, and of the propriety of its 
 being proposed by Mr. Addingtou himself. 
 
 Mr. Long told Lord Camden that the opinions 
 of iufiuential persons m the City appeared to be 
 that Government had been too brisk in holding a 
 threatening language, and too ready to recede. That 
 D. Jeuneus had seen General Anderossi, who said 
 to him the clouds were gathering, and would soon 
 burst ; an indication probably of the intentions of* 
 Buonaparte.
 
 THE EIGHT HOX. GEORGE ROSE. 497 
 
 Lord Camden had a conversation with Lord Castle- 
 reagh, who particularly regretted Mr. Pitt's absence, 
 but would not blame it, on Lord Camden stating the 
 ground of want of information, &c. The latter 
 endeavoured to impress on persons in general whom 
 he saw, that Mr. Pitt's absence was owing only to 
 the state of his health.^ 
 
 Lord Bathurst thinks Mr. Pitt should go up for 
 the vote of the army and navy, to take an opportunity 
 of giving a support to Government relative to the 
 country being put in a state of respectable defence, 
 and of showing to the public that he is not desirous of 
 abandoning it altogether in a time of great difficulty. 
 I am not averse to that. ]\Iy anxiety from the first 
 has been, that Mr. Pitt should be kept quite clear of all 
 participation in the blunders and mischief of the late 
 proceedings of the Cabinet respecting Switzerland. 
 
 Thursday^ November 2'dt/i. — Received a letter from 
 Lord Camden, expressing a wish to know whether I 
 had learnt Mr. Pitt's sentiments respecting the plan 
 alluded to above, as his Lordship suspects Mr. Can^ 
 ning has not been discreet in his language ; and 
 rather speaks as he wishes, than as he is authorized to 
 do. To which I answered, that I had thought it 
 safer and better to talk Avith Mr. Pitt on that plan, 
 
 ^ [In the King's speecli this sentence occurred : — 
 
 " To maintain the true principles of the constitution in Church 
 and State, are the great and leading duties which you are called upon 
 to discharge." 
 
 Upon which Mr. Rose remarks : — 
 
 " The Church could only be introduced into the speech to revive 
 what led to Mr. Pitt going out of office, and to create fresh difficulty 
 to his returning to it ; and so it strikes him." — Ed.] 
 
 VOL. T. K K
 
 4t98 DIARIES AND COllKESrONDENCE OF 
 
 than to act at all on my own judgment about it ; 
 though I was nearly certain he could not approve 
 of any measure being taken by his friends to attain 
 the end proposed. 1 therefore had a full conversation 
 with Mr. ritt alujut Mr. Canning's suggestion the 
 day his Lordship left us, and found him entirely con- 
 curring with us in the matter; that Canning had 
 indeed promised he would not stir in it ; and that I 
 hoped his zeal (however well intended) would not 
 lead him to take any step wliieh might in the remotest 
 possible degree implicate Mr. I'ltt. 
 
 [A long account of the s))eeches in Parliament upcju 
 the address is here omitted, with the criticisms upon 
 them ; such details having now lost their interest, and 
 affecting very little the character of the speakers. — 
 Ed.] 
 
 Friday, November 'HGf/t. — Lord I'itzllarris wrote 
 to his father that Canning's speech was not as nnich 
 cheered as he could have wished ; — that there ap- 
 peared in the House much apathy, and on the part of 
 individual members a considerable degree of neutral- 
 ity, as if waiting for something to lead their opinion, 
 and to direct their judgment. And that in the House 
 of Lords ///r// opinion was still stronger; — that Lord 
 Pelliam told him, when thevmet in the House at half- 
 past three, no Peer had been found Avho could be 
 prevailed on, by any entreaties, to move the address ; 
 and that at last they Averc reduced to the necessity of 
 resorting to Lord Arden.' Lord LitzHarris described 
 
 ^ Recently made a Peer by Mr. Addiiigton.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 499 
 
 Lord Grenville's speech as remarkably able, and the 
 defence very weak. 
 
 This state of douljt and of uncertainty in the 
 minds of the members of both Houses, the trutli of 
 which I have no doubt of, rather confirms the in- 
 clination of my mind as to the expediency and pro- 
 priety of Mr. Pitt going to London to attend the 
 House on the vote for the army, in order, by the line 
 he may then take, to show (without reflecting in the 
 smallest degree on the conduct of Ministers) that he 
 has had no communication with them on the late pro- 
 ceedings respecting continental politics ; but at the 
 same time taking the opportunity to hold an encou- 
 raging language to the country, and to give a right 
 tone to the public opinion, which may otherwise take 
 a wrong one. 
 
 Mr. Pitt showed me letters from Lord Grenville, 
 Mr. Ryder, and Mr. Canning. 
 
 Lord Grenville, in svdjstance^ expressed a hope that 
 if Mr. Pitt should not agree with him in the wdiole 
 extent of his speech of Tuesday, yet he trusted there 
 Avas nothing in it different from the ideas he had 
 before stated to him. That what he said of the only 
 mode by which the country could be saved,' he spoke 
 from the sincerity of his heart, without the remotest 
 idea to his own interest or ambition ; — with no wish 
 beyond the enjoyment, peaceably and securely, of the 
 station in the country in which Mr. Pitt's friendship 
 not un seconded by his own exertions) had placed 
 
 Mr. Pitt coming into office. 
 K K 2
 
 500 DIARIES AND CORRESrOXDEXCE OF 
 
 him. He doubted, however, whether both security and 
 
 independence are not out of our reach. His sense of 
 
 the absoUite impossibility of safety but in Mr. Pitt's 
 
 hands, has increased greatly since the meeting of Par- 
 
 hament ; takinnr tlie lanuruaije of Ministers in tlie 
 
 House of Commons (for in tlie House of Lords they 
 
 are incapable even of answering an attack) that 
 
 the general impression they wish to give, is of a 
 
 resolution to execute the peace to the very last 
 
 iota in despite of everything which has occurred, 
 
 or may occur, on the part of Trance. That the 
 
 countenance Ministers give to Fox's declaration 
 
 against war /// cnifj case, and the degree to which they 
 
 court and receive his protection, sheltering themselves 
 
 under his wing from attacks, and answering them 
 
 only by criminations of all that passed before their 
 
 accession to office, have lowered materially the tone and 
 
 spirit of the public. That Ministers have, to a certain 
 
 extent, succeeded in impressing the public with a 
 
 belief that .Mr. Pitt's return to ottice must tend to a 
 
 renewal of the war ; whereas his (Lord G.'s) sincere 
 
 o])iiiion, which he stated, is, that Mr. Pitt's return is 
 
 precisely the only possible mode by which peace can 
 
 be preserved. 'J'hat the only thing which gives the 
 
 ]\Iinisters support is the persuasion that they will not 
 
 go to war. Lord Grenville added that he learns, 
 
 from a quarter of indisputable authority, that Cochin 
 
 is ceded to France by Holland ; and that the Vienna 
 
 news is, that the First Consul has laid hands on 
 
 Tuscany. 
 
 Mr. Canning states the protection aflforded to
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 501 
 
 Government hy ^Ir, Fox, and the complacency with 
 which it was received ; dwells a good deal on the 
 attacks made on the old Government, particularly 
 respecting the proceedings at the treaty of Lisle ; 
 justifying those at Amiens, particularly by Lord 
 Havvkesburv and ^h\ Addino;ton, — the former in a 
 violent authoritative declamation ; and the latter, in a 
 style of crimination of his predecessors entirely un- 
 called for by- anything that had passed. Thinks if 
 Mr. Pitt is not Minister, Mr. Fox will be. Is per- 
 suaded that no out-of-doors' measure (such as had 
 been thought of) will attain the end. (I am heartily 
 glad he now sees this.) Says the Ministers are de- 
 termined to hold out. Thinks the impression against 
 them must w^ork and spread ; and that it is doing so 
 already. 
 
 Mr. Ryder thinks that what fell from Mr. Addington 
 did not justify the manner in which Canning took it 
 up. He thinks Mr. A. alluded only to the old com- 
 parison between the Projet of Lisle and the Treaty of 
 Amiens, for the purpose of arguing that Lord Temple 
 (still less Lord Grenville) could not fairly state that 
 there was not so much difference in the terms of the 
 two as to make such a material difference in the 
 danger of our situation. That Lord Hawkesbury 
 dwelt more upon the distinction between a ^m'sX projet 
 and a treaty : and contended that, considering the 
 difference of the circumstances, as much attention 
 was shown to our allies in one case as in the other. 
 To the unfairness of that comparison some objections 
 were made by Lord Morpeth. Canning stated the
 
 502 DIARIES AND CORRE^iPOXDENCE OF 
 
 projp/ as an iilliniatunt -^ niul coiiinientcd on \\\q qonr- 
 rosihj of the present Ministers in jnstifvinGj them- 
 selves at the expense ot" tlieir predeeessors. Hrnirp^e 
 remarked, tliat tlic observations respecting tlie two 
 treaties liad been made before ; and tliat Canning's 
 present condnct wonld not answer the end proposed. 
 On the wliole, Air. Ryder saw nothing in the speeches 
 of liOrd TI. or Mr. A. tliat railed for Mr. Canning's 
 attack ; iiiid thinks tlicy liad no sneh intention as 
 impntcd to them, as the argument had been re- 
 peatedly nsed last year. Regrets nnuh .Mr. Pitt's 
 absence, at a time when tlie knowledcre of iiis 
 opinions, and the tone he would give, is much wanted. 
 Mr. Ryder does not go into the extremes of the violent 
 alarmists, yet is far from being satisfied with the tone 
 taken by Government. There is too much apparent 
 acrpneseence (in spite of words thrown in now and 
 then to the contrary) in the opinion of Fox and 
 AVilberforcc ; or at least too little disposition to state 
 distinctly the points in which they differ from them. 
 Thinks the times must soon call .\fr. Pitt forth ; but 
 
 ' This was not correct. It is true as to Lord rjrenville only, who 
 would certainly have gone out of office rather than have receded 
 from it. But it if? equally certain that when Lord iralmesbur>''.s 
 in.structious were delivered to him, Mr. I'itt stated to him distinctly, 
 that if he found the French plenipotentiary would not accede to the 
 terms of the projef, he should be allowed to rc.<5ort to the Cabinet 
 for further instructions ; and Mr. Pitt further told Lord ^I. (in full 
 confidence that his Lordship would e.xert his utmost energy to obtain 
 all that was proposed in the projef) that if he failed in that, he 
 should be authorized to give up the Cape of Good Hope. Mr. Pitt 
 said this however, under a fixed persuasion that in that event Lord 
 Gi-envillc would resign. Mr. Canning probably knew nothing of 
 this : but it was unfair of him to make any assertion on the subject.
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 503 
 
 ■wishes to see liim march in througli open doors, and 
 not through a breach. 
 
 Saturday, November %lth. — Mr. Pitt continues to 
 express the utmost ■wihingncss to take office himself if 
 a fair occasion shall offer ; but thinks it quite im- 
 possible for Lord Grenvillc to come in with him, 
 if such an occasion soon presents itself, on account of 
 the language he has invariably held respecting the 
 present Ministers. About that, however, no difficulty 
 can arise, if his Lordship is sincere in the expressions 
 in his letter, the substance of which I stated yester- 
 day. Of this, however, there is no reason to doubt. 
 
 On reading the debate of Wednesday, as given in 
 all the papers, it is curious to observe Mr. Fox's 
 language respecting the folly of quarrelling with 
 France on commercial points, compared with the 
 language he held in the debate on the commercial 
 treaty with France in 1786-7. He noio thinks all com- 
 mercial jealousies foolish and contemptible. He then 
 thought an easy commercial intercourse with France 
 highly objectionable, as likely to abate that spirit of 
 hostility which should always exist in the minds of 
 the people of this country against France. 
 
 Sunday, November 2^th. — Mr. Pitt, this morning, 
 expressed to me that he should feci considerable 
 embarrassment on going to London, from what he 
 conceived to be an impossibility of avoiding to see 
 some of the Ministers previous to his being in the 
 House of Commons, particularly his brother ; that he 
 could, indeed, as little avoid seeing Lord Castlereagh 
 (who had lately taken office at his particular entreaty)
 
 504 DIAKIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 and Lord Hawkesljury, nor, if it sliould ))e desired, 
 Mr. Addington himself; and that in tlie interviews 
 witli thera his cxj)laining liiniself on all such points as 
 should be put to him would be a necessary con- 
 sequence. That he would be then ])laced in a situation 
 of doing so without full and complete information of 
 all circumstances before him, and be drawn into a 
 responsibility, in the public opinion, for all that had 
 passed, because his general line in the House would 
 certainly be that of support to the (jovcrnment. 
 I had hoped that he might go to London only the 
 evening before the vote for the army (which is to 
 he on the Gth of next month), state his sentiments in 
 the Hou.se that day, as before agreed on, and return 
 here the next morning. But agreeing with him, upon 
 reflection, that when in London he coukl not avoid 
 liaving connnnnication with the Ministers, and so un- 
 avoidably implicating himself with them, 1 entirely 
 concur, upon the whole, that it is most desirable he 
 should remain quietly here ; being, however, still 
 aware that some inconvenience and risk may be in- 
 curred by this alteration of his intentions, adhering 
 to the opinion before stated as to the advantages 
 that might arise from his going up. But thinking 
 the danrjer of mischief greater than the prospect of 
 good hopeful, I strongly incline to Mr. Pitt's remain- 
 ing here. 
 
 Lord Bathurst came in after the conversation I had 
 with Mr. Pitt ; and, finding me alone, asked me what 
 Mr. Pitt's determination was. On my mentioning to 
 him what had passed between Mr. Pitt and me, he said
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEOEGE EOSE. 505 
 
 that he adhered to the ophiions he expressed to me a 
 few days ago ; admitted that the embarrassment j\Ir. 
 Pitt alhided to would be a distressing one, but thought 
 he would have to encounter that whenever he should 
 go up ; and that if by hanging aloof he showed evident 
 signs of hostihty to Mr. Addington, he would throw 
 him into the hands of Mr. Fox, whose support he had 
 already thankfully received. Not blind, however, to 
 that, nor to the other circumstances already referred 
 to, I still think it of the utmost importance Mr. Pitt 
 should not commit himself with the Ministers respect- 
 ing the late measures, which he would most certainly 
 do, in the public persuasion, if he were to go up now. 
 It is by his character and his talents that he must 
 save the country, if these can be made available to 
 the object ; both of which would suffer deeply in 
 the estimation of every reflecting mind if he should 
 identify himself with these men and their measures. 
 I told Mr. Pitt, when he came in from riding, what 
 had passed between Lord Bathurst and me ; after 
 which they had a separate conversation when I went 
 up to dress for dinner. 
 
 Mondai/, November 2^th. — In the evening Mr. Pitt 
 told me Lord Bathurst had urged to him all he did to 
 me ; but that he continued to think with me, it was 
 better he should not attend Parhament before the 
 hohdays. Mr. Pitt renewed the conversation about 
 his attending Parliament, which led to a more particu- 
 lar discussion than has hitherto taken place respecting 
 -his actual situation with Ministers and the conduct it 
 may be right for him to hold with them and towards
 
 500 DIARIES AND CORRESrONDEXCE OF 
 
 them, Tliis convorsation was lonp: and toinporatc, 
 every part of the siil)jcct was fully considiMTd, and 
 the consequences of cacli line tliat niii^ht be taken 
 carefullv adverted to. The result was a fixed deter- 
 mination expressed hy Mr. Pitt not to advise Minis- 
 ters how to act on any }H)int in futurr. This he feels 
 the necessity of, on various grounds. Tlie advice he 
 has liitherto given lias cither not been ach^pted, or has 
 been followed in a manner entirely different from his 
 intention, and so as not to produce the effect pro- 
 posed by him. He also feels the impossibility of 
 bcuinr able to form correct judgments on matters 
 respecting which he has not full information and seen 
 the whole correspondence, <S:c, kc. He will give his 
 general support to Government whenever he can. 
 That, to be sure, will be of little use. 
 
 Observations in the Courier very pointed on the 
 conduct of Mr. Fox. 
 
 Tucsdaij, November 30///. — Received a letter from 
 Mr. Canning, in which he begs I will tell him whether 
 Mr. Pitt is satisfied that the intended vote of 30,000 
 men is sufficient for the navy for three months. To 
 which I answered, that I was perfectly sure Mr. Pitt 
 could not form an opinion of the sufficiency or insuf- 
 ficiency of the vote without any information whatever 
 of what has been going forward lately, or of the actual 
 situation we are in with respect to France ; I mean as 
 to the probability or improbability of a war with her. 
 I observed to jNIr. C. that there is a passage in Lord 
 Hawkesbury's speech, which looks like his not intend- 
 ding to lay any papers before the Houses respecting
 
 THE RIGHT H0^^ GEOUGE r.OSE. 507 
 
 the late negotiation — suggesting to him also the pro- 
 priety of Ministers being eallcd upon to assign some 
 general reason, at least, why 50,000 seamen are now 
 desired, a number certainly beyond any peace esta- 
 blishment that can be intended, and must be founded 
 on some conduct on the part of France; the corre- 
 spondence about which must unavoidably become 
 subject of parliamentary inquiry hereafter, if on perusal 
 of the papers that measure shall be thought proper. 
 It cannot be doubted that when the interposition of 
 Parliament is called for it has a right to infor- 
 mation. 
 
 Wednesday, December 1st. — Received a letter from 
 Mr. Canning, in which he says Mr. Addington had 
 just given notice that he should vote the increased 
 number of seamen for the year, — which he thinks was 
 on the suggestion of Mr. Ryder ; — trusts it will make 
 no alteration in ]\Ir. Pitt's intention of remaining here ; 
 but considers it as rendering it still more desirable he 
 should know, if possible, what Mr. Pitt's ideas are of 
 the force that ought to be kept up. Mr. Fox not 
 expected to attend either debate ; certainly not that 
 on the navy. 
 
 Under so direct an application for Mr. Pitt's senti- 
 ments on the matter, I thought it right to show the 
 letter to him ; and by his desire I told Mr. Canning 
 nearly what I did yesterday from myself, "that at this 
 distance, and utterly uninformed as he is of everything 
 that could enable him to form a judgment on the sub- 
 ject, he can express no opinion whatever." 
 
 Lord Malmcsburv told me he heard Sheridan was
 
 508 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 to go down to-dav,' to abuse Mr. Pitt and lii>» friends ; 
 to lessen them, if he could, in the ])ul)lic opinion. His 
 Lordship also told nic that a friend of his heard Mr. 
 Fox say lately tliat he did not think it at all likely he 
 should ever be Minister himself, but that he was deter- 
 mined, if possible, to prevent Mr. Pitt ever n;;ain being 
 so. In the course of a long conversation with i.ord M., 
 he talked a good deal about Mr. Fox, said he had known 
 him from very early years, ami all his habits and ways 
 of thinking; that he was sure his earliest principles of 
 strong Toryism were still rooted in his mind; and that 
 if he ever should attain the government in a situation 
 in which lie could act according io hi^ own opinionft, he 
 would be a high prerogative minister; but that he did 
 not think the country would endure him. His Lordship 
 then went on to sav, that in a tour he had made 
 through Gloucestershire and Heref(3rdshire, and a con- 
 siderable extent of the central part of England, the 
 enthusiasm for Mr. Pitt was as stron::: as amonjist his 
 most particular friends, even with the quietest and 
 most retired people he saw\ 
 
 He told me, too (what the Count himself had said, 
 in substance, to me and my eldest son before he left 
 England), that Woronzow, on his return to this country 
 where he is daily expected, would co-operate most 
 heartily with Mr. Pitt or Lord Grenville, in uniting 
 
 1 He did not do this till the Sth.-when he made a most brilliant speech 
 ■with much quizzing on Mr. A., but replete with invective on Mr. 
 Pitt ; artful towards the King, and deprecating Mr Pitt being forced 
 on his Majesty after what had passed on the Catholic question ! He 
 had forgot his justification of Mr. Fox being forced on the King in 
 1782, in a manner unprecedently offensive.
 
 THE EIGHT HOX. GEORGE EOSE. 509 
 
 this Court with that of Petersburgh ; but that if he 
 should find the same people in office as he left, he 
 would get himself superseded in the embass}^, and 
 return to Southampton, despairing of being able to do 
 any good in this mission. 
 
 27iursdai/, December 2(1. — Nothing occurred of any 
 importance to-day. Mr.Pitt received a letter from the 
 father of the man who now keeps Bull's library, express- 
 ing great satisfaction that he had lived to see the son 
 in 1802 subscribe to the library which the father had 
 been a constant subscriber to from 1750 to 1757 ; in 
 which interval he (the late Earl of Chatham) used to 
 have a 3'Oung man from the library to read to him at 
 hours when that was shut up ; and that the book he 
 principally read to him at one period was Josephus's 
 History of the Wars of the Jews. 
 
 Friday, December Sd. — -In the Times of yesterday is 
 a most virulent and elaborate attack on ]\lr. Pitt and 
 his friends, and a most fulsome panegyric on the pre- 
 sent Ministers ; but written with ability. The editor 
 of this paper is in habits of constant intercourse with 
 the Minister's brother. This essay is detestable in all 
 its parts ; but more particularly so for the language in 
 which Mr. Pitt is grossly censured for his skulking 
 from office in a disgracefid manner in the hour of 
 danger, and abandoning his sovereign. 
 
 iSafurdaf/, December bth. — The debate on the report 
 of the vote for the seamen, is one of the most extra- 
 ordinary I ever read. The tone taken by Ministers in 
 refusing all explanation on such a measure is certainly 
 unexampled ; there never occurred an instance of a
 
 510 DLVKIES AND COKllESPONDENCE OF 
 
 large increase being proposed in the naval or military 
 establishment without either explanation given, or 
 papers laid. .Ministers were pressed for the former, 
 but were allowed at last to trium[)h, with saying to 
 the Opposition, You are for a large vote as well as us, 
 there is no difterence of opinion ; what is all this dis- 
 cussion about ? To which the answer was obvious, 
 You may intend this armament for one piu'pose, we 
 may think it recpisite for another : we have a clear and 
 distinct right to know generally what your reason for 
 it is. — Do you mean it is a regular peace establish- 
 ment ? If you do, we may agree with you or we may 
 not. Do you mean it to give effect to any j)ending 
 negotiation with France ? Is it on account of additional 
 strength recently acquired by France, that makes her 
 more likely soon to go to war Avith us? Is it on ac- 
 count of Malta, respecting which fresh difficulties have 
 arisen ? In short, is it all or anv of these reasons that 
 induce vou to continue armed? Some answer mi^ht 
 have been extorted. Those who dift'er from Ministers 
 certainly gave them great advantage, in allowing the 
 vote for the seamen to pass in the committee without 
 comment ; but that did not deprive them of the right 
 to insist upon information in another stage of the 
 business. It is worth while to refer to what was done 
 in the instances of the Sj)anish, Dutch, and Russian 
 armaments in 17S7, 17S9, and 1700. 
 
 Something was gained in the debate by fixing Lord 
 Ilawkesbury to a declaration for a large peace estab- 
 lishment, from which Mr. Addingtou however shrank. 
 What can Mr. Fox say to the number of seamen
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 511 
 
 voted ? He has positively and recently declared for 
 a very small peace establisliment ; he has also in the 
 strongest terms expressed his conviction that wc have 
 nothing to fear from France. What then is this arma- 
 ment for? and where are all his strong assertions 
 against blind conjfidcnce ? Bnt there is no possible 
 (/round on which he can avoid resisting the measure of 
 a large navy. 
 
 On talking to Mr. Pitt this evening about the long 
 article of abuse against him and the late ]Ministers in 
 the Times, he grew to feel the utmost resentment and 
 indignation at it ; and said, if not apologized for in 
 the same paper, or commented upon in the True 
 Briton in the next paper, he should consider it as coun- 
 tenanced by the Administration ; and that he would 
 write to Mr. Steele to desire he would say to Mr. 
 Addington, that unless it was disavowed in some 
 shape in the same manner the calumny was published, 
 he must consider it as sanctioned by him. 
 
 AYe were led insensibly again to discuss at great 
 length the situation he would find himself in if he 
 should return to the Administration by himself, or 
 nearly alone ; and he in the end agreed with me, that 
 he could not take office with any degree of safety 
 to himself, or hope of doing good to the public, Avitli- 
 out Lord Grenville and Lord Spencer doing the same. 
 
 Hundaij, December 6//i. — In the evening Mr. Pitt 
 said he would certainlv write on the morrow to Mr. 
 Steele, as he had said yesterday ; but it struck me that 
 his doing so would, almost to a certainty, lead to 
 some embarrassing and equivocal explanations : — that
 
 512 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 Mr. A. was very sorry for the attack, but that Mr. Pitt 
 must know how uiiinauagoable tlie editors of news- 
 papers were, and most of all Mr. ^^'ahers of the 
 Times ; adding just as much as he shonhl think miglit 
 suffice to prevent Mr. Pitt acting on the restntment he 
 must naturally feel at the mixture of insult and injury, 
 but in no degree sutficicnt to remove the impression 
 made by the libel. It seemed probable, too, that the 
 opening an intercourse of any sort at this moment with 
 ^Ir. Addington might be jjroductive of much incon- 
 venience, as he might avail himself of it to introduce 
 other subjects. After that was considered, Mr. Pitt 
 gave Uj) his determination to write to Mr. JSteele, or to 
 have any communieation with Ministers on the subject. 
 Monday, Decembrr Ifh. — 1 mentioned to Mr. Pitt 
 this morning what had occurred to me yesterday ou 
 reading the newspaper, as to the proceedings in the 
 House on the exchecpier bills ; in all which he agreed 
 with me entirely ; and said, he was the more surprised at 
 Mr. Addington's intention, because he had repeatedly 
 stated to him the indispensable necessity of providing 
 at once for any extraordinary exj)enses which might 
 occur in years of peace. Thus Mr. Addington had 
 always admitted the principle, and had given him 
 the strongest assurances that he would on no oc- 
 casion, nor in any emergency, depart from it. That 
 so late as the last summer he discussed the importance 
 of it with him and Lord Hawkcsbury ; both eagerly 
 embracing the measure, the latter most warmly : after 
 which he dined with Lord Hawkesburv, to meet 
 Mr. A. and Mr. Vansittart. ^Ir. A. did not come,
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE HOSE. 513 
 
 but Mr. V. agreed to the whole extent of what 
 was urged by Mr. Pitt, and undertook to prepare 
 materials for consideration ; Lord Hawkesbury con- 
 tinuing anxious that there should not be the least 
 
 relaxation from the plan. Mr. Pitt, after that, 
 
 returning through London on his way here, saw 
 Mr. Addington, not more than seven weeks ago, when 
 the point was again discussed, and the strongest pos- 
 sible assurances given by Mr. Addington, that nothing 
 should induce him to depart from what had been so 
 strongly enforced by Mr. Pitt, and admitted by him. 
 
 Tuesday, December Stk. — Mr. Pitt this morning re- 
 vived the conversation about Mr. Addington's depar- 
 ture from the system of raising the money wanted for 
 extraordinary services within the year, and told me 
 that on reflection it appeared to him the more astonish- 
 ing, as the last deliberation at Mr. Addington's was 
 a full one, and that Mr. Vansittart was present mth 
 a plan (such as it was) for raising the money : — founded 
 on the mischievous basis, completely reprobated and 
 abandoned by us, of a £5 per cent, impost on the 
 customs and excise. 
 
 Wednesday, December Wt. — I left Bath and returned 
 to Cuffuells. 
 
 In the newspapers of the 11th of December I no- 
 ticed Mr. Addington's statement of the supplies and 
 ways and means for the ensuing yeai', on which the 
 following observations occur : — 
 
 " He states the necessity of raising £5,000,000 for 
 the service of the year, by exchequer bills, which he 
 says he shall either fund at the cud of the session or 
 
 VOL. I. L L
 
 514 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 borrow money to pay off; — evidently, therefore, not 
 entertaining a thought of raising any part of the money 
 within the yeai' ; thus departing from his solemn en- 
 gagement to Mr. Pitt, and from the principles on 
 which the stability of public credit most essentially 
 rests. There will therefore be a debt incurred in this 
 second year of peace equal to the capital redefined 
 by the commissioners: — where is the system of tiic 
 sinking fund which was to be inviolable?" 
 
 Friday, December 24//, 1S02.— Mr. Pitt came to 
 Cuffnclls. lie told me that nothing had occurred after 
 I left Bath till three or four days ago, when Lord Castle- 
 reagh arrived there, who, from a variety of circumstances, 
 certainly was there on purpose to sound Mr. Pitt on 
 the present state of affairs ; although in the whole 
 of the conversations between them Mr. Addington's 
 name was never mentioned, except in a direct message 
 delivered from him to ^Ir. Pitt, " requesting to know 
 his opinion, whether he thought it would be right to 
 make a compromise with the Prince of Wales, by 
 setting his income clear on condition of his Royal 
 Highness waving his claims to the arrears of the 
 Duchy of Cornwall, previous to his coming of age ;" 
 which can only be done by the pubhc paying off the 
 debentm-es at present payable out of the Prince's 
 revenues. The inclination of Mr. Pitt's opinion was 
 against a compromise in such a case ; thinking the 
 arrears should be paid if due ; if not, that the ques- 
 tion of setting the Prince's income free should be 
 considered separately. Mr. Pitt, however, found it 
 impossible to avoid the conversation turning on public
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 515 
 
 affairs in general. His Lordship told him that great 
 difficulties had arisen respecting an arrangement about 
 Malta ; and that the present inclination of the Cabinet, 
 in order to obviate these, was to leave the nomination 
 of a Grand Master to the Knights, who were to 
 assemble somewhere, perhaps in Russia, for the pur- 
 pose of choosing three of their number, out of whom 
 the Pope should select one ; and Mr. Pitt understood 
 him, that if that should be found impracticable, then, 
 in that case, the Pope to name one of the Knights. 
 To which suggestion Mr. Pitt told me he did not 
 hesitate to express his decided disapprobation. At 
 the same time he told Lord Castlereagh he was sure, 
 from the statements he had seen of Mr. Addington's 
 budget, that he had made great mistakes which would 
 prove highly inconvenient. This conversation, or a 
 part of it, his Lordship unquestionably communicated 
 to Mr. Addington. 
 
 Saturday, December 2Wi.—0n this day Mr. Pitt 
 received a letter from Mr. Addington directed to him 
 here, requesting to see him as early as he should 
 arrive in town or in the neighbourhood of it. I 
 conceive it to be clear that the communication was 
 made by Lord Castlereagh to Mr. Addington, because 
 the latter could not know Mr. Pitt was here except 
 from his Lordship ; and because, during all the nego- 
 tiations with Switzerland and France, Mr. Addington 
 never held any correspondence whatever with Mr. Pitt, 
 except a single conversation he had with him on 
 passing through London ; nor had he any intercourse 
 with him about his budget. The eagerness to see
 
 51G UIARIES AND CORllESVONDEXCE OF 
 
 him now, therefore, coiikl arise only from tlic pniiic 
 occasioned by tlie observations Mr. Pitt made to Lord 
 Castlereagh at Bath. 
 
 Mr. Pitt feels it (jiiite impossible to avoid the inter- 
 view with Mr. Addinu;ton, under so decisive a rcfjiiest, 
 and I can say nothing against it. Feeling, liow- 
 ever, very considerable appnhensions that at the 
 meeting, the low cunning and artful management of 
 the one, opposed to the candid and generous nature 
 of the other, may lead the latter to a di.selosure, not 
 only of all his opinions, and a detail of the gross 
 blunders conunitted by the former in France ; but 
 also to 'Mve him his advice on cverv point of im- 
 portance, — I thought it my duty to say everything 1 
 could to i)ut Mr. Pitt on his guard ; which 1 did with 
 the utmost earnestness, and supported by every argu- 
 ment that occurred to me ; under a strong conviction 
 that if Mr. Addington's ignorance and incapacity is 
 not detected and made manifest now, he will acquire 
 such a character with the King and the public, as may 
 be likely to fix him in his situation for such a period 
 as will ensure the destruction of the country, by the 
 tame and pusillanimous conduct of the present Govern- 
 ment. The concessions they have already made, must 
 impress the French with a persuasion that there is 
 nothing they will not bear ; and of course the First 
 Consul will go on from one aggravation to another, 
 till the country will be so goaded, as to drive the 
 Government into a war, whether they are willing or 
 not. 
 
 Siindai/, December 'lQ>ih. — Mr. Pitt told me, on
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEOEGE EOSE. 517 
 
 ]\Ir. Dmidas's peerage being mentioned, that he was 
 beyond measure surprised at it; that he had not 
 heard one syllable from him on the subject since they 
 parted early in the summer ; that he had indeed had 
 no letter from him for some months ; but what was 
 most extraordinary, that when he last saw him, ]\Ir. 
 Dundas stated to him a variety of reasons why it was 
 impossible for him to accept a peerage. 
 
 I renewed the conversation, while we were riding, 
 about the interview with Mr. Addington ; and ^Ir. 
 Pitt gave me fresh assurances that he would be as 
 much upon his guard during it as possible. 
 
 Monday, Decemher 21th. — I again revived the sub- 
 ject of Mr. Pitt's interview with Mr. Addington, and 
 he repeated to me his assurances of being on his guard, 
 and promised he would write to me (of course in a 
 guarded manner as it could only be by the post), after 
 the meeting between them shall be over, to tell me 
 what has passed. On talking over matters at break- 
 fast by ourselves, he expressed great doubts whether 
 in the event of a possibility of a way being opened for 
 him to come into government, he could form an Ad- 
 ministration with which he might act usefully to the 
 public ; about which, on the sudden, I could offer no 
 distinct opinion ; entertaining, indeed, considerable 
 doubt on the subject, on the slight consideration I 
 could give it. During the three days Mr. Pitt was 
 here, we went carefully over all the papers on finance, 
 necessary to a full and most attentive consideration 
 of Mr. Addington's statements on the opening his 
 budget; and he agreed with me entirely in all my
 
 518 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE. 
 
 conclusions, going away perfectly persuaded tliat the 
 whole of those statements were founded on gross errorn 
 arising from the most childish u/nnrancc ; thinking 
 too that it would be impossible for him to avoid 
 delivering his thoughts on the subject in the House of 
 Connnons. 
 
 Mr. Pitt brought with him and showed me the 
 Times of tlic 1 1th, in which there was a libel on him, 
 and the late Government, more gross and offensive 
 than the former one, which he felt so strongly. 
 
 END OK VOL. I. 
 
 B. CLAT, PRINTER, BREAD STREET BILL.
 
 THE 
 
 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE 
 
 OF 
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 
 
 VOL. II.
 
 LONDON : 
 H. CI.AY, I'RINTKB, BRKAU HTREKT IIU.U
 
 THE 
 
 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE 
 
 OF THE 
 
 RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE: 
 
 CONTAINING 
 
 ORIGINAL I-ETTEKS 
 OF THE MOST DISTINGUISHED STATESMEN OF HIS DAY. 
 
 EDITED BT THE 
 
 REV. LEVESON VKRNON HARCOURT. 
 
 IN TWO VOLUMES.— VOL. IL 
 
 LONDON : 
 RICHARD BENTLEY. NKW BUHLTNGTON STREET. 
 
 ^ubliskt in ^rbinurn to 'Jer ^lajcsfij. 
 1860.
 
 CONTENTS OF SECOND VOLUME. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Correspondence between Mr. Pitt and Mr. Rose, 1 ; Lord 
 Melville's view of Mr. Pitt's line of conduct and views, 2 ; 
 the Prince of AVales's notion of honour, 4 ; Whig liberality 
 and Tory honesty, 5 ; the island of Perim, 5 ; letter of Mr. 
 Pitt on the financial errors of Government, 6 ; letter of Mr. 
 Pitt to Mr. Rose, urging forbearance towards the Government, 
 7 ; Mr. Pitt to Mr. Rose, 9 ; Mr. Pitt's opinion of Buona- 
 parte's programme, 11 ; Lord Grenville, 12 ; island of Perim, 
 13; vote for the Prince of Wales, 14; the public accounts, 
 15 ; state of the nation, 16 ; Mr. Pitt on finance, 17 ; French 
 projects in Eg}'pt, 18 ; Mr. Pitt's views of Buonaparte's 
 designs, 19 ; Sebastiaui's interference in Corfu, 20 ; allairs of 
 the Prince of Wales, 21 ; discussions with Mr. Pitt on the 
 state of affairs, 22 — 24 ; view of the conduct of France in their 
 endeavour to seize Egypt, 25 ; difficulties with respect to our 
 position towards France considered, 26 ; Addington's conver- 
 sation with Mr. Pitt on the subject of Pitt's return to office, 
 27 ; Addington's childish ideas about finance, 28 ; Adding- 
 ton's scheme to place Pitt in the same IMinistry as hunself, 
 under Lord Chatham, 29 ; death of Mr. Pitt's mother, 30 ; 
 Addington's proposal made through Lord Melville, 31 ; 
 rejected by Mr. Pitt, 31 ; Addington's second proposition, 
 32 ; the time for taking office considered, 33 ; the new 
 arrangements, 34 ; Mr. Addington's position in them, 35 ;
 
 Vi CONTENTS. 
 
 Lord St. Vincent, 35 ; gross attack on the Cfrenville I'arty, 
 36; ntt visits Mr. Addington at Brondey Hill, 38; detjiils* 
 of tho negotiation, 38 ; ^Iv. Addingtun alters Ids views, 39 ; 
 Mr, Pitt declines to receive any future overtures, except by 
 comiuaiid of the King, 40. 
 
 CIIAITER II. 
 
 Count WoronzofT, tho Russian Ambassador, visits Mr. Rose at 
 CuiTnell.s, 41 ; Ins opinion of the imbecility of Ministers, 42 ; 
 promises to Portugal, 42 ; Ru.<v*ian mediation olfered in our 
 ([uarrel witli France, 43 ; Ix)rd Ilawkesbury's delay, 43 ; Ids 
 inrapacity and gaticfwnr, 44 ; illiberal conduct of the English 
 Government, 45 ; Count "NVoronzofT seeks tho English alliance, 
 46 ; the King presses Count Woronzoffto give his confidence 
 to Lord Ilawkesburj', 47 ; last ^vi8hc3 of tho Duke of Port- 
 land, 47 ; Russia aided by Fox, to the detriment of England, 
 48 ; character of the Emperor of Russia, 48 ; Prince William 
 of Gloucester, 49 ; anecdotes of Lird Tlawkesbun,', 49 ; 
 libellous jMimplilet against Mr. Pitt, 51 ; the ]»amphlet not 
 disavowed by the Government, 52 ; Pitt's difficult position, 
 53 ; proposes a pamphlet in reply, 54 ; tho defence of tho 
 country, 5G ; extraordinary communication from the Prince 
 of Wales, 58 ; Lord Keith's arrangement on the Do^vns 
 station, 59 ; gun-boats in P)Oulogne, 60 ; discussions respect- 
 ing tho pamphlet, 61 ; dinner at the London Tavern, 63 ; 
 future conduct of !Mr. Pitt, 64 ; Lord Gremnlle's alliance with 
 Mr. Fdx, 67 ; Pitt takes the comuian<l of 3,000 volunteeifi, 
 68 ; Mr. Pitt to Mr. Rose, 68 ; gun-boat<<, 68 ; preparations 
 to receive the enemy, 70, 71 ; expectations of a French 
 attempt at invasion, 72. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Mr. Pitt's reasons for reserve in correspondence, 74 ; letter of 
 ^Ir.Rose to Lord Chancellor Eldon, advising a junction with the 
 Coalition, 76 ; letter of Eldon, scorning all compromise with 
 the Opposition, 78 ; Mr. Rose to Mr. Pitt, on the prospects
 
 CONTENTS. Vll 
 
 of the Govermuent without a coulition, 80 ; ilhaess of Dr. 
 Moore, Archbishop of Canterbury, 82 ; letter of the Bishop 
 of Lincohi to ]\Ir. Eose, on the vacancy for the Archbishopric 
 of Canterbury, 83 ; Irish arrangements, 85 ; the Bishop of 
 Lincoln to Mr. Eose, respecting an interview A^ith Mr. Pitt, 
 86 ; the Bishop of Lincoln to Mr. Eose, on the strength of 
 the House of Commons, 88 ; Dr. Manners Sutton appointed 
 Archbishop of Canterbury, 89 ; situation of 'Mi'. Pitt as 
 respects the King, 90 ; Mr. Pitt's late habits, 91 ; Mr. Pitt's 
 reserve towards Mr. Eose, 91 ; negotiation with Addington, 
 92 ; details of the negotiation, 94 ; important Eussian busi- 
 ness, 95 ; the King's dislike to Mr. Fox, 96 ; Mr. Eose's 
 sensitiveness, 97 ; Pitt's reconciliation with Addington, 97 ; 
 the Bishop of Lincoln to Mr. Eose, on the coalition with 
 Addington, 98 ; Pitt's conduct to his private friends defended, 
 99 ; Pitt's forge tfulness, 100 ; effects of party zeal, 100 ; the 
 Grenvilles, 101 ; Lord Brougham's charge against the King, 
 102 ; the King's dislilce to Mr. Pox defended, 102 ; the 
 supper at Brookes' s, 103 ; improbabilities of union of Pitt 
 and Fox considered, 104 ; Fox's strong aversion to it, Avith 
 Pitt at the head of government, 105 ; Pitt's remarks on Fox's 
 conduct, 106 ; the King expresses his belief in Fox's dislike 
 of him, 106 ; Mr. Fox explains away his disinterested pro- 
 ■ posal, 106 ; Fox's wish to act against the Coxirt, 107 ; Mr. 
 Fox in office, 108 ; Pitt's treatment of the Catholic question, 
 109 ; the King's sentiments, 109 ; Fox's treatment of them 
 when in power, 110; criticism on Pitt's conduct, 110; 
 different manner of Mr. Pitt and Mr. Fox in speaking of each 
 other, 110 ; Lord Thurlow, 111 ; the True Briton, 112. 
 
 CHAPTEE IV. 
 
 ^Rlr. Pitt writes to the King, stating that he can no longer sup- 
 port Ministers, 113 ; Mr. Pitt proposes an Administration on 
 a broad basis, 114 ; Mr. Pitt's determination not to agitate 
 Catholic Emancipation during the King's life, 114; presses 
 his arguments in favour of Fox, 115 ; Mr. Eose's agreement 
 in Pitt's views, 115 ; Mr. Eose's criticism on Lord Eldon's
 
 viii CONTENTS. 
 
 reply, 116 ; the Kiiij,''3 irritable rejoindt-r tu Mr. Pitt's com- 
 nxuuioation, 117; Pitt's temperutc reply, 118; statement of 
 the balance of parties, 111) ; prospective Ministerial armnge- 
 ments, 120; Mr. Pitt j,'oo8 to the Kinj;, ll'l ; the sUite of 
 the King's health, 121 ; detiiils of Mr. Pitt's conversation 
 with the King, having referuuco to the new Ministry, 122 ; 
 tlie King's resolution not to liave Mr. Fo.\ in the Cabiiiet, 
 122 ; Lord M<lville, 123 ; the King's readiness to yield to 
 Mr. Pitt, 124 ; meeting of Fox's friejids, 124 ; conversation 
 between Mr. Pitt, Mr. Kose, ami the P.ishop of Lincoln, rela- 
 tive to the new arrnngenienta, 125 ; disappointment of all 
 parties at Mr. Fo.x's refusal to act, 126 ; Mr. Kosc reconi- 
 meuds ^Ir. Pitt temponirily to withdniw himself, 127 ; Mr. 
 Pitt's resolution to persevere in fonniiig a Cabinet, 128 ; diffi- 
 culties in his way, 128 ; meeting of the Opjiosition at Carlton 
 House, 129; Mr. Sturges Bourne, 129; reflection."? by Mr. 
 Pose on Mr. Pitt's putting himself at the head of the new 
 Aihuinistration, 130 ; Lord Melville's eagerness for office, 
 
 130 ; Pitt's conduct approved by many of his best friends, 
 
 131 ; the King disposed to support the Government, 132 ; 
 further Ministerial arrangements, 132 ; Loixl Aucklanil, 133 ; 
 final list of the new Cabinet, 134 ; talks of peace and rise of 
 the funds, 136 ; overtures fi-om P.uonaparte, 137 ; Stiirgcs 
 Boui-no, 139 ; the King's disjtlca.sure with Lord Amherst, 
 14U ; the L)iic D'Enghien, 140 ; Iiu.ssia's dislike at the over- 
 grown power of Napoleon, 140; Lord Westraeath, 141 ; the 
 King's interference in ^Linisterial aiTangements, 143 ; mode 
 of enlistment, 145 ; symptoms of malady in the King, 147 ; 
 conversation with Sir Harry xSeale on the King's state of 
 mind, 148 ; the King advised to put himself under medical 
 direction, 149 ; the King dismisses !Mr. Braun, a faitliful 
 servant, 149; Mr. Pitt's interview -sWth the King, 150 ; Mr. 
 Fox and ^Mr. Grey call on ^Ir. Pitt, to communicate to him 
 that !Mr. Livingstone, the American Minister at Paris, had 
 reason to beheve that the Government of France was disposed 
 to make peace, 151 ; council at the Queen's House, 152 ; the 
 King's health, 152; debate of Mr. Pitt's defence bill, 153 ; 
 chances of coalition between Mr. Fox and Mr. Addington, 154.
 
 CONTENTS. IX 
 
 CHAPTEE V. 
 
 Mr. Eose's diaries continued, 155 ; conversations with the King 
 on the change of Government, 156 ; the King's opinion of Mr. 
 Addington, 156 ; unanimous opinion of the Foreign Ministers 
 respecting Lord Hawkcshury, 157 ; King's opinion of Lord 
 Auckland, 158 ; of Mr. Huskisson, 158 ; of Mr. Sturges 
 Bourne, 159; negotiation with Mr. Yansittart, 159; Mr. 
 Tierney ; 160 ; Addington' s resentment against Mr. Pitt, for 
 making him ridicvdous in the House of Commons, 161 ; the 
 King's inter\'iew with Lord Melville, and plain speaking 
 to him, 163 ; Lords Westmoreland and Castlereagh, 164 ; the 
 King's portrait of the Marquis of AVellesley, 165 ; Mr. Charles 
 Yorke, 166 ; conversation with the King about Lord Thurlow, 
 166; the French emigrants, 167 ; the Prince of Wales, 167; 
 seeks an interview with the King, 168 ; backs out of it, 168 ; 
 Lord Eldon, 169 ; the Princess of Wales's opinion of the Prince 
 of Wales, 170 ; interview with Mr. Sheridan, 170 ; the Prmce 
 of Wales's anxiety to be reconciled with the King, 170 ; Sheri- 
 dan's advice to the Prince, 171 ; haughty temper of Lord Grey, 
 171 ; Mr. Pitt's account of the Princess of Wales's conduct, 172 ; 
 Lady Auckland receives an extended pension, 173; the King 
 and Eoyal Family visit CufTnels, 173; the Grosvenors, 174; 
 the Duke of Montrose, 175 ; the King intimates to Mr. Eose 
 some of his rules of conduct, 176 ; conversation with the King 
 on subsidizing foreign nations, 176 ; the King's project with 
 respect to Flanders, 177 ; Lord St. Helens, 178 ; conversa- 
 tion with the King respecting Lord Chancellor Eldon, 178; 
 respecting Mr. Eose's son, 179 ; respecting the Marquis 
 of Wellesley, 180 ; respecting Lord St. Yinccnt, 181 ; respect- 
 ing Mr. Fox, 181 ; Mr. Fox, a Tory, 181 ; the King's opinion 
 of Lord Thurlow, 1 82 ; the King's dislike of romantic scenery, 
 183; the King's curiosity about Junius, 184; Mr. Eose's 
 opinion that Mr. Gerald Hamilton was Junius, 184 ; conver- 
 sation with the King respecting the Duke of Grafton, 184 ; 
 Lord ^North, 185; education of the Princess Charlotte, 185; 
 the King desires to nominate Lady George Murray to bring 
 up the Princess Charlotte, 186 ; the Duke of Athol, 187 ; 
 Dr. Hayter, Bishop of ^Norwich, 188 ; George Scott, 188 ;
 
 X CONTEXTS. 
 
 Adolphus's Histoiy of Englaiul, 189 ; anecdote i-c.Hpccting 
 George the Second's deatli, 180 ; the Princess Amelia, 190 ; 
 the King's accession, 190; Lord I*ute, 191 ; Mr. (JrenviUe, 
 192; Lord Suffolk, 102; cliaracter of D^rd Auckland. 19:3 ; 
 accident to the Pruicess Amelia, 193 ; remarks of the Kijigim 
 the courage of the Royal Family, 194 ; presentation of C'ai>- 
 tain Prescott, ninety-fivo years old, 194 ; I>r. r>oi>th, 195; 
 the King leaves Cuffnells, 195 ; the King's jmrtial blindne8.>s 
 196 ; Count Woronzoff, 19G ; Lord Pembroke, 19G. 
 
 CHAITKR VI. 
 
 Mr. Pitt goes to the King at AVeymoutli, 198; suggestions for 
 an extension of the Administration, 198; the King's great 
 dislike to a junction with ^Ir. Fox and his friends, 199 ; pro- 
 secution of Lord Melville, 201 ; influence of Lord Ilawkes- 
 huiy and the Chancellor, 201 ; account of Nelson's death, 202; 
 editorial remarks, 204 ; Mr. Pitt's illness, 205 ; anxit^ty alnnit 
 his health, 206 ; his death, 207 ; lett<>rs from Mr. AVilbi-rforco 
 to Ur, Koso on the subject of Mr. Pitt's death, 208, 209 ; the 
 Bishop of Lincoln to Mr. Kose on the same subject, 211; Lord 
 Grenville, 213 ; Mr. Kose applies to the King for j^emxission 
 to aimounce his former projx>sed subscription of 30,000/. to 
 pay Pitt's debt*!, 214 ; Colonel Taylor's reply for the King, 215 ; 
 Lord Lowther to Mr. Kose on a history of Mr. Pitt's IJftj and 
 Administration, 216 ; Lady Hester Stanhope on the life of Pitt, 
 217 ; letter from Henry Mackenzie respecting his writing a 
 Life of Mr. Pitt, 218 ; the Duke of Richmond, 220 ; the Pitt 
 Club, 220. 
 
 CH.VPTER VII. 
 Details of the illness of Mr. Pitt, 222—224 ; state of affairs 
 consequent upon Mr. Pitt's illness, 225 ; meeting at Lord 
 Castlereagh's, 226 ; difficulties of the situation, 227 ; Lord 
 Earham, 228 ; reflections on Mr. Rose's long friendship with 
 Pitt, 228 ; Mr. Pitt faints, 229 ; his anxiety about his rela- 
 tions, 231 ; announcement of his death, 233 ; comparison 
 between Pitt and Nelson, 233 ; the Cabinet advise the King 
 to send for Lord Grenville, 236 ; Lord Hawkesbury, 237;
 
 CONTENTS. XI 
 
 Mr. "Wilberforce, 238 ; meeting at Mr. Lascelles', 239 ; dis- 
 cussion on Mr. Pitt's debts, 239 ; !Mr. Lascelles moves for a 
 public funeral, 240 ; opposition to the motion by Mr. Windham 
 and ]\Ir. Fox, 2-41 ; Mr. Cartwright's motion that Mr. Pitt's 
 debts should be paid, 241 ; Lord Grenvdle waits on the King 
 vdih a list of the new Cabinet, 241 ; the Duke of York, 242 ; 
 meeting at Lord Camden's, 242; the King acquiesces in 
 . Lord Grenville's arrangements, 243 ; Mr. Eose tenders his 
 -^ resignation, 244; success of Mr. Cartwright's motion, 244 ; 
 Mr. Fox's bill relating to the Auilitorship of the Exchequer, 
 245 ; Lord Grenville, 246 ; interview with the Duke of 
 Montrose, 246 ; Lords Hawkesbury and Castlereagh throw 
 over Lord Sidmouth, 247 ; Mr. Eose's line of conduct, 247 ; 
 proposal of poHtical dinners, 248; Pitt's intention asserted 
 of bringing Caiming hito the Cabinet, 249 ; Mr. Long, Mr. 
 Canning, 250; receive a letter from Canning, 251 ; the new 
 Mmistry, 251 ; the Bishop of Lincoln's account of Pitt's last 
 moments, 254; the Pay Office and Mr. Steele, 254 ; Lord 
 Lowther, 256 ; laments the death of Mr. Pitt, 257 ; Mr. Pitt's 
 funeral, 257 ; details of the funeral, 258 ; character of Mr. Pitt, 
 259 ; his great firmness and his quickness of perception, 259 ; 
 personal demeanour, 259 ; his unselfishness, 260 ; his mastery 
 of foreign politics, 261 ; dinner at Mr. Eose's, 262 ; Canning's 
 resolution to oppose Governnient, 263 ; Mr. Eose leans to an 
 opposite course, 263 ; Sturges Bourne, 265 ; impeachment of 
 IVIr. Hastings, 266. 
 
 CHAPTEE VIII. 
 
 Pitt and Fox, 267 ; Sir Samuel Eomilly, 268 ; Mr. Wilberforce, 
 270; contrasts and similarities between Pitt and Fox, 271 ; 
 Pitt's aversion to war, 272 ; inconsistencies charged upon 
 Mr. Pitt, 274 ; Lord Holland, 276 ; Mr. Fox an enemy to the 
 Church, 277 ; the Church and State, 278 ; death-bed scene 
 of Mr. Fox, 279 ; comments thereupon, 280 ; Pitt's death- 
 bed scene, 281 ; comments thereupon, 282 ; account of Pitt's 
 death in the Annual Eegister, 284 ; observations upon it, 
 285 ; Bishop of Lincoln, 286 ; Mr. Gifi"ord, 286 ; Sir Walter
 
 XII CONTENTS. 
 
 Farquliar, 287 ; Lord Eldou's view of ^h. Pitt, 288 ; Mr. 
 Pitt's deportment in society, '2S^ ; Lord Wellesley s charni-- 
 ter of Mr. Pitt, 20U ; Pitt'a love of tho classics, 292 ; his 
 industry, 293 ; liis cheerful spirit, 294 ; Lord ( Jrenville's 
 sorrow at Pitt's deatli, 29;> ; coinmis.'^ion for intjuirinj^ into 
 charges against the Princess of Wales, 29.5 ; letter of the 
 Princess of Wales, asking for the loan of the cottage at Christ- 
 church, 206 ; letter of Sir Vicnry Gibh-s 29H ; letter of Mr. 
 PerceviU on tlie (-hai-ge against the Princess of Wales, 299 ; 
 letter of Sir Vitary (ril)l)s on the .name subject, 304 ; di.sson- 
 sions and jealousies in Mr. Pitt's party following his death, 
 305 ; olijections to Lord Grenville, So.l ; Lord Kldon, 305 ; 
 Mr. Canning quits his coloui-s, 306 ; appointment of Sir 
 George liose to a special mi.ssion in the T'^nitnd States, 307 ; 
 Sir John ^Lacpherson, 308 ; the Church of England and the 
 landowners, 309 ; Mr. Canning to Mr. Kose on the subject of 
 the policy to be pursued in Parliament, 311 ; Lord Timugham's 
 misrepresentation of the King's conduet, 318; the King and 
 the Princess of Wales, 319 ; ilill'en'nce with Ministers, 319; 
 haughtiness of the AVliigs, 320 ; minute of the Cabinet sent 
 by Lord Spencer to the King, 320 ; the King's anxiety re- 
 specting any alteration in the Mutiny Pill in favour of the 
 Koman Catholics, 321 ; Lord Grenville urgent with the King 
 upon the sulijeet, 322 ; the King yields, 322 ; note from Lord 
 llowiek to the King. 324 ; L<jrd (irenville to the King, 324 ; 
 verbatim minute to tho King on the Catholic question, 325 ; 
 the King's reply, 327 ; re«iuests a positive assurance that 
 the Catholic claims shall not again be jtressed upon him, 329 ; 
 reply of Lord Grenville, 329 ; meeting of the ('atholics, 331 ; 
 advice of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, 331. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Editorial remarks, 334 ; abuses of ecclesiastical patronage, 335 ; 
 letter of Lord Mulgrave to Mr. Rose, declining an augmenta- 
 tion of salaries in certain cases, 336 ; Dr. Jenner declines 
 the directorship of the National Vaccine Institution, 338 ; 
 Lord Clifford to Mr. Rose, giving some account of his ancestor
 
 CONTENTS. xiii 
 
 who signed for Charles II. the secret treaty with Louis XIY., 
 339 ; the Bishop of Lincohi to Mr. Rose, 341 ; characteristic 
 letter of Lady Hester Stanhope on afiairs in Spain, &c., 342 ; 
 letter from Lord Wellesley, 344 ; letter from Sir Walter Scott, 
 345 ; memorandum of a letter to Mr. Eose respecting the 
 Duke of Kent's income, 346 ; letter from the Duke of York 
 respecting the Princess Sophia, 347 ; letter from the same on 
 the same subject, 348 ; Mr. Sturges Bourne to Mr. Rose, on 
 affairs in Downing Street, 349 ; and on the Walcheren expe- 
 dition, 350 ; Mr. Canning's conduct, 351 ; Letters from Mr. 
 Rose to Mr. Sturges Bro^vne dissenting from the course taken 
 by Mr. Canning in resigning oflftce, 352 ; concessions to Can- 
 ning, 355 ; letter of Lord Malmesbury dissenting from the 
 course taken by Mr. Canning, 356 ; letter from Lord Mulgrave 
 respecting Sir Andrew Hammond, 358 ; Mr. Rose to the 
 Marquis of Wellesley, soliciting employment for his eldest son, 
 the father of Sir Hugh Rose, 360 ; editorial remarks on the 
 quarrel and duel between Lord Castlereagh and Mr. Canning, 
 363 ; Guizot's character of Canning, 366 ; secret communica- 
 tion from Mr Canning, 368 ; the W^alcheren expedition, 368 ; 
 decline of the Duke of Portland's health, 369 ; position of 
 Mr. Canning, Mr. Rose, and Mr. Sturges Bourne in conse- 
 quence of the threatened retirement of the Duke of Portland, 
 370 ; relative jiositions of Mr. Canning and IMr. Perceval, 
 373 ; Mr. Rose's comments on Canning's resignations, 376 ; 
 difticulties in the way of Mr. Rose, 376 ; Mr. Rose decides 
 against resigning, 377 ; interview with Mr. Canning, in which 
 Mr. Rose informs him of his intention not to resign, 378 ; 
 ambition of Mr. Canning, 378 ; the convention of Cintra, 
 380 ; interview with Lord Bathurst, 380 ; confidential com- 
 munications, 382 ; Ministerial complications, 383 ; duel between 
 Lord Castlereagh and Mr. Canning, 383 ; the King's objection 
 to Lord Grenvillo, 384 ; details of the circumstances which 
 led to the duel between Lord Castlereagh and Mr. Canning, 
 385 ; details of Mr. Canning's proposed Cabinet, 388 ; INIr. 
 Perceval's interview with the King at Windsor, 389 ; difUcul- 
 ties in the way of a new Ministry, 390 ; Mr. Henry Wellesley, 
 391 ; Mr. Villiers, 391 ; Lord Grey declines the overtures of
 
 xiv CONTENTS. 
 
 Government, 392 ; Lord Grenville's re])!)', 392 ; deUoils of 
 a letter^ from the Kinj,' on the position of afl'oirs, 394 ; tlie 
 King's J, Jetennination to alnlicatc rather than give Catholic 
 Emancipation, 395 ; Lord Melville's view of Mr. Canning's 
 conduct, 39G ; reflections on the situation of affairs, 397 ; ap- 
 pointment of Mr. FrtTo to the Si)anirih Court, 399 ; conduct of 
 Mr. Canimig to his colh-agues, 399 ; resignation of Lord Welles- 
 ley, 400 ; Morning Post account of tho duel between Canning 
 and Castlereagh, 401 ; Mr. Perceval l)ecomes First I>ord of tho 
 Treasury, 402 ; intrigue to secure Lord Wclksley's resigna- 
 tion, 404 ; Lird Sidmouth's resolution, 405 ; otfers to Mr. 
 Rose's son, 406 ; Mr. Canning's resignation, 407 ; John Wil- 
 son Croker, 408 ; Lord Harrowby, 410 ; Mr. Croker's apjxiint- 
 ment regretted, 411 ; Lord Biithurst, 412 ; Lonl Harrowby, 
 412; Mr. Kose is offered tlie ullico of Chancellor of tho 
 Exchequer, 412; Mr. Rose declines tho office, 414; Lord 
 Palmcrston, 415; tho finances of Great Britain, 416; Lord 
 Iklclville declijies to act with Government, 418; rejoicings 
 on tho King's fiftieth birtlulay, 419; conversation with She- 
 ridan, 420 ; Lord Castlereagh's duel, 421 ; Mr. Rose urged 
 to become Chancellor of tho K\choquer, 424 ; Mr. Clapham^s 
 sermon at Christchurch, 425; death of the Duke of Portland, 
 428 ; the Duko of Cumberland's disapproval of Canning's 
 conduct, 429 ; peace between Austria and France, 430 ; 
 Marquis of Wellesloy, 431 ; his acceptance of office, 433 ; 
 dinner with the Bishop of Lincoln, 434 ; Lord Grenville's 
 letter to the Principal of Brazenose, 435. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Recollections respecting Sellis's attempt on the Duke of Cumber- 
 land's life, 437 ; editorial remarks, 447 ; return of the 
 King's illness, 447 ; the King'.s anxiety about the Princess 
 Amelia, 449 ; position of affaii'S consequent on the King'.s 
 illness, 449 ; variations in the King's state of health, 4.52 ; 
 Lord YarmoTith, 454 ; funeral of the Princess Amelia, 455 ; 
 state of affairs in Portugal, 456 ; co-operation of Russia, 457 ; 
 position of Massena in Portugal, 458 ; examination of the 
 King's physician.s by the Council, 459 ; :Mr. Rose attacked
 
 CONTENTS. XV 
 
 by gout, 4G0; projects for a Regency, 461 ; continued 
 illness of the King, 462 ; debates on the Eegency, 463 ; 
 conduct of the Prince of Wales, 468 ; impending change of 
 Ministry, 469 ; Duke of Queensberry's will, 471 ; Lord Gren- 
 ville's hard conditions with the Prince, 471 ; Auditorship 
 of the Exchequer, 472 ; Mr. Perceval's conduct generally 
 approved, 473; u'ritation of the King, 474; liis imperfect 
 sight, 474 ; the physicians confident of his ultimate recovery, 
 475 ; Mr. Perceval's interview with the King, 476 ; conduct 
 of the Prince of Wales to the Opposition, 479 ; discussion on 
 the Regency Act, 480 ; the Chancellor's interview -with the 
 King, 481 ; the Regent takes the oaths, 481 ; gives audience 
 to the Ministers, 482 ; gracious manner of the Prince of 
 Wales, 482. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Editorial remarks on Mr. Canning's secession, 484 ; Mr. 
 Chinnery's malversations, 486 ; letters from Mr. Perceval to 
 Mr. Rose on the King's illness, 493 ; Prince of Wales's debts, 
 496; Chevalier de Suza, 498; Spitalfields weavers, 498 ; Lord 
 Wellesley in Ireland, .500 ; conduct of Portugal and Spain, 501 ; 
 Mr. Rose resigns his office, 502; Mr. Perceval's letter on the 
 subject, 503 ; death of Mr. Perceval, 509 ; Lord Wellesley's 
 project of Administration, 510 ; letter of Lord Melville, 511 ; 
 letter of Lord Walaingham, 516; letter of Lord Liverpool, 
 520 ; letter of Sir William Grant on receiving the thanks 
 of the House, 522 ; death of Mr. Rose, 522 ; letter of Lord 
 Castlereagh on the subject, 523 ; concluding remarks on Mr. 
 Rose's life, 524.
 
 DIARIES AND CORIIESrONDEiNCE 
 
 OF 
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 1803. 
 
 CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN MR. PITT AND MR. ROSE, FROM JANUARY TO 
 JUNE, 1803 — MR. rose's DIARIES FOR FEBRUARY AND APRIL, 1803. 
 
 [The long correspondence between Mr. Pitt and tlie 
 ex-secretary for the Treasur}^, on matters of finance, 
 a portion of which only is given here, shows that he 
 took as deep an interest in the financial schemes of 
 the Administration, while he was out of office, as if he 
 had been still presiding over its councils. It would 
 have been well for his successor, if he had taken the 
 same pains to sift the facts and ascertain the truth ; 
 but it is important, in the estimation of Mr. Pitt's 
 character, to observe, that he was not actuated by any 
 private or selfish motives, but solely by his solicitude 
 for the public good. He had no wish to turn Adding- 
 ton out, or to take his place. On the contrary, he 
 endeavoured to open his eyes, by private expostulation, 
 
 VOL. IT. B
 
 2 DIARIES AND CORUESPONDEN'CE OF 
 
 tu the mistakes into which fioin want of experience lie 
 had fallen, and would have assisted him in turning 
 aside the mortitication of ri'tracting his erroneous 
 statements. Jhit when tlie infatuated Ministt r was 
 "like the deaf adder tliat stoppeth her ears, and re- 
 fuseth to listen to wisdom," he preferred the public 
 good to private friendship, and resolved to expose the 
 faults which he was not permitted to correct. Perhaps 
 he would have found it difficult to make this sacrifice 
 of his feelings, if lu' liad not been strongly urged to 
 it by Mr. Rose and the Bishop of Lincoln : but to say, 
 that their "unfriendly insinuations 'M-aduallv rendered 
 him indisposed to a just and candid view of the mea- 
 sures of the (jiovermnent," is not consistent with the 
 truth. Their arf^umcnts mav be seen in their own 
 letters, which will be given in the .sequel. Hostile 
 they undoubtedly were ; but they had not the effect 
 attributed to them. 
 
 In Mr. Pitt's line of conduct there was no want 
 of justice, or of candour. It is described with perfect 
 truth in a letter from Lord ^lelville to Mr. Adding- 
 ton : — " As matter of })rivate gratification, Mr. Pitt 
 has the reverse of any wish to return to official situ- 
 ation ; and if the present Administration prove them- 
 selves competent to carry on the Government with 
 reasonable prospect of success, his wishes, to be 
 able to support them out of office, are precisely the 
 same as they were at their first formation. He does 
 not, however, disguise from me, that many things have
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 3 
 
 occurred, both in relation to theii- transactions with 
 foreign powers, and with regard to the financial opera- 
 tions and statements of the Treasury, which have given 
 him sincere concern ; and if it were not under the 
 circumstances of the present critical moment of the 
 country, he doubts how far, considering the connexion 
 he has had for so many years with its financial affairs, 
 he was at liberty to refrain so long from stating 
 to the public the fatal errors which, he is satisfied, 
 exist in the statement made with regard to the amount 
 of the national revenue, compared with the charges 
 upon it. As things now stand, he is induced from all 
 these considerations, for the present at least, to ad- 
 here to the resolution of continuing his residence where 
 he is, and refraining from taking part in the discus- 
 sions in Parliament. From the state of his health, 
 nothing could induce him to come forward except an 
 urgent sense of public duty, and a distinct knowledge 
 that his services are thought essential both in the 
 highest quarter and by all those with whom he might 
 have to act confidentially." 
 
 If there are any, who wish to investigate the 
 facts which confirm these statements, they will be 
 found in the next series of letters. To others they 
 may not seem to have nmch interest at the present 
 time : but there is one in reply to Mr. Rose, who 
 had intimated his intention to attack the Govern- 
 ment, which is a model of mild and considerate ex- 
 postulation, to dissuade him from a proceeding which; 
 
 b2
 
 4 DIARIES AND CORRESrONDENCE OF 
 
 being premature, would compromise his character and 
 damage his ])()licy. This appeal to friendship was 
 not made in vain. In another letter, he animad- 
 verts upon the faithlessness of the Prince of Wales, 
 and his shameless demand upon the public purse, to 
 pay for his extravagance, his conscience being callous, 
 and his selfishness insatiable. The C'liuneellor of the 
 Exchequer had stated on the 4th of March, in the 
 House of Commons, that the account between his 
 Royal Highness and his creditors had been prepared 
 and submitted to his inspection, and the propositions 
 founded on it declared by the Prince to be according 
 to his wishes ; in consefpiencc of which his income 
 was to be 125,000/. a year, besides the revenues of 
 the Duchy of Cornwall. Nearly 800,000/. had been 
 already paid to liis creditors, and it was distinctly 
 stated, that no debt could have been incurred since 
 1795, without a violation of the Act then passed for 
 the payment of the heavy debts which he had incurred. 
 And yet, he now felt called upon to declare, that he 
 was still exposed to debts, for which no provision had 
 been made, but which he considered himself bound 
 in honoi/r to discharge. The honour consisting in 
 getting the country to pay them for him. 
 
 And yet Mr. Fox had the assurance to talk of the 
 Prince having redeemed his character by the most 
 prudential regard to pecuniary aflfiiirs, and a system 
 of economy, which it was scarcely natm'al to expect 
 in such a situation. Thus it appears again, that
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. O 
 
 the Tories were tlie defenders of the piibhc purse, 
 while the AVliigs were for opening it to the widest 
 extent, in order that the Prince might be able to live 
 in " splendour and maguilicence," at the nation's cost. 
 The sum that he wanted was never explicitly stated ; 
 but ]Mr. Sheridan hinted that 100,000/. might be 
 easily spared. It is true that he offered to renounce 
 his claim to the arrears of rent from the Duchy during 
 his minority ; but it was proved by j\Ir. Johnstone, 
 that a larger sum had been paid during that time 
 on his account, than the whole of the available reve- 
 nue. That sum amounted to, in the gross, 239,000/. ; 
 which was 500/. more than the entire produce of the 
 Duchy of Cornwall. 
 
 There is another subject alluded to in this corre- 
 spondence, concerning which, the information collected 
 by Mr. Rose for Mr. Pitt, might prove to be of great 
 value at the present time, when negotiations are in 
 progress with respect to the island of Pcrim, in the 
 straits of Babel Mandeb. It was a question then, not 
 about occupying, seizhig, or obtaining it by negotia- 
 tion ; but with respect to fortifying it, as if it already 
 belonged to the British Crown.— Ed.] 
 
 Mr. Pitt to Mr. Rose. 
 
 "Wilderness, Jan. 11th, 1803. 
 
 " Dear Rose, 
 
 " I received here this morning your letter of the 
 9th. It was not till Wednesday last that I had any
 
 6 DIARIES AND COIIIIESPOSDENCE OF 
 
 opportunity of holding tlio conversation of whidi you 
 arc anxious for tlic result. It has since been followed 
 by another short one on Saturday. T think from 
 both, that on the foreign points depending, there is 
 still a probability that the line of Government may 
 be more nearly conformable to my opinions than I 
 expected ; at all events I have had the opportunity of 
 stating those opinions ;is distinctly as T wished, with- 
 out committing myself in embarrassing details ; and 
 have let it be fully understood that my public declara- 
 tions and conduct on leading points nnist be ref^u- 
 lated by those opinions. This previous knowledn^e of 
 my sentiments may perhaps prevent mischief, but if 
 not, it will at least make any line 1 may be oblio-cd 
 to take much more satisfactory to my own mind. 
 With respect to the rpiestion of Finance, I have 
 received no detailed explanation, and have had no 
 occasion to give any, though I have stated generally, 
 and as I believe convincingly, the grounds on which 
 I suppose the statement of the Consolidated Fund to 
 be erroneous to so large an amount. I think I 
 see that there is a determination, if possible, not to 
 acknowledge the error, and a confidence that for the 
 present the produce may be so much swelled by 
 extraneous causes, as to support in some degree the 
 result of the calculation, though not in the least to 
 justify its principle, or any of its details. 
 
 " Ever sincerelv yours, 
 
 " W. P."
 
 the right hon. george rose. 7 
 
 Mr. Pitt to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Waluier Castle, Jau. 28th, 1803. 
 
 " Dear Rose, 
 
 " I received tliis moniiiig your letter of the 2Gth. 
 I really feel great reluctance in saying anything to 
 discourage you from executing a determination which 
 you have probably not formed without much consi- 
 deration. But, I should not do justice either to 
 you or myself, if I disguised from you that the step 
 you have in view must, in my opinion, produce the 
 most aAvkward effects, and (what I am sure you would 
 most wish to avoid) must place me personally in a very 
 disagreeable and painful situation. You know already 
 how prone people have been to think that they could 
 collect my intentions from the declarations of persons, 
 whose relation to me in no degree justified such an 
 inference ; and you must, I am sure, feel how much 
 more this would apply to anything said by you, on 
 any subject, and especially on that in question. It 
 woidd be in vain to attempt to persuade the world 
 that there was no concert between us, unless I were 
 prepared to take a line directly contrary to yours, 
 which is so far from being possible, that on the con- 
 trary I must, on the first proper opportunity, take 
 precisely the same line myself. Do not imagine, 
 therefore, that I either want, out of tenderness to 
 Government, to prevent the discussion, or, that I con- 
 ceive it would be possible to do so, if I ever so much 
 wished it. What I do wish is, that where I must be 
 forced to declare an opinion, which cannot fail to pro-
 
 8 DIARIES AND COKKESPONUENCE ol 
 
 duce such effects on the credit of the Govermneiit, that 
 opinion should come directly from myself, and not be 
 collected from any other person. I feel this the more 
 strongly, because I have already stated my sentiments 
 distinctly to Addington, and appriseil him that unless 
 he can convince me that his original statement is 
 right, and my objections to it are erroneous, it will be 
 impossible for me to sutler the public to continue 
 under a delusion on so important a point. Having 
 received no attempt towards explanation before I left 
 town, I talked over the whole subject with Steele, and 
 repeated to him my intentions, that he might state 
 them again to Addington. I probably shall hear from 
 him before long, but I am perfectly confident nothing 
 can be said on the real truth of the case that can 
 materially vary our statement. I wait chiefly to see 
 whether they admit their error, and are rcadv to take 
 the steps which the real state of the income and 
 expenditure requires, or whether they mean to persist 
 and justify. If the former, I shall certainly wish to add 
 as little as possible (as far as depends upon me) to the 
 pain and discredit of such a retractation, and to give 
 every facility in my power to such measures as are 
 adequate to the necessity of our situation. If the 
 latter, the task of exposing their blunders will be 
 more disagreeable both to me and them, but nuist 
 at all events be executed, both for the sake of my 
 own character and the deep public interests involved. 
 At all events, my present notion is to take the first 
 o|)portunity (probably on the discussion, either of 
 the repeal of the Convoy Duty or the Malt Tax), to
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 9 
 
 give my general opinion on the state of our finance, 
 and to be regulated by the circumstances I have 
 referred to in the further measures I may pursue. I 
 have thus stated to you, as shortly as I can, the whole 
 of my opinion and the grounds on which it rests. 
 They will, I trust, appear to you as strong as they do 
 to myself; but I am sure at all events, that even if 
 my opinion does not satisfy you, you will, I am sure, 
 be inchned to give all the weight I can desire to 
 my wishes. 
 
 " Ever sincerely yours, 
 
 " W. Pitt. 
 
 " If you have been able to ascertain what is the real 
 state of the case with respect to the bonded duties, or 
 any postponement (if there has been one) of the East 
 India duties, pray let me know." 
 
 Mr. Pitt to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Walmer Castle, Feb. 16th, 1803. 
 
 " Dear Rose, 
 
 " The return of something like fine weather gives 
 me so much occupation here, and will probably give 
 me so much healtli, that it would alone have tempted 
 me a good deal to change my plan, and remain here 
 some time longer. But, besides this selfish reason, I 
 am more and more persuaded, by all that 1 see of 
 things and parties, that any part I could take at 
 present, if I were in town, would be more likely to do 
 harm than good ; and that I am, therefore, in every 
 view, better where I am. There are, however, many
 
 10 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 points i?i our sifttatio/i, niul particularlv on tin- subject 
 of finance, whicli I should liavc been very glad to talk 
 over with you ; and if it was not proposing to you 
 anything very inconvenient, it would bi> a great satis- 
 faction to nic, if (whenever you arc released from 
 your Southampton Rill, or anything else you wish to 
 attend) you could spare a few days, to let nie have 
 the pleasure of seeing you here. According to my 
 present notion, T should not be likely, if T can help it, 
 to move from hence for some weeks. I am now (piite 
 free both from gout and bile, and am gaining strength 
 every day. The picture from my windows this morn- 
 ing is as delightful as in tlu' middle of summer. 
 
 " Ever sincerely yours, 
 
 " w r." 
 
 .Mr. Pitt to Mr. Hose. 
 
 "Walraer Ca.stlo, Wednesday, March, 2d, 180:i. 
 
 '' Dear Rosl;, 
 
 " I shall be much obliged to you if you will move 
 leave of absence for me, as you propose, and for what- 
 ever time you think will least occasion remark. When 
 once granted, I conclude, it will be easily prolonged 
 till after Easter. I think clearly the leave, when once 
 obtained, must supei*sede the necessity of any other 
 excuse for not attendinG: when the names of defaulters 
 are called over ; otherwise the express leave of absence 
 would be rendered nugatory by the construction of a 
 preceding order, which is evidently absurd. Lest 
 however, so absurd a doubt should be started, I mean 
 (if my apothecary's opinion is what I take it to be) to
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 11 
 
 send you a certificate to-morrow. I begin to think, 
 on considering all that is passing about finance, that 
 it may be desirable to move inniiediately for the 
 accomits. of which we prepared the list ; and to give 
 notice now of an intention to discuss the subject, as 
 soon as it appears what is Addington's final statement 
 and plan for the year. On this I will write more fully 
 to-morrow. The business respecting the Prince seems 
 to grow more awkward and entangled every day. Our 
 fine weather has been interrupted, but for a very short 
 time, and is now completely returned. 
 
 " Ever yours, 
 
 "W. P. 
 
 " The Consul's expose speaks pretty plain, and 
 amounts, I think, to a declaration that we must 
 soon expect either avowedly to receive the law from 
 him, or to encounter war," 
 
 Mr. Pitt to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Walmei- Castle, March .3d, 1803. 
 
 " Dear Rose, 
 
 " On further consideration I am inclined to 
 think that it is better to postpone, just for the pre- 
 sent, the motion for accounts which I mentioned yes- 
 terday. My reason is, that it is impossible not to 
 suppose, from the language of the Pirst Consul in his 
 expose, that the discussions between this country and 
 Prance are on the point of being brought to a speedy 
 issue of peace or war ; and I am very much confirmed 
 in this opinion by private information from a quarter
 
 12 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDKNC E OT 
 
 on which 1 can entirely rely. At such a nioment you 
 will agree with me that it niiglit, in a |)ul)lic view, 
 have a bad effect to give notice of a discussion which 
 must be so embarrassing to Governim-nt ; and that it 
 will, therefore, be better to wait a little, to know wiiat 
 turn things may take. 
 
 Lord Camden ;uid Hope, with whom T had a good 
 deal of conversation on my notions ol" France, both 
 knew of my intending to write to you resjx'cting the 
 propriety of calling for the accounts, and, perhaps, Uiay 
 ask you about it. If they should, I can have no ob- 
 jection to either of them being told, in confidence, why 
 I now should rather wish such a step to be delayed, 
 
 " Ever sincerely yours, 
 
 "w. vr 
 
 Mr. Pitt to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " \y aimer Castle, March Gth, lb03. 
 
 " Dear Rose, 
 
 " Lord Grenville's wish to see you is a little em- 
 barrassing, but I really do not see on what ground 
 you can decline going to him, and giving him any in- 
 formation he asks as to the true state of our revenue 
 and charges. It may, perhaps, be possible to give all 
 the information necessary to ascertain this principal 
 point, without going minutely into all the collateral 
 errors in Addington's speech. The credit of the 
 Treasury must certainly, at all events, suffer from 
 the exposure of their errors, from whatever quarter it 
 comes ; but the effect would be a verv different one, 
 especially just now, if it proceeded either from you or
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 13 
 
 from me. The private information I referred to in my 
 last letter, I am sure, Mould have no relation to any- 
 thing I had in contemplation on this subject. 
 
 " Ever sincerely yours, 
 
 "W. P." 
 
 Mr. Pitt to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Walmer Castle, March 8th, 1803. 
 
 " Dear Rose, 
 
 "I am much obliged to you for the information^ 
 you have taken the trouble to collect, which throws a 
 good deal of light upon the most important points. I 
 quite agree with you in thinking that it would be im- 
 possible to be totally silent, if the surplus revenue (as 
 stated by Addington) should be urged as an argument 
 for repealing the tonnage duty. It strikes me that 
 the best line would be to say, that one fears that argu- 
 ment (whatever might be its weight) is not warranted 
 by the truth of the case ; that this is not the 
 proper moment for a minute discussion of that point, 
 which it is better to reserve till the final budo;et of the 
 year, when it must be fully gone into ; but that, in the 
 meantime (though the permanent revenue is certainly 
 highly flourishing, and more than sufficient to defray 
 all the charges incurred by the last war, and even a 
 considerable increase of the peace establishment be- 
 yond what has ever before been requisite), yet it does 
 not appear to be equal to an establishment so much 
 
 ' This was relative to the navigation of the Red Sea, fortifying 
 the Island of Perim, in the Straits of Babel Mandeb, and other matters 
 respecting Egypt.
 
 14 DIAEIES AND COllUKSrONDEXCE OF 
 
 liiglicr, as the ju'csent circuuistanccs of Europe make 
 indispensable, and as the Chancellor of tlic Kxehe(juer 
 has assumed, in forming the comparison of income 
 and expenditure for future years ; and that, on the 
 contrary, on the supposition of such an establishment, 
 there seems reason to apprehend a veiy considerable 
 deficiency, instead of a surplus, as has been stated. 
 Something to this etfect seems to me to be as free 
 from objection as possible, and I sui)j)ose you would 
 thiidv it sutiicicnt. I imaunne bv this time vou will 
 have seen that my expectation of a crisis ajjproaching' 
 is conlirmed. 
 
 " Ever sincerely yours, 
 
 " W. P." 
 
 .Mu. Pitt to Mu. Pose. 
 
 " Walmer Castle, March 9tb, 1803. 
 
 " Dear Rose, 
 
 '■ From what 1 had heard, I was not surprised at 
 the account of the message. It is so general, that be- 
 yond the address, which 1 su])pose will have been voted 
 to-day, I hardly see any inunediatc parliamentary mea- 
 sure that it can lead to ; and, therefore, my jjresent 
 intention is to remain here till things take some more 
 decisive turn, which may not be yet for some time. 
 I quite agree with you, that any further vote for the 
 Prince ought on every account to be resisted. The 
 proposal seems in all respects highly indecent. If 
 
 ' The King's message about preparations being made in Franco 
 and Holland, of an alarming nature, was delivered to both Houses, 
 on the day on which this letter was written.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 15 
 
 made at all, it could only properly be made througli 
 the Crown. Besides, the Prince, by message, has 
 already (as I understand) declared his satisfaction in 
 the arrangement just made ; and, above all, the pro- 
 posal (if 1 am not mistaken) is founded on an admis- 
 sion of debts contracted in the teeth of the last Act of 
 Parliament, and in breach of repeated and positive 
 promises. I am not sure (without referring to the 
 Act) whether the existence of such a debt might not 
 itself be made a charge against our Treasury, and 
 at least against the Prince's officers ; but at any rate 
 I should have thought, that if once brought under the 
 notice of Parliament, it was a reason for refusing all 
 relief. That Parliament should specifically recognise 
 and pay such debt, is monstrous. 
 
 " Ever yours, 
 
 - AY. P." 
 
 " I think I see, on the first view, that the accounts 
 j'ou have sent me are prepared under Lord Auckland's 
 direction. Nothing can be more perspicuous in its 
 form than the abstract. It is unluckily subject to the 
 remark, that in the charge on the Consohdated Fund, 
 it wholly omits the interest of tlie Imperial loan, and 
 is in some other respects below the result of former 
 statements bv about 150,000/. : and that in the income 
 it includes amongst the permanent taxes 2,000,000/. 
 temporary (now substituted for the land-tax), and 
 takes credit also for the unredeemed land-tax itself, 
 and for the saving of interest arising from the redemp- 
 tion. Whether the accuracy of the detail corresponds
 
 16 DIARIES AXn CORRESPOyDEN'f K OF 
 
 with the outhnc, 1 have not yet examined ; but 1 sus- 
 pect in the beer duties it takes credit for the post- 
 poned duties, but forgets to deduct for the stock in 
 
 hand of malt." 
 
 Mr. Pri'i' TO Mil. liosr. 
 
 " Walmer Castle, May Ist, 1803. 
 
 " Dear Rose, 
 
 " Many tlianks for your letter. I liardly tliink 
 Patton can mean to make his motion, if tlie final 
 answer is not come ; and if it is, he will surely 
 still wait for the papers, which I suppose in cither case 
 of war or peace, must be laid before Parliament. At 
 any rate if the motion is for the slate of the nation, 
 I own if I were present, I should be much inclined to 
 oppose it. If the answer is not come, the time alone 
 is a sufficient objection ; but the very nature of so gene- 
 ral and indefinite an inquiry makes it, in my opinion, 
 very seldom lit to be resorted to ; and it seems much 
 fairer and better, if there were sufficient grounds of 
 complaint, or well-founded suspicion on specific points, 
 to make them the object of separate motions, instead 
 of going into a vast field which may include every 
 grievance — real or supposed. On this argument (in- 
 dependent of all others) we have repeatedly opposed 
 motions of this sort ; and it appears to me to apply as 
 strongly to the present case as on former occasions. 
 If the subject strikes you in the light in which I have 
 stated it, perhaps you may think it right to vote 
 against the motion, by which I do not conceive you 
 can be in anv degree committed to any opinion
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 17 
 
 respecting the measures whicli have been adopted by 
 Government. If, however, you feel the least hesita- 
 tion on this point, staying away, as you propose, seems 
 certainly the best course. I have been writing a long 
 answer to a letter from Lord Grenville, on the subject 
 of Revenue, in consequence of which he will probably 
 wish to trouble you on two or three points, which you 
 will be able to clear up easier than I can. 
 
 " Ever sincerely yours, 
 
 " W. P." 
 
 Mr. Pitt to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Bromley Hill, June 12th, 1803. 
 
 " Dear Rose, 
 
 " I had from Steele a general account (as far 
 as he recollected them from a cursory view) of the 
 amount of the supply, and of the intended taxes. 
 This account did not differ very materially from 
 what you have learnt, except that he supposes only 
 1,500,000/. to be raised on malt, and larger sums on 
 some other articles ; but he did not profess to state 
 the particulars with accuracy. He puts the income 
 tax at 4,500,000/., and the other taxes at 7,500,000/. 
 " As far as I understand, I see nothing to object to 
 in the principle of any one of the taxes, though the 
 produce in some instances may be considered as 
 very questionable. The general plan and scale of the 
 ways and means I think very conformable to what the 
 circumstances require ; and on that ground my object 
 
 VOL. II. c
 
 18 DIARIES ANirCOllUKSPONDEN'CE OF 
 
 will naturally be to endeavour to smooth as much as 
 possible all ditFiculties of detail. 
 
 " Ever yours, 
 
 " W. P. 
 
 " I mean to he in town pretty soon to-morro.v." 
 
 .MR. ROSE'S DIARIKS FOR FEBRrAUV AND APRIL, 1803. 
 
 [Tni; ahu'in exhibited in this diary at the prospcet 
 of France gettinp^ possession of the Isthmus of Suez, 
 and the Red Sea, by occupying J^gypt, is not without 
 its interest at the present day. The Prince of ^Vales's 
 oliiims to the arrears of the Duchy of Cornwall arc 
 discussed, and rather in his favour. .Mr. Pitt's love 
 for the King is strikingly shown by his disinclination 
 to resume odice, and consequently to take any steps 
 for turning out Addington, on account of the effect 
 which it would ])roduce u})on the King's mind. — 
 Ed.] 
 
 IValmor Castle, Si(/Khti/, Frbniari/ :H')///. — I'ound 
 Mr. Pitt on mv arrival here renu\rkablv well ; and 
 heing alone, we entered immediatelv on a discussion 
 of the state of public matters. The first thing he 
 mentioned was Sebastiani's account of his proceedings 
 in Egypt, &c., &c. to the Eirst Consul ; which he 
 considered as a declaration of the intentions of France 
 as to the line of conduct she meant to pursue in taking 
 possession of Egypt ; for extravagant as it may appear,
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 19 
 
 that a country should announce beforehand its deter- 
 mination to commit acts of aggression against another, 
 such has been the practice of France since the revo- 
 lution, and it appears to have answered the purpose, 
 by famihariziug other nations with then* atrocities, and 
 persuading their own people that they are in pursuit of 
 a right object. However that may be, the publication 
 of such a statement at all, is giving authenticity to it 
 arid stamping it with marked a[)probation, as it could 
 be made only by the government, but it having ap- 
 peared in the papers under the immediate sanction of 
 government fixes it completely upon them, and calls 
 for the most decided representation from our Ministers 
 to force France to an explanation on the subject. If 
 not, whenever she shall invade Egypt she will tell us, 
 " I avowed my intention of doing so, and you were so 
 " conscious that you had no pretence to interfere that 
 '■' you did not say a word on the question." I was 
 naturally led, in pursuing tiic subject, to talk of the 
 importance of Egypt. We agreed that the possession 
 of that country must, in one way or other, completely 
 take from us the advantages we at present derive from 
 our possessions in and trade to the East Indies. The 
 facility that it Avould give to France to invade India with 
 large armies carried down the Red Sea from Cosseir, 
 where they could embark easily and have a perfectly 
 safe navigation, during a considerable part of the year, 
 to the Malabar Coast, cannot be questioned. Tiiese 
 armies they would be enabled, of course, to reinforce 
 from time to time, as they should find it necessary. 
 In another point of view, it a})pcars to be within a 
 
 c .2
 
 20 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 probability that, with the spirit of enterprise so strongly 
 manifested in the French lately, they would be very 
 likely to attempt to make a large and navigable cut 
 from the Red Sea to the Nile, cither from Suez to 
 Cairo, or, more probably (as it would certainly be 
 much more useful), from Cosseir to the neighbourhood 
 of Chennah ; in which attempt, if they should succeed, 
 they would ctVectually bring the trailc of liulia to 
 Marseilles, and other ports in the Mediten-anean, by 
 carrviuK the commodities of that countrv through 
 Egypt, for probably about one half the expense of 
 our freight by the Cape of Good Hope. 
 
 Under these circumstances Mr. Pitt agreed that the 
 evacuation of Malta, which in any way that can be 
 thought of would let France almost at once into 
 possession of it, would be inexcusable ; as it nnist 
 unavoidably facilitate the French establishing them- 
 selves in Egypt. 
 
 Mr. Pitt aGjrced too that Sebastiani's interference in 
 Corfu, and generally with the republic of the Seven 
 Islands (the government of which had been settled 
 under the mediation of Russia and Turkey, guaranteed 
 by France), manifestly tending to fix the direct in- 
 fluence of the First Consul, if not the supremacy of 
 the French nation, over those islands, was as violent 
 an aggression as could be committed, and almost as 
 dangerous a one ; as Corfu is considered nearly as 
 important as Malta, both from its natural strength 
 and situation, with a view to either the attack or 
 defence of Egypt. It followed, of course, that this was 
 a strong additional reason for insisting on an expla-
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 
 
 M 
 
 nation of the intentions of the First Consul, arising 
 out of the strange and extraordinary papers of Se- 
 bastiani. 
 
 Mr. Pitt told me he knew to a certainty that when 
 Captain D'Auvergne was taken up at Paris two or 
 three months ago, he was examined as to loliat his in- 
 structions were during the last war when he commanded 
 at Jersey, and as to his conduct in executing those 
 instructions ; which he found from a conversation he 
 had with the Chancellor, when last in town, was not 
 known to his Lordship. Mr. Pitt supposes some ex- 
 planation has been given on the subject by the French 
 Ambassador, but by no means a satisfactory one ; and 
 not as having been authorized by his court to disavow 
 the transaction. He states it, it seems, to have been 
 done by some subordinate officer without the au- 
 thority or the knowledge of the government. On a 
 point so essential to the national honour, a direct dis- 
 avowal appears to Mr. Pitt as well as to myself 
 indispensably necessary. 
 
 We next discussed the business of the Prince of 
 Wales, which is to be under the consideration of 
 Parliament this week. On that, I had the good fortune 
 to find Mr. Pitt agreeing with the opinion I had 
 repeatedly expressed in town ; indeed, nearly with 
 what he had stated to Lord Castlereagh at Bath 
 before Christmas, that in any event the question of 
 rio-ht as to the income of the Duchv of Cornwall, 
 during the minority of his Royal Ilighness, should 
 have been decided ; which he thought (as to any 
 present advantage to that Prince) could not have been
 
 22 DIARIES AND CORKESPOXDENCE OF 
 
 available to him ; because, supposing liim to have 
 been, in the contemplation of law, of age from his 
 birth and so entitled to the income, he had in fact 
 had it, it having been laid out in the charges of his 
 maintenance, tSrc. &c. during his real minijrity. That, 
 however, he (Sir. P.) saw no material objection to 
 the debt of the Prince being paid, if anvthing like 
 a general opinion prevails that after having been for 
 manv vears restrained in his income he should now 
 have it free. 
 
 In the eveniu'; Mr. Pitt entered verv fullv into his 
 own situation, and what he ought in the present state 
 of things to do. lie admitted his health to be fully 
 good enough at present for him to undertake business, 
 but doubted very much whether a close attention to 
 that would not throw him back, and render him unfit 
 for the principal charge of public atiairs. I lis disin- 
 clination, however, to an immediate attendance in 
 Parliament he distinctly admitted to me arose from 
 the extreme difficulty of his situation ; he supposed 
 Mr. Addington wished him to be present, though no 
 direct application had been made to him ; he knew 
 from Lord Camden, that Lord Spencer and the new 
 opposition wished him to attend, and that they were 
 holding back from making any motions or taking any 
 steps till they should see what line he would pursue : 
 and I have no doubt, but that Mr. Fox wishes him to 
 be forced into a declaration of his sentiments pub- 
 licly, conceiving that he Avould thereby be consider- 
 ably embarrassed, by his dislike, on the one hand, to do 
 anything that would distress Government, and bv the
 
 THE RIGHT IIOX. GEORGE ROSE. 23 
 
 impossibility, on the otlier hand, of his approving the 
 timid and irresohitc measures pnrsned by those who 
 are in it. He said (if he should attend) his stating 
 objections to the measures pursued by Government, 
 in foreign atfairs, would prol^ably be inevitable ; the 
 consequences of Avhich might be the removal of the 
 present Government ; and he entered then into a 
 train of reasoning to prove the utter inexpediency of 
 his forcing himself into administration, or coming 
 into office again at this moment, even if Mr. Ad- 
 dington's cheerful concurrence could be obtained ; 
 referred to what he had before said about the danger 
 to his health ; ' — the little chance he had of doing 
 good ; — the effect it might have personally on the 
 King ; — the almost certainty of its being attended with 
 a renewal of the war ; — and the knowledge that he 
 could not return to his former situation without 
 having nearly the whole weight of the government 
 upon him, which he now felt himself unequal to. 
 
 On the subject of finance I found ^Ir.Pitt had stated 
 in detail to Mr. Addington, to Mr. Vansittart, and 
 to Mr. Steele the whole of the errors the former had 
 fallen into on opening the budget on the lOtli of 
 December last ; — that Mr. A. was so thorouo-hlv 
 ignorant of the whole matter, that he could not make 
 him comprehend the extent or even the nature of his 
 gross blunders ; — this Mr. Vansittart justified in part, 
 but cut the conversation short ; and that Mr. Steele 
 stated the explanation of Mr. Vansittart by letter, 
 which he admitted to be by no means satisfactory : 
 
 ^ Loifl Eldon's Life, vol. i. p. 44.3, line 23.
 
 24 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDEXCK OF 
 
 acknowledging, indeed, that Mr. Addington wonld be 
 under a necessity of explaining his former statements, 
 and of proposing considerable taxes, but that he 
 thought he would defer the latter till next year when 
 the produce of the revenue in peace would be better 
 known, and the peace establishment could be better 
 ascertained. Mr. Steele, in further explanation, said 
 that Mr. A. knowingly overstated the future revenue 
 of the country in order to prevent Mr. Fox resisting a 
 high peace establishment, which was thought indis- 
 pensably necessary ; thus subjecting himself to a just 
 imputation of a direct imposition upon Parliament and 
 the public to avoid the charge of childish ignorance, 
 
 Mr. Pitt told me that the paragraph at the i)ottoni 
 of page 20, in Mr. Addington's printed speech, begin- 
 ning "inferences no less favourable," and ending at 
 the bottom of page 21, was not spoken by him ; but 
 inserted in it to obviate an objection made by Mr. 
 Pitt to Lord Castlereagh, at Bath, before Christnuis, 
 of Mr. Addini]rton not having said anvthini:j about the 
 permanent taxes, but relying altogether on the produce 
 of the Consolidated Fund. He told me also that the 
 speech was printed the very day he saw Mr. Adding- 
 ton, and on which he stated to him the gross and 
 monstrous errors : and that three days afterwards Mr. 
 Addington sent it to all the foreign Ministers resident 
 in London, and to all our Ministers at foreign Courts. 
 On reflecting on what has passed in these conversa- 
 tions with Mr. Pitt, the difficulties of his own situa- 
 tion, and of that of the country, do certainly appear to 
 nie in a most formidable point of view ; nearly, indeed
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 25 
 
 I fear, insurmountable, unless by the interposition of 
 Providence. 
 
 The conduct of France, in their undisguised inten- 
 tion of seizing upon Egypt, leaves us, apparently, no 
 possible means of avoiding a war. Even if that aggres- 
 sion, ruinous and destructive as it must be to us in 
 various points of view, as affecting our manufactures, 
 commerce, navigation, and revenue, could be passed 
 over, and Malta should be evacuated at the command 
 of France, other aggressions must inevitably follow, 
 that would force us to hostilities with her, however 
 reluctantly ; in which view of the subject, perhaps the 
 best thing that could happen, abstractedly considered, 
 would be Mr. Pitt's return to administration, in order 
 to conduct the war with spirit and ability. But his 
 coming into office in consequence of having brought on 
 a renewal of the war, would infallibly render him un- 
 popular, and would prevent his having the country 
 with him, as he had during the last. This unpopu- 
 larity would be increased, perhaps incalculably, by the 
 enormous taxes that must of necessity be imposed. 
 The latter consideration is, indeed, not sufficiently felt, 
 perhaps, by any one individual in the whole kingdom 
 except by himself and me, and not even by him to the 
 extent I am impressed with it. It weighs much with 
 me in reflecting on the probable consequences of his 
 coming into administration again. If he had been in 
 Government at the time of the peace (supposing him 
 to have acquiesced in the terms on which it was made), 
 I think his known spirit and firmness (however he 
 might have thought peace desirable on such terms
 
 26 DIARIES AND CORRESPOND!' NfE OP 
 
 under the exigency of the pcriotl) would liavi' pre- 
 vented the gross and rej)cated insults and injuries 
 which have been heaped u|)on us. lint we have sub- 
 mitted to them, and we could hardly hoj)e that Mr. 
 Pitt's resuming otlice would arrest ihionaparte in his 
 ambitious career, or prevent his availing himself of an 
 opportunity, which, if now missed, might not recnr, of 
 lavinij his liands on Malta and ^"fvut. On the other hand, 
 if Hnonaparte is to be allowed to possess himself of those 
 quietly, aiul we are consecpiently to lose India, or, at 
 least, all important advantages from it, what a situation 
 are we in ! We shall have to contend with France 
 a little later, but crippled, discredited, dispirited, and 
 narrowed in our means of exertion. Mr. Pitt had a 
 strong impression on his uiind that if he held the lan- 
 guage he must hold, if he attends at all, it might force 
 the Ministers into a war thev are utterlv unable to 
 conduct under all the disadvantages of want of prej)a- 
 ration, especially in financial measures ; and that if 
 from motives of prudence, founded on an opinion that 
 France, having seen such glaring instances recently of 
 our irresolution and weakness, would not be restrained 
 by the most spirited remonstrances, and with a persua- 
 sion in his own mind of the difficulties before alluded 
 to in finding resources, he should suggest anything 
 like temporizing measm*es, that they would at once 
 abjectly throw themselves at the feet of Buonaparte. 
 
 If he does not attend he will ccrtainlv suflfer in the 
 public opinion to a considerable extent, as it will be 
 thouo-ht he should not withhold his advice at such a 
 crisis : but there are such serious objections (indepen-
 
 THE TvIGHT HON. GEOKGE EOSE. 27 
 
 dently of personal considerations) to his attendance, 
 that, upon the whole, I cannot urge liim to it. It is of 
 great consequence towards his rendering future ser- 
 vices to the country, in times of danger, that he should 
 not diminish materially the degree of popularity he( 
 still retains; and I am convinced great risk would'- 
 be incurred, if any measures were adopted by him, 
 or forced upon others by him, that would infallibly 
 lead to a renewal of the war, which the country is so 
 extremely averse to. Upon the whole, anxious as I 
 was for Mr. Pitt's attendance before I came here, 
 I am a convert to his reasons which, under a choice 
 of very 2;reat difficulties, incline him to remain in the 
 
 I/O ' 
 
 country. 
 
 Mondau , February Vid. — Mr. Pitt told me that when 
 he was in town, after Christmas, he dined and slept at 
 Mr. Addington's, in Richmond Park ; that they were 
 alone the whole afternoon and evening, and a consider- 
 able part of the next morning, in all which time Mr. A. 
 never dropped the remotest hint about Mr. Pitt re- 
 turning to office ; but in the chaise coming into town, 
 when they had reached Hyde Park, Mr. A., in a very 
 embarrassed manner, entered on the subject by saying 
 that if Lord Grenville had not stated the indispensable 
 necessity of ]\Ir. Pitt coming into office to carry on the 
 Government, he should have been disposed himself to 
 propose his return to administration ; and followed 
 that up in a way that rendered it im})ossible for 
 Mr. Pitt to remain silent. He, therefore, said that 
 whenever it should be thought there was a necessity 
 for his returning to office, he should consider very
 
 28 DIARIES AND CORRESroXDEXCE OF 
 
 attentively how far it would be right and proper for 
 him to do so ; and in such an event lie should first 
 desire to know what his Majesty's wishes might be on 
 the subject; and that he should not decide without 
 knowing the opinion of Mr. A. and his colleagues 
 about it. It appeared, from Mr. Adilington having 
 delayed this conversation till tiiis time, within ten 
 minutes or a (juarter of an hour before their sepa- 
 ration, and from the e.vtreme embarrassment he was 
 under during it, that he felt reluctant and awkward 
 in beginning it, and that he wished it to be of no long 
 continuance. 
 
 Tttcsdfti/, Fchruarji 22d. — Mr. Pitt read over with 
 me attentively the notes I had prepared for a speech, in 
 answer to Mr. Addington's on finance, on the lOth of 
 December last, and concurs with me in every part of 
 my statement, and in every observation thereupon ; 
 admitting to the fullest extent that the prospects held 
 out by Mr. Addington were illusory, and that his 
 statements were full of the grossest errors, founded 
 on the most childish ignorance, lie persisted, how- 
 ever, so strongly in entreating me not to make the 
 exposure of those blunders, and urged such reasons for 
 it, that I agreed to be silent on the subject till the final 
 budget at the close of the session, when he promised 
 to probe the whole business to the bottom, unless 
 there should be any allusion to Mr. Addington's repre- 
 sentations about the financial situation of the country 
 in the meantime ; in which case I told him it would 
 be utterly impossible for me to forbear in general 
 terms warning the House from relying on the expecta-
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 29 
 
 tions held out to them and to the country, in whicli he 
 perfectly agreed ; and on that understanding we closed 
 the subiect. 
 
 [Mr. Addington was very unwilling to descend 
 from the lofty pedestal on which the King had placed 
 him, but finding himself utterly incompetent to carry 
 on the Government with the feebleness of his own party, 
 he was constrained to look out for other aUiances to 
 strengthen himself. He could not well coalesce with 
 the Whigs, whose principles were entirely opposite to 
 his own ; and therefore, even if ancient friendship 
 had not directed him, there was nothing left for him 
 but Mr. Pitt. It niioht be thouo-ht that it would be 
 no humiliation to a man of his calibre to recognize the 
 superiority of that statesman, but he felt it so ; and 
 to avoid that degradation proposed a scheme that 
 would place them on the same level in the Cabinet. 
 They were both to serve under a third person. He 
 proposed to place at the head of the Treasury, 
 Lord Chatham ; on account of his name, which was 
 not then tarnished by the expedition to Walcheren, and 
 also on account of his relationship to ]\Ir. Pitt, which 
 he thought would reconcile him to the manoeuvre. 
 But aid CcBsar aut nullus was Pitt's motto. He knew 
 that the country would consider him responsible for 
 whatever occurred ; and he would not have the re- 
 sponsibility without the power which it implies.
 
 30 DIARIES AND^ CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 Being now tlicrcforL' driven to tlic wall, Addington 
 complied witli the victor's terms, and it seemed as if the 
 object of coalition was effected ; hut it turned out, con- 
 trary tohis expectation, that his colleagues did not a})i)rc- 
 ciate the dilliculties of their position so accurately as 
 the Premier ditl. I'hey objected to the treaty, and he 
 was weak enough, contrary to his own convictions, to 
 break it oft\ Probably the objectors were tliose who 
 knew that tliey would not be accei)tablc to Mr. i^itt, 
 and would therefore lose their jjlaces ; but they could 
 scarcely be persons of sufHeient consequence to justify 
 the breach of the capitulation. Prom that time for- 
 ward jMr. Pitt would listen to no overtures from Mr. 
 Addington, but waited in cidm security till he should 
 receive the Kind's commands to form a new adminis- 
 tration. The following portion of Mr. Rose's Diary 
 traces the progress of this negotiation, concerning which 
 it is remarkable that Lord Eldon's biographer seems to 
 have been unaware of its existence, and even of some 
 conversation on the subject, attributed to him in this 
 Diary. — Ed.] 
 
 Tr'a/oicr, April Si/i, 1S03.— Mr. Pitt, after talking 
 a good deal to me respecting the d^ath of his mother, 
 and of feehngs awakened by that event, entered upon 
 the matters respecting which he had expressed much 
 earnestness to see me before he went to the neighbour- 
 hood of London. 
 
 He told mc that Lord ]\lelvillc came here on Sun-
 
 THE lllGliT ilON. GEOllGE ROSE. 31 
 
 day, the 20 th of March, purposely to make an over- 
 ture to him from Mr. Addington, in terms nearly as 
 follow : — That it was very much his wish (Mr. Ad- 
 dington's) to strengthen the Government, by taking 
 in Mr. Pitt and some of his friends ; that in carrying 
 such a measure into effect he was sure Mr. Pitt would 
 be disposed to let it be done, with as little pain and 
 degradation to him as possible ; in order to which, he 
 hoped Mr. Pitt would not insist upon resuming his 
 former situation, but would be satisfied with naming 
 the first Lord of the Treasury, and filling the office of 
 Secretary of State ;^ suggesting at the same time Lord 
 Chatham, as a desirable man to be first Lord of the 
 Treasury ; to which Mr. Pitt flatly objected ui limine, 
 and expressed considerable surprise that Lord M. 
 would allow himself to be the bearer of such a pro- 
 posal ; insisting upon his (Lord M.) conveying by letter 
 a most unqualified refusal. Lord ]\I. wrote accordingly ; 
 and Mr. P. thinking there were expressions in the letter 
 too flattering to Mr. Addington, drew his pen through 
 them, and the letter was sent ofl". Li the course of the 
 conversation. Lord M. threw out that Lord St. Vincent 
 was imi)atient to retire, and that he was proposed 
 for the head of the Admiraltv. Lord Pelham to retire, 
 and Mr. Addington to be Secretary of State in his 
 room. The arrangement, stopping there, was utterly 
 unsatisfactory to Mr. Pitt, exclusively of the objec- 
 tion to his not behinf at the head of the Treasurv. 
 
 ' It is difllciilt to decide whether the impudence of Mr. A., or the 
 baseness of the mes.senger who could charge himself with such a 
 communication, is most to be admired.
 
 32 DIARIES AND CORRESPOXDEXCE OF 
 
 When Lord Melville retunicd to London on the Tues- 
 day, Mr. Pitt desired him to say to Mr. A. that if 
 anything should iiuluce him to listt-n to a proposal 
 for rcturniu2j to Government he would nut entertain a 
 thought of any situation but the Treasury, as lie 
 thought his being placed there was essential to his 
 being able to carry on the King's Government, espe- 
 cially with a view to eft'ecting the important objects 
 he had in view, respecting the finance of the country; 
 observing, that it was essential there should at all 
 times be one ])erson on whom the responsibility of 
 the Administration shoulil principally rest, ami who 
 was known to be at the head of it ; that the advan- 
 tage of that had been invariably found ; that expe- 
 rience had, during the whole of the late Ciovernment, 
 shown this advantage ; and how practicable it was 
 to have the advice and opinion of others ; reserving 
 ( when it might be indispensably necessary ) the 
 decision to the one with whom the responsibility 
 chiefly rested. That, under this impression, he was 
 decided not to hesitate a moment in resolving, that if 
 he came into office, to take only the Treasury. 
 
 This communication having been made to Mr. 
 Addinston, he sent down ^Ir. Lone:, last week, to 
 say that he would consent to propose to the King 
 Mr. Pitt's returning to the Treasury ; still adhering to 
 Lord ^lelville being at the head of the Admiralty, 
 and himself being Secretary of State. On which 
 Mr. Pitt desired Mr. Long to say on his return, that 
 he would be at his (Mr. Long's) house, near Bromley, 
 to-morrow evening, and would see Mr. A. there on
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 33 
 
 Sunday, the lOtb, in order to enter fully on the 
 several points, wliicli he stated to me fully : — 
 
 First, — and principally, whether he should take 
 office pending the negotiation ; feeling strongly the 
 objection to his doing so, which I had on a former 
 occasion stated to him, viz. — the odium that Avould 
 be fixed upon him in the event of its terminating in 
 war, which seems absolutely unavoidable. 
 
 Secondly, — Avhether he should take office without 
 Lord Grenville, and Lord Spencer, as w^ell as Lord 
 jNIelville. 
 
 With regard to the first, I repeated all that I had 
 before said ; adding, that it did not appear to me that 
 any advantage to the negotiation could now be derived 
 from his taking a part in it, as Buonaparte, by his late 
 manifesto, published at Hamburgh by his express 
 order, had committed himself much too deeply to re- 
 tract ; and that, on the other hand, Buonaparte \vould 
 attribute the decisive advice for war to Mr. Pitt, and 
 that an impression of the same sort would be made 
 to a considerable extent on the public mind here. 
 LIow mischievous that might be in rendering Mr. 
 Pitt's government unpopular, was but too evident; 
 especially as Mr. Pitt would, to a considerable extent, 
 be mixed with all the blunders and irresolution of the 
 present ministers. He felt the full force of these ob- 
 jections, and some others of less w^eight very forcibly; 
 but he argued that it was extremely possible the 
 negotiation might be drawn to considerable length by 
 Buonaparte, perhaps for months. That, indeed, he 
 might hang the matter up just as long as he pleased, 
 
 VOL. II. D
 
 34 DIARIES AND CORllESPONDENCE 01' 
 
 by allowing us to keep .Malta till the moment lie 
 should see it to his aclvairtage to break That if the 
 business should be so trained on for any time, the op- 
 portunity would be lost of taking vigorous measures 
 for the defence of the country ' and rousing the national 
 spirit; whieh he thought it of the utmost importance 
 should be done instantly. He trusted, too, that the 
 late manifesto of Buonaparte, already referred to, had 
 opened the eyes of the whole country, as to the vio- 
 lent aggression of France ; and tliat then; would 
 be but one (^pinion and one feeling, as to tlie measures 
 indispensably necessary to be taken for repelling it. 
 That imieh valuable time would, in the event of 
 a protracted negotiation, be lost also as to ope- 
 rations of finance, no less necessary than those for 
 defence. 
 
 These reasons certainly render the point very doubt- 
 ful whether Mr. Pitt, supposing all otlier ditliculties 
 removed, should take otliee directly. Lord Chatham 
 thinks the question of peace or war will be decided 
 by the day Mr. Pitt and Mr. Addington meet ; but 
 there is no real foundation for this hope. 
 
 Mr. Pitt is clear, in the event of an arrangement 
 going on, that he should insist on Lord liobart 
 retiring as well as Lord Pelham : Lord St. Vincent, 
 of course, himself being stated to desire it ; that Lord 
 Liverpool should not hold the Duchy, and Lord 
 
 ^ This ^Ir. Pitt thought of importance, as no steps whatever ai-e 
 taking either here or in Ireland for the purpose, the uigency of 
 which is certainly very strong ; and it must be admitted that on this 
 point the loss of even a week is of serious imjwrtauce.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOEGE ROSE. 35 
 
 Hawkesbnry the Secretaryship of State; that Lord 
 Dartmouth should retu'c from the office of Lord Steward, 
 which may be made a cabinet one for Lord Camden, 
 as in the instance of the Duke of Rutland ; conceiving 
 that persons who have got into offices by occurrences 
 on his quitting the Government, and since, which they 
 could not otherwise have looked to, should not be 
 allowed to retain them. Mr. Pitt doubted whether 
 there is any obhgation upon him to continue Lord 
 Salisbury as Chamberlain; he himself remained in 
 office without at all consuhing hiui, when the change 
 of government took place in 1801. 
 
 He thinks it will be impossible to avoid Mr. Ad- 
 dhigton being Secretary of State and a Peer ; unless 
 he could be prevailed with to take the Speakership of 
 the House of Lords separated from the Great Seal, 
 making up to the latter the income of it. 
 
 He agrees with me, that there are objections to Lord 
 Melville being at the head of the Admiralty, and that 
 he had better be Secretary of State for the War De- 
 partment again. Of course, if Lord Spencer returns^ 
 he must have the Admiralty. The Law arrange- 
 ments to remain as they are. 
 
 Mr. Pitt is of opinion that Mr. Addington's prm- 
 cipal inducement to wish for the strengthening his 
 government is the dread of exposure of his finance 
 blunders, and the impossibility of going on, in a war, 
 with that department. He thinks, too, that Mr. A. 
 stated the certainty of having fifty sail of the line 
 much more broadly than Lord St. Vincent authorized 
 him to do ; conceiving that the latter had qualified his 
 
 D 2
 
 36 DIARIES AND CUKKESrONDJiNCE OE 
 
 opinion in that respect by adding " if men can l)C pro- 
 vided for them." 
 
 Mr. Pitt thought of retaining Lord Ilobart in some 
 situation ; l)ut, after a good deal of discussion, he 
 concurred with me, that he wouhl be of no use, and 
 had no claim on him. The pretensions of Lord 
 Hawkesbury and Lord Castlereagh he admitted were 
 the oidy ones on him personally ; but, as before sug- 
 gested, the former not to keep his situation, and Lord 
 Liverpool retain the Duchy of Lancaster also. 
 
 Mr. Addington stated by Mr. Long, that the King 
 has not yet bien apprised of any new arrangement in 
 the Government. This, Mr. Pitt does not believe ; but 
 insists upon it, that nothing whatever shall be decided 
 upon till his Majesty shall have been consulted on 
 the subject, and expresses his entire approbation of 
 Mr. Pitt's ideas respecting his return to office. 
 
 Mr. Pitt is persuaded that his brother knew nothing 
 of Mr. Addiiigton's suggestion for him to be at the 
 head of the Treasury. 
 
 ^ Nothing decided hi Mr. Pitt's mind, as to his in- 
 sisting upon Lord Grenville and Lord Spencer return- 
 ing to office with him ; but he is resolute on being 
 allowed to communicate as freely as possible with 
 them, and to act on their advice. 
 
 In the Sun of yesterday, there wa.s a violent and 
 gross attack on the Grenville party, in an official 
 paragraph, notifying a negotiation with Mr. Pitt. 
 
 If Mr. Pitt shall decide to take office, it is his in- 
 tention to open his plan of finance as soon as he shall 
 be re-elected, which we reserved the discussion of; —
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 37 
 
 agreeing that the country can be in no security in that 
 respect unless we can obtain almost at once the taxes 
 that will be wanted for seven years, in addition to the 
 income tax, which must of necessity be imposed again. 
 
 Mr. Pitt seemed resolved not to submit to any 
 restriction about removals of persons from the highest 
 situations. 
 
 He expressed great regret that no communication 
 had been made to Parliament from his Majesty when 
 the additional seamen were voted ; conceiving it was 
 most peculiarly called for. If he should come soon 
 into office he will certainly bring one, stating the 
 substance of what has passed. 
 
 April 9M.— Mr. Pitt went to Bromley Hill (Mr. 
 Long's) for the purpose of a personal communication 
 with Mr. Addington, and I returned to London by sea. 
 
 Ajjril Wth. — Mr. Pitt came to me in Palace Yard, 
 to communicate what had passed with Mr. Addington 
 at Bromley Hill the preceding day : which was, in 
 substance, that he had had a very full discussion 
 respecting the arrangement which Mr. A. expressed 
 an anxious wish should take place. Mr. Pitt told him 
 the only terms on which he could talk with him were, 
 that he should be at liberty to propose, in order 
 to its being submitted to his Majesty's consideration, 
 a list of persons from those who formed the late 
 Government, and from those who formed the present 
 one, to make an Administration ; of which, he should 
 himself be at the head, returning to his situation as 
 first Lord of the Treasury. That he should also be at 
 liberty to communicate fully with Lord Grenville and
 
 38 DIARIES AND COrniESPOXDEyCE OF 
 
 Lord Spencer respecting the arrangement ; and the 
 arrangement sliould on no account take place till the 
 forei£;n negotiation should be completely over, and the 
 question of peace or war be completely decided. 
 
 These preliminaries having been cheerfully ac(|ui- 
 esced in by Mr. Addington, Mr. Pitt proceeded to 
 say, if the other ministers should likewise concur 
 in them, ii woidd be his intention to submit to the 
 King th(^ names of Lord Grenville and Lord Spencer 
 amongst the persons to form the new administration; 
 mentioning at the same time other particulars, that 
 he thought it right Mr. A. should be early ap- 
 prised of : Lord Pelliam to retire, which his Lord- 
 ship had before agreed to; Lord llobart to retire; 
 — against which Mr. A. remonstrated, but agreed to 
 it. Lord St. A'incent to retire, as he had earnestly 
 desired to do ; some subordinate situations to be 
 opened, into which persons had got from circum- 
 stances that occurred on the late change, who other- 
 wise coukl not have looked to them; such as Mr, 
 Bragge from the Pay Olhce, &c. &c. All which, in 
 the end, (after suggesting that Lord Grenville return- 
 ing to office might make an unfavourable impression 
 on the public mind) Mr. A. cheerfully consented to 
 (though it was evident from his conversation, that 
 Lord Melville had led him to expect that Mr. Pitt 
 would have been much more aquiesccnt), and expressed 
 an impatience to return to Bromley Hill to settle 
 matters finally, Mr, Pitt, however, told him he had 
 better take full time to consult his colleagues at lei- 
 sure. After Mr. Pitt had made this statement to me.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 39 
 
 I had hardly a shadow of a doubt but tliat the whole 
 arrangement would be immediately made to Mr. Pitt's 
 perfect satisfaction ; and with this impression I went 
 on the 12th to Taplow Court. 
 
 April 14tt/i. — I returned from the Marquis of 
 Thomond's, and the Bishop of Lincohi came to dine 
 here, who told me Mr. Pitt had received a letter from 
 Mr. Addington, most unexpectedly putting an end to 
 the negotiation. 
 
 April IQt/i. — Received a letter from Mr. Pitt, at 
 Bromley Hill, expressing a strong wish to meet me at 
 dinner on the ISth, as he hoped the day following to 
 leave London for the summer, going first with Lord 
 Carrington to Wycombe for a day or two, and then 
 crossing the country to the Wilderness (Lord Camden's 
 place in Kent), and so on to Walmer. 
 
 April 18///.— Dined with Mr. Pitt at the Bishop of 
 Lincoln's, and had a full conversation with him about 
 all that had passed in the negotiation, subsequent to 
 my last seeing him. 
 
 On the 12th he had a letter from Mr. A. (instead of 
 the visit he had promised), telling him he continued to 
 think the arrangement, as proposed by Mr. Pitt, would 
 not be considered admissible by his colleagues ; trust- 
 ing, therefore, he would not tenaciously adhere to it, 
 but said he would consult them, and be with him on 
 the 14th. Mr. Pitt was so much struck with Mr. A. 
 saying that he continued to be of an opinion, the con- 
 trary of which he had distinctly expressed in conversa- 
 tion, that he wrote to him to say he was persuaded his 
 coming again to him at Bromley Hill would be unne-
 
 40 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 cessary, as his adhering to the arrangement as pro- 
 posed by him was indispensable ; but that if he 
 thought otherwise he (Mr. Pitt) wonUl })e in the way 
 the day following. 
 
 On the 14th, however, Mr. A. replied by letter that 
 his colleagues did not sec the necessity for the change 
 in the Administration gohig so far as Mr. Pitt pro- 
 j)osed, and closing the business in terms of civility. 
 
 The cii'cumstances which occurred in the cours(^ of 
 this transaction led Mr. Pitt to state the leading 
 j)oints in a letter to Mr. A. accurately ; — particularly, 
 that the proposal originated from an anxious wish 
 expressed l)y Mr. A. lor Mr. l^itt's return to otfice. 
 That he (Mr. Pitt) had not insisted upon anything 
 that could interfere with the King exercising his 
 judgment most freely on the names that should be 
 submitted for his Majesty's consideration, reserving to 
 himself the right of judging ultimately whether, in the 
 event of objections being made to persons, he would 
 come into Government again or not ; desiring it to 
 be clearly understood that Lord Grenville and Lord 
 Spencer knew nothing of his having mentioned their 
 names, or of his intention to say anything about them ; 
 and, of course, that he did not know whether or not 
 they would take office if it should be otfered to them. 
 That in no case whatever should the arrangement take 
 effect till the question of peace or war should be 
 finally decided ; adding that he considered the present 
 business as completely at an end, and stating distinctly 
 that he would in future receive no overtures but such as 
 may be made by the express command of his Majesty.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 41 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 ~ ~~' " 1803. 
 
 3IR. rose's diaries FOR AUGUST AND OCTOBER, 1803 — CORRESPONDENCE 
 WITH MR. PITT FROM SEPTEMBER TO DECEMBER, 1803. 
 
 [The following record of Count Woronzow's con- 
 versations may be considered an exception to the 
 general tenor of Mr. Rose's DiarieS; for it is filled 
 with anecdotes very inimical to Lord Sidmouth and 
 Lord Hawkesbury, which, if they are true, certainly 
 show that they were not equal to the tasks which they 
 had undertaken ; that the business of their offices was 
 too much for them ; and, consequently, that some part 
 of it was occasionally neglected. The portraits of the 
 Court of Petersburgh, and the contrast between the 
 Russian and the English Prince, are historical curiosi- 
 ties.— Ed.] 
 
 Cnffnells, August 20—23, IS03.— Count de Wo- 
 ronzow, the Russian Ambassador Extraordinary, made 
 me a visit here for three days, in the course of 
 which I had much interestinor conversation with him 
 on public matters ; the heads of the most important 
 parts of which T have here noted. He told me
 
 42 DIAKIES AND COTlRESrO>:"nEN*CE OF 
 
 that he received a letter on Monday, tlie iTjth, from 
 the Emperor of Russia, written in his own liand, in 
 which his IVfajesty expressed the deepest regret at 
 hearing Mr. Pitt was not hkely to enter upon (he 
 charge of tlie A(hninistration again, as he coukl have no 
 confidence wliatever in the men wlio now govern this 
 country, marked as they are tlirougliout Euroj)e for 
 their utter imbecihty ; which, the Count said, occa- 
 sioned no surprise in liim, as lie knew from all the 
 foreign Ministers here, and from his correspondence 
 with different parts of Europe, that they are held in 
 iniiversal contempt. The Count added that he had so 
 much experience of their weakness, and in some in- 
 stances of their falsehood, that he should conceive it a 
 point of duty to do all in his power to disabuse the 
 King respecting their true characters ; with a view to 
 which it was his intention to communicate the original 
 letter above alluded to, through Baron Leuth, the 
 Hanoverian Minister, to his Majesty, as soon as the 
 Baron should return from Germany, — having made 
 frequent confidential communications to the King 
 through that channel. 
 
 The Ambassador from Portugal (Marquis de Souza) 
 told the Count that our Ministers had given him the 
 most positive assurances two or three months ago that 
 they would inmiediately send to Portugal 4,000 in- 
 fantry, chiefly foreign troops, probably from Egvpt 
 and elsewhere, 2,000 horses for their cavalrv; and 
 50,000 stands of arras ; but that no measures what- 
 ever were taken for sending any part of that supply ; 
 and that although he continued to receive assurances,
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 43 
 
 as at first, he now entirely despaired of receiving any 
 aid at all. 
 
 Previous to Lord Whitworth leaving Paris, in 
 May last, the Count received from his Court 
 clear and distinct instructions to propose to the King 
 the mediation of Russia for terminatin gt the differences 
 between Great Britain and Prance, which he imme- 
 diately communicated to Lord Hawkeshury, waiting 
 impatiently for an answer.^ After a fortnight had 
 elapsed without his receiving one, he saw in the news- 
 papers a speech of Mr. Addington, in a debate on the 
 war, containing a declaration that if the interposition of 
 Russia had been offered, due regard would have been 
 paid to it ; in short, that it would have been made 
 available as far as possible. Astonished at such an 
 assertion, the Count wrote immediately to Lord 
 Hawkesbury to remonstrate upon it, stating that, as 
 the English debates were translated and inserted in 
 many of the neswpapers on the Continent, his Em- 
 peror must be filled with surprise when he should 
 see such a statement from the first Minister of this 
 country after the instructions he had given on the 
 subject to him (the Count) ; to which his Lordship re- 
 plied that the speech of j\Ir. Addington had been in- 
 correctly given in the papers, as he had not made such 
 an assertion as stated ; adding, that he had not yet had 
 time to laij the offer of the Emperor of Rtissia before 
 the King, hut that he would take an early opportunity 
 
 ' The Count told me that at the time of his making this com- 
 munication to his Lordship, the only observation made by the 
 latter was, " It is too late."
 
 44 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 of doinf) m} Tie had tlien, as lias been already ob- 
 served, had that offer in his possession more than a 
 fortnight ; and, in the debate allnded to, Mr. Fox 
 pressed the Ministers so hard respecting the mediation 
 of Russia, that in order to get rid of his motion for an 
 address to the King to seek it, they positively under- 
 took to trv to obtain it. On which the Count observed 
 to me, that by doing so, they would have given to Mr. 
 Fox the merit of the measiu'e, if it should have suc- 
 ceeded ; whieh, however, by their conduct, they had 
 prevented any chance of, as the Fmpcror could hope 
 for no success in a nudiation into which the British 
 Government was reluctantly forced. 
 
 Tile Prince Castelcicala, Minister from the King of 
 Naples, told the Count that when his master heard of 
 the appointment of Mr. Hugh Eliott to \w our Minister 
 at his Court, he had instructions from the King of 
 Naples to remonstrate against it in the strongest and 
 most lively manner, as a thing most offensive, painful, 
 and disagreeable ; possibly for reasons which from deli- 
 cacv are not here noted. Lord Hawkesburv assured 
 the Prince the appointment could not be revoked. The 
 Prince then urijed thenecessitv of it still more forciblv 
 than at first ; and entreated that, as the humiliating 
 state to which the King of the Two Sicilies was 
 reduced was owinj]j solely to his attachment to this 
 
 1 By this conduct we lost the chance, desperate as it was perhaps, 
 of avoiding the war with France ; but if we had not found that 
 advantage, we should almost to a certainty have secured the friend- 
 ship of Russia, in the event of France being unreasonable. 
 
 The Count told me he had shown the letter containing the words 
 marked under, in Lord Hawkesbury's own writing, to Mr. Pitt, and 
 that on mv return to town, he would show it to me.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOllGE ROSE. 45 
 
 country, advantagu might not be taken of that to 
 degrade it still further by forcing upon him the only 
 foreign Minister in England to whom any objections 
 would be made. All was, however, in vain ; and 
 Mr. Hugh Eliott was sent out with Lord Nelson. 
 
 The Count received a letter from Mr. Vansittart, 
 Secretary to the Treasury, in the summer of 1801, 
 acquainting him, for the information of his Court, that, 
 in consideration of the very liberal and handsome 
 conduct of the Emperor, in giving up to this country 
 the Leander, 50-gun ship, retaken from the E'rench 
 when the Russians got possession of Corfu, the King 
 had ordered 10,000/. to be given as a present to the 
 ofKcers of the Imperial squadron which took that 
 island ; and that a warrant was signed for it ; request- 
 ing, therefore, that his Excellency would authorize 
 some person to receive it : in consequence of which, 
 the Count gave a power to Mr. Harman for that pur- 
 pose, who having made repeated applications for the 
 money in vain, receiving always for answer that it 
 coiUd not be spared, the Count at length withdrew 
 the power from Mr. Harman, requesting at the same 
 time that he would blot out of his books all the corre- 
 spondence on the subject, that no trace might remain 
 of a transaction so discreditable to the British Govern- 
 ment, as their not being able, or their unwillingness, 
 to pay such a sum as 10,000/. for which the King 
 had signed a warrant. The money was about eighteen 
 months afterwards remitted to Sii' John Warren, our 
 Ambassador at St. Petersburgh. 
 
 From the whole of the conversation 1 had with the
 
 16 DIARIES AND COKKESPONDENCK OF 
 
 Count, I am inclined to hope his Court is well tlis- 
 posed toward this country. J lis own opinion is most 
 decidedly in favour of the two nations preserving a 
 perfectly good correspondence, as essential to the 
 true interests of both. He thinks that while Russia 
 acts upon that princi[)le, Denmark and Sweden will 
 not venture to take any part hostile to us, whatever 
 the i)olitics of either of those countries may be. The 
 former governed by a miserably weak Administrator 
 (the Prince Regent) not likely to be disposed to stir. 
 In the latter the whole decidedly French, except the 
 King, who is a determined Antigallican. 
 
 With the present Ministers in the Enghsh Cabinet, 
 however, the Count utterly desponds of anything being 
 eifected. He assiu-ed me, most solemnly, that Lord 
 Hawkesbury is absolutely incapable of transacting 
 common business. That in the connnunication of 
 despatches of the most serious importance from his 
 Court to him, they are frequently not noticed at all 
 for two or three weeks ; and then in a manner and in 
 a style which he finds it impossible to transmit to 
 St. Petersburgh, and have often compelled a necessity 
 of his suggesting alterations svhich have been adopted. 
 On the whole, that there is an actual imbecility in his 
 Lordship, as a man of business, which no man can 
 have a comprehension of who has heard him speak in 
 Parliament, or who has read his speeches. The Count 
 lamented to me deeply, that with this knowledge of 
 the character of his Lordship for want of talent, as well 
 as for protraction or wilful delay in matters of the last 
 importance, he could have no confidence in him ; that
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 47 
 
 he regretted this the more, as the Kmg had conde- 
 scended to request it of him strongly. He tokl me that 
 on the King's birth-day (the 4th of June, 1801), just 
 after the change of ministers, his Majesty sent for him 
 to the Queen's House, not going that day to St. James's, 
 where he found Lord Hawkesbury with the King ; 
 w^hen his Majesty pressed him in the most earnest 
 manner to give his entire confidence to his Lordship, 
 as he knew he had done to Lord Grenville : to which 
 his Excellency replied, that he would do all that could 
 depend upon him to transact the business between 
 the two Courts in the most friendly and practicable 
 manner; but that confidence could not be at once 
 given as he would take a pinch of snufF. 
 
 The Count told me that in the Duke of Portland's 
 late dangerous illness, he wrote a letter to the King, 
 when he supposed himself at the point of death 
 (having been absolutely given over by his physicians), 
 in which he implored his Majesty in the most aftecting 
 manner to recall Mr. Pitt to his service, as a matter 
 of indispensable necessity ; stating that he had never 
 had strong or personal attachments to him, but that 
 he had a clear and perfect conviction he was, beyond 
 all comparison, the fittest man to be at the head of 
 the Government in times of difficulty or peril; that 
 he gave that advice under an impression he was 
 almost immediately to answer for it at the judgment- 
 seat of God ; and that its not being followed, woidd 
 be attended with the most serious and imminent 
 danger to the country. 
 
 Keferring to some former occurrences between
 
 ^"8 DIARIES AND COUUESPONDENCK OF 
 
 Great Britain and Kussia, the Count gave nir an 
 account of his conduct respecting the groiuid of our 
 armaments against Russia in 1789. He said, when 
 he found from the Duke of Leeds, then Secretary of 
 State, that the liritisli Ministers had determined to 
 go to war rather than allow Russia to have Oczacow, 
 he gave his Grace notice, that, tiiuling all other means 
 fail him, he would try what he could do with the 
 0|)j)osition to prevent it; soon after which he met 
 Mr. Fox at Sir Ralph Payne's, where he was invited 
 at his re(piest by Lady Payne, now Lady Lewington. 
 The history of what followed is well known. It is 
 beyond all doubt that the public opinion, worked up 
 by the Opposition, compelled the I^ritish Cabinet to 
 acconuuodate matters with Russia acjainst their clear 
 convictions. I am perfectly sure against that of 
 Mr. Pitt. 
 
 I could not talk with the Count about the personal 
 character of the Lmperor or Empress ; but 1 learned 
 from his daughter,' one of the most amiable young 
 women I ever met with, and very intelligent and 
 obsenant, as well as from Miss Jardine, a daughter 
 of the late Colonel Jardine in our artillery, who has 
 long lived with the young Countess, that the Emperor 
 is an extremely worthy and honourable man, and 
 remarkably shy and reserved, to a degree ])ainful to 
 himself and distressing to those about him ; modest 
 and unassuming, kind in his manner, certainly well- 
 intentioned, but his understanding moderate, though 
 not approaching to imbecility. The Empress affable 
 ' Afterwards Countess of Pembroke.
 
 THE 31IGIIT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 49 
 
 and kind, not meddling with public matters. The 
 Empress Dowager also kind and good, but mixing her- 
 self much more than she ouojht to do in the conduct 
 of affairs ; her influence in the politics of the Court 
 certainly greater than that of the reigning Empress, 
 but no trace of her using it at all mischievously. The 
 young Countess and Miss Jardine were with the Count 
 in Russia several months in the last year, and during 
 a considerable part of that time lived with the two 
 Empresses, very frequently dining with the Emperor, 
 and seeing him at his leisure hours, which gave them 
 abundant opportunities for observation. The conde- 
 scension of the Emperor will hardly permit him to 
 comply with the established forms of the Court. He 
 could hardly be prevailed with, at a ball there, to give 
 his hat, according to usual custom, to a young page 
 in waitins ; — which was contrasted with the conduct of 
 Prince William of Gloucester, who, at the same ball, 
 called upon or permitted Major Dawson, one of the 
 gentlemen travelling with him, to kneel down and 
 buckle his shoe, which became loose while his High- 
 ness was dancing. On mentioning the name of the 
 latter, the Countess was led to express her deep regret 
 that his whole conduct while in Rassia tended to 
 offend and disgust the royal family and all the prin- 
 cipal people who showed him attention. 
 
 Count Woronzow having had information, on which 
 he could most confidently rely, of a Frenchman, of an 
 infamous character, and an agent of M, Talleyrand's, 
 unquestionably employed by him as a spy, he gave 
 inteUistence of the circumstance himself to Lord 
 Hawkesbury ; and, after having repeatedly urged him 
 
 VOL. II. E
 
 50 DIARIES AND COKUESPON DKNCE OF 
 
 Oil tlic subject, Ills Lordsliip at length told him the 
 suspected person was touiul to be a very dangerous 
 man, and that his papers were theretbre seized, and 
 he sent out of the country : on whicii the Count ex- 
 pressed some curiosity to know what was discovered 
 from his j)apers, or if anything important respecting 
 his em|)loyment hero had been brouglit to light by the 
 seizure of them. To whicii Lord llawkcsbury re[)lied, 
 he really did not know, as that was in the department 
 of the Alien Oiice ! ! 1 A Secretary of State for Foreign 
 Afliiirs had no desire to be informed of the contents 
 of the papers of a spy, but h-ft the examination of 
 them to a clerk in the AHeii Otiice, who was himself 
 a foreigner (M. Lullisj ; and had not even the curiosity 
 to in([uire what they were ! ! I 
 
 Another anecdote the Count told me, of a somewhat 
 sinnlar nature. His (/uiiidiiirr (a respectable Russian 
 priest) Uientioncd to him liis having dined in the City 
 with ^Ir. Barlow (a notorious American Jacobin, who 
 was one of the legation from the Corresponding- So- 
 ciety to the National Convention in France) ; who, it 
 was perfectly well known, had resided at Paris during 
 the whole of the peace, and returned here on the 
 breaking out of the war, evidently for mischievous 
 purposes, which his Excellency communicated also to 
 Lord Hawkesburv, who said J^arlow should be sent 
 out of the kingdom under the provisions of the 
 Alien Act. Some time after, on inquiry from Mr. 
 Hammond whether he was actually gone, the answer 
 was that the American consul ' had made such earnest 
 entreaties in his favour, and given such assurances 
 
 ' A known Jacobin.
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEOEGE KOSE, 51 
 
 that he would do nutliing offensive, tliat Lord IJawkes- 
 bury had consented to Ids remaining in this country ! ! I 
 The Count added, it would be endless to attempt to 
 enumerate all the instances which had come to liis 
 knowledge of the imbecility and gross neglect of his 
 Lordship. He mentioned, however, many others in 
 the course of various conversations. 
 
 [The libellous pamphlet published in the August 
 of this year, and not disavowed or contradicted by 
 Mr. Addington or any of his colleagues, so exasperated 
 Mr. Pitt that he was only prevented from immediately 
 joining the Opposition by his fidelity to the King. 
 Nevertheless it was, no doubt, his indignation at this 
 treatment, together wdtli the blunders in finance, to 
 which he could not open Addington's eyes, and his utter 
 incapacity to provide either fur offensive or defensive 
 war, which excited him in the following year to give the 
 King notice that he would support that Minister no 
 longer. He declared that he never should have a place 
 in any administration formed by him. Vnit his anger 
 Avas of brief duration ; for the year after, they were 
 reconciled. Considering, however, how sore ]\Ir. Pitt 
 was upon that subject, and how severely he felt it at 
 the time, Ave have a proof of his magnanimity and unas- 
 sailable integrity, in the answer which he gave to the 
 Prince of Wales, who wanted his aid in the House of 
 Commons, to obtain the command of the army, aiul 
 therefore sent a messenger to inform him, that if he 
 
 E 2
 
 52 DIAllIES AND C()lllli:Sl'ONJ)i:.NCl': OF 
 
 caine to the tlirouc, it was liis intention to employ 
 liim. The Prince's sincerity may well he douhted ; 
 but he (piite mistook his mrm. Mr. Pitt replied, that 
 it was a contingency he could not contemplate, and in 
 the meantime the best thini^ he (the Prince) could do 
 was to support his Majesty's ministers. These arc 
 the main subjects of this Diary.] 
 
 OJ<l Palace Yard, Siuidai/, Oclohrr id, IS 03. — 
 I arrived in town to meet Mr. Pitt l)y aj)j)ointment, 
 who came also this morninf;, liaving slept at Lord 
 Darnley's, in his way from W'aliucr. 
 
 We talked fully on the subject of the j)amphlet 
 published about two months ago, entitled " A few 
 cursory Remarks upon the State of Parties during 
 the Administration of Mr. Addini^ton ; " bv " A Near 
 Observer." I told him it had been mentioned to me 
 that bethought the jjublieation a harndess one ; which 
 he said was so far from beini' the case, that it struck 
 him to be one of the most malignant, false, and artful 
 statements he ever saw, and calculated to do much 
 mischief; that he was so much impressed with that 
 opinion, that on a late application from Lord Castle- 
 reagh to him for advice on a matter in discussion with 
 the East Lulia Company, he assured his Lordship, 
 t/iaf liai'tiuj road f/ie pamphlet alhidi'd fo, he found 
 himself under an impossibility of hohimg the remotest 
 intercourse icith any individual in the present adminis- 
 tration as a member of the Government, whatever senti- 
 ment of private reqard he mir/hf entertain for him,
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 53 
 
 unless the jJubUcation should be disowned hy Mr. Ad- 
 din(/ton, in the most unrjualijied and satisfactory manner, 
 as publicly as the falsehoods had been circulated ; — to 
 which he had no reply from his Lordship.^ 
 
 \Ye then discussed the several points most immedi- 
 ately calling for an answer or observations. Mr, Pitt 
 agreed with me, that it is now become of the most 
 serious importance that some explanation should be 
 given on the causes of his retiring from office ; and that 
 tlie necessity he is reduced to in that respect would 
 justify fully his making public the circumstances which 
 led to his retiring, observing all the caution possible, 
 and with the utmost delicacy towards the King ; in 
 particular, that it should be known to the public that 
 he had offered his Majesty to remain in office till the 
 country slioidd be completely clear of all its diffi- 
 culties, if his Majesty would forbear to allow his 
 name being used on the Catholic question.^ And that 
 he did not at last retire till he found it impossible 
 
 ^ This alone is a strong instance of the Government sanctioning 
 the piibhcation ; but a much more unequivocal one appeared in the 
 Sim of Friday, September 30th, in which it is stated, as from 
 authority (under the signature of " A Country Gentlciuau"), that 
 the Secretaries of the Treasury circulated it o«/yamongst their private 
 friends ; that IMr. Addington, honest soul ! knew nothing about it, 
 for that it was his brother-in-law, Bragge, in his most intimate con- 
 fidence, fiu-nished the facts, or supposed facts, to Mr. Bentlcy ; who, 
 in addition to the incitement of pecuniary reward most liberally 
 bestowed upon him, was actuated by strong personal and implacable 
 hatred to Mr. Pitt, ou account of a disappointment he had met with 
 from him. The Govei'ument knew that, because Mr. Sargent told me 
 in the summer, Mr. Bentley had offered himself to them then, at the 
 same time abusing Mr. Pitt in the grossest terms. 
 
 - The King had agreed to do so, as far as respected himself ; but 
 said he would put no restraint on others in stating his opinions.
 
 64 I »l A HIES AND COKRESPONDENCK OF 
 
 to liavc any satisfiictury assurance I'runi his Majesty 
 on tlie subject. 
 
 Secondly, \\c agreed tiiat a proper explanation 
 sliould l)e given of the gronnils on wliicli lie with- 
 drew his support. On discussing this point, he 
 reminded nic tiiat the tirst occasion on which he 
 liad reason to be dissatisfieil was the King's speech 
 at the close of the session last year: that from 
 that time he had luKl no intercourse with Mr. 
 Addington till October, when nothing conlidentiai 
 l)assed, and that he was utterly ignorant of nil Ihal 
 look /ilfire in the ncj^-otiatiuii, mrniy parts of which, 
 as detailed in a separate paper, he could not, in 
 his conscience, ai)prove of or sanction. Connected 
 with this, we agreeil also to show at the same time 
 the impudence of the charge against Mr. l*itt, 
 of (obstructing measures of finance, and throwing 
 (lifHculties in the way of Mr. A. on the subject, 
 by calling to the attention of the public Mr. Pitt's 
 forbearance in not exposing the gross and numerous 
 blunders, to an enormous extent, in Mr. Addiiiglon's 
 statement of ti nance before last Christmas, which it 
 would be proper to refer to in the answer to the 
 j)aniphlet, to account for his withdrawing his sup|)ort ; 
 it being evident that no assurance of that could be 
 supposed as intending to bind liiin to sanction pro- 
 ceedings of which he entirely disap[)rovcd. 
 
 Thirdly. — That the most positive contradiction sliould 
 be given to the impudent falsehoods of Mr. Pitt's 
 having determined to force himself again into the 
 Administration, in opposition to the King's wish ; and
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 55 
 
 that he had peremptorily insisted upon Lord Grenville 
 coming into office with him, as a sine qua non. 
 
 In addition to what may be said on these two 
 points in the pamphlet, Mr. Pitt thought it might be 
 advisable (certainly justifiable) to publish the letters 
 which passed betw^een him and Mr. Addington at the 
 close of the negotiation, which would remove every 
 possible doubt on the two points above referred to ; 
 which may be done by giving copies of them to dif- 
 ferent persons without any injunctions against their 
 publication. 
 
 Fourthly. — ^To show that the early opposition of 
 Lord Grenville, Mr. Windham, and Mr. Canning, was 
 absolutely and entirely out of all control of Mr. Pitt ; 
 and that he can by no possibility have any thing to 
 answer for on that head." 
 
 Other matters of inferior moment were discussed, 
 and it was agreed how they should be treated. /'' 
 
 After which, we came to consider who should 
 undertake to write the answer to the pamphlet. ^L\ 
 
 ' I had a long conversation with Mr. Canning on this part of the 
 subject, on my way to town (at his own house at South Hill), but 
 could not prevail with him to admit the indispensable necessity of 
 not making common cause between Mr. Pitt and Lord Grenville, in 
 the answer ; he persisted that it should be so, and evidently wished to 
 answer the pamphlet ; but I had a clear conviction that his doing 
 so w^ould be destructive to Mr. Pitt as far as regarded what appeared 
 to him and me the injudicious (to call it no worse) opposition of his 
 Lordship, Mr. Windham, &c. In my way down I saw Mr. Canning 
 again, and told him an answer was intended by a person not con- 
 nected immediately with Mr. Pitt, at which he seemed much morti- 
 fied. I explained to him that the distinction between the parties 
 above alluded to need in my opinion be only retrospective ; that 
 prospectively they might he one.
 
 5 DIARIES AMJ COUUESPONDENCE OF 
 
 Pitt was most ilecidtdly against any one iiiniu'cliatrly 
 connected with liiin doing it; tliiiiking tin- assertions 
 and contradictions might he so j)iit l)y an indillerent 
 person, as to li\ tlic truth of tlicm on tin- |)ul)he mind 
 by calling npon .Ministiis to contraiHct an\ one of 
 them if tliey conld ventnre to (h) so. W'c were hoth 
 at a loss to think of a tit person for the work. At 
 length we decided to talk with Mr. Thomas Peregrine 
 Conrtney ahont undertaking it, who has just |)id)- 
 lisht (1 a sensible j)amphlet in answer to Mr. Morgan's 
 tinancial statements, and animadvertiiii; very well, 
 and with good ellect, on the one in (piestion. F 
 engaged also to see the person who has commented 
 on it repeatedly in the Sim, under the signature of 
 " Fitz Albion," and who wrote to me for information, 
 to enal)le him to do that usefullv, two or three weeks 
 ago, without my taking any notice of his application, 
 at the time, not having a guess of who he was. My 
 letter to the author was not calletl for during the day 
 I remained in town, consequently 1 remain in igno- 
 rance of who he is. 
 
 We next talked of the conduct of Government 
 respecting the defence of the country, which appears 
 daily to be more and more incomprehensible. Mr. 
 Pitt told me that very early after his arrival in the 
 country, he had an offer from the people of Deal of 
 fifty gun-boats, which he immediately communicated 
 to Government, and it was accepted. Convinced of 
 the great utility of such a defence, he obtained from 
 some otlicr places an offer of fifty more ; but before he 
 was regularly authorized to communicate that to the
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOUGE ROSE. 57 
 
 Administration, he received a private letter from 
 Lord tlobart, requesting him to get more boats if he 
 could. Of course he replied to his Lordship that 
 he had anticipated his wish to the extent above 
 mentioned, and at the same time wrote to the 
 Admiralty to beg they would order the second set 
 to be fitted ; to which he received for answer from 
 their Lordships, that Lord Hobart was taking other 
 measures for obtaining gun-boats, to be equipped as 
 well as found by the ports ; besides Avhich the 
 Admiralty had no 4-pound carronades to spare. 
 
 The last observation is the more extraordinary, as 
 only four or five of the boats required carronades so 
 small as this, and there are plenty of larger ones in 
 store. After which, a correspondence took place 
 between Mr. Pitt, Captain Essington, commanding 
 the Sea Fencibles at Dover, the Navy Board, and 
 the Admiralty Board ; the latter having reprimanded 
 Captain Essington for encouraging the application 
 about fitting the gun-boats, though he had been 
 called upon by the Navy Board to state how many 
 were required to be fitted ; and at this moment no 
 orders have been given by the Admiralty for the 
 purpose, but they are now daily expected. Mr. Pitt 
 has in the whole 150 gun-boats. 
 
 Other measures of defence, thought by Sir David 
 Dundas and General Moore^ to be of great impor- 
 tance, were equally neglected. Colonel Twiss, and 
 other distinguished officers, had approved of a species 
 
 ' Sir John Moore, who then had a command in Kent, and lived in 
 intimacy with Mr. Pitt, though a Whig.
 
 58 l^TARIES AND CORRESPONDENX'E OF 
 
 of towers or castles,' capable ot" containing twenty-five 
 men cacli, witli a heavy carnjiiade or gun nt the top, 
 not assaihible, except witli ladders of a great height, or 
 with heavy cannon brought against them ; in conse- 
 quence of wjiich it was long ago agreed that a number 
 of them should be erected on the most exposed parts 
 of the coast ; but not a stroke struck yet to make a 
 beginning of any one of them. 
 
 Mr. Pitt t(/ul me that after I left London in the 
 beginning of the siunmer, lu- had a most extraor- 
 dinary communication from the Prince of Wales, in 
 an extremely circuitous manner, ultimately through 
 Lord .Mulgrave, stating that he wished Mr. Pitt to 
 understand clearly that his Roval Highness had not 
 the slightest disinclination towards him ; that he //^/fi 
 entertained thoughts, whenever power and authority 
 should devolve uj)on him, of giving his confidence to 
 Lord Moira; and that, iiulecd, he had at one time 
 intended, in such an event, to call upon Mr. Fox; but 
 he was now satisfied, from those parties themselves, that 
 he could not do so wisely as to determine to employ 
 him (Mr. Pitt), adding many expressions of civility. 
 To all which Mr. Pitt replied, through the same 
 channel, that he entertained a due respect and proper 
 sense of duty to his Royal Highness. He trusted, 
 however (as he was certain his Royal Highness 
 hoped), it would be long before he would have to 
 decide anything ou that subject, and that in the 
 mean time he humbly thought his Royal Highness 
 
 ' Martello towel's.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 59 
 
 could not do better, as far as be might think it right to 
 interfere in pohtical matters, than to give his support 
 to such ministers as the King his father should give his 
 confidence to. The communication having been made 
 to Mr. Pitt just before the discussion took place in 
 the House of Commons about the refusal of his Royal 
 Highness's offer to serve, Mr. Pitt is inclined to think 
 the application to him was in the hope of getting him 
 to take a part in that debate friendly to the views of 
 his Royal Highness. 
 
 Nothing finally settled respecting a provision for 
 Lord Pelham, who holds off taking the Duchy of 
 Lancaster, insisting upon it that if he accept it, it 
 shall be considered as a reward for past services, and 
 not as giving the Administration any claims upon 
 him prospectively. He will likewise have it for life, 
 or not at all. 
 
 Provision is to be made for Mr. Sheridan's son, as 
 a reward for the father's services ; but to avoid 
 wounding the delicate feelings of bot/i, there is an 
 intention of giving Sir John Morshead an employ- 
 ment, that the Prince of Wales may appoint Mr. 
 Thomas Sheridan to the situation Su" John now has 
 mider him. 
 
 Mr. Pitt says the arrangements made by Loril 
 Keith in his command, on the Downs station, are 
 remarkably able, and very zealously executed. 
 
 I saw^ a confidential letter to-day from Captahi 
 Wright, employed off Boulogne in a situation of great 
 trust, who says he is sure there are at the least one 
 hundred gun-boats in Boulogne only ; and he is of
 
 no DTATIIES AM) frmEESPONDEN'CE OF 
 
 opinion tlicy may l)i; cxtrcnicly troublesonic,' It lias 
 long occurred to nic they may be so even to our large 
 sliips, if they come out in gnat mmibers. I'vcrv 
 sliot almost from thosr will till ; u Iiercas thcv, bcini; 
 remarkably low in Ihc water, will st'ldoni be hit bv 
 shot from our largest men-of-war. 
 
 Lord Chatham was with Mr. Pitt ;it \\'almer after 
 the publication of th(> pamphlet before alludrd to, but 
 he never mentioned it, nor .Mr. I'itt to his Lordship. 
 
 Ml'. Pitt mentioni'd to me, with deep regret, the 
 unaccountable neglect of the (iovernment respecting 
 the late attempt at insurrection in Lvland. The Lord- 
 Lieutenant had information of dangerous practices in 
 the spring, aiul advised Mr. Addington of them by 
 a letter to himself; nhvv which his Lordshij) made 
 earnest a])plication for parliamentary interposition, to 
 enable him to take necessary measures to repel the 
 attempt of the insurgents. Lord Pelham, Secretary 
 of State for the Home Department, objected that 
 there was not ground to go to Parliament upon, when 
 ^Ir. Addington produced Lord Hardwicke's letter, 
 ir/nc/i he oioied he IkhI hml in his pocket sonirfhitff/ 
 more than a fortnight, without having made any com- 
 munication of it, or about it, to any of the Cabinet. 
 
 ' These boats nuist, of necessity, be infinitely superior to those 
 we have at Deal. Tlie latter, belonging to iiuliviiluals, are calculated 
 only for the purposes of their occupation.'^, and frequently eniployetl 
 in them at some distiince ; too shght also to bear more than one 
 carronadc ; whereas the French are built expressly for the pui-pose, 
 strong, probably carrying hea\7 and loui] gims, with a great number 
 of men ; formidable therefore (when boarding shall be piacticalilc), 
 as suggested in the text, to our men of-war.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 01 
 
 From a private letter from Mr. Beresford/ to me, it 
 does not seem that the Lord-Lieutenant and Comicil 
 had taken the measures of precaution they should have 
 done ; and there can be no better authority than his, 
 as he is himself an active and efficient member of tlie 
 Council. 
 
 It appears as if Ministers were afraid to act up to 
 the principle which it was understood had been estab- 
 lished as the law of nations, respecting contraband, 
 in time of war ; as several neutral ships, laden with 
 naval stores, for Havre and other French ports, which 
 had been detained by our cruisers, were liberated, and 
 allowed to go to their destination ; which Mr. Pitt 
 assured me he knew to be true, and that he had good 
 reason to beheve the o;un-boats at Havre were built 
 and equipped with those so liberated. What then 
 did we contend for so zealously and successfully at 
 the latter end of the last war ? 
 
 Mondai/, Ocfoher 3r/. — Mr. Pitt came down to me 
 in Palace Yard, and Mr. Long met him there by 
 appointment. We went over the whole subject of the 
 Pamphlet again, in every part of which j\Ir, Long 
 agreed w^th Mr. P. and me ; but he doubted very 
 much whether an effectual answer could be given 
 without revealing several matters highly confidential 
 that had passed in the intercourse with Mr. Addington, 
 about Mr. Pitt's return to government ; but that objec- 
 tion was over-ruled, by the necessity for it having been 
 created by Mr. A. having encouraged the circulation of 
 
 ^ Brother of the first Marquis of WaterforcL He was First Com- 
 missioner of the Revenue in Ireland.
 
 ()'2 DIAKTKS AND fOll UESPONDENCK OF 
 
 the lil)cl.' And aftor a Um<f discussion as to who slujuhl 
 answer it, it was ajj^reed uj)()n the whole to be desira- 
 ble that it should be done by S(Mne person nut 
 innnediatcly connected with Mr. Pitt ; as the asser- 
 tion of the falsehoods in the libel may be made 
 confidently, and truths asserted as boldly, callinj:; on 
 the friends of Mr. A. to contradict the one or the 
 other, with an observation, that if they venture 
 to do so, it cannot fail /o aunpi'l tlw production of 
 proofs. I had jjnpared very lull notes and observa- 
 tions for the piu-pose, whieh are to be given to the 
 person to be employed, with some furlhei: remarks of 
 Mr. Pitt's. .Mr. William Ciitlord and Mr. John Gilford 
 were both thought of: the first has an employment 
 during pleasure (double Commissioner of the Lottery), 
 and is more connected in opinion and habits with 
 Canning ; may have some feelings too towanls Lord 
 Grosvenor,- who is a warm supporter of Government; 
 — the other (iiflord rather a dull man, and very 
 unmanageable.' I then mentioned .Mr. Courtney, a 
 
 ' Mr. Long said he had positively ascertained its having been sent 
 to several persons Li/ Mr. Vamillarl. He had no doubt of Mr. Bentley 
 I)eing the author. The latter had offered to Stockdale a i>aiiiphlct to 
 pul)li.sh, provided he would do so without reading it, which S. 
 naturally refused. He then offered it to Hatchard, who agreed to 
 publish on many passages being expunged, chiefly against Mr. 
 (.'aiming. 
 
 ^ He had travelled with Lord Grosvenor when Lord Belgrave, and 
 is said to have been a well-informed and clever man. [Author of the 
 Buriad and Mirviad, translator of JitrenaL and editor of the Quarlrrlif 
 Rrxieir. — Ed.] 
 
 ' [No relation to William Gifford. His real name was Green. 
 Editor of the TrueBrihiiu aud Anti-Jurobia Rfriew; and author of the 
 Life of /'///.—Ed.]
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. G3 
 
 son of the late Bishop of Exeter, who was appointed 
 a clerk in the Treasnry, but changed that situation 
 for one in the Stationery Office ; having just seen 
 a pamphlet published by hiui in answer to one of 
 Mr. Morgan's, iu which he animadverts very freely on 
 Mr. Addington's financial statements, and with still 
 greater freedom on his conduct, in countenancing so 
 malignant and scandalous a publication as the one so 
 frequently alluded to in these notes. Mr. Pitt had 
 read Mr. Courtney's recent publication, and thought 
 of it as I did — so did Mr. Long ; and as tiie latter 
 knows him very well, it was settled that he should talk 
 with him, to learn whether, circumstanced as he is, 
 he will undertake to be the ostensible WTiter of the 
 answer ; not with an intention of exposing his name, 
 but for the purpose of putting matter together which 
 shall be given to him. Mr. Pitt engaging to superin- 
 tend the work, to throw in fresh materials, and to 
 sugo-cst new arf>-uments where he shall find it neces- 
 sary ; and so the bnsiness was left. It w^as thought 
 quite clear, for the reasons already mentioned, that 
 Mr. Canning could not be allowed to write the 
 answer, as far as Mr. Pitt and his friends were con- 
 cerned. Nothing can be more certain than that, 
 retrospectively, Mr. Pitt and Lord Grenville have 
 different cases. 
 
 I dined at the London Tavern, on Mr. Pitt's 
 invitation, at the swearing in of the officers of the 
 Trinitv House Volunteers, Avho were all the elder 
 brethren, except Sir Andrew Hammond (who had 
 previously accepted the Lieutenant-Colonelcy of the
 
 Gt 1)1A1U1:.S AND CUKllEsrONUENCK OF 
 
 S(jnu.'isct llorsr Volunteers, under Mr. TitM'iK'y), and 
 many ol tin- younj^cr brethren, ineluding several 
 Captains of Kast Indianun. The si^dit was really an 
 extremely atlectin*^ one. .\ nuinlxr ot" i^allant and 
 exceedingly good old nun, who had iluring the best 
 part of their lives been beating tiie waves, now coming 
 forward with the zi'al and spirit of lads, swearing 
 allegiance to the King, with a determined purpose to 
 act manfully in his defence, and for the j)rotection of 
 the caj)ital on the river. 
 
 In the evening I went home with Mr. I'itt, and 
 went over again nmeh that we luid before discussed ; 
 both having given the whole subject mature considera- 
 tion. AVhat had been agreed upi^n about the pani- 
 pliiet was contirnied ; and .Mr. Pitt gave me strong 
 assurances that he would follow that u|) unremittingly; 
 which 1 persuade myself he will do, as he feels 
 warmly the baseiuss, iuLfratitude, and wickedness of 
 the attack u[)on him. We then talked of what it 
 woidd be ri^lit to do on the meeting of Parliament. 
 Mr. Pitt recurred to wliat he had so rcpeateflly 
 insisted upon, and acted upon before : the impro- 
 priety and even danger of his directly opposing 
 Ministers, as it may atl'ect the King's mind, and be 
 considered contrary to the principle he lias so con- 
 stantly maintained, //taf //m- ^lajesty should not hi' 
 forced into a c/icuk/p of the administration. I admit- 
 ted that consistently with that principle, it would not 
 be justifiable in him to enter on a st/steuiatic opposition, 
 to which I was as little inclined as he could possibly 
 be ; having been at all times averse to that ; but that
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 65 
 
 I knew no possible way of effectually opening the 
 eyes of the King or the })iiblic, to the utter and 
 absolute incapacity of the Ministers, in any way, but 
 by their blunders, neglect, and timidity, being exposed 
 in Parhament. That hitherto there was every reason 
 to suppose the King was perfectly satisfied with the 
 sufficiency of his servants ; little objection having 
 been taken to their conduct in Parliament, and they 
 having carried everything there most triumphantly. 
 The country indeed seems awakened thoroughly on the 
 point for a time ; but if the exposure is not made in 
 Parliament, every one will suppose they have judged 
 wrong of the conduct of -Government, and a diff'erent 
 tone will be taken. I urged, that beyond all that, 
 there was an irresistible claim on Mr. Pitt, on 
 the part of the country, that he should not pass over 
 in silence the disgraceful misconduct of ministers, 
 which he felt on various points at least as strongly as 
 myself, and that his silence would naturally be con- 
 strued into approbation. I added, I had no wish for 
 him (as far as I could judge at present) to make any 
 motion, or propose any censure respecting that mis- 
 conduct, but was desirous only of his stating it in as 
 strong a way, and in as lively colours as he could, in 
 order to draw the public attention to the scandalous 
 and blameable neglect of the men, as well as to their 
 decided incapacity. In the end, he promised positively 
 to attend at the opening of the session, and almost 
 engaged to take that line precisely. 
 
 Mr. Pitt again expressed warmly his indignation 
 at the conduct of Mr. Addington in sanctioning 
 
 VOL. II. F
 
 tj6 DIAKIES AM) COKKtyi'ONDKNCE OF 
 
 decidedly the malignant and virulent attack upon him, 
 and his determinatiuu to counteract the miscliicf that 
 would infallibly ai'isc from it unless some pains arc 
 taken to prevent it. lie gave mc the correspondence 
 between Lord Melville, Mr. xVddington, and himseli, 
 relative to the attempt to bring him into the Adminis- 
 tration, which puts his conduct in tlic most honour- 
 able point of view possible, and establishes, beyond all 
 possibility of controversy, the facts stated in these as 
 well as in former notes on the subject : — that the pro- 
 posal originated with Mr. Addington ; that Mr. Pitt 
 refused peremptorily to accede to any terms, or to 
 propose any difinitc ones, till he knew whether his 
 Majesty was really desirous of his return to office; 
 and that it never entered his mind for one moment to 
 make the admission of any individual whatever into 
 the cabinet a sine quit non. Mr. Addington's first 
 letter evidently intended to fix upon Mr. Pitt what 
 he never said in the conversation at Bromley Hill, 
 on Monday the lUth April, and which is counter- 
 acted in Mr. Pitt's reply. A similar attempt in a 
 more marked way was made in the subsequent letter, 
 and repelled still more strongly hi Mr. Pitt's answer 
 from Wycombe. On giving me the letters, he desired 
 I would not allow any of my family to copy them, 
 and he left me at liberty to make any use of them I 
 should see proper. 
 
 [The next series of letters is a fm'ther illustration 
 of Mr. Pitt's anxiety to see and consult with his
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 67 
 
 friend, when any difficulties occiiiTed to him, and also 
 exhibits the new direction, in which the activity of his 
 mind found useful occupation diu'ing his retirement 
 at Walmer Castle. As Lord Warden of the Cinque 
 Ports, he had been placed on the same footing as 
 Lords Lieutenant of counties, witli respect to the 
 raising an additional force of militia, by a recent Act 
 of Parliament ; and to this task he addressed himself 
 with his usual energy. No longer able to control the 
 councils of the nation, he set himself in earnest to 
 study the means of its defence, within the jurisdiction 
 which belonged to him, and, if we may judge from the 
 evidence of his letters, with great success. His mili- 
 tary ardour was ridiculed by the whigs ; and in the 
 course of the following year. Lord Grcnville, who had 
 allied himself with Mr. Fox, showed neither reason 
 nor common sense, in thus venting his ill humour 
 against his former colleague : — " Can anything equal 
 the ridicule of Pitt riding about from Downing Street 
 to Wimbledon, and from Wimbledon to Coxheath, to 
 inspect mihtary carriages, impregnable batteries, and 
 Lord Chatham's reviews ? Can he be possibly serious 
 in expecting Buonaparte now ? Pifty more such ques- 
 tions one might ask, if any part of his conduct ad- 
 mitted of any discussion on the ordinary principles 
 of reason and common sense." As it is now well 
 known that Buonaparte at that time did seriously 
 intend to make the attempt, it is as well for the credit 
 of Lord Grcnville, that the other fifty similar questions 
 
 r 2
 
 68 DIAKIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 were not proposed. A more impartial and sagacious 
 writer has formed a very different estimate, both of 
 the emergency and of Mr. Pitt's talents for meeting 
 it. Mr. Wilberforce declared, that he had "discovered 
 great military genius;" and again, "Pitt is about to 
 take the command of 3000 volunteers as Lord 
 Warden. 1 am uneasy at it; he does not engage 
 on equal or common terms ; and his spirit will lead 
 him to be foremost in the battle ; yet as it is his proper 
 post, we can say nothing against it."' 
 
 In the months of March and April Mr. i'itt had 
 been very urgent for an interview with Mr. Rose, and 
 spoke of the particular satisfaction which it would 
 give him. In the autumn wc find him again soliciting 
 an interview, which however seems from the Diary 
 not to have taken place till the 2d of October, when 
 they discussed the offensive pamphlet. — Ed.] 
 
 Mr. Pitt to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Walmer Castle, Sept. 8th, 1803. 
 
 "Dear Rose, 
 
 " I have deferred answering your letter in hopes 
 of being able to tell you something more certain, as 
 to the time when we might have a chance of meeting. 
 I am not, however, yet able to name precisely the day 
 when I shall be at liberty ; but I rather think I shall 
 be able to go to town or its neighbourhood in about 
 ten or twelve days, and I believe it will be rather less 
 
 ^ Life of "Wilberforce, vol. iii. p. 113.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 69 
 
 distance for you to meet me there than in any western 
 point of my district ; besides which I think my visit 
 to that part of the coast will be at rather a later 
 period, and I am anxious to see you as soon as possible. 
 I wish very much I could pass a few days with you 
 at Cuffnells, but I do not like at present to go so far 
 from my post, though we have certainly no immediate 
 indication of any intention from the other side of the 
 water to give us employment. Before the long 
 nights we hope to be very well prepared to receive 
 them, both afloat and ashore. Your son's zeal and 
 alacrity do not surprise me ; but in his particular 
 situation the sacrifice he has made is indeed a great 
 one. 
 
 " I hope you have found no material inconvenience 
 from your accident except the confinement, which, how- 
 ever, is no small grievance in this enjoyable weather. 
 I say nothing of the pamphlet till we meet, but I shall 
 be very glad to talk it over with you, and to consider 
 what is fit to be done upon it. 
 
 " Ever yom's sincerely, 
 
 « \Y p " 
 
 Mr. Pitt to Mr. Rose. 
 
 "Margate, Oct. 18th, 1803. 
 
 *' Dear Rose, 
 
 " I received your letter just as I left home this 
 morning. I had not forgot your wish to have a 
 description of our gun-boats ; but as many of my 
 friends here are more expert in fitting a boat, or 
 fighting it, than in writing or drawing, I could not at
 
 76 DIARIES AND COUKESPONDENCE OF 
 
 once obtain one wliich would explain to you the last 
 improved mode of fitting as aceurately a? I wished. 
 But Mr. AMiitby, the Assistant of Shccrncss Yard, who 
 has been appointed to superintend the work, and whom 
 I saw yesterday, has promised me to send imme- 
 diately to vonr house, in Palace Yard, a small nifxlel 
 of the frame and sUde, whieh will, I trust, completely 
 answer the purpose. I should hope it will reach yoiu* 
 house in a day or two, and you will, I take for granted, 
 send orders for its being innnediately forwarded to you 
 by coach. AVe have now fitted, or are fitting, I be- 
 lieve, about 170 boats between Margate and Hast- 
 ings, which, I think, will contribute not a little to 
 giving the enemy a good reception whenever they 
 think proper to visit us. By the intelligence T collect, 
 and by the orders for extraordinaiy preparation which 
 are received from London by this jiost, I am much 
 more inclined than T have ever been hitherto to 
 believe that some attempt will be made soon. Tn 
 this situation I am likely to have my time very com- 
 pletely occupied by the various concerns of my regi- 
 ment and my district. I hope, however, to find some 
 interval for attending a little to the cursory remarks, 
 when I hear from Long, which I am expecting to do 
 every day. Our Volunteers are, I think, likely to be 
 called upon to undertake permanent duty, which, 1 
 hope, they will readily consent to. I suppose the 
 same measure will be recommended in your part of 
 the coast. I wish the arrann-ements for defence were 
 as forward everywhere else as they are in Ilythe Bay, 
 under General Moore. We begin now to have no
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOUGE ROSE. 71 
 
 other fear in that quarter tlian that the enemy will not 
 give us an opportunity of putting our preparations to 
 the proof, and vdW select some other point which we 
 should not be in reach of in the first instance. I 
 write here to save the post, as I shall not get back to 
 Walmer till a late houi\ 
 
 " Ever sincerely yours, 
 
 " W. Pitt." 
 
 Mr. Pitt to Mr. Rose. 
 
 "Walmer Castle, Nov. lOth, 1803. 
 
 " Dear Rose, 
 
 " It would have given me great pleasui'e if I 
 could have seen you here, but I am not surprised that 
 your occupations have been too constant to allow of so 
 distant an excursion, especially when the defence of 
 your district seems to rest almost entirely on indivi- 
 dual zeal and example. As far as they can go, fortu- 
 nately you have been able to supply them in abundance 
 from the circle of your own family ; but these alone 
 cannot be sufficient if Government persists in such 
 unaccountable negligence and inactivity. Our state 
 of defence is certainly (comparatively speaking) very 
 complete, though stOl, in many respects, very far short 
 of what it ought to have been, and what it easily 
 might have been. On the whole, I think there is 
 good ground to expect that we shall be able to give a 
 very good account of any force that seems likely to 
 reach any part of this coast, and shall be able to pre- 
 vent its penetrating into the interior. But if, by any 
 accident, we were to be overpowered in the first
 
 72 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 instance, I am by no means satisfied that any ade- 
 quate force could be collected in time to stop tlie 
 enemy's further progress till they had arrived nnich 
 nearer the capital than one should like. I have been 
 turning my thoughts a good deal to the object of 
 rendering the volunteer force throughout the country 
 permanently more ctticient than it seems likely to be 
 (except in a few instances) under the present arrange- 
 ments ; and I will endeavour before long to send you 
 a note of what occurs to me, on which I shall be very 
 glad to have your opinion. 
 
 " Till within these two days I had piTsevered in the 
 intention of going to town for the 2 2d, but the .state 
 of the preparations on the opposite side, and the 
 imcertainty from day to day whether the attempt may 
 not be made immediately, makes me unwilling to 
 leave the coast at present. 1 have, therefore, nearly 
 determined to give np attending the first day ; but I 
 am still inclined to think that it may be right (if I can 
 find an interval of two or three days) to take some 
 opportunity before the recess to notice the principal 
 omissions on the part of Government in providing for 
 our defence, and to suggest the measures which seem 
 still necessary towards completing it. I shall, of 
 course, wish to have it understood by my friends that I 
 shall probably attend in the course of the session, be- 
 fore Christmas, and that ray absence on the first day 
 proceeds entirely from my unwillingness to leave my 
 duties here. Lord Camden (who left me this morn- 
 ing) and Lord Carrington are the only persons with 
 whom I have had the opportunity of talking on this
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE 73 
 
 subject, and they both agree with me in thinking this 
 
 the best plan. 
 
 " Ever sincerely yours, 
 
 Mr. Pitt to Mr. Rose. 
 
 "Walmer Castle, Dec. 2d, 1803. 
 
 " Dear Rose, 
 
 " I shall be so constantly occupied all next week 
 in going round to my diflPerent battalions, that it will 
 be impossible for me to think of going to town till the 
 week after ; but I hope to be at liberty on Monday 
 se'nnight, and to reach town by dinner-time that day. 
 I agree very much in all you say of the pamphlet, and 
 I think particularly that a note, adding a much more 
 ample statement on the finance, will be very useful in a 
 new edition. We may talk more of this when we 
 meet, which I hope will now be very soon. 
 
 " Ever yours, 
 
 "W. P."
 
 74 DIARIES AND CORRESPOyDENCE OF 
 
 ciiArrER III. 
 
 CORRESrOXDEN'CE BETWEEN MR. PITT, MB. ROSE, LORD ELDON, AM) THB 
 BISHOP OF LINCOLN — THE PROPOSED COALITION MINISTRY DETWBDI 
 MR. PITT AND THE OPPOSITION. 
 
 [The next letter is remarkable, because the postscript 
 sufficiently accounts for Mr. Pitt's reserve in his cor- 
 respondence on important points. It appears that his 
 letters, when directed by himself, were opened at the 
 Post-office, and a note by Miss Rose relates the 
 singular way in which that discovery was made, though 
 it had been suspicted long before, as one of Mr. Rose's 
 letters shows. She also indicates the person to whom 
 it was imputed. — Ed.] 
 
 " Rochester, Saturday night, Jan. 7th, 1804. 
 
 "Dear Rose, 
 
 " 1 write, having got thus far on my way to 
 town. The weather seemed to allow me an intcn-al 
 in which I could leave the coast for a few days, and 
 letters wliich I have had from some of my friends in 
 town, made me think it material not to delay coming 
 up, in order to ascertain what is likely to be the state 
 of parties when the House next meets.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 75 
 
 Mucli will depend on the line now to be acloptecl; 
 
 and as I find I must give up going to Bath, and shall 
 
 lose that chance of seeing you, I should be very glad 
 
 if you could without inconvenience meet me in town. 
 
 I mean at present to stay over Thursday, and perhaps 
 
 Friday, but that must depend a little upon wind and 
 
 intelligence. The sooner therefore you can come the 
 
 better. 
 
 " Ever yours sincerely, 
 
 cc ^ p » 
 
 " I send this under Hammond's cover to the 
 Postmaster at Southampton, to be forwarded from 
 thence."^ 
 
 [After the resignation of Mr. Addington, when the 
 King had recourse again to Mr. Pitt, Mr. Rose con- 
 vinced himself, by a close examination of the parties 
 in the House of Commons, that the latter could not 
 obtain a working majority in that house in opposition 
 
 ' Note by Miss Rose. — The precaution of sending the letter under 
 cover, "was in consequence of letters of ]\Ir. Pitt to my father, and 
 others, having been intercepted. After he ascertained that, they 
 were directed by others, and not sealed by his seal. 
 
 Some time after, when we were in London, the floor-cloth in the 
 entrance-hall was taken up, and under it, near the door, one of the 
 intercepted letters was found by the housemaid ; indeed there had 
 been a heavy mat on the floor-cloth, and the sill of the door was 
 worn hollow by mani/ feet. It seemed to have been pushed under 
 the door by a stick, and accidentally slipped imder the floor-cloth. 
 
 Who had intercepted and opened the letter, there could not be 
 a doubt ; and more, very little doubt who found it (where, as it was of 
 no consequence it was probably left), and put it under the door. 
 
 The then Postmaster-General lived in Palace Yard, very near. ^
 
 70 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 to the three divisions of it, the leaders of which wore 
 Addington, Fox, and Lord Grenvillc ; two of them 
 having been his supporters in his last administration. 
 He became, therefore, a strenuous advocate for a union 
 ■with the leaders of the Opposition, except the first ; 
 and conceiving that Lord Eldon might have great 
 influence with Mr. Pitt, he stated the case to him, 
 with a view to secure his concurrence; but the Chan- 
 cellor was as firm as a rock, lie scorned any com- 
 promise with the enemy. It w!is tlic only thing on 
 which he never entertained a doui)t, and in great 
 wrath he rejected the proposal. — Ed.] 
 
 Mr. Rose to Lord Cii.vnckllor Lldon. 
 
 " May 4th, 1804. 
 
 " My de.\r Lord, 
 
 " At the present moment I cannot entertain a 
 thought of breaking in upon you by desiring any 
 personal intercourse, and 1 must reluctantly interrupt 
 you very shortly in this manner. It would be the 
 height of presumption and folly in me if I could 
 conceive the remotest possibility of my being able to 
 add anvthing to what ^[r. Pitt said in his letter to 
 you of Wednesday (respecting the advantages that 
 would be derived to the King and to the nation by 
 the formation of an administration on such a basis as 
 he therein suggested), to convince you of the cer- 
 tainty of what he has so forcibly stated. But mixing 
 more with them at present, and necessarily knowing 
 more of their sentiments, than your Lordship, I am
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 77 
 
 anxious to say to you, that although there is on the 
 part of some of our friends a disinchnation to anything 
 like a union of the sort alluded to by Mr. Pitt, I 
 have a firm persuasion that he would not be able, if 
 an absolute negative should be put on that, to submit 
 to the consideration of his Majesty names to form an 
 administration which would have a reasonable chance 
 of maintaining itself for eighteen months. Every feel- 
 ing of my mind, and every wish of my heart, are 
 adverse, my dear Lord, to an unnecessary co-operation 
 with the persons in question ; to one set of these I 
 have, from my first thinking on pohtical subjects had a 
 strong dislike, and to this instant, have never had the 
 shghtest intercourse with any one of them, either 
 directly or indirectly ; and by the leader of the other 
 part of them, I have been treated with the most 
 supercilious neglect and marked inattention. I men- 
 tion these circumstances merely to convince you that 
 I am at least disinterested in the opinion I am ex- 
 pressing. 
 
 " My aff'ectionate and devoted attachment to the 
 King (in which I protest to God, I believe I am not 
 exceeded by any man in his dominions), is not, nor 
 has it at any time been, diminished by any change of 
 situation. I wish his happiness, tranquilUty, and 
 comfort, as much as I do the prosperity of the country: 
 a stronger expression of my devotion to him I could 
 not devise. Porgive, my dear Lord, the freedom I am 
 using ; my motive cannot, I trust, be mistaken by you : 
 I write under the strongest conviction that my opinion 
 is well founded. As soon as you have read this I
 
 78 DIAllIES AND CORRESrONDEN'CE OF 
 
 entreat you will put it into tlic fire : it re(juires no 
 answer, nor could one be given to it. I have only 
 further to beg you will never let any human being 
 know that I have made this or any eomuuuiication to 
 you, as Mr. I'itt is entirely ignorant of my intention. 
 I except, however, Sir AVilliam Scott, in the event of 
 your tlunking it right to say anything of it to him. I 
 mean to breakfast with him to-morrow (if he will let 
 me), because I have no reluctance whatever in opening 
 my mind fully to him, and by doing so, can attract no 
 observation ; nor woulil it, indeed, if I should look in 
 upon you in your room near the House, if you should 
 wish to see me for ten minutes, as 1 have often done 
 so on House of Lords business; but at the same time 
 1 must repeat, that 1 have not the remotest wish to 
 obtrude further on you, being indeed awai-e that I 
 could not usefully add a syllabic to what I have 
 herein said." 
 
 Lord Eldon to Mr. Rose. 
 
 Written and received, 
 
 " ilay 4th, 1804. 
 
 " Dear Sir, 
 
 " No man can be more convinced than I am of 
 the difficidt circumstances we stand in, and I thank 
 God I am not accessary to the causes which have pro- 
 duced them. The forbearance of a fortnight or three 
 weeks would have saved the King, and I think might 
 have saved Mr. Pitt the cruel consequences, as I am 
 apprehensive they will turn out, of having felt a neces- 
 sity of making a proposition, the making of which
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 79 
 
 •vvill, iu my judgment, most seriously injure him, and 
 the execution of which I beheve to be utterly impos- 
 sible, whilst the personage who must decide upon it 
 retains his understanding. I see no medium between 
 Mr. Pitt's trying what you think not lasting, and the 
 King's being destroyed. God forgive all those who 
 have brought either of them into this situation. For 
 my own part, my mind is so decided, that if the 
 King's health was firm, and I could so far forget my 
 duty to Mr. Pitt as to give him what I thought the 
 worst advice I could offer him, I should forward the 
 purpose of his forming an administration upon those 
 broad-bottomed principles, an attention to which, on 
 his part, would, after all that has passed, deliver up 
 his character, in the minds of thinking, honest men, 
 to a silent, melancholy, painful disapprobation; and 
 in the minds of those who act upon honest prejudice, 
 having the semblance and face of just reasonmg, to 
 something that will fall little short of execration. I have 
 no objection to seeing you anywhere — my brother I 
 would rather not see upon this subject, for many 
 reasons; principally because my mind is unalterably 
 fixed as to what is to be my conduct, and in whatever 
 befalls me I will never have it left in the power of my 
 mind, when it reflects, to attribute anything to the 
 suggestions of a brother whom I love, if I thought 
 him more impartial upon this subject than I think 
 the goodness of his heart allows him to be. 
 
 " I am, yoms truly, 
 
 " Eldon."
 
 80 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 Mr. Rose to Mr. Pitt. 
 
 " Monday morning, 7 o'clock, 
 "May 7th, 1804. 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " I cannot resist (after a night of much more re- 
 flection than sleep) calHng your attention again for a 
 few minutes to the important point on wliich we liad 
 so much discussion yesterday. 1 will, in the first 
 place, fairly own that my opinion about the letter to 
 you is unaltered. 1 will say nothing of my feeling on 
 the subject ; but, putting that entirely out of con- 
 sideration at ])resent, which perhaps we ought not to do 
 altogether, I think the statement made up bv Lonj; to 
 me, must be decisive against the remotest probability 
 of the Government ^oing on for the remainder of this 
 session without apquiring some part of the strength 
 contained in it. The most moderate view of the diffe- 
 rent interests makes the total numbers 240, and that 
 leaves 70 Irish unaccounted for, many of whom are 
 actually arrived, or are on the road. You recollect 
 Beresford said most of them are for Mr. A. ; and 
 Lord De Blaquiere, who is no incompetent judge of 
 such matters, said at Lord Camden's, on Saturday, 
 that tM'o-thirds of them are hostile to you ; besides 
 which there are manv Endish about whom neither 
 Long nor myself could form any probable guess. On 
 the whole, it is surely being sanguine to suppose that 
 we should only have 260 or 270 against us, almost 
 every one of whom are on the spot, and 205 remain 
 Mr. A.'s. It seems to me that a plain representation 
 of this to the King would have nearly the same effect
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOllGE ROSE. 81 
 
 towards convincing his Majesty of the utter impossi- 
 bihty of your forming a Government usefully without 
 some other aid, as it would for you to put yourself at 
 the head of an Administration which must fall almost 
 as soon as formed. And I continue to think that such 
 an event would be not only unpleasant as affecting your- 
 self (leaving you in a very different situation, in many 
 respects, from the one you are now in), but would be 
 extremely mischievous to the public interest both at 
 home and abroad. 
 
 • " It would naturally be said, here is a country so 
 distracted that, upon one Administration being removed 
 by the voice of Parliament, it has been found impos- 
 sible even for Mr. Pitt, to whom Europe, as well as 
 England, has looked up, to form another that can 
 carry on the government of the country for a month. 
 The encouragement this would give to our enemies, 
 and the distrust it would create amongst our friends, 
 w^ould not easily be removed by subsequent arrange- 
 ments." 
 
 " P.S. — I am not sure that the letter should be kept 
 entirely out of view in the present consideration, be- 
 cause it raises a doubt, at least, whether the support 
 of those who are friendly to the writer would be 
 steady, uniform, and active. If the Prince should 
 separate from Mr. Eox, I am by no means certain 
 that we could reckon on all those in his list. I do not 
 believe there would be any chance of the Duke of 
 Norfolk's members." 
 
 VOL. II.
 
 82 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 [Dr. Moore, tlic Archbishop of Canterbury, being 
 dangerously ill, the Jiishop of Lincoln, relying nj)ori 
 the close intiinacv which had subsisted between Mr. 
 Pitt and himself, ever since the latter was at Cam- 
 bridge, aspired to tlie primacy as soon as it should 
 be vacant. And if it had depended on ^\v. Titt 
 alone, no doubt his ambition wouM have bt en 
 gratified. But the King sometimes insisted upon 
 sharing the j)atronage of the Church with his 
 Minister, even though that Minister was as great a 
 favourite and as powerful as Mr. Pitt ; and in this 
 instance he insisted upon giving Canterbiuy to 
 Dr. Manners Sutton, the Bishop of Norwich, who 
 was also Dean of Windsor. But the vacancy did 
 not occur till the 5th of February, in the following 
 year. In these letters Dr. Tomline describes the 
 grounds of his hopes and fears to his friend, Mr. 
 Rose. — Ed.] 
 
 The Bishop of Lincoln to Mr. Rosk. 
 
 [Pn'vrffe.] 
 
 '• My dear Sir, 
 
 " Upon looking over my inclosed letter I do not 
 perceive in it anything which I should be unwilling 
 that Mr. Pitt should see ; and, therefore, as you say 
 that you intend to have some conversation with him 
 upon the subject, you will consider yourself at liberty 
 to show- it to him, if you sec a fair opportunity ; per- 
 haps it might be useful. Li haste ; but be assured,
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 83 
 
 my dear friend, that ive feel all your kindness upon 
 this occasion, and that I have in the most perfect 
 confidence opened my whole heart to you. 
 
 " Yours ever, most affectionately, 
 
 "G. Lincoln." 
 
 -~^^ The Bishop of Lincoln to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Be assured, my dear Sir, that I feel as strongly 
 as you can wish that your hesitation proceeds from a 
 delicacy of mind and warmth of friendship, as highly 
 honourable to you as gratifying to me. I have con- 
 sidered what you say, but I own I am still inclined to 
 wish you may find a proper opportunity of showing 
 my letter (as you see no objection except the one you 
 mention), and this for the following reasons : — If the 
 case really stands as it has been represented, and the 
 expected vacancy should take place before I see Mr, 
 Pitt, it may be immediately made so public a matter 
 as to prevent the possibility of avoiding the mortifica- 
 tion I have deprecated in my letter. But if Mr. Pitt 
 be previously in possession of my sentiments and feel- 
 ings on this account, I am confident he would most 
 readily and affectionately wish to consult them as far 
 as he could consistently with what had passed with 
 the King. The more I reflect, the more firmly am I 
 persuaded that, if\\Q has committed himself upon the 
 subject, it has been under the impression of my not 
 wishing for the situation ; the agreement, therefore, 
 may be considered by him as only conditional. 
 Another reason — and this you will fully enter into — ■ 
 
 G 2
 
 84 DIARIES AND COURESrONDENCE OF 
 
 is the reluctance I feel to iiitrodiice the circumstances 
 which make it necessary for iiic to have an expl.ma- 
 tion upon tlie subject, considering tlie terms uj)on 
 which we liavc always spoken upon whatever was 
 interesting to either of us. 
 
 " Mrs. T. desired to take a copy of my hist letter 
 to you, and, upon looking it over again, I sec nothing 
 1 wouhl wisli not to meet Mr. I'itt's eyes; l)ut 1 re- 
 gret tiiat 1 diti not express my very strong sense of 
 the awful responsihihty attached to such a station in 
 the present times l)eing as much the cause of my 
 doubt wiiether 1 should or should not accept it (for 
 such it truly is), as the hap[)iness 1 enjoy in my pre- 
 sent situation. 1 knew that it was (piite uimecessary 
 to add that, if you found from Mr. Pitt that he had 
 not formed the positive opinion and determination 
 stated t't vou, vou woidd not show mv letter to him. 
 But as from vour letter received this morning, there 
 is a possibility that you have already hail some con- 
 versation upon the subject, and had not taken that 
 opportunity of showing him my letter, the propriety 
 of renewing that conversation nnist depend upon what 
 has already passed, and which I leave entirely to your 
 judgment. In any case 1 must entreat that you will 
 not stay an hour in town on this account. I am 
 truly sensible of all vour kindness. 
 
 " Coupling what 1 heard from Mr. Pitt with some 
 paragraphs which appeared in the Su// news})aper 
 yesterday and to-day, it seems to nie very j)robable 
 (notwithstanding what you told me upon this subject) 
 that Lord Moira will soon be appointed Lord-ljieu-
 
 THE IIIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 85 
 
 tenant of Ireland, and Mr. Tierney his secretary. It 
 appears to nie — and I wish you may agree with 
 me — that the objection to the employment of Mr. 
 Tierney wonld be a good deal weakened by the 
 appointment of Lord Moira at the same time, and by 
 the reconciliation of the King and Prince. All these 
 matters will seem to be connected, and Mr. Pitt niav 
 even be commended by some people for giving up his 
 own private feelings and personal objections. I am 
 very glad that Gibbs is coming into Parliament, as he 
 may be useful as a speaker, which you nmch want. T 
 wish the Master of the Rolls could be prevailed upon 
 to come forward upon common occasions ; on great 
 days he will assist you. I do not doubt but you want 
 constant every-day debaters. ' 
 
 " Mrs. Tomline desires her kindest compliments. 
 We are both grieved beyond measure that you should 
 think you perceive a diminution of kindness and confi- 
 dence where, we are satisfied, you have a right to 
 expect an increase, if possible. We are persuaded 
 that no one is more attached, and few, very few, more 
 useful. Adieu. 
 
 " Yours ever, most cordially, 
 
 " G. Lincoln." 
 
 "Buckden Palace;, Nov. 15th, 1804." 
 
 The Bisnop or Lincoln to Mii. Rose. 
 
 " I feel, my dear Sir, all your kindness ; but at 
 the same time I have so much coniidence in \our 
 judgment that I cannot persevere in desiring vou to
 
 8G DIARIES AND COKUESl'ONDEN'CE OF 
 
 show my letter to Mr. Pitt ; and more especially as it 
 would be not only contrary to your judgment, but 
 repugnant to your tVeling>5, aiul attended with some 
 apprehensions lest you should dis[)lease Mr. Pitt. 
 I therefore, without any hesitation, give up the point 
 in the nuuiner I before wished. 1 will only beg you 
 to take the letter in your pocket when you go to 
 Putney, and if Mr. Pitt should of his own accord 
 renew the conversation, and in the course of it say 
 anything to alter your opinion, ami give you a fair 
 opportunity of showing the letter, then show it, but 
 not otherwise 'by any means; and in particular let not 
 the conversation be renewed on your part ; for I can- 
 not bear the thought of ever being instrumental in the 
 remotest degree to the consequences which you hear 
 might result from it. I trust I need not say, I never 
 could have wished vou to make the connnunication 
 if such consequences had aj)peared to me possible. 
 
 "Adieu! mv dear friend, — and in anv case let 
 me hear from you again before you leave town, with 
 any news you can pick up. 
 
 " Mrs. Tomline desires to be most kindly remem- 
 bered. 
 
 " Yours ever, most cordially, 
 
 ** G. Lincoln. 
 
 "Buckdeu Palace, Nov. 18th, lb04." 
 
 The Bisiior of Lincoln to Mk. Rose. 
 
 " My dear Sir "Deanery, St. Paul's, Dec. 3d, 1804. 
 
 " I went to dine and sleep at Putney on Satur- 
 day, and ]\Ir. Pitt, as soon as he saw me, told me that
 
 THE IIIGIIT HON. GEORGE HOSE. 87 
 
 lie was to be at Windsor the next clay or two, 
 and would certainly speak upon the subject, about 
 which you have so kindly interested yourself. He 
 desired to see me this morning at breakfast at 
 Putney ; but he came down late, and I could not 
 see him alone, although he said before a third 
 person, " Bishop, I want to speak to you, and 
 must get into your carriage with you." He did so, 
 and told me what had passed. It is by no means 
 decisive ; but as far as it goes it is rather favourable, 
 inasmuch as no fixed determination or promise was 
 mentioned, although a very strong wish and opinion, 
 of course against me, or ratlicr in favour of the other 
 person, were expressed. The Lord Chancellor was 
 present at Windsor. Mr. Pitt means to write fully 
 upon the subject, which he thinks better than conver- 
 sation in the present state of the King. I am con- 
 fident that he will do everything in his power short 
 of absolute force. Nothing can be more kind than 
 his manner and expressions, and my mind is perfectly 
 at ease ; indeed, much more than at ease. 
 
 " I have but a moment to say that I rather think 
 w^e shall remain in town and at Fulham till Saturday, 
 when we shall go to Wycombe to meet JMr. Pitt 
 at Lord Carrington's. Adieu, my dear Sir. Kindest 
 remembrances to all our good friends at Cuftnells. 
 
 " Yours ever, most cordially, 
 
 " G. Lincoln. 
 
 " Things arc getting worse than ever with the 
 ri'mcc.
 
 88 UIAUIES AND CORRESPONDENCK OF 
 
 The IJisnoi' ot" Lincoln to Mk. Kosk. 
 
 "Wycombe, Dec. Utb, 1801. 
 
 " ]\Iy dear Sir, 
 
 " I received your letter on Satunlay, just as we 
 were setting out for this place to meet Mr. Pitt. Mr. 
 Pitt came hither to dinner on Saturday, and went 
 away yesterday uiorning ; he seems remarkably will 
 and in high spirits: he thinks that additional strength 
 in the House of Commona is very desirable, though 
 not absolutrly necessary. It will be drrived from 
 a (juarter, if from any, which will not give much satis- 
 faction to you and me. \\ Idle he was here he wrote 
 the rough copy of a letter to his Majesty, relative to 
 the expected vacancy, as strong and as kind as I could 
 wish; but still we all of us considir the event as un- 
 certain. 1 have already said everything in my power 
 to the Bishop of Bristol respecting Mr. Clapham. 
 I think he should make a point of seeing the Bishop, 
 unless he writes ex|)licitlv to him, that he mav kiKnv 
 what he has to expect 1 am still inclined to think 
 that the opinion of a common lawyer may be useful. 
 A caveat or a rmare Uiipcdlt may be advised. 
 
 " But as the n(jhl is clearly not in Mr. Clnphain, 
 he will of course conduct himself with caution and 
 civility towards the Bishop, lie has not wu-itten to me, 
 and I fear that his intentions are not friendly. I do 
 not know where he is. I shall carrv this to town, 
 and if I hear anvthincr there I will let vou know. We 
 propose to set out for Buckden to-inorrow, and I 
 shall be in town some time next week again. Adieu,
 
 THE RIGUT IIOX. GEORGE EOSE. 89 
 
 my dear Sir. With kindest remembrances to all 
 your circle, 
 
 " Yours ever, most affectionately, . 
 
 " G. Lincoln. 
 
 ** Mr, Pitt talks of going to Bath for a fortnight 
 about the 20th ; but I do not think he will be able to 
 leave town so soon." 
 
 The Bishop of Lincoln to Mr. Rose. 
 
 "Buckden Palace, Dec. 18th, 1804. 
 
 " My DEAR Sir, 
 
 " By a letter which I received from Mr. Pitt, 
 1 learn that the political arrangement to which I 
 alluded in my last letter is likely to take place. I ex- 
 pect to be in town on Thursday, but probably not in 
 time to see Mr. Pitt on that day. I shall, of course, 
 write wlienever I hear anything worth communicating. 
 Mr. Pitt had received no answer to his letter on my 
 business. I have agreed to purchase the manor of 
 Lymington, Woodside Farm, reversion of Lady Dela- 
 ware's cottage, &c. I shall direct this letter to 
 Palace Yard, for the chance of your being called to 
 town. Adieu. 
 
 " Yours ever, most truly and affectionately, 
 
 " G. Lincoln/' 
 
 [When the vacancy in the see of Canterbury actu- 
 ally occurred, the King insisted upon its being given 
 to Dr. Manners Sutton, Bishop of Norwich and Dean
 
 90 ULVRIES AND CORllESPONDENCE OF 
 
 of Windsor. Mr. Pitt acciiiicsced, and the Klw^ nus- 
 took liis accjuicsccnce for approljation, as appears 
 from Mr. Rose's Diary at the end of 1605. — Ed.] 
 
 The Bishop of Lincoln to ^Ir. Rose. 
 
 " Buckdeu Palace, Feb. 4th, 18t)5. 
 
 " ^Iy dear Sir, 
 
 "A thousand tlianks for your letter wliieli 1 
 received yesterday. Tiie kind expressions and feeliufrs 
 of yourself and family respectincf Land)etli, are highly 
 gratifying to //a. 1 am particularly alive to Miss Rose's 
 consoling reflection. 1 r( ally think that 1 am much 
 happier where I am, and therefore, as far as 1 am 
 concerned, I shall remain content at Huckden, as 1 
 have most abundant reason to be. Mr. Pitt's assur- 
 ances and exertions upon the occasion, though not 
 successful, have given me the most heartfelt satisfaction. 
 1 had a most kind letter from him the l)eginning of last 
 week, which implied that he had acquiesced. The 
 triumphs and exultations will give me personally no 
 piiin. I rather mean on my own private account — 
 but I entirely aGjrec with you that this defeat may be 
 of serious mischief upon public grounds. And, indeed, 
 I know persons of great consequence who will con- 
 sider Mr. Pitt's acquiescence as very uncreditable to 
 liim — and who are represented to me as waiting for 
 the result of this striip-dc. I am confident that .Mr. 
 Pitt has not the slightest idea of resigning or being 
 forced out, and that he looks forward to a long con- 
 tinuance in ofhce. I regret, from the bottom of my 
 heart, that you have had no private conversation with
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 91 
 
 him, but still I contend that tins inattention does not 
 proceed from want of regard for you. It is a part of 
 his natural character, increased by incessant pressing 
 business, and long habits of office ; I might add, long 
 possession of power. You will perhaps smile when I 
 mention a further cause, which may appear trifling — 
 but, I am myself persuaded that his lying so late in 
 bed in a morning prevents his seeing and talking with 
 many persons to whom he might otherwise be able to 
 show attention. He is too late for anything. Business 
 presses which mud be done. Whatever can be put 
 off is put off, and by this procrastination, many things, 
 which, though they belong to no particular day, ought 
 to be done soon, are never done at all. I lament this 
 disposition in Mr. Pitt more than I can express. I 
 know that it is mischievous to himself and painful to 
 his best friends — to those for wliom he has a real 
 regard. I am far from justifying Mr. Pitt's silence 
 and reserve towards you, but I am very anxious that 
 you should understand its real cause, and see it in its 
 true light. Do not impute it, notwithstanding appear- 
 ances, to any diminution of regard towards you, or to 
 any want of confidence. Perhaps he may not feel all 
 the energy which he did twenty years ago ; and even 
 conversation upon matters of business and explanation 
 of conduct may gi'ow in some degree fatiguing to him. 
 I really believe it does, and that he finds solitude and 
 entire rest sometimes necessary to him. Look at his 
 colleagues, and you will be satisfied that he must have 
 many things to do, even of detail, in their depart- 
 ments. All this must be felt by a constitution certainly
 
 92 DIARIES AND C'ORllESPONDENCE OF 
 
 not in its full vigour. I am sure you arc the last man 
 not to make allowances for considerations of this kind; 
 and you will also be conviuci-d that the critical 
 situation of the country, both as to domestic and 
 foreign atlairs, may at times alfcet .Mr. Pitt's mind in 
 its present state, and tliat his spirits niav, now and 
 tlicu at least, sutler a dejjression which may give a 
 colour to to his external beliaviour and manner. 
 
 ■ Yours ever, most truly and affectionately, 
 
 '• (J. Lincoln." 
 
 [Mr. Pitt comunicatcd the pn^gress of his negotia- 
 tions with Mr. Addington to tiie Hishop of Lincoln 
 only, knowing that the otiier iVicnd was so adverse to 
 the whole of that policy that it was useless to look to 
 him for any sympathy. It may be thought that the 
 Bishop had shown (piite as much bitterness against 
 that party as Mr. Rose; but the Bishop, though bold 
 in his letters, was more timid in the presence of Mr. 
 Pitt, lie was not so })lain spoken and persevering as 
 Mr. Rose in the assertion of liis own opinion. The 
 diftercnt phases of the negotiation therefore are ex- 
 hibited only in these letters. — Ed.] 
 
 The Bishop of Lincoln to Mu. Rose. 
 
 "Deanery, St. Paul's, Dec. 22d, 1804: 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " I dined yesterday with Mr. Pitt, and had a 
 long conversation with him after the company went 
 away. He and Mr. A. are to meet to-morrow, and I
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 93 
 
 am inclined to think that the arrangement will take 
 place almost immediately, but I am not entirely with- 
 out hope that it may stand over for a short time, and 
 that Mr. A. will support. "^Jliis would, I think, be 
 better. There is some difficulty about Lord Buckinor- 
 hamshire, for whom Mr. A. thinks it right to stipvdate. 
 I do not apprehend that Mr. Tierney will have office or 
 give support ; he will remain probably with the Prince. 
 Mr. Pitt thinks that by this junction he shall gain 
 great strength, as it will unite all persons who do 
 not wish the King to be forced to take Fox. Mr. 
 Pitt has fixed to set out for Bath on Wednesday. My 
 own opinion is that he will not go at all ; certainly not 
 unless Mr. B. Prere comes very soon. 
 
 " I shall see Mr. Pitt on Monday, on his way from 
 Lord Hawkesbury's to Long's. If I learn anything 
 you may depend upon hearing from me. Adieu. 
 Every good wish to you and yours. 
 
 " Yours ever, most cordially, 
 
 " G. Lincoln." 
 
 The Bishop of Lincoln to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Fulham Palace, Dec. 27th, 1804. 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 "Mr. Pitt was not in town from Saturday till 
 yesterday, and it was so late when I saw him that I 
 had not time to write to you, being engaged to dine 
 here, and now I shall have leisure only to state a few 
 facts and circumstances without any comment, 
 
 " Mr. Pitt was preparing to go and dine at Rich- 
 mond with Mr. Addington. He expressed himself
 
 94 DIARIES AND CORRESVONDESCE OF 
 
 perfectly satisfied with the interview on Sunday, and 
 rehited to me the principal things which passed. It 
 was not settled what particular olliee Mr. A. is to 
 have. Two oltices arc to be opened tor two of Mr. 
 A.'s friends, of whom brother llih-y will probably not 
 be one, in which Mr. V. thought Mr. A. judged 
 rightly. Lord Charles Spencer will probably resign 
 the Fost-Olliee, sotnc moderate pension being to l)e 
 given to himself and a provision made for his son. This 
 will niaki" an opening for Lord Huckinghauishirc, who 
 is to be in the cabinet. I stated to Mr. Pitt how 
 much better it would be that all this should be 
 deferred for some months, and that in the mean time 
 Mr. A. and his friends should support. !Mr. Pitt 
 thought that tliis could not be accomplished, and 
 assiijned some reasons. The whole was to be talked 
 over yesterday after dinner. Mr. IMtt saw Lord 
 Ilarrowby last Saturday for an hour and a-half. lb' is 
 pretty well recovered from his fall, but his general 
 health is such as to make it impossible he should 
 attend to the duties of his office for many months. 
 He is anxious to resi!z;n ; and Ladv llarrowbv, whom 
 Mr. Pitt saw, is convinced that it is neces.sary, 
 although she was originally very eager for his taking 
 office. Indeed, continuance in office without being 
 able to do anvthintc would, with his anxious mind, 
 probably be very injurious to him. He is therefore to 
 give up the seals, and I am inclined to think that 
 Lord ^lulgrave will succeed him. Perhaps the Duke 
 of Portland may remain in his present situation ; but 
 this is doubtful.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 95 
 
 " Mr. Pitt was in high spirits. He talked of 
 going to Bath on Saturday or Sunday, if the wind 
 continues east, and sending to Plymouth and Fal- 
 mouth, and desiring that Mr. B. Frere, if he should 
 arrive, would go to Bath, instead of going directly to 
 town. Mr. Pitt would return to town about the 
 9th ; but I am of opinion, upon the whole, that he 
 will not go, and more especially as there is some 
 important Russian business which must be settled 
 before he can leave town, exclusive of this political 
 arrangement ; and he must also go to Windsor, 
 which, indeed, he might perhaps do on his way to 
 Bath. On the other hand, he may perhaps want to 
 return to town after he has seen his Majesty. 
 
 " I shall remain quietly here to-day, and intend to 
 be in Downing Street to-morrow morning, before Mr. 
 Pitt's breakfast hour, for the chance of getting some 
 conversation with him. I shall not leave town till 
 after morning service at St. Paul's, on Monday, and 
 perhaps not even then, though I am very anxious to 
 pass New Year's Day with j\Irs. Tomline and our 
 three boys. W. G. is to come from Cambridge for 
 three or four days only ; but, if Mr. Pitt goes to 
 Bath, there will certainly be nothing to detain me ir 
 town. 
 
 " I saw Mr. Clapham yesterday, and I conclude 
 that he has communicated to you the particulars of 
 his interview with the Bishop of Bristol. His busi- 
 ness seems in a fair way. 
 
 " I do not wonder, my good friend, at your feelings 
 expressed in your last letter. Of the degree of strength
 
 9G DIAHIES AN' I) COIITIESPONDEXCE OF 
 
 \^\nc\i Mr. Pitt will gain from this junction, or whether 
 sufficient strength might have been gained without it, 
 I can myself form no judgment. That stnMigHi was 
 wanted, is agreed on all hands. Vnion with Mr. Fo.x 
 in the j)n'sent reign is absolutely impossible. To 
 gain the (irenvilles without Fox was hopeless, and 
 their mnnbcrs would not have l)een considerable 
 separately taken. Fox and Addington would then 
 have joined, if not at first, in time ; and, though this 
 might havi' hurt the eharaetrr of both, they would 
 have soon acted together in oj)position. Ihit any 
 speculation u[)on this point is worth nothing, as I am 
 satisfied from what i latelv heard that vou cannot 
 liave the (irenvilles without Fox. 1 will not, how- 
 ever (and, indeed, there is not time), reason i\[nm this 
 very uni)leasant subject. We shall soon meet, and 
 talk it over ; and, in the meantime, 1 trust you will 
 not form any resolution of the kind to which you 
 allude in vour last letter. Had I been at Buckdcn, 
 JiOrd and Lady Grenville w^ould have dined and slept 
 there yesterday, the very day Mr. P. dined with 
 Mr. A. What a paragraph for the newspapers ! 
 
 " I expect to see Lord G. at Buckden, on his way 
 to Lord Carvsfort's. Tie has i)romised. Adieu. 
 " xVlways most affectionately and truly yours, 
 
 " G. Lincoln."
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 97 
 
 [Mr, Rose was perhaps a little too sensitive ; but 
 great attachment is apt to be jealous, and, it appears, 
 he entertained some misgiving that Mr. Pitt's affec- 
 tion for him had cooled ; and, if there was any foun- 
 dation for it, it may have arisen from the opposite 
 views which they entertained about the alliance with 
 Mr. Addington ; for Mr. Pitt, never implacable, had 
 resumed his habits of friendship with his former 
 friends, of which Mr, Wilberforce gives this account, 
 " I am sure," Mr. Pitt said, " you are glad to hear 
 that Addington and I are one again ; " and then 
 he added, with a sweetness of manner which I shall 
 never forget — " I think they are a little hard upon us 
 in finding fault with us for making it up again, when 
 we have been friends from our childhood." But all 
 the complaint that appears is of inattention ; and 
 there seems to have been a suspension of correspond- 
 ence about this time, between Mr. Rose and Mr. Pitt, 
 the only grievance may have been that his letters were 
 not answered ; and, if so, the testimony of Lord Gren- 
 ville, who knew Mr. Pitt well, should be remembered, 
 that he had contracted a bad habit of not answering 
 letters. That there was no real diminution of regard, 
 is evident from the following letter, for it seems to 
 have been the uppermost thing in his thoughts to 
 inquire of a better correspondent what Rose thought 
 of his plans ; and the kindness with which he spoke of 
 him proved that his feelings towards him were un- 
 changed. — Ed.] 
 
 VOL. II. H
 
 98 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 The J^isiiop of Lincoln to .Mu. Rose. 
 
 " Doanory, St. Paul's, Dec. 20th, 1804. 
 
 " Mt Dear Sir, 
 
 " T read your letter, wliieli I found upon my 
 coming from St. Paul's this morning, on my way to 
 Downing Street. I went to Mr. I'itt, in his dressing- 
 room, whieh he was just leaving ; and he was scarcely 
 seated at his breakfast table, when he said, ' Have 
 you heard from Rose lately? Does he know what is 
 going on?' 1 told him that I had given you a general 
 idea of the business, as I concluded he (Mr. Pitt) wouhl 
 have no objection. ' Quite otherwise, for I have intended 
 to write to hiiu myself, but could never find leisure. I 
 am ghid he knows it from you. What does he say ?' 
 This would in any case have been rather a puzzling 
 question, and especially after reading your letter. My 
 answer was to this effect : — That you witc convinced of 
 the necessity of additional strength, but you were in- 
 clined to think that sufficient strength might perhaps 
 have been gained without a junction with Addington ; 
 that you certainly had no reason to be ])artial to 
 Addington, but that you as certainly felt no resent- 
 ment towards him ; that yom* attachment to Mr. Pitt 
 would lead you to think favourably of any measure 
 which he might think necessary ; and that you were 
 desirous of hearing from Mr. Pitt hmiself the reasons 
 which had induced him to take this step, before you 
 delivered any positive opinion, and especially as you 
 hoped so soon to have an opportunity of conversing 
 with him.
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 99 
 
 " Have I done or said more than I ought ? Mr. 
 Pitt then talked about you in the kindest manner, 
 said that you had taken the greatest pains with 
 your present office, and were bringing it into most 
 excellent order. He said that he Avould write to 
 you to-day, if possible ; if not, upon his road to Bath. 
 He still talks of setting out to-morrow. 
 
 " Indeed, my good friend, be assured Mr. Pitt has 
 a sincere regard for you, and a high opinion of your 
 merit. That he has sometimes treated you with 
 inattention, is not to be denied 3 but this is a part 
 of Mr. Pitt's character, and I could — in my long and 
 intimate acquaintance with him, and after watching him 
 so many years — relate such instances as you would 
 scarcely believe. Banish all idea of an opposite kind 
 from your mind, if you have any reliance upon my 
 veracity and judgment. I am confident of what I say. 
 
 " Your warm and affectionate heart has led you 
 now and then to draw conclusions which were as un- 
 just to Mr. Pitt as they were painful to yourself ; in- 
 deed, they Avere unjust to yourself also. I have been 
 sadly interrupted, or I would have written at more 
 length upon this subject, which I earnestly wished, 
 because I know that it concerns the happiness of you 
 and yours ; — but I must conclude. I am going to an 
 early and short dinner with Mr. Pitt, that he may pre- 
 pare for his Bath journey, of which I have still some 
 doubts. I shall leave town on Monday. Let me 
 hear from you. Kindest compliments. 
 
 " Yom's, ever cordially, 
 
 " G. Lincoln. 
 H 2
 
 100 DLiRIES AND COKRESrONDENCK OF 
 
 " Recollect that there was no difference of principle 
 between Mr. A. and Mr. \\, and tiiat Mr. \\ ridiculed 
 him as First j\finister. Tiic Kiii^ij approves of Lord 
 Muli^'rave. Nothing new about the arrangement. 
 Mr. Pitt agreed to meet Mr. A. yesterday, at Hat- 
 sells. Mr. A. came to town on purpose, and, alter 
 waiting an hour and a half, he sent to Downing Street 
 to inquire after Mr. Pill. The answer was that he 
 was gone to Windsor, ami was not expected hack for 
 several ho\u's ! Mr. Pitt forgot the ap[)ointment 
 that they were to meet to-day. 
 
 [The next portion of Mr. Rose's diary, from \\)\'\\ 
 to June 1804, is valuable because it furnishes another 
 useful lesson to historians, warning them to beware 
 how they adopt the impressions, or belief, or misrepre- 
 sentations of contemporary writers who are not eye- 
 witnesses of what they relate ; and who, to use the 
 language of Lord Brougham, have " a proneness to 
 prejudice in favour of opinions resembling their own, 
 a blindness to the defects of those who hold them, 
 and a prepossession against those who hold them 
 not." But especially is this the case with those who 
 are rivals in political warfare. Party zeal, exasperated 
 by disappointed ambition, ))roduces an obliquity of 
 mental vision which leads them astray far from the 
 straight line of fact. They endjracc falsehood for 
 truth, in order to impute ill motives to those whom 
 they dislike. Thus the Diary shows incontrovertibly
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 101 
 
 that the writers of the i)arty opposed to Mr. Pitt 
 were utterly wrong in tlicir representations of what 
 occurred on his return to power in this year. The 
 Marquis of Buckingham was wrong in stating tliat he 
 was not particularly solicitous for the combination of 
 talent that Lord Grenville considered was demanded 
 by the position of the country ; and that he took 
 advantage of the consistency of more disinterested 
 politicians, to exclude them from any share in the 
 government.' 
 
 Mr. Thomas Grenville was wrono; in statin 2; that 
 Mr. Pitt had a reluctance to the oro-anization of a 
 strong government; and that when an opportunity 
 came for reunion (with the Grenvillites), he hesitated, 
 dallied, and then strove to go on in the old course.^ 
 Lord Grenville was wrong in stating that his hope of 
 uniting the leading parties, and using all the talents 
 and exertions of public men to heal the distractions of 
 the country was " now desperate ; firstly, by the great 
 misconduct of Pitt, who might have realized it, but 
 refused to do so ; and secondly, by the violence of my 
 own friends, some of whom never wished the thing 
 to succeed." The only truth here is contained in the 
 second clause, and concurs with what Lord Grenville's 
 brother had previously stated, that most of Pox's 
 friends wished to drive the opposition to a union 
 with Addington, to the exclusion of Mr. Pitt.^ Lord 
 Holland, less bitter, because less personally interested 
 
 1 Letters, vol. iii. p. 356. - Ibid. p. 432. •■* Vol. iv. p. 9.
 
 102 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 than the others, is still very wrong in asserting that 
 Mr. Pitt's endeavour to prevail on thi- King to admit 
 all parties into his cabinet, was a faint endeavour, 
 and that he found the prejudice against inei> and 
 measures insurmountable. 
 
 There was but one man against whom his prejudice 
 was insurmountable, and it was for the sake of that 
 one man that all the rest were excluded — not by 
 Mr. Pitt, nor by the King, but by themselves.' 
 Brougham, Avhose monomania against George III. 
 breaks out on every occasion, is wrong in another 
 way when he says that " it was discreditable to Mr. 
 Pitt, that after pressing Mr. Fox upon the King, as an 
 accession of strcnj^th necessarv for well carrving on the 
 war, he agreed to take otHce without any such accession, 
 rather than thwart the personal antipathy — the capri- 
 cious, the despicable antipathy of that narrow-minded 
 and vindictive Prince against the most illustrious of his 
 subjects." The epithets in either case might better 
 have been omitted. The character of that " most 
 illustrious " man has been already exposed, and it has 
 been shown how justly obnoxious he w^as to the King. 
 But when we add to this, " his disrepute Avith 
 the public," spoken of by Walpole, and his evidence 
 that " the character of Fox would be an inex- 
 haustible fund of objections " to a coalition ; ^ that 
 " the bad character of Fox and his friends would give 
 
 1 Memoirs of the Whig Party, vol. i. p. 192. 
 
 " Lord John Russell's Memoirs of Fox, vol. i, pp. 44 and 53.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 103 
 
 infinite offence ;" and that " his private life alarmed 
 public morality ; " and in addition to all this, Lord 
 John Russell's admission that the intimacy between 
 the Prince of Wales and Mr. Fox greatly exasperated 
 the King, who ascribed his excesses and imprudence 
 to the advice, influence, and manoeuvres of one whose 
 own dissipation afforded plausible grounds for such 
 a suspicion ; — it must be granted that the King's 
 objection to that most illustrious of his subjects was 
 a very respectable antipathy. 
 
 However, this is matter of opinion ; — not so what 
 follows. After relating an anecdote of j\Ir. Long 
 having diverted Mr. Pitt from his intention of going 
 into Brookes's to sup, in 1804, Lord Brougham adds, 
 "When we reflect on the high favour Mr. Pitt was then 
 in with the whigs, and consider the nature of Mr. Fox 
 as well as his own, we can have little doubt of the 
 cordial friendship which such a night would have 
 cemented, and that the union of the tAVO parties would 
 have been complete." ' It is singular that Mr. Rose 
 himself fell into the same mistake, and anticipated 
 great results from the two leaders combining both 
 parties; and therefore it was rather hard upon him, 
 that in the year 1807, when, after the death of Fox, 
 the Grenvillites were intent upon remodelling the 
 administration, Lord Temple objected to treating with 
 the adherents of Mr. Pitt, because Mr. Rose was one 
 
 ' Historical Sketches of Statesmen in the time of George III. 
 vol. i. p. 201.
 
 lOi DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 of them; supposing, no doubt, lliat he sliarcd in tlir 
 imputed cxclusiveness of Mr. Pitt. This was a very 
 great mistake, pardonable enough in the actors of tiiat 
 time, l)y wlioni the private sentiments of the leaders 
 might indeed be conjectured, but were not certainly 
 known; but uiH)ardonable in those who now know 
 exactly how matters really stood, ami the flame that 
 burned so inextinjTuishablv in the breasts of both. 
 
 It would not have been less ridiculous to propose 
 to Napoleon I. and Louis XVIII. to rule over rraucc 
 together, and to unite their followers in one con- 
 cordant administration. The flattery of Virgil could 
 suggest to Augustus that he diviilcd the Roman 
 empire with »lu[)iter ; but Jupiter, if there had been 
 such a person, would have fidminated his thunders 
 loud enough to prove the contrary. The lofty spirit 
 of Mr. Pitt, who for seventeen yeai"s had held undis- 
 puted sway over these realms, was not likely to bow 
 tamely beneath the yoke of Mr. Fox, even though he 
 were " the most illustrious " of Britons ; and so little 
 did the possibility of such an expectation occur to 
 hhn, that, in order to satisfy both his sovereign and 
 his rival, he proposed, in his character of Premier, to 
 send Mr. Fox as an ambassador to some foreign court j 
 and if he could have been contented with being the 
 representative of his sovereign, the King would have 
 ratified the appointment. 
 
 If such a proposal had been communicated to Fox, 
 it Mould have thrown hiui into fits ; for see how he
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 105 
 
 raved at the mere thought of subjection to Pitt 
 in any way. Having heard that his ^Majesty had 
 consented to an extended administration without any 
 exchision, and that six of his party were to be 
 admitted into the cabinet, he proceeds to say, — " I 
 shoukl conceive that either this plan is abandoned, or 
 that such is the impudence of the man, that he con- 
 ceives it not incompatible with this plan, to insist on 
 his own remaining where he is. I can hardly think 
 him audacious enough to make such an overture ; any 
 proposal ought to be, and would be rejected, in which 
 he was to be head." ' 
 
 There is a passage, however, in a letter from Mr. 
 Adair to Mr. Fox, which so completely vindicates the 
 conduct of Mr. Pitt, that it must be here repi-oduced. 
 Mr. Pitt strongly represented to the King the impos- 
 sibility of going on without the assistance of the 
 Opposition ; that the experiments the King had w^ished 
 for had both been made, and both completely failed 
 (alluding to the attempt to detach the Grenvillites 
 from the Foxites, and then to admit the Foxites with 
 the exception of Fox himself). That something else 
 must be resorted to ; for that he would go on no 
 longer. The King mentioned JVIr. Fox's speech (a 
 speech which he had made in the House of Commons, 
 declaring that he would not stand in the way of 
 forming a new administration). Pitt replied it was a 
 most noble one, and that the man who could make 
 
 ' Memoirs of Fox, vol. iv. p. 96.
 
 106 DIARIES AND CORKESrOyDEXCE OF 
 
 it was the fittest to be applied to for advice. On the 
 King's asking whether some proposal could not be 
 made to the Opposition without Mr. Fox, Pitt replied, 
 " They ought not to listen to such a proposal ; and, 
 in my opinion, their acceptance would be of very 
 little use without him." lie then argued the point 
 for some time. 
 
 The King could not deny that there was great 
 good sense in what Mr. Pitt observed, and that the 
 argument stood on very ditterent grounds from what 
 it did last year. ITc said to another person, that his 
 chief objection was that he thought Mr. Fox had a 
 personal dislike to him. The person answered, "Then 
 your ^lajcsty has given a complete refusal to Mr. Pitt? 
 The King said, " No, not that ; he had only taken 
 time to consider, and had told Pitt to patch up as 
 Avell as he could for th(> present." ' 
 
 After such progress had been made, it may now 
 be asked why did the negotiation utterly fail, or 
 rather, why was it carried no further ? Because this 
 " noble speech " was thus meanly explained away to 
 gratify his friends, by that " most illustrious" speaker. 
 To 'My. O'Brien he wrote thus : " I never meant to 
 admit, nor do the words at all convey such a meaning, 
 that such a ministry could be made without my having 
 a principal, or perhaps the principal share in forming 
 it, or that it could be formed at all without Pitt's 
 coming down from his situation at the Treasury, and 
 ^ Memoirs of Fox, toL iv. p. 74.
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE EOSE. 107 
 
 in fact considering the present ministry as annihi- 
 lated ; in which case all such persons as I alluded to 
 (i. e. his own followers), might be consulted on the 
 formation of a new one." 
 
 Nor were these sentiments expressed once only, 
 or to one person confidentially. They were indeed 
 intended to be made known to his friends, who had 
 taken offence at his nobleness. But to Lord Lauder- 
 dale he wrote to the same purpose ; that he had all 
 along held a junction with Mr. Pitt to be not impro- 
 bable but impossible ; that he wanted to ascertain 
 whether there was any possibility of theu' coming in 
 on other terms than submission to Pitt. " If such a 
 possibility exists," said he, '' I am as eager for seizing 
 and improving it, as I am, and I believe always 
 shall be, totally averse from acting under him." 
 
 And again : " The taking anything short of com- 
 plete power would be worse than anything that has 
 yet occmTed." ^ And then, if he had been possessed 
 of that power, how did he propose to use it ? He tells 
 us in a letter to Mr. Grey : " our efforts probably would 
 not lead to forming a party acting decidedly and 
 honestly against the Court, which, after all, is the 
 main object." ^ 
 
 Now, the conclusions to be drawn from all this 
 evidence are these : Pirst, that the King's dislike of 
 Mr. Pox was not capricious and vindictive, but natural 
 and reasonable ; and that he had abundant cause to 
 
 1 Memoirs, vol. iv.'pp. 290 and 130. * Vol. iii. p. 429.
 
 108 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 dread his admission into the cabinet. It is true that 
 when no option was left to him after Mr. I'itt's deatli, 
 and he was o1)Uged to take him into liis councils, the 
 Whig minister became verv amiabK-, and, like the 
 panther in Dryden's fable, — 
 
 " He civilly withdrew his shari>eiiM paws, 
 And pacified his tail, and lick'd his frothy jaws." 
 
 But the King was not sufticientiv versed in the 
 science of physiology to know how nuich the enjoy- 
 ment of high office can tame the ferocity of a Jacobin. 
 Secondly, that if Mr. Pitt took olfice witiiout Mr. 
 Fo.\, it was not his fault, nor yet the King's, who 
 seems to have been in a relenting mood at last, and 
 only asked fur time to reconcile hims«'lf to the idea ; 
 but it was solely and entirely the fault of Mr. Fo.x, 
 who would be contented with nothing less than 
 absolute supremacy. It is true that in his fear lest it 
 should altogether elude his grasp, he once suggested 
 that a third person might be })laced at the head of 
 the Treasury ; the eflfect of which may be better under- 
 stood by comparing it with the somewhat parallel 
 case of Addington and Pitt. They had l)oth been 
 Premiers, and therefore Addington thought they should 
 both be on an equality apparently in the cabinet ; 
 but he proposed virtually to convey all the power to 
 Pitt by placing his brother at the Treasury. In like 
 manner, Pox would submit to no other alternative 
 than that of securing all the power to himself, by
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 109 
 
 placing there some AVhig friend, who would do all 
 his biddino;.' 
 
 If, then, it be true that Pitt " committed a flagrant 
 political crime," by refusing to share power with a 
 man whose life, it is admitted, was a " life of gambling, 
 intrigue, and faction,"^ much more flagrant was the 
 crime of Mr. Fox, in refusing to share power with a 
 man " of spotless reputation." Lastly, then, it is 
 quite obvious that the union of the two parties, to be 
 brought about by the union of their leaders, was 
 an utter impossibility ; and it is wonderful that this 
 conclusion should have escaped the sagacity of Lord 
 Brougham. But there is another charge preferred 
 against Mr, Pitt, which calls for some notice. He is 
 accused of resuming office, which he had resigned, 
 because the King would not consent to the emanci- 
 pation of the Koman Catholics, without making any 
 stipulation for them " on the utterly unconstitutional 
 ground of the King's personal prejudices." ^ Whether 
 it was unconstitutional or not, it has been clearly 
 shown that Mr. Pitt was at least consistent. The same 
 view which he took of that question at the first, he 
 persevered in to the end. But the great Whig leader, 
 Mr. Pox, plainly did not consider it unconstitutional, 
 for he told Lord Grenville, what he and Lord Grey had 
 often agreed upon, that if there was a ministry cordially 
 united on giving the Catholics substantial relief, and 
 
 ' Memoirs of Fox, vol. iv. p. 114. 2 Historical Sketches, vol. i. p. 89. 
 ■^ Historical Sketches, vol. i. p. 201.
 
 110 DIARIES AND CORRESrONDEN'CE OF 
 
 their full share, as far as the law will allow, in the 
 government of the country, he thought some considera- 
 tion, as far at least as delay went, might he had of the 
 King's prejudices, especially in his present state." ' 
 
 One would have scarcely thought it possible that 
 the same person who penned this considerate and 
 reasonable opinion, should have been so inconsistent 
 as to vent his animosity at another time in such terms 
 as these: "Some add that Pitt's refusal is owimj to 
 madness ; it seeming, I suppose, incredible, that if he 
 were in his right senses, he should refuse to do what 
 certainly would be the greatest act of meanness 
 hitherto exhibited, by coming in without arrange- 
 ment of the Catholic business. .My opinion of Pitt 
 is not high, but I own I do not think him capable 
 of this. That he takes the proposal as any other 
 than an insult, is more wonderful to me than anvthing 
 else."^ And yet Fo.x came in himself without any 
 arrangement ; and when Count Stahienbur^h said to 
 him, " Have you no dilliculty respecting the Roman 
 Catholic question ? " he replied, " None at all ; I am 
 determined not to annoy my sovereign by bringin<T it 
 forward." Lord Holland says there was less personal 
 enmity between them than so long a period of politi- 
 cal conflict could be supposed to engender ; but Fox 
 was frequently abusive in speaking of Pitt, but Pitt 
 never so, when naming his rival. 
 
 The first part of .Air. Rose's Diary for 1804 is not 
 
 ' Memoirs of Fox, vol. iv. p..45. » U,d. vol. iii. p. 383.
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEOEGE EOSE. Ill 
 
 sufficiently interesting to be given at full length, but 
 from this sentence there are two passages which must 
 be excepted ; one connected with the character of Lord 
 Thurlow% and the other wdth the conduct of the press. 
 When it was certain that the Addington administra- 
 tion would be broken up, either by its own weakness 
 or by a demise of the Crown, which then seemed very 
 probable, — various rumours were afloat as to who 
 their successors would be. Mr. Rose thought it very 
 improbable that the Prince of Wales would call upon 
 Mr. Pitt to form an Administration ; and he proceeds 
 to say, " I am confirmed in this observation by a 
 certain account, that Lord Thurlow was with the 
 Prince more than two hours this morning. What 
 advice a man can give who has entirely secluded 
 himself from all parties, and every description of 
 gentlemen almost (except an occasional visit to Bright- 
 helmston), living only with low Jacobins, it is difficult 
 to guess." The other passage relates to a visit which 
 Mr. Rose received from the Editor of a paper. " Mr. 
 Herriot," he says, " the Editor of the True Briton and 
 the SuUi with whom I have had no intercourse of any 
 sort for seven or eight years, and whom I never saw 
 more than two or three times in my life, came to me 
 to say, that on the first coming in of the present 
 Administration he took a decided line with them, 
 knowing that Mr. Pitt supported them ; that as long 
 as he did so, Mr. Hiley Addington rode him hard 
 with fulsome eulogiums on his brother, but assisted 
 most materially in circulating his paper ; that since
 
 112 DIARIES AND COTlRESPOyDEN'CE OF 
 
 he took a contrary lino, and attacked tlieir measures, 
 his paper had fallen off, so much as to render it a 
 losing concern. lie added, that he knew the esteem 
 and respect of the country for Mr. Pitt was higher 
 than ever ; but that as he would not manifest to the 
 world his opinion of the incapacity of Ministers, a 
 paper that professed to support him and expose them 
 could not stand." Now this is important, because it 
 is a direct contradirtiDU to Mr. Fox's statement, when 
 he complained to O'Hricn of an incivility to liim in 
 an anonymous li-tter, which he thought Mr. I'itt 
 would not have sanctioned. " ]hd," he adds, "per- 
 haps I am too candid. Rose and his creatures arc 
 the set of Pitt's friends, who have, 1 believe, most to 
 say to the True Brifu/iy^ 
 
 Now this was written just about the time, when 
 Mr. Rose declares in his diary, that he liad not seen 
 the Editor for seven or eight years before ; and in the 
 next place, it appears that the person who had most 
 to do with the True Bri/on, up to the time, or at least 
 as long as :\Ir. Pitt extended his a^gis over that Admi- 
 nistration, was Mr. Ililey Adilington, who so long 
 continued to give it that essential assistance which 
 a Minister can render to a newspaper, Mithout paying 
 for its services. But the complaint is a sufficient proof 
 that the Editor derived no benefit from Mr. Pitt, or 
 his friends; that he was a steadfast partisan of that 
 statesman, and owned allegiance to him as his politi- 
 cal leader, 
 
 ^ Memoii's, vol. iv. p. 21.
 
 THE J^IGIir JIOX. GEORGIO KOSE. 113 
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 1804. 
 
 MR. rose's DIART FROM APRIL 22d TO 15tH JuNE, 1804 — NEGOTIA- 
 TIONS AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR A NEW ADMINISTRATION. 
 
 z' 
 
 Old Palace Yard, April 22d. — Mr. Pitt wrote a 
 long letter to the King, stating that the conduct of his 
 Majesty's ministers, particularly of the one who was at 
 the head of the Administration, rendered it impossible 
 for him, consistently with the sense of duty he felt to 
 his Majesty and the country, to forbear any longer a 
 direct opposition to their measures. That he took the 
 determination reluctantly ; and that he made this 
 communication to his Majesty, previously, from mo- 
 tives of the sincerest respect and consideration for his 
 Majesty. From the 2 2d of April, to May the 2d, 
 there were frequent communications uct bally between 
 the King and Mr. Pitt through the Chancellor, which 
 led to Mr. Pitt writing a letter to his Lordship to be 
 communicated to his Majesty ; having, during that 
 intercourse, been encouraged to submit his thoughts 
 to the King respecting a new Administration, at the 
 head of which he should be. 
 
 May 2d. — Mr. Pitt wrote accordingly to the Chan- 
 cellor, desiring him to submit to his Majesty, how 
 
 VOL. 11. I.
 
 114 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENXE OF 
 
 desirable it would he, in the prcsint circumstances of 
 this country and of Europe, that an Administration 
 should be formed on a broad basis, cond)ining the 
 best talents and the great weight of properly of the 
 country ; and, with that view, earnestly recommended 
 including Lord Grenville and his friends, and Mr. 
 Fox and his friends. Mr. I'itt urged earnestly tiiat 
 in carrying on such a war as wc are engaged in, 
 it would proljably be necessary to adopt measures of 
 finance which wouhl from their pressure unavoidably 
 be unpopular ; and tliat other measures of government 
 might also be found necessary, which wouUl in like 
 manner be rendered unpopular by ])ersons of great 
 talents and active dispositions. That those con- 
 siderations alone would have induced Mr. Pitt to 
 think that the best interests of the country rccpiired 
 a strong Government. On looking abroad, however, 
 with regard to the opinions of foreign courts, nothing 
 would be so likely to give them confidence in this 
 country, as the formati(m of such a Government as lie 
 suggested. And in addition to these reasons, Mr. 
 Pitt stated his firm determination never to agitate the 
 question of Catholic Emancipation again during the 
 King's life; and that he thought the most certain 
 way of ensuring Mr. Fox never stirring it again would 
 be the including him in the new arrangement ; as 
 Mr. Pitt w^ould make the stipulation that he should 
 not move it, nor support it, a sine qua non of such an 
 arrangement. The letter was in a style of the utmost 
 respect towards the King ; but the arguments for in- 
 eluding Mr. Fox were pressed with great eagerness
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 115 
 
 and anxiety, proportioned, indeed, to tlie importance 
 Mr. Pitt attached to the snccess of them, — which he 
 felt most forcibly. Mr. Pitt concluded by entreating 
 the King would not positively decide agahist tlie pro- 
 })osal he had submitted to his Majesty without hearing 
 from him in person his reasons in support of it ; as- 
 suring his ]\Iajesty at the same time that he had 
 formed no engagement which would subject his 
 Majesty to the slightest inconvenience or embarrass- 
 ment whatever. • 
 
 Mai/ 3d. — The letter was sent to the Chancellor in 
 the afternoon, who carried it to his Majesty the next 
 morning. 
 
 Ma^ 4tf/i. — Feeling the same anxiety j\Ir. Pitt did 
 for the formation of an Administration on a broad 
 basis, and conceiving that the Chancellor might be 
 able very much to influence the King's determination 
 on the subject, I wrote to his Lordship a confidential 
 letter, stating that it would be the height of pre- 
 sumption in me if I could suppose I could add 
 anything to the arguments in Mr. Pitt's letter before 
 referred to ; but mixing more with men, and neces- 
 sarily knowing more of their sentiments-, than his 
 Lordshi[), I was desirous of impressing on his mind 
 the importance of forming such an Administration as 
 Mr. Pitt proposed ; persuaded, as I was, that no other 
 could possibly have a chance of maintaining itself for 
 eighteen months. I urged to his Lordship reasons to 
 prove, incontrovertibly, that I could have no possible 
 personal motive for tlic union so anxiously desired ; 
 and expressed a disinclination to trouble his Lordship 
 
 T ^
 
 116 DIARIES AND COIIHESPONDENCK OI" 
 
 personally at such a iiioiuent ; but said I woukl break- 
 fast with his brother. Sir WiUiam Scott, in tlic morn- 
 ins:, in order to talk witli him. 1 eonehided with 
 telling him that my Ictti r re(|uired no answer, nor 
 indeed conld any be given to it. 
 
 The servant, however, brought l)ack a letter iVom 
 his Lordship, evidently written in a state of nuieli 
 agitation, or rather of irritation, at the instant of his 
 reading mine; achnittiiig tin- ditlieulty of the circnni- 
 stances we are in, and tlianking (Jod that he was not 
 accessary to tlie causes which liad produced tiiem. 
 His Lordship said the fori)earance of two or three 
 weeks would have saved tlie Kiiiij, and mi^ht have 
 saved j\Ir. Pitt tlie cruel consequences of making a 
 proposition, in his Lordship's opinion, most seriously 
 injurious to his Majesty, lie conceived there was no 
 medium between Mr. Pitt's trying what 1 thought 
 not lastimi;, and the Kin<]r being destrovcd. That he 
 thought the advice to form an Administration on the 
 basis alluded to, woidd l)e the very worst that could 
 be given ; adding terms of the highest reprobation, 
 and in a style of acrimony. 
 
 I, therefore, declined going to Sir William Scott, i\s 
 utterly hopeless of producing any ctiect : — the Chan- 
 cellor indeed having said, at the conclusion of his 
 letter, that he would not mix his brother in the 
 business. 
 
 Maj/ 5///.— The King wrote to :Mr. Pitt, in answer 
 to the proposals made to his Majesty in Mr. Pitt s 
 letter of the 2d to the Chancellor. From the style of 
 the letter, his Majesty must have been in a state of some
 
 THE KIGHT HON. GEOKGE KOSE. 117 
 
 irritation at the time of writing it.' He exjn'essed deep 
 regret at the opinion entertained by Mr. Pitt of Mr. 
 Addington, whose conduct in the chair of the Honse 
 of Commons for twelve years, and afterwards in so 
 handsomely taking the adnnnistration in the hour of 
 distress, w^hen Mr. Pitt and his colleagues abandoned 
 it, for the sake of a measure wdiich wonld have been 
 most highly dangerous both to the constitution and 
 religion of the kingdom ; and in which his Majesty 
 could not have acquiesced w^ithout a violation of his 
 coronation oath. That before he could consent to 
 Mr. Pitt formino; an Administration he should ex- 
 pect he wonld agree to make an explicit declaration 
 that he would never, at any time, agitate or support 
 the question of Catholic Emancipation or the repeal of 
 the Test Act. That his Majesty highly disapproved of 
 the conduct of the two Secretaries of State ^ who went 
 out of office on the occasion alluded to, one of whom 
 he said had been in a correspondence with a former 
 Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland ; ^ and that the other ^ was 
 governed by obstinacy, his usual disorder. His J\Ia- 
 jesty added, that he hoped ]\Ir. Pitt, in forming a new 
 Administration, wonld include as niiuiy of his present 
 
 ' It is perfectly certain that Mr. Addingtou had been with the 
 King a considerable time before his Majesty wrote this letter ; and 
 there cannot be the shadow of a doubt but that, either by represent- 
 ing his own merits, or complaining of the conduct of others, he con- 
 tributed to, if not entirely occasioned, the irritation under which 
 this letter was written. 
 
 ^ Lord Grenville and Mr. Dundas. 
 
 ^ Alluding to Lord Melville's correspondence with Loixl Corn- 
 wallis. 
 
 ■* Lord Grenville.
 
 118 DIARIES AND COKllESPONDENCE OF 
 
 servants as possible. To the admission of Mr. Fox 
 in it the King expressed an absolute negative ; 
 saying, that he had been expelled from tlie Privy 
 Council for his conduct, and that no consideration 
 should prevail with him to accept him now as one of 
 his ministers.' 
 
 To that letter from the King Mr. I'ltt wrote a very 
 temperate and respectful answer; j)roposing to attend 
 his Majesty whenever he would ])ermit hiiu ; vindica- 
 ting the conduct ot' lumself, Lord (irenville, and 
 Lord Melville ; and reminding his Majesty of the 
 recpiest he before made to him of being iieard person- 
 ally in support of the measure of an Administration 
 being formed on a broad basis. 
 
 I thought it essential before Mr. Pitt .shoulil see tlic 
 King, to put him in possession of the state of parties 
 as far as respected those who would be likely to be in 
 opposition to a Government formed by him to the 
 exclusion of Mr. Pox, Lord Grenville, &c. &c. in the 
 event of his not being able to carry his point for 
 them ; in order to which Mr. Lonf' and mvself 
 made np lists of persons, in each party, with the 
 greatest possible attention and care. The result was, 
 as under : — 
 
 ' The contents of this letter were soon known to the Prince of 
 Wales, and others ; which arose from copies of it having been made 
 by the King's order, by :Mr. Simmons, the son of the Physician from 
 St. Luke's, who attended his Majesty ; one of which was read before 
 one or two of the royal dukes. But the circumstance gave occasion 
 to a malevolent report that the letter was shown to Dr. Simmons 
 himself before it was sent to Mr. Pitt.
 
 RISH. 
 
 TOTAL. 
 
 12 
 
 41 
 
 9 
 
 79 
 
 1 
 
 23 
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 119 
 
 ENGLISH. 
 
 The Prince 29 
 
 Mr. Fox 70 
 
 Lord Grenville 22 
 
 Mr. Addiugton, includiug persons who j 
 
 would oppose from former disappoint- [^ 60 8 68 
 
 ment, &o 
 
 Doubtful persons, of whom we have 
 some knowledge, 58 ; suppose only 
 
 half of these against 
 
 240 
 
 leaving 70 Irish members, and many Englisli ones, 
 quite micertaiii. From hence it followed, that adding 
 only 30 more as acjainst us from the uncertain mem- 
 bers (a sanguine estimate), there would be in the 
 whole a strength of 270 opposed to us at the first 
 onset. That statement Mr. Long undertook to convey 
 to Mr. Pitt in the evening. 
 
 In the course of the day I had much conversation 
 with j\Ir. Pitt about the formation of his new Govern- 
 ment, under the discouragement in the King's letter 
 respecting ^Ir. Fox, Lord Grenville, &c. He expressed 
 a hope of being allowed to include the latter, which at 
 once struck me to be quite a vain one ; because, if the 
 King should give way, there could not be a chance, after 
 what we had recently seen of the intercourse or under- 
 standnig between the Grenvilles and Mr. Fox, that the 
 former could entertain a tliougUt of taking othce with- 
 out the latter. In that event, Mr. Pitt said he thought 
 he could form a good and permanent administration 
 without them. I expressedyrra^ doubts on three points, 
 ist. As to members in the House of Commons ; 2d. 
 as to speakers there ; and 3d. as to filling the great
 
 120 DIARIES AND COllKKSPONDENCE OF 
 
 offices. The first was k't't tor consideration ; the second 
 he thonpjht lie sliould nrr!Uip:o very well ; — reckoning 
 Lord Cnstlereagli, the Attorney-General, Canning, 
 Stnrires Bourne, with one or two more of that chiss ; 
 and getting Adam to be Solicitor-General, with a ])ro- 
 babilitv of having Mr. Tierncv,' to which he was 
 encouraged by Mr. Long. Mr. Adam apjicariug to 
 me to bi- unhkely to take office, as well from iiis con- 
 nexion with Mr. I'oxasfrom his dislike to entering again 
 into politics so late in life, and giving uj) great gains 
 in the House of Commons business, — I asked Mr. 
 Pitt who he would think of if Adam shnuhi decline? 
 and he mentioned Homilly in ])reference to Mr. Dallas, 
 now in the House, or Mr. (Jibbs. ( )n the third ])oint, 
 Mr. ritt mentioned JjOid Melville lor the Admiralty ; 
 Lord Castlereagh, Lord llarrowby, Lord llawkesbury, 
 &c. for other great offices. The lu^alth of Lord Har- 
 rowby occurred to me inunediately as likely to prevent 
 his taking any situation of much labour, or requiring 
 
 ' Respecting the suggestion about Mr. Tieniey, I could say 
 nothing to Mr. Pitt more than de.siring him to con.sidcr that atten- 
 tively in his oicH hiinti, before he should allow any propo.sal to he 
 made to Mr. Tierney, because the effect of it on the jJubUc opinion 
 could be judged of by !Mr. Pitt a.s well as by any one. He too could 
 estimate what sacrifice was worth making to get rid of the (rouhh- 
 Mr. Tierney is capable of giving, — his xnpport not being likely to be 
 valuable. It occurred to me too, that any objections raised by me 
 might possibly be attributed to self-interest. In my mind, however, 
 I was most earnestly against it, mider a conviction that in the pre- 
 sent state of the King's health, by the line the Prince of Wales is 
 taking, Mr. Tierney would refuse ; knowing he could in no way so 
 efifectually make his court to his Royal Highness, and .secure future 
 benefits fiom him. 1 should have been equally against the proi)osal 
 if I had thought he would accept it,— from the discredit of taking 
 him after all that had pa.ssed.
 
 THE HIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 121 
 
 constant attendance. The Chief Justiceship of Chester 
 not having been given away, Mr. Pitt thought of 
 Lord Tlionias Manners having that on retiring from 
 the Solicitor- General's situation. 
 
 May Ifh. — The state of parties made up by Mr.Long 
 and myself yesterday, appearing to meto be so important 
 in the consideration of forming a new administration, 
 I wrote to Mr. Pitt early in the morning (that he 
 might be sure of having my letter before he went to 
 tlie King), re-stating the numbers, with observations, 
 under nn impression that showing that to the King, 
 would convince him of the extreme doubtfulness of a 
 Government being usefully formed without some other 
 aid ; suggesting to Mr. Pitt, in the strongest terms I 
 could express myself in, the mischievous effect that 
 would be produced by a Government being formed bj/ 
 him that could not stand after the overthrow of the 
 former one by the voice of Parliament ; that this country 
 must desjpond, and foreigners despair of us. 
 
 Mr. Pitt went to the King about eleven o'clock. IJc 
 first saw the physicians in attcndajice on his Majesty, 
 who assured him the King was in a state of health and 
 mhid that rendered it most ])erfectly and entirely safe 
 for him to see his Majesty, and to converse with him 
 on any business, even of the most arduous and interest- 
 ing kind ; which opinion they stated in writing, and 
 signed it. 
 
 i\lr. Pitt then went in to his Majesty, who received 
 him with the utmost possible kindness and cordiality. 
 He congratulated his Majesty on his looking better 
 than on his recovery from his last illness; to which his
 
 122 DIA.RIES AND COllRESPOXDENCE OP 
 
 Majesty replied, " tlmt was not to be wondered at, as 
 he was then on tlie j)oint o{ jjartituj with an old friend, 
 and he was now about to regain one." Mr. Pitt then 
 entered on the sul)ject of forming an administration. 
 In the course of the conversation liis .Majesty digressed 
 a good deal when he came to suggestions of .Mr. Pitt's 
 which lie did not like, but always most perfectly 
 rational, and returned to the suggestions exactly at the 
 parts from whieh he went off. "With tlie aj)j)ointiiu'nt 
 of Lord Melvilh' to any office in which he mi''ht Ijc 
 useful lie acquiesced. lie objected a good deal to 
 Lord Grenville, but gave way completely about him ; — 
 to Lord Spencer he made no objection at all, only said 
 he thought a better First Lord of the Admiralty might 
 be found; — to Mr. Windham, in like manner, he did 
 not object ; but said he thought he had better not be 
 placed in any situation of business, " though if hi- had 
 been in the House of Commons, he should have voted 
 with him on some of his (juestions." On Mr. Fox's 
 name being suggested, the King digressed a good deal, 
 but returning to the matter, he said he could not 
 possibly take him into his Cabinet. Mr. Pitt urged 
 the importance of it with all the reasons he could find, 
 and with the utmost earnestness ; but the King w^as 
 quite immovable respecting him. Mr. Pitt then asked 
 his Majesty whether he would object to .Mr. Fox being 
 employed abroad, if by any possibility he should offer 
 himself for a foreign mission, on any occasion that 
 might appear to him to be worthy of his being engaged 
 in it ; to which his Majesty replied, " Not at all." He 
 conhued his objections solely to the bringing Mr. Fox
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 123 
 
 into the Cabinet. On the whole, the impression was 
 strong in Mr. Pitt's mind, that he could have easily 
 prevailed with the King to admit several of jMr. Fox's 
 friends into offices, some into the Cabinet ; and that no 
 difficulty would have occurred in taking care of those 
 about whom he w^as most anxious, by employments of 
 different sorts. Respecting Lord Moira, the getting 
 w^hom (wdth a view^ of conciliating the Prince) appeared 
 to be of importance, Mr. Pitt did not, in the first 
 interview, venture to propose anything, though he 
 was anxious on the subject. The King said jNlr. 
 Addington had forced him upon the Duke of York for 
 the chief command in Scotland., 
 
 The King told ]\Ir. Pitt there -were two or three 
 persons,^ naming them, whom he could not forgive, for 
 voting with Mr. Pitt cujaimt him ; and that he never 
 Avould forget it : which ^Ir. Pitt observed was unfor- 
 tunate, as they were amongst those wdiom he meant to 
 
 ^ One of these was unquestionably Lord Melville. The Duke of 
 Cumljcrland told me soon after I came to town (two or three weeks 
 ago, when dining with him at his own house) that Lord Melville 
 had given the King the most positive and unequivocal assurances 
 that he would never oppose his Majesty's Government. That assur- 
 ance was given at his Lordship's house at Wimbledon, when the 
 King was there at a grand review, in the summer of 1802 ; and was 
 repeated in most distinct terms when his Lordship took leave that 
 year to go to Scotland. This information the Duke of Cumberland 
 had from the King at the review, and more than once since. It 
 explains the reluctance, and indeed refusal, of his Lordsliip to come 
 up lately on Mr. Pitt's summons, till it was evident the Government 
 could not stand. It is confirmed too by the account Lord IMelville 
 gave to Lord Meadowbank (one of the Lords of Session), on his 
 return to Scotland in 1802 — that the King, on his taking leave of 
 his Majesty, was so pleased with him, that he told him he must 
 keep the govei*nment of Scotland in his hands.
 
 124 MARIES AND COUUKSl'ONDEN'CK OF 
 
 propose to liis Majesty for offices, 'i'lic King replied, 
 if they came in as friends of Mr. Pitf's, he shoiiUl not 
 object at all to thcni ; and that Mr. Pitt need be under 
 no uneasiness on that subject. 
 
 The readiness with which his ^rajcsty gave way 
 relative to Lord Grenville, Lord Melville, Lord Spencer, 
 Mr. A^'indhanl, &c., the disjmsition he showed to ac- 
 quiesce with regard to Mr. Fox's friends; the fair 
 opening there appeared to be for Mr. Fox having a 
 Cabinet office soon, by taking the liussian mission, 
 or, by waiting a very few months, or perhaps weeks, 
 at home, till Mr. Pitt could gradually reconcile the 
 King's mind to the measure, atlordcd to Mr. Pitt and 
 others, as well as to myself, the fairest prospect of an 
 arrangement being made, such as we all most anxiously 
 and cordially wished. 
 
 Mr. Pitt stated all these circumstances, first, to 
 Lord Granville Leveson and Mr. Canning, on iiis 
 return to York Place from the King ; and then more 
 in detail to the Bishoj) of Lincoln and me together. 
 After wliich he went to Lord Grenville, to mention to 
 his Lordship everything that related to him or to 
 Mr. Fox.' 
 
 In the evening, j\h-. Fox's friends and Lord Gren- 
 ville's met both at Camelford House (the residence of 
 the latter) and at Carlton House. At both meetings 
 it was unanimously agreed, and positively decided, that 
 no one of the friends of either of the parties, and at 
 
 ^ Mr. Pitt told me he had determined not to show the King's 
 letter to Lord Grenville, or Mr. Fox, nor to Lord Granville Leveson, 
 nor indued to any friend of Lord Grenville or Mr. Fox.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOUGE ROSE. 125 
 
 Carlton House meeting that no friend of the Prince's, 
 should on any account take any office whatever, 
 unless Mr. Fox should be admitted into the Cabinet 
 directly. 
 
 May d)th. — Found the Bishop of Lincoln with Mr. 
 Pitt, and in talking over occurrences and probable 
 events, Mr. Pitt seemed in the highest spirits possible ; 
 neither he, the Bishop, or myself knowing anything 
 then of the resolutions or proceedings of the meetings 
 at Camelford House or Carlton House ; but an impres- 
 sion on the minds of each of us that so fair an opening 
 presented itself for Fox, as to afford a reasonable cer- 
 tainty that he would not allow it to escape him ; which 
 we had the stronger confidence in, as Mr. Pitt had 
 resolved to meet Mr. Fox at Lord Strafford's, as soon 
 as the Liskeard Committee should break up, on which 
 Mr. Fox was nominee, and to discuss all matters with 
 him in the most cordially open manner possible, wait- 
 ing only to know when he could see him. All our 
 hopes and expectations were, however, soon destroyed 
 by Mr. Canning coming in to announce to him the 
 resolutions of the preceding evening, and to say, 
 that in consequence of these Mr. Fox dechned a meet- 
 ing with Mr. Pitt as useless.' I have no hesitation in 
 owning that in the whole course of my political life no 
 one event ever gave me so sensible a shock ; no one 
 
 ' This was conveyed by a letter from Mr. Fox to Lord Granville 
 Leveson, stating that it could answer no possible good end for liim 
 and Mr. Pitt to meet, after the positive determination of his friends 
 not to make part of any Government from which he should be 
 peremptorily excluded ; declining therefore the meeting with Mr. 
 Pitt in a most unqualified manner.
 
 126 BIAKIES AND COllKESPON DENCE OF 
 
 that I believe I shall feel the effects of m lonq or so 
 severely/. I looked to the union of talents and j)ro- 
 perty projected, as the most probahle means of extri- 
 cating the country, giving vigour to our exertions at 
 home, and procuring us respect abroad ; of iiiabhni; 
 strouG^ measures to be taken when necessarv. cither of 
 finance or police, and of keeping down, in the most effec- 
 tual manner, all dangerous or factious attempts, and all 
 stirring of delicate questions. On thissubject a thousand 
 things crowd into my mind to make me di'epiv, vcr// 
 decpli/ indeed lament the disappointment. It is. I am 
 sure, most strongly to be regretted that .Mr. Titt and 
 Mr. Fox did not meet, as I am firmly persuaded thai 
 if they had, there would have been at least a probabi- 
 lity of matters being set right. 
 
 Lord Grenville wrote to Mr. I'llt, t(j aimounce to 
 him what was decided at the meeting at his house; 
 and to put an end to all i)ossibility of any further 
 expectation of his Lordship, or any of the friends of 
 Mr. Fox or his Lordship's, making a part of the new 
 Administration. 
 
 Mr. Pitt came to me in Palace Yard at four in the 
 afternoon, and afforded me an opportunity to state 
 fully and at leisure everything with which my mind 
 was full, against his attempting to form an Admini- 
 stration with such persons as he could alone hope 
 would engage with him. He then reminded me of 
 what I should have noticed earlier in these Notes, 
 that he had engaged positively to the King, that if, 
 HI a personal conversation with him, he should fail to 
 persuade him to take Mr. Fox into his councils, lie
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 127 
 
 would then endeavour to form an Administration 
 without that gentleman ; which he now found himself 
 bound in honour to do, if possible. To this I replied, 
 that if he could show to his Majesty the strength he 
 would have to contend with, by merely exhibiting to 
 him the lists of parties before stated, with the names 
 of all the persons in each, it must satisfy him that any 
 Government he could form would have no chance of 
 standing, exclusive of the difficulty in filling the offices 
 creditably. I thought his Majesty must, in such case, 
 release him from his engagement; being, however, 
 fully persuaded that he could not redeem his pledge 
 given on any other terms, or in any other way, than 
 by determining not to oppose any Government he 
 could form, not even the last, if the King should 
 choose to restore them. Finding Mr. Pitt incensed 
 against the friends of Mr. Fox and Lord Grenville for 
 their preventing the arrangement he had hoped to 
 form, I suggested to him that his withdrawing himself 
 entirely from the scene at present would be the most 
 mortifying thing that could be conceived for them, as 
 it w^ould leave them a weak and ineffectual Opposition, 
 acting by themselves, and put him in a high point of 
 view. I thought this argument aflected him a little 
 at first,' but he soon roused himself, said he was com- 
 mitted, and would go on, certain that all would do 
 well ; that he should go through the remainder of the 
 
 ' Mr. Pitt is human, and of course not free from human frailties. 
 I think (as observed in the text), he is at present somewhat influenced 
 in making a Government by a desire to satisfy his resentment against 
 Mr. Fox's friends ; and I will fairly own I thought the line I here 
 recommended would most_effectually have attained that end.
 
 128 DIARIES AND COKKESPONDKNCK OF 
 
 session (with a {laiiger of iK-iiig in a minority possibly 
 on one of the Defence Bills) w ithout great eniharrnss- 
 ment; and that in the summer li<> should undouht- 
 edlv be able to stren<j;then the Administration in 
 some way or another. He said l/mt with so much 
 firmness as to render any further attempt to dissuade 
 him iittcrly hopeless, and 1 gave up the point reluc- 
 tantly enough, Heaven knows! under a strong con- 
 viction, that, although Mr. Pitt can lose no character 
 in endeavouring to secure the King against such a 
 force upon him as is in the highest degree unjustifiable 
 to be attempted, yet it is impossible not to see that 
 he risks loss of consequence to a very great extent. 
 If the Opposition shall prevail against him, and lie is 
 removed bv such means, the count rv will not, in anv 
 emergency, look up tu him as they have done; and if, 
 on such an occurrence, another attempt shouKl be 
 made on the King to receive Mr, Fox, and that that, 
 from the dire necessity of the case, should succeed, 
 and a Government should be formed by a junction of 
 parties, Mr. Fox would then naturally have the more 
 weight in the new Government, as he would come in 
 by conquest, and Mr. Pitt would remain in hi/ suffer- 
 ance. The part the Prince of Wales so decidedly 
 takes in the matter, renders the forming an Admini- 
 stration with little more than some of the late Mini- 
 sters (whom we have been holding up to ridicule for a 
 long time) a desperate undertaking; not only on 
 account of the number of his Roval Hitirhness's friends 
 in either house, but that a regular standard being set 
 up at Carlton House will have the effect of a rallying-
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 129 
 
 place for all discontented men to go to ; and it will 
 become a rival Court to that at St. James's. In the 
 event of the King's death or permanent disability, 
 the Government would certainly be put into Mr. Fox's 
 hands, and the recent transaction and intercourse 
 with him will have a considerable effect in lessening 
 the prejudices in the public mind against him. 
 
 After, however, Mr. Pitt had patiently listened to 
 all I/aid, and expressed the firm determination before 
 alluded to, I promised I would not pain him by any 
 revival of the question hereafter. 
 
 May ^tli. — I saw Mr. Pitt in the morning, who 
 received a short letter from the King while I was 
 with him, written remarkably well, and with great 
 kindness of expression, though merely to say he 
 would see him at half-past three, to talk further of 
 arrangements ; but the King concluded with saying 
 that he had read in the Times, not without astonish- 
 ment, "that the Opposition meeting was held at 
 Carlton House." 
 
 Mr. Pitt told me he meant to propose to ]\Ir. Sturges 
 Bourne to be Secretary to the Treasury. 
 
 May\Wi. — Was with Mr. Pitt in the morning; 
 nothing, however, passed that could tend to throw any 
 light on what was passing. Mr. Long moved Mr. 
 Pitt's writ on his acceptance of the office of Chancellor 
 of the Exchequer and First Lord of the Treasury. 
 Mr. Sturges Bourne told me he had at once agreed to 
 accept the office of Secretary to the Treasury on Mr. 
 Pitt offering it to him, though very much against his 
 liking, and solely from attachment to Mr. Pitt; on 
 
 VOL. II. K
 
 laU DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 coudition however, expressly, that he shoukl not have 
 the department of Finance. 
 
 Matters being thus so far settled as to be abso- 
 lutely decisive respecting Mr. Pitt jjutting himself at 
 the head of the new Administration, it is impossible 
 to avoid some reflections on the subject. It is per- 
 fectly clear to me that in taking the determination, 
 Mr. Pitt has not acted on his own cool and temperate 
 judgment, nor entirely on the advice of others, though 
 he has been much influenced by the latter. He has 
 in this, as in former instances, been a little led by 
 resentment against political op[)onents. He certainly 
 felt somewhat indignant at the conduct of those who 
 drove him, and through him the King, so hard, on the 
 admission of Mr. Fox iiiuitodiatflij into the Cabinet; 
 considering it as overbearing, inexcusable, and intole- 
 rable to him to be so dictated to. He was desirous, 
 therefore, to show Lord Grenville and that set (whom 
 he blamed by much the most), that he could form a 
 Government that would stand without them. At the 
 same time, I am persuaded, he had strong opinions 
 urged upon him as to the expediency of forming an 
 administration on the basis of such an arrangement as is 
 now making; and I have not the shghtest doubt but that 
 Lord Melville is the principal adviser of that measui'e. 
 His eager impatience for ottice was manifested beyond 
 all dispute in the earlier negotiations, and he knew that, 
 by the exclusion of Lord GrenviUe's and Mr. Fox's 
 parties, he should be sure of obtaining his favoiu-ite 
 object of being First Lord of the Admiralty, in which 
 situation he will have full scope for all he is desirous
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 131 
 
 of. I have good reason for believing too, that the 
 state of numbers, in the parties of Mr. Fox and Lord 
 Grenville, and of persons influenced by the Prince, as 
 made up by Mr. Long and me on the 6th, has been 
 iuvahdated where it ought not to have been,^ because 
 Mr. Pitt expressed a strong opinion that that list 
 had been made up with more despondency than 
 the case required. On the other hand, some of 
 Mr. Pitt's most valuable and disinterested friends 
 think he does right in the present course he is pur- 
 suing ; Lord Bathurst personally told me so, and 
 said at the same time that Lord Harrowby entirely 
 approves it ; that the latter is too unwell, and the 
 future prospect of his health too unpromising for him 
 to take any situation of constant labour and attend- 
 ance, but that he agrees to be of the Cabinet, and 
 will probably preside in the Committee of Trade. The 
 country mai/, and I hope will, be with j\L\ Pitt, under 
 a just impression that he is making a manly and well- 
 principled struggle. If it should take that line, I shall 
 myself not despond of a very tolerable parliamentary 
 support. Our greatest weakness will be in what I before 
 observed, — filling the offices usefully and creditably; 
 and particularly with persons who will be able to assist 
 essentially in debate ; being now convinced that the 
 King will be as anxious for the cause of the new Go- 
 vernment as he ever was for any ; seeing clearly that 
 their continuance must be his best protection against 
 what he must dread, and that in consequence thereof 
 
 1 Subsequent information, perfectly to be relied on, confii-ms thia 
 conjectvu-e. — May 17th, 1804. 
 
 K 2
 
 132 DIARIES AND COllRESPONDEXCE OF 
 
 all those who consider themselves as his t'ricnds will 
 be hearty, uniform, and steaihi in their snpport, whieh 
 will make a most essential difterencc in any com})u- 
 tation of strength. 
 
 May Wth. — Mr. lluskisson fixed to be joint Secre- 
 tary of the Treasury witli Mr. Sturges Bourne; the 
 office having been refused to Mr. John King, when 
 applied for in his favour by the Duke of Portland. 
 
 The Secretaryship at 'War reserved for Mr. Canning, 
 who had left town on the negotiation with Mr. Fox 
 and Lord Grenville breaking off. 
 
 Lord Stafford will support Mr. Pitt, and also Lord 
 Granville Leveson ; but neither will take olliee. 
 
 Sir Henry Milduiay eagerly approves of the line 
 Mr. Pitt is pursuing. 
 
 Sir Robert Lawley declares he will retire into the 
 country, and leave j)ulitieal matters altogether, for the 
 present. 
 
 Mat/ \1th. — Mr. Pitt expressed to me a very anxious 
 wish that I would accept the Vice-Presidentship of 
 the Board of Trade, with a Privy-Councillor's office ; 
 telling me at the same time that he meant to propose 
 to the Duke of Montrose to be President, and to offer 
 his Grace the Post-Office. 
 
 Meaning these notes as memoranda of what passed 
 from day to day on public matters, I forbear to say 
 anything about myself more particularly than about 
 others, and because those into whose hands they will 
 fall will know everything that respects me. 
 
 Mr. Pitt told me at the same time that he meant the 
 Chancellor should remain ; that Lord Harrowbv had
 
 THE RIGHT HOX. GEORGE ROSE. 133 
 
 agreed to accept tlie seals as Secretary of State, and 
 that he hoped to prevail on Lord Ilawkesbiiry to give 
 up to him the foreign department ; that Lord Camden 
 will be Secretary of State for the War Department ; 
 Lord Hawkesbury going to the Home, as Mr. Pitt 
 hoped at least ; Lord Mnlgravc to be Chancellor of 
 the Duchy and in the Cabinet [surely if his Lordshi]) 
 is to be a Cabinet Minister, it would l)e more fit for 
 him to be Secretary of State for the War Department; 
 the Duchy might suit Lord Camden] ; the Earl of 
 Westmoreland to remain Privy Seal ; and the Earl of 
 Chatham at the Head of the Ordnance. Lord Salis- 
 bury to be removed from the Chamberlainship, but no 
 successor thought of. 
 
 3Iai/ Vofh. — Mr. Pitt told me the Attorney and 
 Solicitor General would remain in their offices; the 
 latter preferring his present situation to the Chief Jus- 
 ticeship of Chester, vacant by the promotion of Mr. 
 IMansfield to the Common Pleas. Lord Pembroke 
 declines the offer of succeeding Lord Salisbury ; Lord 
 Dartmouth is therefore to have the office, and the 
 Earl of Aylesford to succeed him as Lord Steward, 
 which opens the Band of Pensioners, of whom his 
 Lordship is Captain. And his Majesty having ex- 
 pressed an earnest wish to Mr. Pitt that something 
 might be found for Lord Ilobart, Mr. Pitt proposed 
 to his Majesty to give his Lordship the Captainship 
 of the Band of Pensioners. 
 
 On talking of Lord Auckland's probable distress on 
 being removed from the Post-Office to make room for 
 the Duke of Montrose, it occurred that he would not
 
 134 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDEyCE OF 
 
 lose more than 700/. a year by it, as liis pension will 
 revert to him ; and Mr. Pitt said he should bi' glad to 
 indemnify him for that, by perhaps some })rovision for 
 his son, who is a promising young man. Doubt en- 
 tertained whether Lord Charles Spencer should be 
 allowed to remain in the other joint Post mastership, 
 to secure the Duke of Marlborough's support ; one 
 nephew of the Duke's having a scat at the Board of 
 Stamps, and another either appointed Ileceiver-Cjene- 
 ral of Oxfordshire, or the otliee held for him. 
 
 May 14///. — This morning Mr. Pitt mentioned to 
 me his intention of proposing to the King my being 
 joint Paymaster of the Army, to which comnuniication 
 I answered, that without affecting absolute indifference 
 about myself, T could not resist saying that 1 was 
 beyond all comparison more anxious for my son, 
 whose education and rpialitications most peculiarly 
 fitted him for the foreicrn line. More I will not here 
 take notice of with respect to either of us for the reason 
 previously assigned. Mr. Steele to be removed from 
 the Pay-Office, and Mr. Ililey Addington, of course ; 
 Mr. John Smyth from the Mint; and Mr. Wallace 
 from the Board of Control. The Cabinet settled as 
 follows : — 
 
 Lord Eldon, Chancellor. 
 
 Mr. Pitt, First Lord of Treasury. 
 
 Lord Melville, First Lord of Admiralty. 
 
 Lord Hawkesbury, Home \ 
 
 Lord Camden, War V Secretaries of State. 
 
 Lord HaiTowby, Foreign ) 
 
 Lord Westmoreland, Privy Seal. 
 
 Lord Chatham, Master of Ordnance,
 
 THE RIGHT HO]S\ GEORGE ROSE. 135 
 
 Lord Castlereagh, Board of Control. 
 
 Duke of Montrose, President of Ti-ade, and Postmaster. 
 
 Lord Mulgrave, Chancellor of the Duchy. 
 
 Duke of Portland, President of the Council. 
 
 The Marquis of Hertford to be Master of the 
 Horse, in the room of the Earl of Chesterfield. 
 
 The Earl of Chesterfield to have the vacant Garter. 
 
 Lord Hobart refuses the Band of Pensioners ; his 
 Lordship is therefore afloat, and the office is to be dis- 
 posed of. I think it is 2,000/. or 2,500/. a-year. 
 
 Mr. Pitt told me he had not thought of any one to 
 be Secretary at War. 
 
 Mr. Canning to be Treasurer of the Navy. 
 
 Mr. Tierney had also the offer of remaining as 
 Treasurer of the Navy : he certainly thought Carlton 
 House the better speculation. 
 
 May 15///. — I had received the King's commands 
 to kiss hands on my appointments to the Pay-Office 
 and Committee of Trade, but was prevented from 
 obeying them by being confined in a committee on the 
 Liskeard returns. 
 
 May 16///. — I was occupied till three o'clock this 
 day in the committee above-mentioned, which pre- 
 vented my seeing Mr. Pitt in the com'sc of it; and 
 nothing interesting occurred. 
 
 The Duke of Cumberland (whom I met at dinner) 
 inquisitive to know whether the Opposition meeting 
 was actually held at Carlton House ; to which I re- 
 plied I really knew nothing certain about it. His Royal 
 Highness expressed his surprise that his brother of 
 Clarence should have decided on hostility against the
 
 130 DIARIES AND COKUESPONDENCE OF 
 
 Government. 1 wrote to Lord Ilarrowby on my 
 son's views respcctin;,^ a foreign mission. 
 
 May \lih. — ^Mr. Wallace to remain at the Board of 
 Control ! On my exclaiming against that, Mr. Pitt 
 said he conld not refuse it to Lord llawkeshury, who 
 had behaved so handsomely in giving up the Foreign 
 department to Lord Ilarrowby. 
 
 I learned from Mr. Pugett, one of the Bank Direc- 
 tors, that Mr. Livingstone was arrived from Paris, with 
 powers (as generally believed) to treat of peace ; the 
 report adding, that he came in the expectation of tend- 
 ing Mr. lox Secretary of State for Foreign Atlairs, 
 with whom he hoped he coidd successfully negotiate. 
 The Funds rose 1 per cent, on the news. 
 
 May 18///. — I found Mr. Pitt alone, and, after 
 mentioning to him what 1 had heard respecting Mr. 
 Livingstone, he told mc the arrival of that gentleman 
 had been notified to him by a memorandum in the 
 foreign box the evening bc^fore, but without any com- 
 ment or observation. I sngiiccsted that the circum- 
 stance might be turned to account by Mr. Fox's 
 friends, who would not fail to endeavonr to impress 
 the country with a belief that, if he was in office, 
 there would be the fairest prospect of peace ; to which 
 Mr. Pitt answered that the character of Mr. Liviuij- 
 stone (as a violent Republican, hating this country) 
 would induce all right-judging people to rejoice that 
 WT should escape the dangerous consequences of a ne- 
 gotiation between two such men as Mr. Livingstone and 
 Mr. Fox. I entreated him, however, to listen to any 
 proposition Mr. Livingstone may have to make, if it
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 137 
 
 shall turn out he has any authority from Buonaparte to 
 treat at all, and to consider them coolly and dispas- 
 sionately ; conceiving it to be possible that the First 
 Consul, in order to facilitate his way to the imperial 
 dignity he is evidently aiming at, or to secure him- 
 self in the possession of it, may think it advisable to 
 try at least to make peace with us, as the most popular 
 thing to his own subjects he could do ; taking into his 
 view also the possible, if not very probable, interposition 
 of the Northern Powers, particularly Russia. If he 
 sees a storm likely to burst there, and has anything to 
 apprehend in his own country from those who are real 
 enemies to a monarchical government, he may possibly 
 wish to conciliate us. In any event, it appears to me 
 of the last importance that, if the overtures (sup-, 
 posing, as before, any to be intended) are inadmissible, 
 the public should be satisfied that they are so, and 
 that they are not rejected from intemperance, precipi- 
 tation, or dislike to the Powers from whence they 
 come ; all which seemed to make some impression on 
 Mr. Pitt. 
 
 On such a subject (utterly uninformed whether Mr. 
 Livingstone has any authority to suggest even the pos- 
 sibility of an opening for a treaty with France), it 
 seems to me to be of great consequence to receive him 
 well, if he shall desire to see the Minister for Foreign 
 Affairs ; because a cold reception to a person who is 
 supposed to bring overtures of a pacific nature would, 
 to the pubHc, have an unpromising appearance. His 
 conduct as American Minister, at Paris, on the late 
 occasion of the publication of j\Ir. Drake's corre-
 
 138 DIARIES AND COTlTlESrONDENCE OF 
 
 spondencc there, certainly indicated, in a marked 
 manner, an indisposition to this country ; hut Mr. 
 Cooke (under-secrctary to Lord Camden) assured mo, 
 that he knew from a near relation of his that Mr. Living- 
 stone's true sentiments arc not hostile to the British 
 interest. 
 
 If peace could now be made on reasonable terras, 
 the advantages are too a])parcnt and clear to leave a 
 doubt in the mind of a human being of its being 
 beyond all manner of c\i)ression desirable that the 
 opportunity should not be lost. The interests of this 
 nation would be (or might be) better secured and 
 consolidated than those of any other people in Europe, 
 from the stand we have made, although the war might, 
 by a proper firmness, have been avoided : the British 
 name and character would be respected all over the 
 world, and we should be as secure against a new 
 attempt froniYrance as any coimtr\' can be whilst Franco 
 retains the immense advantages she at present pos- 
 sesses of territory and resources ; the diminution of 
 which, hopeless as it may appear, is more likely 
 to happen by intestine commotions in peace than by 
 hostile attacks in war. At present we are engaged in 
 a war without a view or a hope of being able to make 
 either impression on the enemy, or to distress them in 
 any quarter ; with the exception of some of the half- 
 settled Dutch colonies in the West Indies. The policy 
 of taking any such step has always been, in my mind, 
 very doubtful, as large sums of British capital are in- 
 variably laid out in improving them, and increasing 
 the cultivation, after which they are invariably restored
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 139 
 
 on a peace. Our best expectations in tliis state of 
 hostility are, that we may be able successfully to repel 
 an invasion of Great Britain or Ireland, if it should 
 be attempted; in order to which we are at a most 
 enormous expense for defence by sea and land. 
 
 These reflections I had an opportunity of re-stating 
 more fully at my house, after the House of Commons 
 rose (Mr. Pitt having taken his seat to-day on his re- 
 election), than I had in the morning ; and I imme- 
 diately got into my chaise to go down to CufFnells, and 
 slept at Harford Bridge, from whence I wrote to 
 Mr. Pitt about my son. 
 
 My writ was moved for this day, on my acceptance 
 of the office of Joint Paymaster-General of his Majesty's 
 Forces ; but my patent was not put in motion, as the 
 person is not yet decided on who is to be joined with 
 me in the office. 
 
 May 2Sd. — Received a letter from Mr. Sturges 
 Bourne, saying he could not yet learn from Mr. Pitt 
 who my colleague in the Pay-Office is to be ; and that 
 he cannot answer for the delay, unless a difficulty is 
 created by Lord Amherst having been deprived of 
 office for not supporting the late Administration. 
 
 I take it for granted, therefore, that his Lordship is 
 removed from the Bedchamber on that account, which 
 naturally leads to reflections of a most serious nature ; 
 involving, in truth, the dearest interests of this country, 
 and of the world ; because, after such an occm*- 
 rence, I know not how Mr. Pitt can carry on the 
 government, or who can undertake it. If he submits 
 to the dismission of a person of Lord Amherst's rank
 
 140 DIARIES AND CORRESrONDK NCi: OF 
 
 for having acted on liis advice (iiis Lordship not having 
 in the late discussions voted against Mr. Addington's 
 measures, but merely observed a neiitrahty), he will 
 be degraded, and cannot hope to have that respect in- 
 dispensably necessary for the First Minister to pre- 
 serve. If he should provide Lord A. with an employ- 
 ment in his own gift, and so indemnify him for 
 the loss of his ofhcc in the Kind's fainilv, it would 
 subject both his Majesty and Mr. Pitt to ridicule; and 
 if Mr. Pitt should oblige his Majesty to take Lord 
 Amherst back, it would then be iirged strongly against 
 him that, in a case of no moment to the country what- 
 ever, he could use force most ofTensively and painfully 
 on the King; but, in a matter of State, on which 
 depended perhaps the lasting prosperity, happiness, 
 and security of the country, he would use no such 
 force, nor even offer to withdraw on just and reasonable 
 ground. This appears to be a dilemma very diflicult 
 to escape from. 
 
 Mr. Sturges Bourne mentions that the Emjieror of 
 Russia has published a strong protest against the 
 violation of the law of nations by the arrest of the 
 Duke D'Enghien in a neutral territory. 
 
 Lord j\Ialmesbury, in a long conversation I had with 
 him the day before I left town, read some letters to me 
 from well-informed persons at St. Petersburgh, express- 
 ing a clear conviction that the disposition of that 
 Court was become extremely favourable tD any plan 
 that may be formed for abridging the monstrous and 
 enormous powers of France. 
 
 Mr. Pitt told me some days ago that it was decided
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOEGE ROSE. 141 
 
 to recall Sir John Borlase Warren from St. Petersburgli, 
 for which mission he never was fit, least of all at such 
 a conjuncture as this. 
 
 Sir Edward Pellew is to be continued in the naval 
 command in the East Indies, through the intercession 
 of Lord Chatham ; to which he was named by Lord 
 St. Vincent. 
 
 May 26M. — No information from London till this 
 day, and now not any at all conclusive or full on any 
 subject. Li a letter from Mr. Sturges Bourne, he 
 alludes to a visit the King made to Mr. Addington in 
 Richmond Park, and to the appointment of Lord St. 
 Helens to the Bedchamber as an act of the King's 
 without communication. Mr. Sturges also states the 
 probability of Lord Amherst being appointed to a 
 higher office in the household than the Bedchamber, 
 from which he was dismissed to give it the appearance 
 of promotion. 
 
 WilHam mentions a conversation he had had with 
 Lord Westmeath, who complained bitterly to him that 
 he was extremely ill-treated ; that some time before 
 the King's illness, Lord llobart, by a letter under his 
 own hand, acquainted him that he w^as appointed a Lord 
 of the Bedchamber, and desired him to thank Mr. 
 Addington for it, to whom he was obliged for the 
 nomination, which he accordingly did ; but that his 
 appointment could not be formally notified to him, as 
 the Duke of Roxburgh, the Groom of the Stole, was 
 ill, through whom only the notification could come; 
 and now the King will not acknowledge him as one of 
 his Bedchamber.
 
 142 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE: OF 
 
 My election took place to-day without my appoint- 
 ment having been made out, or my knowing wliu my 
 colleague is to be. 
 
 May 2^th. — T nrrivcd in town, and met Mr. Pitt 
 at dinner, with the Trinity Brethren, at the London 
 Tavern (his l)irthday, as well as Trinity Monday), 
 where, of course, I could liave little conversation with 
 him. I had, however, an opportunity of talking a 
 little with Lord ITarrowhy in the room where we 
 drank coffee, which we agreed to renew tiic next 
 morning at his ofTice. 
 
 I learned that the account of the dismission of Lord 
 Amherst was true ; the manner of it was, by Lord 
 Winchilsea (Groom of the Stole, lately aj)pointed on 
 the vacancy made by the death of the Duke of Ro.v- 
 burgh, during the King's illness) writing to his 
 Lordship that his Majesty had been employed in 
 making a new arrangement of his household, and that 
 his Lordship's name was not found in the list. The 
 appointment of Lord St. Helens, too, has actually 
 taken place in the Bedchamber, which could not be 
 acceptable to Mr. Pitt. It was also told me, with 
 confidence, that Lord Uxbridge was to be Master of 
 the Horse, but of that I entertain very great doubt, — 
 because his Lordship had threatened to turn his eldest 
 son, Lord Paget, out of Parliament if he voted with 
 Mr. Pitt in his late opposition to Mr. Addington. 
 The King certainly wrote to Lord Salisbury on his 
 removal from the Chamberlainship, to say that his 
 Majesty was sure his Lordship would be glad to hear 
 he had appointed a most amiable, worthy, and respect-
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 143 
 
 able nobleman, the Eaii of Dartmouth, to succeed 
 him ; and another nobleman of the same description, 
 the Earl of Aylesford, to the office of Lord Steward, 
 in the room of the Earl of Dartmouth. The letter 
 was directed to the Earl of Salisbury, though the 
 King mentioned in it his having created him a 
 Marquis. 
 
 May 2Wi. — I stated fully to Lord Ilarrowby every- 
 thing that occurred to me respecting the difficulties 
 which appeared to me we should have to encounter of 
 every kind, principally dwelling on what depended on 
 the King ; conceiving that from all I had heard, there 
 is too much reason to believe, his Majesty is either not 
 in such possession of his faculties as to make it fit for 
 him to carry on the executive power much longer, or 
 that he is not disposed to support heartily his present 
 servants ; which under other disadvantages, of un- 
 certain strength and defect of speakers in Parliament, 
 would render our situation not only unpleasant, but 
 extremely dangerous. 
 
 Llis Lordship on the whole agreed with me, but 
 thought I overstated the difficulties ; being persuaded 
 that the King is well, and steady in his favourable dis- 
 position towards Mr. Pitt. 
 
 Mai/ 30//^.— Was with Mr. Pitt early ; who told 
 me there was no foundation for the story of Lord 
 Uxbridge, and that the Marquis of Hertford is to be 
 Master of the Horse. He could not yet tell me who 
 is to be my colleague, being under difficulties in com- 
 pleting his arrangements ; chiefly from a desne to open 
 another Peer's-office, which he thought of doing by
 
 144 DIAllIES AND CORRESPOND KNCi: OF 
 
 removing Lord Charles Spencer from tlie I'ost-Ottico 
 to the Pay-OfUcc with me ; thinking, however, that the 
 Post-Office is too good a thing for Lord Andierst, 
 and equally so the Band of Pensioners, vacant by the 
 promotion of Lord Aylcsford. That reserved thrrc- 
 fore for further consideration. 
 
 We then discussed the subject of tlic measure to be 
 proposed by him for the defence of the country; in 
 which, after considering it in every point of view, 1 
 was decidedly of opinion that it would be better not 
 to press the plan he had before opened to the Mouse, 
 for recruiting the army of reserve, and through it the 
 regiments for general service, as far as respects the 
 repeated ballots ; under a persuasion that these ballots, 
 to the extent of four in each case, uidess the first, 
 second, or third man balloted should agree to serve, 
 w^ould produce tvry, vcrtj few men, as each wouhl pay 
 the fine of 4/. rather than go as a soldier; that the 
 efiect would therefore almost generally be to raise 
 IC/. towards a recruiting fund by fines on poor men ; 
 on the other hand, by imposing a fine to that, or to a 
 greater amount, on the parish, where they did not find 
 a man on a limited bounty, the charge would fall on 
 those who could better afibrd it, and the vexation of 
 repeated ballots would be avoided. That by this 
 course some other objections would be obviated, 
 prejudices would not be encountered, which are very 
 prevalent against balloting, and the opposition to be 
 expected would lose much advantageous ground. On 
 the whole, Mr. Pitt's mind seemed to give way con- 
 siderably on the point, but 1 did not think it advisable
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE 145 
 
 to press him to a decision. — With that matter is essen- 
 tially connected another point which has been often 
 and earnestly discussed, — the recruiting the army for 
 A LIMITED TIME. The Tcasous for and against that 
 measure have been so frequently stated in and out of 
 Parliament that I will not attempt to repeat them 
 here ; confining myself now merely to the objections 
 suggested by the Duke of York (who has always been 
 steadily against the proposed innovation), as arising 
 from his own reflections or experience. His Royal 
 Highness told Mr. Pitt, he is persuaded that if after a 
 recruit has gone through all the drudgery and disci- 
 pline of learning his business you should offer him his 
 discharge he would not take it, as he is generally 
 much pleased with his new situation ; but that if you 
 should offer him his freedom at the end of five or six 
 years, during which period he would probably have 
 gone through some disagreeable service, he would 
 avail himself of the offer, and return to his home. 
 Carry him on, however, for fourteen, fifteen, or sixteen 
 years, and then make him the same offer and he would 
 probably refuse it, because at the end of such a period 
 he would probably be too old to return to his early 
 occupation, and he would go on in the service with 
 the expectation of the comfortable provision of Chelsea, 
 to which he would be entitled at the end of fifteen 
 years from his enlisting. 
 
 His E.oval Highness observed, that the difference 
 between enlisting for life, and for a few years, is 
 so trifling in the estimation of recruits, that a man 
 offering himself for the latter will extend his offer 
 
 VOL. II. L
 
 146 DIARIES AND COllRESrONDENCE OF 
 
 to the former for an addition of one guinea. [If 
 this has often been })rovcd from actual experience 
 there is no reasoning against it, but it seems extra- 
 ordinary, and hardly to be reconciled to the common 
 feelings of men.] The Duke added, that in one of the 
 regiments of guards, 1 think the Coldstream, three 
 hundred of the men who enlisted into it from the 
 militia in the last war, insisted on their discharge at 
 the end of the time for which they engaged. With 
 respect to the inconvenience that would be ex- 
 perienced from the terms of service expiring on 
 distant stations (no inconsiderable one certainly), I 
 recommended an iiupiiry how the system atVected the 
 army of the East India Company, which is recruited 
 for a limited time. The whole was reserved for further 
 consideration, and Mv. Pitt felt it of so much import- 
 ance to propose the measure, if it shall be finally 
 thought to be a right one, at the same time that he 
 proposes the measure for defence of the country, that 
 he is inclined to defer the latter from Friday the 1st 
 of June, to Tuesday the 5th, to give opportunity for 
 fuller inquiry. 
 
 The King w^ent to Windsor on the 2r)th, and re- 
 turned the 29th ; but I did not learn with absolute 
 certainty what passed while he w\as there till this day. 
 I learn however, now, most positive information from 
 a source the most entirely unquestionable, that his 
 Majesty wdiile there was not so tranquil as he had 
 been for some time before. On passing through Eton, 
 on his way down, the boys of the school cheered as 
 he passed, and -followed the carriages to the Castle,
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 147 
 
 cheering again when they got there, which had such 
 an ejSPect on his Majesty that the next day he said to 
 some of the boys, " he had always been partial to their 
 school ; that he had now the additional motive of gra- 
 titude for being so ; and that in future he should be 
 an Anti-Westminster." On Sunday the "2 7th, on 
 w^alking across from the Queen's Lodge to the private 
 chapel in the Castle, his Majesty stopped for an hour, 
 in the whole, talking with the officers of the Staftbrd- 
 shire militia, who were drawn up as his Majesty 
 passed, the Queen leaning on his arm ; and wath his 
 hat off all the time, which Dr. ISimmonds could not 
 prevail with him to put on ; the style of his Majesty's 
 conversation more familiar too, even than usual : and 
 during the two days he remained at Windsor, the 
 exercise he took was more violent than he had ever 
 taken when in perfect health, except in hunting. All 
 these, and some other trifling circumstances combined, 
 lead to a serious apprehension that his Majesty's 
 recovery is not entirely complete. The reflections on 
 which cannot but be painful in an extreme degree, as 
 the embarrassments arising therefrom are likely to be 
 of the most serious nature. If his Majesty shall be 
 subject to returns, such as are just alluded to, it can 
 hardly be creditable or proper for Mr. Pitt to carry 
 on the government. On the other hand, if the King 
 shaU be as Avell as he ordinarily has been lately, and 
 as fit to do business as he has been found to be, it 
 win be a strong measure to have a regency ; for he is 
 certainly not ill enough to be confined. It would be 
 quite a new occurrence to have the government taken 
 
 L 2
 
 148 DIARIES AND COIUIESPONDENCE OF 
 
 from a Prince on the throne, without the desire pro- 
 ceeding from him, wliile he is well enough to go nl)Out 
 everywhere, and to talk on gravt; subjects perfectly 
 rationally. But it seems hardly jjossible that tlie 
 complaint (if anything of it really remains) should be 
 stationary. 
 
 May 3U7. — Sir Harry Neale called on me this 
 morning. He told me he was at the Queen's House 
 in waitmg, as Groom of the Hedchambcr on Tuesday 
 last, when the King returned from Windsor ; and 
 that soon after his Majesty's arrival he walked com- 
 pletely round the Queen's garden with him, during 
 which time, and for a short while afterwards in the 
 liouse, while he was with the King, he was as rational 
 as possible, conversing on dillerent subjeets in a 
 manner perfectly collected. 1 was induced to mention 
 to Sir Harry (in whom I have the most entire conti- 
 dence) what I had heard of the King's unsteadiness 
 at Windsor ; at which he expressed no sort of surprise, 
 because he said he had frequently had occasion to 
 observe of late that in talking of serious matters and 
 on business, his Majesty would converse with as much 
 possession of himself as at any moment of his life, 
 when at the same time, if any matters of a lighter 
 nature occurred, he would indulge himself with 
 levities. Sir Harry said there is somebody about 
 the King who tells him things very unfit to be men- 
 tioned to hira, but that it has not been possible to 
 trace who it is. Amongst other matters his Majesty 
 M^as informed that Dr. Willis was in the house while 
 he was ill, at which he was very much inflamed.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 149 
 
 Jiine \st, 1804.— With Mr. Pitt in the morning, 
 who has not seen the Kino; since his return from 
 Windsor. But in consequence of having heard what 
 passed there, he went to a meeting of the physicians 
 fixed by him at Sir Lucas Pcpys's last night, to 
 avoid the observation and public attention that would 
 necessarily have taken place if the physicians had come 
 to Downing Street. And in consecjuence of what 
 passed at the meeting, Mr. Pitt wrote to the King 
 to-day strongly, though respectfully, recommending it 
 to his Majesty to put himself under medical direction ; 
 a measure, I have no doubt, perfectly right and called 
 for by the actual state of his Majesty ; but, unfor- 
 tunately, one very likely to displease him to a 
 great extent, as he had shown a strong dislike to 
 medical people ever since his recovery in 1801. He 
 expressed that to me at that time, at Cuffnells, in 
 the most unqualified terms, which he several times 
 repeated to me during his stay in my house. 
 
 I this day heard that his Majesty had dismissed 
 Mr. Braun ; certainly one of the most attached, faith- 
 ful, and honest servants he has ; a particular favourite 
 too to this week even. How Mr. Pitt can carry on the 
 government creditably, if the King is to be in the 
 hands of his physicians I cannot discover ; nor how 
 he can well resist an inquiry and examination of the 
 physicians, if that shall be pressed in the House of 
 Commons. 
 
 June 2^.— The King yesterday, on receiving the 
 letter from Mr. Pitt, and one on the same subject 
 from the Chancellor, told the Duke of Cambridge he
 
 150 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDEXCK OF 
 
 had received two very foolish letters ; but said that in 
 good huiiiour. When Mr. Pitt went to him he re- 
 ceived him with perfect kindness, promising he would 
 acquiesce in the advice given liim in the two letters 
 alluded to; but that he would not have done so to gratify 
 any man on earth except Mr. Pitt. His Majesty al.so 
 agreed to the Queen having a Drawing-room on his 
 birth-day, about which he had been reluctant unless 
 he could be allowed to be there also. And on tlie 
 whole Mr. Pitt thought him remarkably well, talking 
 on all subjects in as collected a n»anner as he had ever 
 known him to do. His Majesty, amongst other subjects, 
 talked of Lord Grenville and his friends, in terms of 
 great moderation. He referred to a subject on which 
 there had been some ditlerenceof opinion between him- 
 self and Mr. Pitt before the latter went out of office, and 
 said, it had turned out that Mr. Pitt was right ; and 
 he produced a letter of liis respecting the matter. 
 
 June ^th. — Not having kissed his Majesty's hand, 
 on my nomination to the otfice of Joint Paymaster- 
 General, I could not with propriety attend the Draw- 
 ing-room, which was held on the King's birth-day ; 
 as I could not appear there without being presented to 
 her Majesty — of which there is no instance without 
 the same ceremony having been previously gone 
 through with the King ;— but, at Mr. Pitt's particular 
 request, I dined with him in Downing Street. 
 
 June Ml. — Mr. Fox and Mr. Grey called on Mr. 
 Pitt, to communicate to him that Mr. Livingstone, 
 the American ^Minister at Paris, had been with them 
 to say he had reason to believe the Government of
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 151 
 
 France was at this time well disposed to make peace 
 wath this country ; that he had no authority whatever 
 to make any overture for that purpose, but he was 
 persuaded if we would consent to secure the neutrality 
 of Malta, by putting it in the hands of some power 
 equally independent of France and of Great Britain 
 (evidently pointing at Russia), France w^ould consent 
 to evacuate Holland and Switzerland, and to give a 
 guarantee of the independence of those countries in 
 future; and that, as a preliminary, France would con- 
 sent to the release of the British subjects detained 
 there on the breaking out of hostilities, the detention 
 of whom it was admitted was extremely unpopular in 
 France. 
 
 This opening appeared to be very captivating, — and 
 the taking no notice of it would give Mr. Fox a great 
 advantage ; who insinuated, in the course of his con- 
 versation, that Mr. Livingstone had expressed a hope 
 of finding him in the Administration, from expecta- 
 tions that were formed of that event in consequence 
 of recent occurrences, and from a hope arising from 
 his known pacific disposition ; especially as Mr. Fox 
 would have opportunities of alluding to the circum- 
 stances much to his own advantage. Mr. Pitt, how- 
 ever, thought no good consequences could result from 
 the communication ; conceiving, that if France had 
 really any serious intention of putting an end to the 
 war, the new Emperor w^ould have found some less 
 exceptionable channel of communication than through 
 a man whose hostile inclination to this country had 
 been so strongly and lately manifested ; his public
 
 152 DIAIUKS AM) COJlllESPONDKNt K OF 
 
 character at that Court too making him an luitit iii- 
 striunent tor the purpose. -Mr. l*itt committed tlie 
 conversation with Messrs. Fo.\ and Grey to writing as 
 soon as they left him, whicli he gave me to read; and 
 said he shouhl state it correctly to the Cabinet. 
 
 A Council was tiiis day held at the Queen's House ; 
 previously to which there was a sort of a private levee 
 there, at which 1 kissed his Majesty's hand as .Joint 
 Paymaster-General. I'liis was the first time I had 
 seen the King since his recovery, lie spoke to nje for 
 about ti'u minutes, and 1 never saw him more entirely 
 well; perfectly composed and collected ; if anything, 
 less hurried in his manner than usual. He talked to 
 me chietly about my family, for all of whom he in- 
 (juired with great kindness ; but there was no appear- 
 ance of any unbecoming familiarity. When the levee 
 was over, the Privy Counsellors were called into the 
 Council room, where we were all seated at a table, at 
 the head of which the King sat. The first proceeding 
 was the nomination of the Duke of Montrose to be 
 President of the Council for the Affairs of Trade, and 
 myself to be Vice-President of that Council, on which 
 Me both rose and kissed the King's hand ; his Majesty 
 continuing in his chair at the head of the table. The 
 Earl of Dartmouth then took the oaths as Lord Cham- 
 berlain, the Earl of Winchelsea as Groom of the Stole, 
 and the Earl of Powis as Lord Lieutenant of Mont- 
 gomeryshire, kneeling, as Piivy Counsellors do, and 
 then kissed the King's hand. Lord Pelham resigned 
 the Seals of the Duchy of Lancaster, and came out 
 from his ^Lajesty with the Gold Stick, as Captain of
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GE0U6E ROSE. 153 
 
 the Band of Yeoman of the Guards, of which he had 
 no previous intimation. The Seals were given to 
 Lord Mulgrave as Chancellor of the Duchy. 
 
 June%th. — The first debate on Mr. Pitt's bill for the 
 defenceof the realm, by establishing amode for recruiting 
 the army in future, on a new system, and for making a 
 great immediate addition to it. The question for the 
 second reading was carried by 221 to 181 : majority, 40. 
 Ill the minority were all the friends of Mr. Fox, Lord 
 Grenville, and Mr. Addington : amongst the latter were 
 included a considerable number of persons who had 
 received some favours from Mr. Addington, and otliers 
 who having voted for his Defence Bill, felt it difficult 
 to avoid opposing the present one. Mr. Long and myself 
 were both shut out of the division by an accident 
 that happened to him near the House, which was how- 
 ever attended Avith no serious consequences. 
 
 June IG///. — Mr. Pitt went to the King this 
 morning, wdtli an intention of stating to his Majesty 
 what had passed in the late discussions, particu- 
 larly respecting Mr. Addington's conduct, and that 
 of some persons who miglit be supposed to be 
 influenced by his Majesty; and on his return from 
 the Queen's House, he told me he thought three 
 or four persons would be induced to su[)port the 
 Defence Bill who had not yet taken any part upon it. 
 I confess it would, in my opinion, have been more 
 wise as well as much more dignified, if Mr. Pitt, 
 when he went to the King, instead of struggling for 
 a few votes, had said to his Majesty (consistently with 
 my former opinion expressed above) : " I humbly
 
 151. DIAKIKS AND CORUESPONDKNTK OF 
 
 suggested to you before I took tlie governuient. tlint 
 1 (lesj)nire(l of being able to cnrrv it on without n 
 greater strengtli than I could liopt- to have. I now 
 find it to be so from cxperieiu'e, and must, therefore, 
 earnestly cntn'at y(^ur Majesty will condescend to take 
 such measures as you shall think best, to add force, and 
 give permanency to the Adnunistration." IW not having 
 done so, he sul»jects himself to a contiiuicd struggle, in 
 which he may fail in tlu; end; and by which he risks 
 the fornung a junction ])etweeu Mr. Vox and Mr. 
 Addingtou, supportid by tin- intbience and authority 
 of the Prince of Walts ; and certainly of yielding to 
 Mr. Fox such a preponderance as will give him a con- 
 siderable chance of having the greatest weight in an 
 Administration formed by them both, if that should be 
 found practicable.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 155 
 
 CPI AFTER V. 
 
 1804. 
 
 MR. rose's diaries FROM SEPTEMBER 30tH TO NOVEMBER 6TH, 
 1804 — VISIT OF KING GEORGE THE THIRD, AND THE ROYAL 
 FAMILY, TO MR. ROSE's SEAT AT CUFFNELLS, IN HAMPSHIRE, FROM 
 THE 28th OF OCTOBER TO THE 2d OF NOVEMBER, 1804. 
 
 [The diaries for September and October of tliis year, 
 1804, contain some very interesting conversations 
 Avith the King, at Weymouth and at Cuffnells, which 
 need no remark or explanation. — Ed.] 
 
 Weymouth, Sunday, September 30M., 1804. — After 
 general expressions of regard to myself, and of disap- 
 pointment at not having seen me at the council that was 
 held ten days ago for the prorogation of Parliament, 
 his Majesty gave me strong assurances of his favourable 
 opinion of me, and of his real desire to talk with me. 
 He then entered on what had passed on the change of 
 Government in the spring ; could not, he said, even at 
 this distance of time, avoid stating to me his surprise at 
 Mr. Pitt having entertained a tliouyhi of suggesting 
 Mr. Fox forming a part of the Administration, and 
 still more that he should have urged it with the ear- 
 nestness he did ; especially as Mr. Pitt himself was 
 the person who had proposed expunging Mr. Fox's
 
 15(> DIARIES AND COIUIESPONDEN'CK OF 
 
 name from the list of privy coimsillors. I answered 
 that the point was an extremely delieate one for me to 
 make even the sli^litest observation upon, and tliat 
 the consideration of it having l)een long linally closed, 
 I felt a still greater reluctance to say a syllable about it ; 
 but that I thought it due to Mr. I'itt to observe, that 
 I had certain ground for my conviction that in making 
 the proposition to his Majesty, Mr. Pitt was influcnc«'d 
 solelv bv a fixed opinion that the taking .Mr Fox info 
 till' Administration was likelv to be attended with 
 the best possible consecpicnces to the cotmtry. His 
 Majesty went on to say, that notwithstanding the 
 determined objection he made to Mr. Fox, he was pressed 
 by Mr. Pitt to allow him to repeat the proposition before 
 he left the closet; to which the King assented, though 
 lie assured Mr. Pitt it would be useless. His Majesty 
 added, that In; had taken a jiositive determination not 
 to adnnt Mr. Fox into his councils, even at I he hazard 
 of a civil icar. 
 
 With respect to Mr. Pitt, his Majesty expressed 
 himself satisfied in the highest degree, and spoke of 
 him in the warmest terms of praise. lie said, that 
 tinding from ex|)erience Mr. Addingtou was not equal 
 to the government of the country, he was extremely 
 desirous of having Mr. Pitt again ; that he had 
 thought very favourably of Mr. Addington, but was 
 much displeased at his having said (while the inter- 
 course was going on with Mr. Pitt about the change 
 of administration) that he knew his Majesty did not 
 wish Mr. Pitt to come in ; and that in consequence 
 thereof, he had resolved, in the event of the negotia-
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 157 
 
 tioii with Mr. Pitt breaking off, not to keep him (Mr. 
 Addingtoii) at tlie head of the Government. His 
 Majesty said his mmd was now entirely reheved from 
 all apprehension about the Catholic question ; because 
 — in addition to the assurances he had received from 
 Mr. Pitt himself, and from him through me — Mr. Pitt 
 had lately told him he might be perfectly at ease on the 
 subject, as he had now pi'ivate reasons for not reviving 
 the subject ! On which I ventured to say, I thought 
 his Majesty must have misconceived Mr. Pitt in giving 
 greater weight to private reasons than to the public 
 ground which he had originally taken and acted upon, 
 on the most interesting and trying occasion : but he 
 said he w^as sure he had not mistaken Mr. Pitt ! 
 
 His Majesty said he was entirely content with the 
 manner in which his Government w^as composed ; said 
 the exchange of Lord Harrowby for Lord Ltawkesbury 
 in the foreign department wiis a most useful one ; 
 rating the talents of the former very high, and speak- 
 ing of the latter as utterly uniit for the situation ; 
 adding, that however the foreign ministers might 
 differ on other points, their dislike to, and contempt 
 for Lord Ilawkesbury was decidedly unanimous ; that 
 his Lordship always approached him with a vacant 
 kind of grin, and had hardly ever anything business- 
 like to say to him ; that on observing that once to Mr. 
 Addington, the latter said to his Majesty, his Lordship 
 came to him in the same manner, interrupting him 
 uselessly, sometimes three or four times in the course 
 of a day. 
 
 His Majesty took some merit to himself for not
 
 158 DIARIES AM) CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 opposing tlie removal of Lord Aucklaiul ; ' adding, 
 that in the arrangement of the political olKccs lie had 
 not interfered witii Mr. Pitt at ail; hut tiiat he had 
 insisted on having in iiis household such persons as he 
 could, with comfort to himself, associate with occa- 
 sionally. 
 
 Alluding to the line he had taken, of giving his 
 firmest support to the Administration, he mentioned 
 the case of Lord Powis, to whom he had applied, at 
 the request of Mr. Pitt. His Majesty found his Lord- 
 ship out of humour at the succession to the Governor- 
 Generalshi|) of lU-ngal not having been secured to 
 him on the return of Lord W'ellesley, as had been 
 engaged for by Lord Melville, previously to his going 
 to jMadras ; which engagement his Majesty thought 
 had been made without the power of fuUilling it ; and 
 that having suggested that to Lord Powis, his Lord- 
 ship, in the conclusion, had given assurances of the 
 support of his friends in the next session, who in the 
 meantime would absent themselves. His .M.ajcsty 
 spoke in unqualified terms of his deep regret on the 
 appointment of Mr. Huskisson to the Secretaryship of 
 the Treasury, on account of bis former situation as 
 secretary to a revolutionary club at Paris, adding that 
 his temper was not good ; and, on the whole, thought 
 him not qualified for the situation. Not an allusion 
 even was made to the story respecting which Mr. H. 
 
 ' AVhen his Majesty was at Cuffnells, in 1801, he spoke of his 
 Lordship with great contempt, as an eternal intriguer. He had pro- 
 bably since recommended himself by being busy in the Catholic 
 question.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 159 
 
 was attacked in Mr. Cobbett's paper. Of Mr. Sturges 
 Bourne, the other Secretary of the Treasury, the King 
 spoke in a very favourable manner, and aUuded in a 
 flattering way to his connexion with me. 
 
 His Majesty then went on to say that Mr. Pitt, in 
 the early part of the summer, had suggested to him 
 that Mr. Vansittart, the late Secretary to the Treasury, 
 would be a very proper person for the Irish Secre- 
 taryship, and that he should, before making him an 
 ofTer, like to know whether he would accept it; on 
 wdiich the King told him he fortunately had the means 
 of learning that without committing Mr. Pitt at all ; 
 and immediately employed the Duke of Cumberland, 
 who was in habits of intercourse with Mr. Vansittart, 
 to sound him, as from himself solely, whether, if an 
 employment should be offered him, he would accept 
 it ; his Majesty giving Mr. Pitt to understand that if 
 Mr. V. should be disinclined to take office, the matter 
 should drop altogether, and that no other person living 
 should know the overture was made at Mr. Pitt's 
 instance, and that his Majesty's silence on the subject 
 nnist be considered as decisive of a negative from 
 Mr. V. That, however, on the Duke of Cumberland 
 sounding him, he found no disinclination towards 
 Mr. Pitt in his mind at all. He said his first con- 
 nexion was with Mr. Pitt, and that he took office with 
 Mr. Addington because his Government was to be 
 supported by Mr. Pitt ; that he should therefore be 
 ready cheerfully to accept the Irish Secretaryship, pro- 
 vided he could have Mr. Pitt's confidence ; but that 
 he would not enter on such a duty if he was to be
 
 160 DIARIES AM) CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 merely tolerated by Mr. I'itt. This disposition of 
 Mr. \'ansittart's mind the King lost no time in eoin- 
 mnnieating to Mr. Pitt; since whicli, however, Ins 
 Majesty had not heard one word from him on the 
 subject; but had been informed that Mr. Pitt had 
 been in a negotiation with Mr. Ticrney to accept the 
 oflfice, of wiiich his Majesty did not conceal his dis- 
 approbation, for reasons he stated, taking up the 
 conduct of Mr, Tierney from his first attempt to come 
 into Parliament, in the year 1784, under the protection 
 of the Clarendon family, to the present time. 
 
 His Majesty afterwards adverted to the office of 
 Judge Advocate, the duties of which Sir Charles 
 Morgati felt himself incapable longer to discharge. 
 He spoke of them as important, said that a deputy 
 should be appointed, and that the situation of the prin- 
 cipal should be very respectably tilled. Alluded to the 
 case of the court martial sittino: on some officers of the 
 Bedfordshire militia, where the court, from the igno- 
 rance of their judge advocate, had got into a most 
 awkward scrape. He then mentioned the candidates 
 for the emploMuent. Mr. Reeves, the law clerk 
 to the Privy Council, supported by the Chancellor; 
 but unfit for the situation from his impractica- 
 bility, his temper, and his idleness: Mr. Lewis, late 
 Under-Secretary at War, supported by a set about 
 the Duke of York, his only recommendation being 
 his having the honour to be brother-in-law to General 
 Brownrigge ; not educated to the profession of the 
 law : and Mr. Watson, a person altogether unknown, 
 and so little esteemed in the volunteer corps to which
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 161 
 
 he belongs, that the officers of it would not allow him 
 to succeed to the Majority, on a vacancy. 
 
 His Majesty then returned to the importance of 
 the office, and added that he felt, personally, a 
 strong anxiety that it should be well and respectably 
 filled, as, in truth, he frequently decided matters of a 
 very nice and delicate nature on the opinion of the 
 Judge Advocate in discussions with him ; putting, 
 therefore, his conscience, to a certain extent, into his 
 hands. That viewing the matter in that light, it could 
 not be wondered at if he felt a good deal of solicitude 
 about the person who should succeed Sir Charles. 
 After which, he mentioned Mr. Nat. Bond's name 
 with approbation, and asked me what my sentiments 
 were about him, which led me to speak in the 
 manner I have always thought of him since I first 
 knew him, — as a man of excellent understanding, of 
 considerable abdities in his profession, of great worth, 
 and as likely to fill the situation both usefully and re- 
 spectably ; and that I considered his being already a 
 privy counsellor was an additional recommendation. 
 This seemed to give his Majesty great pleasure, and he 
 said, in such an appointment he ought to have a choice; 
 but he had no means of knowing whether Mr. Bond 
 would accept, though he believed he would, as Mr. 
 Addington had expressed a positive resolution not to 
 oppose Government further. The strongest ground 
 of resentment in the mind of the latter gentleman, 
 the King told me, was Mr. Pitt having made him 
 ridiculous in the House of Commons ; and that Mrs. 
 Addington was infinitely more inveterate on that 
 
 VOL. II. M
 
 162 DiAiUES AND corre-spondencl: of 
 
 account, and more irreconcilable than her husband, — 
 having dcclaiuicd against Mr. A. receiving any favour 
 from Mr. Pitt, or through him, till he had uiade some 
 reparation for that ofleiice. This led his Majesty to 
 speak of au intendeil provision and reward for .Mr. A. 
 but decliued by liim, — an to the inaiini'r, however, 
 only, — describing him as nibbling at it at the moment 
 he was refusing it. Tii.it a message was proposed to 
 Parliament respecting it by his Majesty, but that 
 difiiculties and delays occurred till the session drew 
 to an end ; from whence I inferred that a pension was 
 to make a part of the reward, for nothing explicit was 
 said as to particulars. The King put it, in a great 
 degree, on Mr. Addington's claim for his services as 
 Speaker. And his Majesty said he would, at a proper 
 season, reconcile Mr. Pitt and Mr. Addincrton : but 
 that matters were not yet ripe ; to which I made no 
 answer, thinking if I had said anything against peace- 
 making (generally plausible), I nuist have followed it 
 up l)y a train of reasoning which the opportunity would 
 not atford time for. 
 
 Lord ]\Iclville was ne.xt mentioned. In the observa- 
 tions respecting Mr. Iluskisson, the King said he did 
 not believe Lord Melville recommended him to Mr. 
 Pitt, as he had reason to think his Lordshij) did not 
 now live as much with Mr. Pitt as he used to do, nor 
 possessed the same influence over him he formerly 
 had. He now mentioned, as a proof of it, that Lord 
 Melville, on his first seeing him, after it was agreed he 
 should be at the head of the Admiralty, told his 
 Majesty he shoidd Uke to know the particulars of
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 163 
 
 what had passed with Mr. Pitt, as he had seen very 
 little of him. This, his Majesty said, surprised him 
 somewhat, but that he had thereupon produced to 
 him the only copy of any of his letters to Mr. Pitt that 
 he had taken, telling him also what passed in different 
 conversations, and, in short, the whole that occurred ; 
 observing, that he had not taken copies of other letters 
 to Mr. Pitt, from the thorough knowledge and expe- 
 rience he had had of his honour and fairness. Lord 
 Melville, in the course of the conversation, asked 
 his Majesty if he had not felt some surprise at his 
 opposition to the late Administration, in the close of 
 it, after the promise he had given to his Majesty, on 
 receiving his peerage, that he would never oppose his 
 Government ; and that he feared his having obtained 
 such a number of proxies on the occasion was particu- 
 larly displeasing to his Majesty ; to which the King 
 answered that the occurrences did not greatly surprise 
 him ; and that, as to the effect of them, it gave him no 
 concern, because, finding from experience that Mr. A. 
 could not go on with the conduct of the Administra- 
 tion, he was glad of any proceeding that had a 
 tendency to bring Mr. Pitt in. That he felt the less 
 pained on the occasion, as he had never had any con- 
 fidence in his Lordship, nor any friendship for him, 
 receiving him now only as belonging to Mr. Pitt ; but 
 that, as he is placed at the head of the Naval Depart- 
 ment, he had given him all the papers that could be 
 useful to him in the situation, which his jMajesty had 
 received from his predecessors, — Lord Egmont, Lord 
 Sandwich, Lord Howe, Lord Spencer, and Lord St. 
 
 M 2
 
 164 DIARIES AND CORRESPON'DEXCE OF 
 
 Vincent; — valuing those of Lord Sandwich the most, 
 who, hairing his Ilnntingdonshire johs, his Majesty 
 thought liad been a good First Lord of the Admiralty. 
 
 This conversation and conduct of the King, Lord 
 Melville bore vastly well, and has been, his Majesty 
 said, remarkably attentive to him about everything 
 respecting which he had expressed a wish. \n addi- 
 tion to other and earlier grounds of dissatisfaction 
 with J^ord MelvilK', 1 am persuaded his Majesty felt 
 uncomfortably on the subject of the letters his Lord- 
 ship wrote to Lord Westmoreland relative to the fjues- 
 tion of Catholic Emancipation, while the latter was 
 Lord Lieutenant of hvland ; whieh letters, his Majesty 
 told me, Lord Westmoreland had shown to him, keep- 
 ing them, — with all the others he had received on the 
 same point, — bound together in a volume. Such a 
 proceeding on the })art of Lord Westmoreland (com- 
 municating the letters to the King) appears to me the 
 more extraordinary, as they could not, I think, have 
 been written to him official/^; Lord Melville not 
 having been in the Department (the Home Othce) that 
 corresponds with the h-ish Government. 
 
 About Lord Castlcreagh there seemed to be, in his 
 Majesty's mind, a considerable degree of indifference. 
 He said, however, he was glad it was not proposed to 
 him to make his Lordship Secretary of State, as it 
 might have led (from his Lordship having had much 
 intercourse with, and influence over, the Irish mem- 
 bers, as Irish Secretary) to his putting himself at the 
 head of an Irish party, as Lord Melville had done at 
 the head of a Scotch one.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 165 
 
 Lord Wellesley was spoken of by his Majesty as 
 liavino; considerable merit in the conduct of Jiffairs in 
 India, but as inflated with pride, and with his own 
 consequence ; assuming to himself the exclusive merit 
 of all that had been done in the East, and demanding 
 ceremonious respect much beyond what was due to his 
 station. That wdien he had more than once been re- 
 minded that he was exacting from those about him 
 more than the King did, his Lordship replied, " Then 
 the King is wrong ; but that is no reason why I 
 should improperly relax also." His Majesty added, 
 " when he returns, his head will be quite turned, and 
 there will be no enduring him." 
 
 His Majesty spoke of Mr. Yorke and Mr. Bragge 
 as the best Secretaries at War he had ever had ; espe- 
 cially the former, who, he lamented, had accepted the 
 Secretaryship of State. Mentioning him (on an allu- 
 sion to his declining the peerage which had been 
 actually granted to his father, with a reversion to 
 him), the King was led to recur once more" to the 
 circumstance of the father's acceptance of the Great 
 Seal and his immediate death ; and he told me, for the 
 first time, that when *Mr. Charles Yorke was hesi- 
 tating about whether he should take the seals or not, 
 on Lord Camden's resignation, he told him that if he 
 refused them then, he never should have them, what- 
 ever changes might take place in the Administration 
 of the country. This accounts to me for Mr. Yorke 
 
 * He had talked to me a good deal about it when at Cuffnells, in 
 the summer of 1801.
 
 IGG DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 having taken tho?n after lie had come to a contrary 
 determination, wliicli occasioned in the end tlie fatal and 
 very melancholy catastrophe of that respectahle man. 
 
 After havini,' thus talked of persons in public situa- 
 tions, his Majesty asked me what Lord 'J'hurlow was 
 now doing ; to which 1 answered, it could, I was sure, 
 give him as little pleasure to hear that as me to relate 
 it, and that I thought it better, therefore, to say 
 nothing about his Lordship ; to which his Majesty 
 assented, but went on, however, himself to say that 
 Colonel and Mrs. Cunningham were then at Wey- 
 mouth, or had lately been there ; that Colonel Cun- 
 ningham had complained to him of his rank in the 
 army not being allowed to go on, he having retired on 
 half-pay in a maimer that precluded his having any 
 claim thereto, to which his Majesty had, of course, 
 turned completely a deaf ear. After that, the Colonel 
 desired permission to present his wife — a natural 
 (laughter of Lord Thurlow's— to him ; to which the 
 King answered, that whenever he should happen to see 
 Mrs. Cunningham, he should be disposed to show her 
 due attention, or some such words. When he did 
 meet with her, he told her 'he retained a grateful 
 recollection of her father's attachment to him ; and 
 that, in particular, he should never have out of his 
 mind his Lordship's solemn declaration, " that if ever 
 he should forget his King, he trusted God, in such 
 case, would forget hira."' Mrs. Cunningham desired 
 
 Two nights before he made that declaration, in the House of 
 Lords, Mr. Sheridan, on the part of ^Ir. Fox, sat up with his Lord- 
 ship in his house in Ormond Street till two o'clock in the morning ; 
 and he was notoriously intriguing with othcre.
 
 THE -RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 167 
 
 permission to write that to her father, and obtained it. 
 On relating that anecdote, the King took occasion to 
 observe, that it had, from his entrance into hfe, been 
 an invariable rnle with him to store in his memory 
 carefully every right and proper act of others, and, as 
 far as possible, to forget instances of a contrary 
 conduct ; and on that principle he should always 
 cherish the remembrance of the natural and sudden 
 impulse by which the Eton boys were actuated, when 
 they received him with such aflectionate and marked 
 congratuhitions after his last recovery. 
 
 His Majesty reminded me of a strong opinion I 
 had some years ago stated respecting the little depen- 
 dence that ought to be put on the declarations of the 
 emigrants against the various usurpations in France, 
 under a conviction that every one of them -Cv'ould, 
 sooner or later, make their peace with the existing 
 Government in that country, however constituted, or 
 by whomsoever conducted, and that at the expense 
 of this nation, as far as might depend on them ; and 
 then said that the Duke de Morteraar (son-in-law of 
 the Due de Harcourt) had just returned to Trance, 
 after the most solemn declarations, within this month, 
 that he would live in England to his last hour, on his 
 half-pay from us, rather than return to France ; but 
 that it is understood he is much despised there for 
 his conduct. 
 
 The last interesting subject on which his Majesty 
 touched Avas the Prince of Wales; and it was the 
 one, naturally enough, that seemed to affect him 
 most deeply. He said the intended interview,
 
 IGS DIARIES AND CORRESrOXDEXCE OP 
 
 that had been so much talked of, was not desired 
 by him, being persuaded tlwit no good coidd arise 
 from it, but that he had been j)revailed witli to agree 
 to it by the Chancellor and Mr. Pitt, whose pressing 
 instances in support of the Prince's request he had 
 found it impossible to resist ; wishing it, however, to 
 be delayed till after his return from Wevmouth. In 
 this state of matters, he consented at length to the 
 interview, on condition that it should take place at 
 Kew, and in the presence of the Queen, some of the 
 younger brothers, and some of the Princesses. On 
 the day fixed, however, when the King was exj)ecting 
 his lloval llij^lmess, the Chancellor sent a letter fn>ni 
 the Prince to the King, by a servant of his Royal 
 Highness, in which he excused himself from attendmg 
 on his Majesty on account of illness ; which excuse, 
 he said, he most readily accepted, and wrote so to the 
 Chancellor. The Queen urged him to write to the 
 Prince of Wales, but he declined that, having resolved 
 never to write again to any one who liad published 
 his letters. His Majesty certainly added, he never 
 could forgive the conduct of the Prince of AV'ales, 
 because it was impossible to forget it. His Majesty 
 had made it a condition, if the interview had taken 
 place, that there was to have been no allusion to any- 
 thing that had passed ; the Prince was to have ex- 
 pressed satisfaction at seeing the progress of his 
 Majesty's recovery, and the King to have received that 
 properly, and made a suitable return. His Majesty was 
 sure that the Prince meant the reconciliation should 
 be accompanied with eclat, and that it was intended
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 169 
 
 to make a scene of it. He attributed the Prince's 
 desire of a reconciliation to Lord Moira, and thought 
 his Lordship was counteracted by some one, pro- 
 bably by Mr. Sheridan ; thought the plan of making 
 Lord Moira Lord Lieutenant of L'eland was a bad 
 one, and that he was best in Scotland, in a military 
 capacity, though he did not think him an officer. 
 The King thought the Chancellor should have gone to 
 him at Kew, instead of sending the Prince of Wales's 
 letter in the manner he did. 
 
 On mentioning the Chancellor's name, he spoke of 
 him without using any terms of aflection or warm 
 approbation ; said he did not understand why he 
 took such short periods for prorogations, till the last 
 long one, which appeared to be intended to avoid the 
 necessity for Ministers going again to Weymouth to 
 hold another Council. He said he expected his Lord- 
 ship at the last Council, and had, therefore, provided 
 lodging for him gratis at Mrs. Steward's, being aware 
 that he sets some value on his money, which, he 
 observed, is frequently the case with persons who 
 acquire their fortunes themselves. 
 
 The King, after inquiring whether his being at 
 Cuffnells at the end of the month would be inconvenient, 
 told me that himself and the Queen, with all the Prin- 
 cesses, would be there on the 29th of next month 
 for a few days. 
 
 I heard, while at AVey mouth, with great concern, from 
 an authority I respect quite as much as if I had been 
 myself present at the conversation, that the Princess 
 of Wales said to Mrs. George Villiers, " I cannot say
 
 170 DIARIES AND CORRESrONDEN'CE OF 
 
 I positively liate the Prinee of Wales, but 1 certainly 
 have a positive horror of him." 'J'hey lived in dit- 
 fcreiit houses, dined at ditl'erent hours, and were 
 never alone together. Tlic Princess said, " Nothing 
 shall shake the determination I have taken to live in 
 no other way than the state of separation we arc 
 now ill." Little was known on the subject at the 
 place, and not a syllable said to me about it, except 
 in one house. The circumstances cannot, however, 
 be kept under, I think, much longer, as there are 
 occasional manifestations of them that must meet the 
 eyes and ears of observers. 
 
 October \lh. — Mr. Sheridan came here to dinner 
 with Captain and Mrs. Ogle (with whom he was 
 staying at Lymington), as a friend of theirs, somewhat 
 unexpectedly. T endeavoured all I could to avoid 
 any conversation on subjects at all of a political nature, 
 by turning it to other matters as often as he began 
 upon public points; but it became utterly impossible 
 to prevent his talking of the Prince of Wales, prin- 
 cipally with a view of stating in the strongest terms 
 the anxious disposition of his Royal Highness to 
 reconcile himself to the Kinor bv the most unonalified 
 submission, if his Maiestv would condescend to 
 receive it, and restore him to his good opinion. 
 
 Mr. S. professed his unalterable attachment to 
 ^Ir. Fox ; but spoke in terms of the highest com- 
 mendation of ^Ir. Pitt, and declared solemnly, that his 
 im varying advice to the Prince of Wales had been, 
 never to think of forming a Government without 
 making Mr. Pitt a part of it. He gave the strongest
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 171 
 
 assurances, also, that he had nothing to do ^ with the 
 breaking off the intended interview between Mr. Pitt 
 and Mr. Fox on the late change of Government, which 
 he attributed to Mr. Grey, of whose temper and 
 haughtiness he spoke in unquaHfied terms. He pro- 
 fessed himself a determined enemy to a Reform in 
 Parliament, which he would oppose, he said, during 
 the remainder of his life. 
 
 Safurchi/, October Vdtth. — Mr. Pitt came to Cuff- 
 nells. I stated to him as accurately as I could all 
 the interesting parts of the King's conversation with 
 me at Weymouth a fortnight ago, except what his 
 Majesty said of Mr. Pitt having told him he had private 
 reasons for not bringing forward again the Catholic 
 Question, which entirely escaped my recollection. 
 I told him also what I had heard from the most 
 positive and unquestionable authority respecting the 
 conduct of the Princess of Wales towards the Prince. 
 I found he w^as fully and completely apprized of the 
 latter to the utmost extent of what I had heard ; and 
 said that he and the Chancellor had made joint 
 remonstrances in the most earnest manner to the 
 Princess on the subject, which her Royal Highness 
 received in the coldest manner possible, utterly unmoved 
 for a long time ; and at last, made sensible of the 
 absolute necessity of some change in her conduct by the 
 effect that would otherAvise be produced in the public 
 
 ^ The conduct Mr. Sheridan had held in the latter part of Mr. 
 Addington's government, prevented Mr. Fox, probably, from acting 
 upon his advice ; but it will be seen, in the notes made at the 
 time, what the opinions expressed by Mr. S. were.
 
 172 DIARIES AND CORHESPONDEXCE OF 
 
 mind, she at length promised an alteration, but stated 
 particnlars in the I^-ince's bthaviour that had created 
 alarms in her mind of which she conld not get tiie 
 better. On the whole, Mr. Pitt seemed to think any 
 hope of her acting up to the wishes of those who arc 
 most anxious for the welfare of the country was 
 desperate. The prevalent opinion, he said, is, that 
 she was so indulged for thirty years as to nuike her 
 impatient under any untoward circumstances after- 
 wards ; and he conceived she might be acting, to a 
 certain extent, under an impression of partiality for 
 the Prince of \\ ales. 
 
 Mr. Pitt thought Mr. Pond would be a most un- 
 objectionable man to Ix- Judge Advocate, but con- 
 ceived there were some objections (which he stated) 
 to making him the otter; and said, that in the over- 
 ture to Mr. Vansittart, his Majesty had gone further 
 and proceeded (juieker tiian was intended. The 
 objection to him, his in>utticiency in Parliament, 
 Mr. Pitt applied more foreil)ly to Sii' Evan Nepean, 
 whose want of talents for the House of Conuuons 
 made the necessity for finding a proj)er per.^on to 
 succeed him more apparent. I observed that, except 
 as a speaker, I thought Mr. Vansittart fully equal to 
 the situation, and that much in that line was not now 
 requisite. Mr. Pitt told me I was mistaken in con- 
 ceiving, from anything the King had said about Lord 
 Auckland, that his Majesty had at all altered his 
 mind about his Lordship ; for, that in answer to a 
 letter Lord A. had some time since written to him, 
 his Majesty had reminded him of his former conduct
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE EOSE. 173 
 
 with respect to the coaUtion between Lord North and 
 ]\Ir. Fox, the effects of which the former never got the 
 better of. I found tlie account of Lady Auckland 
 having another pension of 500/. a year added to her 
 former one of 800/., however, to be true. 
 
 Mr. Pitt said nothino- to me of the nec-otiation he 
 had had with Mr. Tierney, and I thought it could 
 only be painful to him to mention it, without a hope 
 of any good being derivable therefrom ; T therefore did 
 not start the subject. He said there was no probable 
 appearance of any material addition to our parlia- 
 mentary strength ; nor could I learn that any one is 
 seriously thought of for the Lish Secretaryship. 
 
 Cuffnells, Mondajj, October 29M,LS04. — His Majesty 
 arrived at Cuffnells, from Weymouth, about four in 
 the afternoon. The Duke of Cumberland's regiment 
 of Light Dragoons, and my eldest son's regiment of 
 South Hants Yeomanry Cavalry, received His Majesty 
 on the road near Stony Cross; and in the park, at 
 Cuffnells, he was received by the Volunteers in the 
 neighbourhood, amounting to about 1800. The 
 Queen, all the Princesses, and the Duke of Cam- 
 bridge, arrived at the same time, and four ladies 
 attending the Queen and Princesses, viz. : — Lady 
 Isabella Thynne, Lady Georgina Buckley, Lady 
 Matilda Wynyard, and Lady Ilchester. I dined with 
 their Majesties, and in the evening was at their card 
 party, and afterwards supped with them. No oppor- 
 tunity occurred in the course of the afternoon for any 
 private conversation. 
 
 Tuesday, October 30//^. — I walked in the morning
 
 371 DIARIES xVNI) CORRESrOXDEN'CE OP 
 
 with the King for an hour before ])reakfast. Ho talked 
 of several individuals, mentioning Mr. Sturges Bourne 
 again (as he had done at Weymouth), with l\y;iii 
 and -Mr. lluskistjon, in a very ditierent nuuiner. lie 
 said, that after Mr. Pitt's coming to the administra- 
 tion in the summer, he had used every endeavour witii 
 Mr, Drax Grosvcnor to support Government, who had 
 expressed the utmost willingness to comply, but wished 
 his brother the General would do so tirst, to sanction 
 his taking such a part ; in consecjuence of which his 
 Majesty had a})j)lication made to the General, whose 
 answer was, that he wished his elder brother Drax to 
 set him the example, as he was fearful of otlending 
 Lord Grosvcnor. The King, added liis Lordship, was 
 strongly disinclined to Mr. Pitt, on account of the 
 Catholic question. This impression his Majesty 
 thought he had removed, by telling his Lordshij) he 
 was perfectly satisticd with the assurances he had 
 received from Mr. Pitt about it. The King then 
 said, he understood and believed Mr. Titt had been 
 induced to make Lord MuliTrave Chancellor of the 
 Duchy of Lancaster, under an engagement from his 
 Lordship to give Mr. Pitt all the patronage of the 
 Duchy ; which I happened to know was not true, and 
 therefore ventured to state that confidently to his 
 Majesty. I did so because Lord ^lulgrave had spent 
 two days with me, two or three weeks ago, on his 
 way to Weymouth, and mentioned the greatest living 
 in his gift (about 1500/. a year), as likely to become 
 soon vacant, which he intended to give to a person to 
 hold for his second son, now an infant. He also said
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 175 
 
 he should give the next considerable living that may- 
 fall to a private friend. I am sm*e, too, that Mr. Pitt 
 is incapable of making such a bargain. The King 
 regretted much Lord Mulgrave having the office, and 
 still more his being in the Cabinet. 
 
 On speaking of the Duke of Montrose, the King 
 said, his appointment to the Post-Office should not 
 have been made; that having given him the Justice- 
 Generalship of Scotland for life, on rehnquisbing the 
 Mastership of the Horse, he should have taken 
 the situation of President of the Board of Trade, 
 without any other employment. That his Majesty 
 thought that placing his Grace in the latter post was a 
 good arrangement; as from his good-nature and ac- 
 quiescing temper he was persuaded he would quietly 
 permit me to do all the business. 
 
 [On this point, however, his Majesty is a little mis- 
 taken, as I have found as much presumption in his 
 Grace as could be met with in almost any individual.] 
 The King spoke again in high terms of Lord 
 Harrowby, and repeated, tliat he thought Lord 
 Hawkesbury would make a good Home Secretary of 
 State. 
 
 The King spoke of the importance of attending to 
 the Press, and said he thought that remarkably well 
 managed now. 
 
 The following conversation took place during our 
 ride across the wildest part of the forest (in one of the 
 heaviest rains I ever felt) to Cadlands, where we dined, 
 at Mr. Drummond's, the King's banker. The ground, 
 after long and incessant rain, for some days was wet
 
 170 DIARIES AND COTlIlESrONDEXCE OP 
 
 and sponuy, wliich made the ride, at no time a pleasant 
 one, extremely uncomfortable to the King, who there- 
 fore chose to come the roadway back, by Ehng, though 
 five or six miles further. 
 
 His Majesty repeated an observation he had made 
 at Wevmouth, in somewhat diti'erent words, — that his 
 memory was a «jjood one, and that what he did wot for/fet 
 he could uoX forr/ivf. lie said, that in his intercourse 
 with men, it had been an invariable rule with him, 
 not to xuppoKO them bad till he found them so; that 
 there had been instances of men becominfr good, or 
 at least consitU-rably improving, by letting them 
 understand they were considend as better than they 
 were. 
 
 In speaking of the war, he said, something should 
 be done to bring it to a ])oint ; that the sort of war- 
 fare going on woidd wear out the resources of the 
 country, without leading to nni/ conclusion of it. 
 That he was aware we could have no assistance from 
 any of the continental powers without paying them ; 
 and I observed, that het/ond all comparimn it would 
 be cheaper to subsidize them to a great extent, rather 
 than send British armies to the Continent ; not taking 
 into the account the loss of English blood or the 
 expense of recruiting. After breakfast we rode to 
 Cadlands, with the Dukes of Cumberland and Cam- 
 bridge, and the Princesses Amelia and Sophia, with 
 their attendants, in a storm of wind and heavy rain, 
 which came on before we got a mile from Lvndhurst. 
 His Majesty renewed the subject of continental 
 politics, and surprised me bei/ond measure, by telling
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 177 
 
 me that he had suggested to Mr. Pitt the propriety 
 of getting the co-operation of Austria with Russia, 
 and if possible Prussia ; that it shoukl then be put to 
 the first power to declare whether she wishes to 
 repossess Flanders or not ; that she would probably 
 say no ; in which case measures should be taken for 
 seeming that country to Great Britain ; not to be 
 annexed to it as a part of the British dominions, but 
 to be under a prince of the blood of Great Britain, 
 with their own former constitution, or something 
 resembling it. To have ihe Joyeiise Entree restored 
 to them; the army there to consist of about half 
 Flemings and half English : under an impression 
 that with sufficient guarantee the country might be 
 maintained in a state of independence, at very little 
 expense, except that of first putting the fortified 
 places, or rather those that formerly were such, in a 
 respectable state of defence. His Majesty said he had 
 always considered the Barrier Treaty as a very wise 
 and a very efiectual one, for a long time, for preserving 
 the balance of power in Europe. All this I will fairly 
 own appeared to me to be so visionary, that I could 
 not resist saying, " However desirable such an arrange- 
 ment might be, it must, I feared, be considered a 
 hopeless one, in the degraded state of the minds of 
 most of the sovereigns on the continent :" in which his 
 Majesty acquiesced, but still thought if Austria and 
 Prussia could be roused, as well as the Court of St. 
 Petersburgh, the attempt would be worth making ; 
 and that he would for such a purpose spare Lord St. 
 Helens, whom he had no desire to part Avith, believing 
 
 VOL. II. N
 
 178 DIAKIKS AND CUUUESrOXDENCE OF 
 
 liiin to bo more likely to succeed in such a ncf^otiatiou 
 than an} other man.' It did not appear to mo to be 
 useful to pursue the discussion, as there is iKjt the 
 remotest probability of the matter ever becoming a 
 subject for the exercise of diplomatic talents. I am, 
 too, unfortunately of a ditferent oi)iuiou from his 
 Majesty, respecting the fitness of tlu* man ; because 1 
 know liis Lordshij) is impressed with an opinion that 
 lUionaj)arte is absolutely irresistible, and that it is a 
 folly to contend with him : in short, that his Lord- 
 ship is, irit/iout hi'iiiji tit all awart' of if, a .lacobin. 
 
 Much conversation, as we rode, about the Chan- 
 cellor, of whom the Kitig spoke in terms of high com- 
 mendation ; but quite aware of the inconvenience tha 
 arose in nianv instances of his want of decision, occa 
 sioned bv his not having: sutKcient confidence in himself, 
 particularly in |)rotracting the determination of causes, 
 felt not only in the Court of Chancery l)ut in the 
 House of Lords. This led me to express how impos- 
 sible it is for any uian to go through the duties of the 
 two offices of Chancellor and Speaker of the House of 
 Lords, so as to discharge both properly, which the 
 King assented to ; but added — what Sir William Scott 
 said to mc when the negotiation with Mr. Addington 
 broke oti' — that the Chancellor would not hear of such 
 a measure as the division of the offices, even under a 
 complete indemnity to the Great Seal for the j)rofits 
 of the Speakership ; as the profession (meaning the 
 Law) would never foigive him for being the first to 
 
 * His Lordship is of the King's bedchamber, on his Majesty's own 
 nominatioujlately. j
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 179 
 
 agree to the offices being divided. This is as httle in- 
 telUgible to me now as when the objection was first 
 started, because the profession woukl lose nothing 
 either in profit or honour by the alteration. The Great 
 Seal would be precisely the same in rank and income 
 as now. 
 
 His Majesty next talked to me about my eldest son, 
 of whom he spoke in terms of the warmest approba- 
 tion and regard ; observing, what I could only state 
 in these most private notes, that what first recom- 
 mended him to his warm good opinion, and maintained 
 him to a certain degree in it, was his perfect resem- 
 blance in mind to his father. He then asked rae if 
 my son thought of returning to the diplomatic hue ; 
 which I answered in the affirmative. That led to a 
 good deal of conversation on the total neglect of the 
 education of young men in this country for that line ; 
 his Majesty much commending the course taken for 
 qualifying my son for it. His Majesty added, that if 
 ever my son was but hinted at to him for a respectable 
 mission, he would express, in the warmest manner, his 
 cordial approbation of the appointment; and he ob- 
 served, how infinitely better it w^ould be to have him 
 at Berlin than such a man as Mr. Jackson. The King 
 said he thought I had done perfectly right in the mean- 
 time in appointing him Deputy Paymaster-General. 
 His Majesty spoke of Mrs. George Rose in the hand- 
 somest manner, and said the eldest boy was as 
 promising a one as possible. On asking the value of 
 the Deputy Paymastership, and learning that it was 
 500/. a-year, he asked me what such a salary on the 
 
 N 2
 
 180 DTARTES AND COIUlESrONDEXCE OF 
 
 Civil List nettt'd, which he wislicd to know, because he 
 liad given Georgia ViUars 400/. a-year as a private 
 bonnty, in compensation for disappointing liiin of tlic 
 l^angcisliip of Windsor I'ark, or sonic such office.' 
 I conid not be sure whetlier 1 cauglit this correctly, 
 as tliere was a perfect storm of wind as well as 
 rain when his Majesty mentioned it in our ride. 
 
 Tiic King said he suj)poscd Lord W'elhsley, on his 
 return iiomc, wonhl l)e divided ixlween Lord Grenvillc 
 and Mr. Pitt, in wliicli I concurred ; bnt am persuaded 
 he will not oj)posc Mr. Pitt's government. From 
 talking of his Lordship, his .Majesty was led to speak 
 of General I^ake, which he did in terms of perfect 
 indifference; observing, that military rej)ntation was 
 easily acquired in India. On our return in the even- 
 ing from Cadlands, by the high road, in another deluge 
 of rain, on horseback, the King again mentioned my 
 eldest son in a manner even of alFection, conuncnding 
 him warndy, and expressing an an.xious wish that he 
 might very soon be employed in the foreign line. His 
 Majesty then mentioned Admiral Lord Gardiner as an 
 officer of the highest merit, and spoke of Lord St. 
 Vincent as another of equal consideration iu his 
 profession, but who had rendered himself extremely 
 unpopular at the Admiralty Board, by adopting the 
 measures of others ; expressing surprise that he should 
 allow Captain (now Admiral) Markham to govern him 
 
 ' He being a groom of the bedchnmt)er, as well as paymaster of 
 marines, the former of which employments he had agreed to give 
 up ou his api>ointmeut to the latter ; but by some management ho 
 kept both, and has now, it seems, this pricale allowance from the 
 King, besides.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 181 
 
 absolutely, whom, as Commander of a Ship of the Line, 
 he had pnblicly discredited by sending an officer from 
 the Flag Ship to make her a Man-of- War. His Majesty 
 said that in all matters not connected with the business 
 of the Board, Lord St. Vincent was governed by a worth- 
 less man of the name of Tucker, who had been his 
 Secretary ; and that on his Lordship retiring from the 
 Admiralty, his Majesty had written to him plainly on 
 some parts of his conduct, though he was perfectly 
 satisfied of his good intentions, his zeal, &c., &c.; and 
 that his Majesty had particularly remarked to him the 
 impropriety of his appointing Mr. Tucker's brother to 
 be builder at Plymouth, from a private yard. 
 
 I took occasion, in the course of this ride, on Mr. 
 Fox's name being mentioned, to say to the King, what I 
 verily believe to be true, — that Mr. Fox is now, and 
 always has been, a most decided Aristocrat ;^ which, 
 considering the line of conduct he has for many years 
 pursued, is perhaps not likely to elevate his character. 
 But my real and sincere motive was, as far as I could, 
 to impress the King with a persuasion that the taking 
 Mr. Fox into his Government would not be attended 
 with any danger ; but that on the other hand, he would, 
 in that case, find it his interest, and the safest line to 
 gratify his ambition, to maintain the just pov/er of the 
 Crown. I referred to Lord Macartney for my authority 
 about Mr. Fox as an unquestionable one, he having 
 known him from his infancy, and maintained a con- 
 stant intercourse with him ever since of private friend- 
 ship, though he had not sided with him in politics. 
 
 ^ Itfy expression was, on recollection, a determined Tory.
 
 182 DIARIES AND COIUIESPONDENCE OF 
 
 Wed/icadai/, Octohcr 31.y/. — His Majrsty, Ijcfoic 
 breakfast, told iiic he luul received a letter tVoiii .Mr. 
 Pitt, proposing to deter the meeting of Pariiaiiient till 
 after Christmas, it' he could be in town on .Nbiiiday, 
 to hold a Council to order the Proclamation, which 
 his Majesty said he should cheerlully agree to ; 
 and tlien added a good deal about the advan- 
 tage, in many ])oints of view, that would result 
 from the meeting being so deferreil. His Majesty 
 then fell into a conversation in the breakfast-room, in 
 tlie presence of the equerries, about Lord Thurlow, 
 whom he spoke of as a man of considerable feeling, and 
 said he had seen tears in his eyes ! To which oj)inion I 
 could give no assent. In the next sentence, however, 
 his Majesty mentioned his conduct to Miss Lynch, and 
 of his having comi)letely broken the heart of the son 
 he had by her; whieh he followed up l)y connnents on 
 his conduct towards Captain Brown, who married his 
 eldest daughter : of whom his Majesty spoke in terms 
 of great praise, and stated, in proof of his merit, that 
 General Wliitelocke had determined to take him with 
 him into the military department to which he was 
 appointed. (Inspector-General of Recruits, 1 believe.) 
 
 Alter breakfast we rode to Lymington, by the high 
 road, on our way to Southampton, to dine with Sir 
 Harry Neale. On the road the conversation of last 
 night about Mr. Fox was renewed, and the King 
 repeated what he had said at ^^'ey mouth, that he had 
 told Mr. Pitt he would rather take the risk of a civil 
 war than receive Mr. Pox into his council. This 1 
 did not venture to come across with any pointed obser-
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 183 
 
 vations, under an impression that I should only have 
 revolted his Majesty, without the remotest chance of 
 effecting the object which, for the sake of the country 
 alone, God knows, I anxiously wished to accomplish. 
 But with great caution, I did suggest what I before 
 hinted, — that if Mr. Fox should at anytime be taken into 
 Government, his original principles would prevail with 
 him, and would induce him to be solicitous to main- 
 tain its powers and authority ; which at least did not 
 produce any adverse observations, and may therefore 
 possibly work quietly in his Majesty's mind. I put to 
 his Majesty what Mr. Pitt had formerly said to me, 
 about Mr. Fox going abroad; to which the King 
 replied, " that would have been a very different pro- 
 jjosition," and distinctly inferred that, to that he 
 should not have had a decided objection. 
 
 On our return in the evening, the King began the 
 conversation again about the naked and drearv waste 
 we rode over yesterday, abusing it as worse than any 
 part of Bagshot heath ; and said, on the whole he 
 thought Windsor Forest incomparably a more beautiful 
 one than this. To which I rephed, it was fortunate in 
 this as well as in other matters of taste, that all did 
 not think alike. I suggested the disadvantage at which 
 the King saw this country, but that in fine weather, 
 even the part of the forest he had seen had its beauties, 
 as the ground was finely thrown about ; to which his 
 Majesty replied, he had no taste for what was called 
 the fine loilcl beauties of nature ; he did not hke 
 mountains and other romantic scenes, of which he 
 sometimes heard much.
 
 ISl DIARIES AND CORRESrONDENCE OF 
 
 Diiriiiij; tliis ride, the King askcil mc whetlicr 
 T kiieu', or liad any fixed opinion ns to who was tlic 
 author of .Funius. To wliich I answered, 1 l)rheved 
 no one living knew to a certainty who tlie author 
 was, except I^ord Grenvilh; ; l)ut that I had heard 
 Iritn say positively lie did. That 1 had, iiowever, long 
 had a strong ])ersuasion Mr. (jlerard Hamilton was the 
 author; that I knew him wtll, and from a cond)ina- 
 tion of a variety of circumstances, I had no doubt in 
 my own mind of the fact. His .Majesty asked me for 
 the book ; and I undertook to lind it for him in the 
 morning. After talking a good deal about .lunius, the 
 King entered into an account of the Duke of Grafton's 
 resignation ; stating that after the death of Mr. Vorke, 
 who had accepted the Seals,' it was settled by his 
 Grace that the Seals should be in commission, and that 
 the Government was in other respects to go on as was 
 before proposctl. But that on the evening on which 
 the commission (as usual a Judge from each Court) 
 were to be sworn, the Duke came to the Queen's 
 House with Lord \\'ey mouth, the Secretary of State, 
 or met him there by appointment, I am not sure 
 which. That his Majesty first saw the Duke, who said 
 he came to announce to his Majesty that he could not 
 go on with the administration ; which naturally sur- 
 prised him a good deal, after the arrangements above 
 alluded to. That his ^lajcsty next saw Lord Weymouth, 
 who felt equal sur})rise on the subject, but said he would 
 go home with the Duke and endeavour to infuse some 
 firmness and manliness into him ; in which, however, 
 
 ' On tbo resignation of Lord Camden.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 158 
 
 he then completely failed. That his Majesty, after that, 
 sent to Lord North, who had been for some time Chan- 
 cellor of the Exchequer, under the Duke as first Lord, 
 and gave him two days to consider whether he would 
 succeed his Grace or not. In the interval the Duke 
 wrote to his Majesty that he was inclined to go on. 
 When Lord North, therefore, attended his Majesty to 
 accept the office, the King told him he would give him 
 one day more to consider about it, which he accepted 
 thankfully ; but in the evening of that day, his Grace 
 wrote to the King to say he had decided positively to 
 resign. Of course, when Lord North came in the 
 morning, it was fixed for him to be at the head of the 
 Treasury ; and the King then told him what had in- 
 duced him to propose the fm'ther day for consideration. 
 
 TJiursday, November \st. — T put the " Letters of 
 Junius " into the King's hand ; and we looked through 
 the book for a letter which the Duke of Cumberland 
 thought was in one of the notes, from Miss Parsons to 
 the Duke of Grafton, without finding it, or even a note 
 alluding to such a letter; which was very probably 
 owing to mine being an early edition of the book. 
 
 After breakfast we rode to Southampton, and imme- 
 diately after getting through the vihage of Lyndhurst, 
 his Majesty began a conversation about the young 
 Princess Charlotte, who his Majesty said the Prince 
 of Wales had put into his hands for education, &c. ; 
 and that he was beyond measure anxious to find 
 proper persons to place about her, and appeared to me 
 to be desirous of continuing the conversation on the 
 subject, about which I felt so much unaffected delicacy,
 
 18(5 DIARIES AND COUUESI'ONDENCE OF 
 
 tliat I inori' than once atttinptcd to turn it. Tlic King, 
 however, soon ivndcrcd tliis (juite iin})ossible by saying 
 that a bdy had been mentioned to liini as one in all 
 respects well (|ualilied tor, and well suited to, such a 
 trust. To which I answered, that with all the oppor- 
 tunities his Majesty had for personal observation of 
 the characters of women of rank, he had better act in 
 so important a matter on ids own judgment. This 
 led him to say that he had felt a great anxiety to know 
 my opinion (the tirst lu' had asked) of the person, 
 who he said, was the widow of the late Bishop of St. 
 David's, anil who, it was probable, I knew something of; 
 and he commamlrd me to state distinetlv what 1 knew, 
 or had heard from any authority on which 1 could 
 rely, aliout her. To which I replied, that whatever 
 scruple I might feel in suggesting anything in so very 
 delicate a point, I could not, under such a conmiand, 
 withhold an acknowledgment that I knew something 
 of Lady George Murray early in her life. That as a 
 girl she was remarkably amiable, and very innocent ; 
 that she had bi'en married when little more than a 
 child, to a young man under age ; that she had con- 
 ducted herself most unexceptional )ly, to say the least, 
 both as a wife and mother ; that I had never heard a 
 syllable to her disadvantage, but nnich in her com- 
 mendation : with all which his Majesty seemed nuich 
 pleased, and said he had determined to withhold 
 making up his mind on the subject, till he could make 
 inquiries of me upon it, being perfectly certain I would 
 tell him nothing but the plainest truth. He then asked 
 me if there was no danger of the Duke of Athol having
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 187 
 
 an influence over her — pretty plainly implying that lie 
 had no partiality for his Grace ; — to which I answered 
 it was impossible for me to be at all certain about that, 
 but that I thought her mother was most likely to have 
 an influence over her ; who I had no reason to suspect of 
 an intriguing disposition ; but that I had seen nothing 
 of her for a great many years, and could not venture 
 to express a decided opinion about her. This part of 
 a long conversation closed with an assurance froui his 
 Majesty that he felt great comfort from what I had 
 said to him, and that it would have great weight with 
 him. The last declaration he repeated twice. I then 
 ventured to say, that encouraged by such condescension 
 from his Majesty, I thought it of great consequence 
 that whoever his Majesty might ultimately decide on 
 to be the head governess for the young princess, it 
 would be very desirable in the selection of the sub- 
 governess to consider W'hether they would be likely to 
 accord with each other. The importance of this his 
 Majesty admitted, and mentioned in confidence that 
 he had in a great degree decided to place in the latter 
 situation, a Mrs. Campbell, w^idow of a Colonel Camp- 
 bell, who went out governor to Bermuda or Bahama 
 (I am not sure which), and died on his arrival there. 
 Of this lady he had received a most favourable account 
 from an authority he respected. 
 
 To prove the justice of my observation, his Ma- 
 jesty told me that most serious inconvenience had 
 arisen from disagreements and intrigues amongst 
 those who were entrusted with the care of his 
 education ; mentioning Dr. Thomas, afterwards Bishop
 
 188 DLVIllES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 of A\'incliestcr, and Mr. George; Scott, jifterwards 
 a Coiiiiiiissioncr of Excise, as men of unexception- 
 able characters (preceptor and snl)-preceptor). But 
 he considered Dr. llayter, liishop of Norwich, as an 
 intriguing, unworthy man, more fitted tn bo a Jesuit 
 than an English Bishop ; and as intluenced in his con- 
 duct by the disappointment he met with in failing to get 
 the archbishopric of Canterbury. His Majesty added 
 that his Lordshij) was the author of the gross ami 
 wicked cahunny on (Jeorge Scott ;' accusing hin), a 
 man of the purest mind, and most innocent conduct, 
 of having attempted to poison his wifi\ The King 
 then spoke of Lord Waldegrave and Lord Harcourt 
 (both 1 believe his governors, they were certainly 
 both about him), the tirst as a depraved worthless 
 man, the other as well-intentioned, but wholly unlit for 
 the situation in which he was placed. 
 
 The King then returned to the subject of Lady 
 George Ahu'ray, and again expressetl the highest 
 satisfaction at what I Inul said about her ; observing 
 that her manner and appearance at Weymouth, as 
 well as her conduct, as far as he had means of 
 judging of it, had impressed him with a favourable 
 opinion of her ; and added that she was now living at 
 Weymouth, where she meant to remain all the winter, 
 in a lodging, at two guineas a week. 
 
 His Majesty afterwards proceeded to speak of his 
 accession, and of the first measures taken after it, 
 
 ' I knew this geutlemau long and very intimately : and I can aver, 
 with the siacerest truth, I never knew a man more entirelj/ bltnuefcss 
 iu all the relations of life ; amiable, honoui-ablc, temperate, and one 
 of the sweetest dispositions I ever knew.
 
 THE MGHT HON. GEORGE HOSE. 189 
 
 expressing a good deal of surprise at the accuracy 
 with which some of them were related in a history of 
 the time Avritten by a ]\Ir. Adolphus, as far at least as 
 respected himself/ and particularly referred to a state- 
 ment in that book of the words, " I glory in the 
 name of Briton," having been inserted in the draft of 
 his first speech with his own hand ; adding, also, that 
 they were his own, and suggested to him by no one. 
 His Majesty then referred to a conversation he had held 
 with me when at Cuffnells, in 1801, respecting Lord 
 Bute ; saying he would now tell me what he had then 
 omitted to do, Avliich omission he had since regretted, 
 and was now desirous of repairing. That on the day 
 of the late King's demise, he was going from Kew to 
 his house in London, to give some directions about 
 an organ he had there being fitted in a room he had 
 prepared for it. When near Kew bridge, he met a 
 person he did not know, who rode up to him and 
 said he had something to say to him, and took out of 
 his pocket a piece of very coarse white-brown paper, 
 with the name of Schrieder wrote upon it, and 
 nothing more, which the man said was given to him 
 merely to obtain credence with his Royal Highness ; 
 and then went on to say that the King was taken 
 suddenly ill, and that appearances were very alarm- 
 ing. He ordered him to say nothing to any one, but 
 to ride on quietly. The determination his Majesty 
 instantly took was to return to Kew, to colour 
 M^iich, he observed to his attendants that his horse 
 
 ^ His Majesty said he should, therefore, have it bound as a conti- 
 nuation of Eajjiu.
 
 IDU JJl ARIES AND CORKESPONUENCE nV 
 
 went latnc ; niul jiltlioii«j;h his jri-ooni assured hiiu to 
 the contrary, lie went l)aek directly, and immediately 
 repaired to the l^rincess of Wales, whose unremitting 
 and eartful attention he spoke feelinulv of, to com- 
 nnmieate to lirr what had occurred ; in doing which 
 he (■nj(jine(l her in the warmest manner to say nothing 
 on the subject to Lord Bute, lest he should entertain 
 some notion of endeavouring to be placed in a political 
 situation ; of wliich, however, the Princess Dowager 
 assured him there was no danger. Tiie King, not 
 satisfied with that assurance, repeated the injunction, 
 and obtained from her Iloyal Highness a positive 
 promise of a compliance with it, adding, that if she 
 should be mistaken, it would entirely alter her opinion 
 of his Lordship. That after leaving his mother, and 
 before reaching his own house, he met a messenger 
 with a letter from the I'rincess Amelia, directed "To 
 his ^Lijesty," which led to his being certain of the 
 event that had happened. Iler Royal Highness, in it, 
 rcfpiested him to come directly to Kensington ; the 
 impropriety of which he was so sensible of, that, 
 after again waiting on his mother, he went straight to 
 his own house in London, and on the road met a 
 coach and six, which, by the liveries of white and 
 blue, he knew must belong to Mr. Pitt, who turned 
 about and followed him to Carlton House. In the 
 first interview, Mr. Pitt desired he might be allowed 
 to comnninicate with Lord Bute about the measures 
 necessary to be immediately taken, to which his 
 Majesty assented ; and they met accordingly, in the 
 most friendly manner, for that purpose. But one
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 191 
 
 circumstance was not attended to ; for when Dr. Seeker, 
 Archbishop of Canterbury, came into his Majesty's 
 closet, at the head of the Privy Council, and made a 
 speech to him on his succeeding to the throne, he 
 was not aware of it, and was not prepared with any 
 answer. It was, however, at that time that the 
 speech was framed, and that his Majesty made the 
 alteration in it before alluded to. Lord Bute took 
 the office of Groom of the Stole, with which he 
 appeared to be satisfied for several months, but it was 
 soon manifest that he was desirous of being in some 
 high and responsible political situation ; the attain- 
 ment of which object he effected through the agency 
 of Count Viri, the Sardinian ambassador, who pre- 
 vailed with the Dukes of Newcastle and Devonshire 
 to propose Lord Bute being Secretary of State; his 
 Excellency having a considerable influence with both, 
 paiticularly with the former. Till that time, there 
 had been a perfectly good agreement between his 
 Lordship and Mr. Pitt, but on the appointment' taking 
 place, in March, 1761, evident dissatisfaction appeared 
 in the latter; and in the October following, he re- 
 signed the other Secretaryship of State, as Lord 
 Temple did the Privy Seal. Which resignations were 
 followed in May, 1762, by that of the Duke of New- 
 castle of the office of First Lord of the Treasury ; and 
 in November, 1762, of the Duke of Devonshire of 
 the Chamberlainship. liOrd Bute succeeded to the 
 
 ' The opening was made by Lord Holdernesse having a pension 
 till the Wardenship of the Cinque Ports -should become vacant by 
 the death of Lord Holdernesse.
 
 1U2 DLVlllES AND CORRESrONDEN'CE OF 
 
 first, and tlic Duke of .Marll)orou*:;h to the latter. 
 His Maiestv conceived tliat the Dukes of Newcastle 
 and Devonshire, in allowing; tlieniselves to be per- 
 suaded \o j)r()i)ose Lord JJute being Secretary of 
 State, were inlhienced l)y a suL'Ljestion that tlje 
 appointment would allurd some check on Mr. Pitt, 
 of whose power tluy wire a bttic jialous ; but his 
 Majesty was sure they repented of having done so, 
 as he lieartily chd of having accpiiesced u\ tla; 
 measure. The King tlien spoke of Lortl liute as deficient 
 in pohtical firmness, whicli he admitted to be a most 
 important ingredient in a minister — particularly in 
 tile one at the head of the Government. This led 
 his Majesty to remind me of the anecdote related by 
 him, in I SOI, of his Lordship, while Minister, when 
 surroumied in his carriage by a mob near the House 
 of Lords, coming to him in a panic, followed by the 
 mob, to St. James's, to dissuade his Majesty from 
 going to the play, and of the rebuke he gave his 
 Lordship for that j)roeee(ling. He said, however, that 
 his Lordship did not want talents, and that Lord ^Lms- 
 field had assm*ed him he never knew any one who came 
 so late into business take to it and do it so well. 
 
 His Majesty said little about Mr. Grcnville, 
 except that it was not his wish he should resign when 
 he did, but Mr. Grcnville's own voluntarv act. He 
 spoke of Lord Sufiblk as a man of some talents, but 
 of great ambition, — a proof of which was his desire to 
 supplant Lord North' at the Treasury. The mention 
 
 ^ Of this, I believe neither Lord Xorth nor the public ever enter- 
 tained any suspicion.
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 193 
 
 of his Lordship led the King to some observations 
 about Lord Auckland, whom he described as a man 
 of deep intrigue, who had artfully got about Lord 
 Suffolk/ but wdiose true character was well known to 
 his Lordship before his death, which induced him to 
 send him to America as one of the commissioners for 
 restoring peace ; previously to which, however, on 
 Mr. Robinson's illness. Lord Suffolk had put him about 
 Lord North, in the hope of his becoming Secretary 
 to the Treasury in the event of Mr. Robinson dying ; 
 whose recovery defeated that project, which his 
 Majesty thought fortunate. Of Lord North his 
 Majesty w^as beginning to speak in very favourable 
 terms, when we were interrupted by the Princess Amelia 
 (who, with the other Princesses, was riding behind us) 
 getting a most unfortunate fall. The horse, on 
 cantering down an inconsiderable hill, came on his 
 head, and threw her Royal Highness flat on her face. 
 She rose, without any appearance of being at all hurt, 
 but evidently a good deal shaken ; and, notwithstand- 
 ing an earnest wish to avoid occasioning the slightest 
 alarm, was herself not desirous of getting on horse- 
 back again ; but the King insisted that she should, 
 if at all hurt, get into one of the carriages and return 
 to Cuffnells to be bled, or otherwise mount another 
 horse and ride on. She chose the latter, and rode to 
 Southampton, where she lost some blood unknown to 
 the King. I hazarded an advice, that no one else 
 would do, for her Royal Highness's return, which 
 
 ^ His Lordship certainly entertained a warm friendship for Lord 
 Auckland till the latter quitted him and his other connexions. 
 
 VOL. IL O
 
 Li)i DIAIlliiS AND COllilESroNDENCE 01' 
 
 was certainly not well recrivcd, and j)rovokv!d a 
 quickness from his Majesty that I experienced in no 
 other instance, lie observed that he could not bear 
 that any of his family should want couraf,'c. To which 
 I re})lied, I hoped his Majesty woultl excuse me if 
 I said I thought a pru[)cr attention to prevent the ill 
 effects of an accident that had haj)pened, was no 
 symptom of a want of courage. He then said with 
 some warmth : — " Perhaps it may be so ; but 1 thank 
 God there is but one of my childrcu who wants 
 courage; — and I will not name uiM, becauae he r> to 
 succeed me." 1 own I was deeply pained at the 
 observation, and dropped behind to speak to General 
 Fitzrov, which gave a turn to the conversation. 
 
 In the Audit-house at Southain{)ton, his Majesty 
 said personally to my son what he had before to me, 
 of his litness for the diplomatic line, and of his earnest 
 desire to be useful to him in it, if he should ever have 
 an opportunity of being so. 1 there presented to 
 his Majesty, by desire of the Mayor, Ca})tain Prescott, 
 a commander in the navy, ninety-five years of age, 
 perfectlv erect, capable of taking any moderate exer- 
 cise, and a})parently possessed of all the faculties a 
 man of his age can have the enjoyment of. 
 
 On our ride home, the King talked of the ([uali- 
 ties necessary for persons at the head of the Church, 
 and expressed satisfaction that Mr. Pitt and he were 
 agreed about Dr. Sutton, Bishop of Norwich, being a fit 
 man to succeed the Archbishop of Canterbury, who 
 is breaking fast ; and in that case that Legge should 
 succeed to the Deanery of Windsor, now held by
 
 THE KIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 195 
 
 the Bishop, as that situation shoukl always be filled 
 by a man of some family, which, indeed, it had usually 
 been ; for even in the instance of the appointment of 
 Dr. Booth to that Deanery, the Duke of Newcastle 
 had persuaded the late King that the Dr. was of the 
 Earl of Warrington's family. 
 
 During the time their Majesties were at Cuifnells, 
 I could not perceive anything that could lead to the 
 remotest suspicion of what I had before heard from the 
 most positive and unquestionable authority, and of 
 the absolute certainty of which I am as entirely con- 
 vinced as if I had been present when the occurrences 
 happened. While in this house, there was every 
 appearance of perfect cordiality; and I had good 
 opportunities of watching for symptoms, as I was 
 constantly at table with the royal family when they 
 dined here, as well as every night at supper, and 
 every evening at cards. It may be hoped from hence, 
 that the advice which has been recently given to her 
 Royal Highness may have produced some effect, for 
 a time at least. 
 
 Memoranda, made Friday, November 2(/. — This 
 day theu' Majesties and the royal family left Cuffnells, 
 after breakfast, to return to Windsor, meaning to dine 
 with the Bishop of Winchester at Earnham, on their 
 road. 
 
 On the road to Lymington, last Wednesday, the 
 King talked to me a good deal about Lord Melville. 
 He very much blamed him for proposing Lord Kellie 
 as one of the sixteen peers for Scotland, on account of 
 his not being generally acceptable to the Scotch peers. 
 
 o 2
 
 19G DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 llis Majesty observed, it was giving a great advantage 
 to Lord Lauderdale, who was most indefatigable in 
 his exertions to be clecteil ; and went over nmeh ot" 
 the same groiuul about his Lordship tiiat he had done 
 at Weymouth. 
 
 While here, his Majesty told me he had nearly lost 
 the sicht of his rii'ht eve, and that it was witli the 
 greatest ditTieulty he could read a newspaper by 
 candle-light with (niji spectacles he could get. 
 
 The King told me that Count ^^'oronzow, the Rus- 
 sian ambassador, had sui'i:jested to liim, in the Audit- 
 house at Southampton, that if his .Majesty would 
 express a wish for his remaining in Kngland another 
 year, he wouUl propose it to his Court, and he was 
 sure it would be aecpiiesced in. 
 
 Tursdni/, yovpnihrr Q>t/i, IS 04. — Count Woronzow, 
 the Uussian and)assador, came here. lie contirmed to 
 me what the King had said about his remaining here 
 another vear. He said it could easilv be accomijlished, 
 as there had been no intention on the part of his 
 Court to recall him, he having rc(piested leave to 
 return home ; and that his successor was not to leave 
 Petersburgh till the Count's arrival there. 
 
 He told me that Lady Pembroke (the dowager) 
 had been oflered the government of the Princess 
 Charlotte, but had refused it ; and that Lord Pem- 
 broke had been offered the embassy to Russia, which 
 he would have accepted if he could have been allowed 
 to return in eighteen months. This being not assented 
 to, he had declined.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOEGE ROSE. 197 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 1805—1806. 
 
 MR. rose's diary FOR SEPTEMBER, 1805— CORRESPONDExVCE RESPECT- 
 ING MR. PITT's death, AND THE PAYMENT OF HIS DEBTS, FROM 
 JANUARY TO JUNE, 1806 — FORMATION OF THE PITT CLUB. 
 
 [The close of the year 1S04 left Mr. Rose in a very 
 uncomfortable state, not satisfied with the tone of the 
 Bishop of Lincoln's correspondence, of which copies 
 have been already given, and nionrning over the con- 
 tinued silence of Mr. Pitt and his recent reconciliation 
 wdth Mr. Addington (not personally, but politically), 
 which was probably the cause of that silence. His 
 lamentations upon that subject fill a few pages of his 
 Diary, which it is not necessary to transcribe. 
 
 But wdien the Diary is resumed, in the autunni of 
 1805, we find Mr. Pitt again visiting his friend at 
 CuflPnells, and discussing with him the difficulties of 
 his situation, and the necessity of strengthening his 
 Government by taking into it some members of the 
 Opposition ; stating also the resistance he met Avith at 
 Weymouth from the King, which he attributes to the 
 influence of some of the Addington Cabinet. — Ed.]
 
 198 DIAIUES AND COlUlESrOXUENCE OF 
 
 TtfCbcht/, Soptcinf)n'\Hft.— \\\\ Pitt left me at Ciitt'- 
 nclls to go to tlie King nt Weymouth. On tlic pre- 
 ceding evening, I Imd a conversation of between two 
 and three hours with him in my own room on the state 
 of foreign and domestic politics. On the former lie was 
 extremely sanguine, from the treaties entered into with 
 Russia and Prussia, and the measures taken iu consc- 
 cpience of them ; — the success of which he promised 
 himself would tend verv ^^reatlv to strengthen his 
 Administration. But indipendently of that expectation 
 (which lie did not appear to overrate) there was n(» 
 prospect of any addition to our friends in Parliament. 
 I took occasion, therefore, again to urge him, with the 
 utmost earnestness, to press on tlie consideration of his 
 Majesty, when he sliould see him at Weymouth, the 
 necessity of strengthening his Administration, which lie 
 gave me the strongest assurances he would do. Tie 
 agreed there might be the following openings, with the 
 entire comn. union and even wishes of the parties : — 
 
 President of the Council . Lord Caimlen. 
 
 S.cretari,s of State j Lord Castlereagh. 
 
 •' \ Lord M nigra ve. 
 
 First lA>rd of Admiralty .... Lord Barhani. 
 Lord LieulenaHt of Ireland . . . Lord Hardwicke. 
 Chancellor of the Duchy .... Lonl Harrowby. 
 
 Besides various other offices that might be opened of 
 the second class. I made a tender of my son if it 
 should be found necessary ; to which he would not 
 hsten. In the conclusion, 1 suggested to him the 
 expediency of his talking to the King as early on the 
 subject as he should find an op])ortunity of doing 
 after his arrival at AVevmouth.
 
 TKE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 199 
 
 Saturday, September 21.9/'. — I arrived at Weymouth 
 late in the evening, and supped with Mr. Pitt, who 
 stated to nie ail that had passed "wdth his Majesty, 
 which was extremely discouraging, and told me he 
 was to have his definitive answer the next day. 
 
 Sunday, Sep f ember 22d. — -1 went on the esplanade 
 early in the morning, and at a quarter past seven the 
 King came there, accompanied by Col. Taylor, who, 
 on the King calling me to him, left us. His Majesty 
 then told me that Mr. Pitt had made very strong 
 representations to him of the necessity of strengthen- 
 ing his Government by the accession of persons from 
 the parties of Lord Grenville and Mr. Pox, but that he 
 was persuaded there existed no necessity whatever for 
 such a junction ; that we did very well in the last 
 session, and he was confident we should not be worse 
 in the ensuing one ; that affairs on the Continent wore 
 a good appearance, and that, at least, it was desirable 
 to see how they would turn out ; but that Mr. Pitt had 
 agreed to revise the Parliamentary canvass with Mr. 
 Long, who was also at Weymouth, and in the course 
 of the day to state the result to him. T observed to 
 his Majesty that there would be an unavoidable neces- 
 sity in the next session of Parliament to resort to new 
 and extraordinary measures of taxation, which would 
 put our force in the House of Commons to a very 
 different test from anything that had passed in the 
 last session ; and that, considering our situation in that 
 House, I was perfectly convinced, if Mr. Pitt should be 
 confined by the gout, or any other complaint, for only 
 two or three weeks, there would be an end of us; —
 
 200 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 adding siicli other reasons as occurred to me to show 
 that Mr. Pitt had not overstated the (Hilieulties he 
 had to encounter, T had not the good fortinie, liow- 
 ever, to make any impressiou whatever on his Majesty; 
 on the contrary, I found him intinitely more imprac- 
 ticable on the point than hist year when at Cutlnells. 
 He then wouhl have consented to achuitting as many 
 of the two parties before-mentioned as Mr. Pitt should 
 desire, with the exception only of Mr. Fox, and would 
 not object even to him if employed on a foreign unssion, 
 or in any situation that would not render his re-admis- 
 sion to tlie Privy Council necessary, as appears by my 
 notes written at that time. But now, the King states a 
 positive determination against taking a single individual 
 from the Opposition into the Administration, observing, 
 in a manner that precluded any rrply, " he could not 
 trust them, and they could have no confidence in him ; " 
 and added, " he was sure there was no necessity," to 
 which I couhl only answer, I hoped most sincerely liis 
 Majesty would not find himself under a mistake, but 
 that I felt it my duty to say, I saw the matter in a less 
 promisuig light, and that it appeared to me to be 
 infinitely better for his Majesty to admit of a moderate 
 accession of the persons to whom he objected, with 
 Mr. Pitt as the head of the Administration, who has 
 the good fortune to possess his Majesty's confidence, 
 than to have the whole forced upon him by a struggle 
 in Parliament, and a complete change in his Majesty's 
 confidential servants effected. To this he would not 
 listen at all, considering it as a visionary apprehension. 
 PI is Majesty tlien changed the conversation to the
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 201 
 
 prosecution of Lord Melville, expressing himself in no 
 very favourable terms of his Lordship, and reminding 
 me of some observations of mj own about him many 
 years ago. He evinced resentment particularly at his 
 Lordship having accepted the Presidency at the Admi- 
 ralty, after he had been examined by the Commissioners 
 for Naval Inquiry (or after he knew from those Com- 
 missioners that he should be called upon to explain, I 
 am not sure w^hich) respecting the money in his hands, 
 as Treasurer of the Navy, not being kept at the bank, 
 and other circumstances connected therewith ; at 
 which I expressed my surprise and doubts whether 
 his Majesty had been rightly informed of the fact. He 
 replied, he had it recently from two of his Cabinet 
 Ministers (who I am nearly certain were Lord Mul- 
 grave and Lord Hawkesbury, then at Weymouth) ; 
 and that upon referring to the Chancellor, then also 
 on the spot, he admitted the statement to be true. 
 
 On revolving in my mind all that passed in this 
 conversation, which lasted very nearly two hours with- 
 out interruption, I have a perfect conviction that the 
 positive determination now formed by the King against 
 admitting a single man from the Opposition into 
 Government, so directly contrary to the sentiments he 
 repeatedly stated to me twelve months ago, has arisen 
 from representations that have been made to him very 
 lately, and from a combination of occurrences not to 
 be mistaken. I have a firm persuasion that Lord 
 Hawkesbury effected the change in his Majesty's opi- 
 nions, aided perhaps by Lord Mulgrave, and still more 
 by the Chancellor. This may appear extraordinary, con-
 
 202 DIAKIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 sidoring thr l.mgunjro liis Majesty held respecting Lord 
 ITawkesburv when at Ciitlnells last year (wliieli then 
 strongly marked a want of confichniee in his Lordship's 
 talents and judgment) ; hut it is perfectly certain that 
 the noble fjord, during his stay at Weymouth thi< 
 season, gained very considerable ground with the King 
 by constant assicbiity and attention, particularly at the 
 time of the Duke of (Jloucester's death, when his 
 Majesty's mind was deeply aftected. 
 
 [A letter from Mr. vSturges IJourne, containing an 
 account of Tiord Nelson's death, of Lord CoUingwood's 
 subsequent success, and some other interesting par- 
 ticulars. — Ed.] 
 
 " De.vr Rosf, 
 
 " The Ga:re{t€ of to-dav will give von a most satis- 
 factory account from Lord CoUingwood. Four of the 
 prizes being saved is quite prrrtcr spcm, and three only 
 of them which escaped being serviceable, leaves us little 
 to have wished but the safety of him to whom we owe 
 all, and who seems to have devoted himself most un- 
 fortunately. Captain Hardy saw the man who shot 
 him from the poop of the Ihicputaur, levelling at him 
 continually, and was near enough to distinguish his 
 countenance ; but nothing could induce him to render 
 his person less conspicuous, or to move about on the 
 quarter-deck. 
 
 " I hope there is uo reason to be alarmed at Mr. 
 Pitt's health ; but two or three weeks at Bath would 
 probably be of essential service to hira. He wishe^^
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 203 
 
 to put off the meeting, if it be only for a week. WitB a 
 view of giving him a week more at Bath, it would be 
 valuable, and perhaps the state of things on the Con- 
 tinent may make it desirable, otherwise I should have 
 thought it not worth while, unless it could have been 
 postponed till after the birth-day. 
 
 " You will be glad to hear that in consequence of 
 Leveson having been urged to continue at Petersburg!! 
 by that Court, and consenting to do so till the spring, 
 Lord Cathcart is to take the command of our troops 
 almost immediately, which maj', I hope, postpone if 
 not supersede some other arrangements. 
 
 " The proportion of the proceeds of Spanish mer- 
 chant ships detained before hostilities given to the 
 captors, has varied in some instances where the 
 amount was very considerable : Mr. Pitt would not 
 consent to the ordinary share of two-thirds being 
 granted. We have not, however, heard of any dis- 
 satisfaction on that account, or with regard to the 
 reduced share of the bullion which was given to 
 the captors. 
 
 " We get neither foreign papers nor mails. 
 " Yours, most truly, 
 
 "gW. Sturges Bourne. 
 
 " Lord Collingwood has twenty-one sail of the Hue 
 lit for service, exclusive of Admiral Louis's squadron, 
 and the reinforcements from home."
 
 20i DIARIES AND COPvKESrONDEN'CE OF 
 
 [Tlie correspondence of the year 180G begins vvitli 
 a very brief account of Mr. Pitt's illness and death. 
 At first sight it may seem strange that Mr. Sturges 
 Bourne should have to conunuiiicate to Mr. Rose the 
 progress of his disease ; but Ik^ had been summoned 
 from the Treasury to give an account to the dying 
 Minister of the posture of affairs, and, therefore, his 
 letters contain also intelligence from abroad, chiefly of 
 a dark and sad conij)l('\ion, but not unrelieved by 
 gleams of better fortune. Tlien, after the announce- 
 ment of Mr. Tilt's death, lamentations ponr in from 
 various quarters, and nnieh discussion about the pay- 
 ment of his debts ; one party maintaining that applica- 
 tion should be made to Parliament for a grant, which 
 Mr. AVilberforce discouraged, on the ground tiiat there 
 was no prospect of success, and believed that tiie 
 whole sum which was required might be raised by 
 private subscription amongst his friends. It does not 
 appear that any others took the same sanguine views. 
 But then another question arose, whether those who 
 had alreadv subscribed should be considered creditors, 
 as Mr. Pitt wished, or not. ,AIr. Rose was one of 
 those who would not take back his money, although 
 he was extremely mortified by the discovery that, 
 owing to some sinister influence exercised against 
 him, his friend had died under the persuasion that 
 he was not one who had subscribed largely for his 
 relief. Their next anxiety was to find some one 
 whom they could engage to write a life of their
 
 THE RIGHT HOX. GEORGE ROSE. 205 
 
 deceased leader. It was proposed to Mackenzie, who, 
 without declining it, suggested his own incompetence ; 
 and ultimately it devolved on the Bishop of Lincoln, 
 who might have done it well, but did not. It was 
 afterwards undertaken by Mr. Gifford ;^ but he had no 
 means of giving it the interest of private memorials, 
 and his is only a political history, l^he formation of 
 the Pitt Club, with the Duke of Richmond for its 
 president, and Mr. Rose for its vice-president, closes 
 the history of that great statesman. — Ed.] 
 
 Mr. Sturges Bourne to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Dear Rose, 
 
 " The accounts of Mr. Pitt are rather better. 
 He leaves Bath to-day, and proposes to reach Chip- 
 penham, about twelve miles. He is anxious to pro- 
 rogue Parliament another week, but the risk incurred 
 by it would be such, that, I think, meeting it without 
 him is the least of the two evils. I wish you were on 
 the spot, that we might be assisted by your opinion. 
 I calculate that Mr. Pitt will reach Putney by Mon- 
 day. Do you continue in the country till the last 
 moment ? 
 
 " I forbear savino- what I feel about his healtii till 
 we meet. I wrote to you on the subject two or three 
 days ago, but burnt my letter, thinking I might as 
 well save you some restless nights. 
 
 " Yours ever, most truly, 
 
 " W. S. B. 
 
 " 9th January, 1806." 
 
 * Mr. John R. Giflford, mentioned in a former note.
 
 20(i dlviues and correspondence of 
 
 Mr. Sturges Bourne to Mr, Kosk. 
 
 " Dear Rose, 
 
 " Mr. Pitt arrived at Putmy last iiiglit, having 
 accomplished his journey with less fatigue than might 
 have been expected ; and 1 have been with him this 
 morning by his own desire. His appearance was not 
 woi-sc than 1 expected, thougli it seems to have struck 
 Lady Hester very much. He thinks himself, how- 
 ever, better, particularly in the article of sleep. He 
 is, however, very, very weak, anil h,;s a horror of all 
 animal food. Yon will derive some comfort from 
 knowing that ])r. Reynolds and Dr. Baillie were wait- 
 ing to sec him when I came away. \Mien he may 
 expect to be able to attend to l)usincss and Parliament, 
 we must learn from them. He thinks of going to the 
 Wilderness, which Lord Camden has offered him, and 
 where he will be more out of the way of interruption. 
 " Under these circumstances, I am very glad that 
 you mean to come to us on AWnhiesday, and 1 tliink 
 you had better dine with me on that day, without going 
 first to Putney. I did not mean to reproach you so 
 unjustly as you supposed, but rather marvelled at 
 your taste for the country. As wc must do without 
 Mr. Pitt at present, I am sure we ought to have 
 everybody else on the spot that can assist us. 
 " Yours ever, most truly, 
 
 " W. S. B. 
 
 " Sunday, half-past tive, 
 
 "January 12tb, 1805."
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 207 
 
 The Bishop of Lincoln to Mr. Rose. 
 
 « Putney Heath, 
 " Thursday, quarter- past 9 P.M. 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " I will just tell you that Mr. Pitt has continued 
 in bed the whole day, quiet and composed upon the 
 whole, and without any increase of unpleasant symp- 
 toms. He is going to be removed to his sofa for an 
 hour. Sir AValter's report is rather more favoui^able. 
 I hope we shall see you to-morrow. 
 
 " Ever yours, 
 
 " G. Lincoln."" 
 
 " Putney Heath, 
 " Jan. 20th, quarter past 9. 
 
 " My Dear Sir, 
 
 " I am most truly concerned to send you so un- 
 favourable an account. The fact is, that the symptoms 
 are all aggravated, and the apprehensions of the physi- 
 cians greater than ever. They are to be here again at 
 ten to-morrow morning. 
 
 " Yours ever, 
 
 " G. L." 
 
 "West strand, 7 o'clock, 
 " January 23d. 
 
 '' My dear Sir, 
 
 " The last sad scene closed at half-past four. 
 Our dear friend did not suffer in his last moments. 
 " I expect to be in Downing Street about one. 
 
 " Yours ever, most truly, 
 
 " G. Lincoln."
 
 208 DIARIES AND COURESPONDEXCE OF 
 
 Mr. Wilukuforck to Mr. Rosk. 
 
 [/V//Y//^'.] 
 
 " Broomfiekl, Jon. 23J, IbUG, Thunwhiy. 
 
 " My dear Rose, 
 
 " I feel so iinst'ttK'il, that I have hceii near (hiving 
 to town again, merely because I cannot remain in (piiet 
 here ; but I fear I shouhl hear nothing of comfort if I 
 were to go. 1 will, therefore, stay licrc to-day, relying 
 on your being so kind as to let me know if you hear 
 of any change. I own I can scarcely bring myself to 
 conceive the case hopeless, considering our friend's 
 time of life ; but yet physicians arc never the first to 
 acknowledge that there is no more room for hope. 1 
 ought to have told you last night that the friend 
 whom I snid I would consult (binding him, of course, 
 to secrecy, on which, indeed, without binding, one 
 might rely) continns the apj)rehensions I had formed 
 of the reception of such a [)roposition as we talked of. 
 But when I look around to the many affluent (some 
 extremely so) men who were connected with our 
 friend, 1 cannot bring myself to think that something 
 might not be done sufficient for paying what remains 
 unsatisfied of fair claims. I am myself far from a rich 
 man, with increasing expenses, and a prospect of 
 diminishing fortune; but I would cheerfully join, 
 according to my means, if any eff'ectual plan could 
 be set on foot. It would, in my mind, be a part of 
 such a plan that the names of contributors, and the 
 sums furnished by each, should be kept secret. 
 
 " It will give me pleasure to hear you are yourself
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 209 
 
 pretty well, for I fear the effects of what you feel on 
 your constitution from what I saw yesterday. 
 
 " Yours sincerely, 
 
 " W. W. 
 
 " P.S. — On reflection, another consideration regard- 
 ing THE POINT we talked over yesterday struck me 
 with great force, which I will tell you when we meet ; 
 I am sure you would feel it. I shall have a servant 
 come out to me at a quarter before six this after- 
 
 noon." 
 
 Mr. Wilberforce to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Broomfield, Friday, Jan. 24th, 1806. 
 
 " My dear Rose, 
 
 " It has occurred to me on recollection, that 
 when you mentioned to me what our departed friend 
 had stated to be his wish, respecting some of the 
 Stanhopes, I rather too hastily assented to what 
 seemed to be your own impression at the moment ; 
 and further reflection has led me to the adoption of a 
 different opinion. With respect to Lady Hester, I 
 am even clear, that what was mentioned was little 
 enough for her, and I cannot think that the public 
 would conceive it to be any departure from the deli- 
 cate principles on which our friend acted in the case 
 of his own relations,— that he endeavoured to secure for 
 such of them as were still improvidedfor, a decent and 
 proper maintenance. What you stated as having been 
 proposed by himself, was as little as any one would 
 name. If I am not mistaken, one of the ladies' 
 
 VOL. II. ' P
 
 2]0 DIARIES AND CuURESrONDENCE OF 
 
 luisbmuls lias an office of some value for life. Ho 
 and she of course would not fall within the j)rniei|)le. 
 I have hcen anxions, however, to correct what I 
 Imstily exjjressed to you the other day ; and as to 
 Ijady Hester, Imd our friend even been silent, I should 
 think it right not to nci^Kct her. In all our reason- 
 inf^s on this question, the peculiar character of Lord 
 Stanhope, and his casting ofi' his children, for not 
 being as wild and strange as himself, are considerations 
 of great force. 
 
 " On the uwiT. material point, you will believe, my 
 dear Rose, that it would |)ersonally be one of the 
 greatest gratifications I could receive, to promote the 
 [)lan, if I thought it really likely to do honour to his 
 character, while also it would perhaps ease nu; of the 
 share which may devolve on me, on the other plan ; 
 and which, though small in itself, wonid be to me of 
 importance. Jhit the more I have thought on the 
 subject, the more sure I have been, that even in the 
 House of Commons, the reception such a proposition 
 would have, would be very far from satisfactory, and 
 nuich more that in the country, the effect on his 
 memory might be of the most unfavourable sort. It 
 is a point, on which one can scarcely open to any one, 
 but I have consulted (under obligations of strict 
 sccrecv) three friends, all men of excellent under- 
 standing, and from their political connexions and 
 princij)les, likely to consider the proposal, with a wish 
 to be able to approve of it ; and yet they all have 
 been decidedly adverse to its coming forward. I have 
 myself lived in the world long enough to know what
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 211 
 
 stuff it is made of, yet I cannot but believe that 
 25, or 30, or 40,000/. might be collected, without 
 any other than private and confidential applications. 
 I have been looking around me, and I have made out 
 a list of sixty people, most of whom I think would be 
 willing to contribute, some of them very largely, for 
 such a service. I perfectly concur with you in think- 
 ing, that where the debts are fair and due to trades- 
 men, every effort should be made to pay them ; and it 
 would be extremely useful, if any means could be 
 found of distinguishing between fair and fraudulent 
 claims. Do be so obliging to let me know where the 
 Bishop of Lincoln is now to be found. 
 " Believe me ever yours, 
 
 " W. WlLBERFORCE." 
 
 TuE Bishop of Lincoln to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Wednesday Morning. 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " Mr. Wilberforce came to me last night from 
 the House of Commons, and we had a full conversa- 
 tion about the debts. He prefers the mode of sub- 
 scription to that of payment by Parliament, but 
 made no particular objection if the latter should be 
 adopted, to the 12,000/. I told him I considered it 
 as certain that Mr. Cartwright's motion would be . 
 made on Monday, and he is satisfied, that it will pass. 
 He was very reasonable, and seemed desirous of 
 acceding, or at least of not opposing. I am to see 
 him again, and in the mean time he is to consider 
 the subject. I am inclined to think he will stay 
 
 p 2
 
 212 DIARIES AND CORKESPONDENCE OF 
 
 away. You probably know tliat Mr. Banks is gone 
 into Dorsetshire. Till Mr. Wilbertorce shall have 
 made up his mind, it will be better to say as little 
 about hini as possible. I shall be in Downing Street 
 the whole morning. If you mean to speak to 
 ^Ir. Joseph Smith about his interest, you should 
 do it soon, as I shall probably see Mr. Bootle in a 
 day or two. 
 
 " Yours ever, most affectionately, 
 
 " G. Lincoln." 
 
 Mr. W'lT-HEBFORCK TO .Mr. Rose. 
 
 "A thousand thanks, my dear Rose, for your letter. 
 I will consider how I can best promote the private 
 plan, of the success of which I have no doubt. I am 
 only anxious measures should be taken with delicacy. 
 I am extremely pressed, having just this moment got 
 a file of letters. 
 
 " Yours ever, 
 
 " W. W. 
 
 " Saturday, Jan. 2oth, 
 
 " Half-past 3 o'clock. 
 
 " I have this instant seen the paper, and will cer- 
 tainly attend ; but 1 must say it would have been 
 better in my colleague to consult and combine more 
 about it. If so, perhaps all my opposition might 
 have been prevented. But Lascelles acts from a 
 warm and honest heart as ever man had. Y'ou should 
 have told me how you yourself are."
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 213 
 
 Lord Glastonbury to Mr. Rose. 
 
 ' My dear Sir, 
 
 I have the satisfaction to assure you that Lord 
 Granville concurs in approving Mr. Lascelles's in- 
 tended motion, with feelings as warm and zealous as 
 yours or mine, and that he has in the most earnest 
 terms requested his friends to concur in the support 
 of it, the greater part of whom have expressed a 
 readiness to comply with his wishes. Mr. Fox, I 
 understand, hesitates, but it is believed that if the 
 words of the resolution are confined to the acknow- 
 ledgment of great talents and integrity, and steers 
 clear of measures, he likewise will acquiesce. I could 
 not forbear making this communication to you, as T 
 knew well vv^hat pleasure you will derive from it. 
 " I am, my dear Sir, with sincere esteem, 
 " Ever most faithfully yours, 
 
 " Glastonbury. 
 
 "Sunday Morning, 26th Jan., 1806." 
 
 [Mr. Rose thought that the hope of raising a suffi- 
 cient private subscription would be materially im- 
 proved, if the King would allow it to be known how 
 much in that way he had formerly offered to do for 
 Mr. Pitt ; and perhaps he entertained a secret hope 
 that he would head the subscription. He wrote to 
 him therefore to ask leave to publish the fact, but 
 received no answer. Again he wrote to explain, that 
 he only wanted the sanction of his Majesty's name
 
 211 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCK OF 
 
 with riTcrencc to the former transaction ; hut in his 
 Diary he complains tliat he received no answer t 
 either of those letters. At a hiter period, liowever, 
 he wrote again, and received the following h'tter on 
 behalf of the King, from Colonel Tavlor, in which the 
 nature of the royal objection is ex[)lained, and the 
 magnitude of the ofler is shown to have been misun- 
 derstood. — Kl).] 
 
 Ml{. KOSE TO COLONKL Twi.OR, 
 
 Si'cretarif to Ihr Kinj. 
 
 "OUl I\ilace VanJ, iJuc. 14tli. IMn). 
 
 '• Sir, 
 
 " When his Majesty did me the high and dis- 
 tinguished honour of residing for a few davs at 
 Cutfnclls, in the year I'rOl, he graciously condescended 
 to propose to put into my hands the sum of 30,()U()/. 
 for the payment of Mr. l^itt's debts, which pressed 
 upon him very severely on his quitting otlice ; with a 
 command, in the event of the service appearing to i)c 
 ])ractical)le, that it should be so managed, as to pre- 
 vent a suspicion arising in Mr. Pitt's mind of the 
 quarter from whence the aid came, either by the pur- 
 chase of I loll wood, or in such other manner as should 
 be judged most likely to make the gracious and bene- 
 volent intentions of his Majesty successful. The 
 scheme was found to be impracticable without a com- 
 munication with Mr. F^itt. On the mention of it to 
 him, he was actually more affected than I recollect to 
 liave seen him on anv occasion ; but he declined it.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE." 215 
 
 though with the deepest sense of gratitude possible. 
 It was indeed one of the latest circumstances he men- 
 tioned to me, with considerable emotion, towards the 
 close of his life. I mention this to you now. Sir, for 
 the purpose of requesting that you will have the 
 goodness to express to his Majesty, with all humility, 
 my humble and dutiful suit, that he will be graciously 
 pleased to permit me to mention the fact in a Tract, 
 that I hope may be of some use, which I am about to 
 publish, as likely to add to the respect for Mr. Pitt's 
 memory, though nothing can increase the veneration 
 which every good subject has for the best qualities 
 ever possessed by a sovereign. 
 
 " I have the honour to be, Sir, 
 ' . Your humble, &c. &c. 
 
 " G. Rose. 
 
 " I made an application of a similar nature soon 
 after Mr. Pitt's death ; but I believe from not ex- 
 pressing myself properly then, I had not the honour 
 of receiving his Majesty's pleasure on the subject." 
 
 Colonel Taylor to Mr. Rose. 
 
 \Prlvate?[ 
 
 "Windsor, Dec. 16th, 1809. 
 
 " My bear Sir, 
 
 " I could not have any hesitation in submitting 
 to the King your letter of the 14th instant, and I had 
 this day the honour of reading it to his Majesty. 
 
 " The King ordered me in reply to observe to you, 
 that the communication which he made to you in 1801, 
 of his desire to assist the late Mr. Pitt, was one of
 
 21G DTATITES AXT) COTITIESPOXDEXCE OF 
 
 which he never intended tliat the knowledge shoiiUl 
 reaeli any others tlmn the parties immediately con- 
 ceriied ; that liis Majesty has never mentioned it since, 
 and cannot acquiesce in the pid)lieation of the circum- 
 stance, as it would hear the a|)j)earance of makinj^ a 
 parade of his intentions. 
 
 His Majesty also observed, that he never mentioned 
 the specitie sum to be applied towards relieving Mr. 
 Pitt from his endiarrassments, and certainly had not 
 in view one so considerable as that which vou have 
 named. 
 
 " 1 have the honour to be, with great regard, 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " Most faithfully yours, 
 
 " II. Taylor." 
 Lord Lowtiikr to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Cottesmore, near Stamford. 
 " March 6th, 18(H5. 
 
 " j\Iy dear Sir, 
 
 " T am much obliged l)y your letter which I have 
 received by the last post. 
 
 " I am very anxious to promote the writing of 
 a history of Mr. Pitt's Life and Administration, and 
 have already named the subject to Lord Mulgrave. 
 I know no one who could supply so many and such 
 important materials for a work of this kind as your- 
 self. A friend of mine, every way qualitied for this 
 imdcrtaking, with the most ardent and enthusiastic 
 admiration of Mr. Pitt's character, would, 1 believe, 
 engage in it ; and in his hands, I am inclined to
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 21 7 
 
 think it would want nothing of that distinctness, 
 accuracy, and animation by which a work of this kind 
 ought to be characterized. The Bishop of Lincohi 
 would be able to afford most material assistance. 
 I should think myself most obliged if you would 
 name to him this project, and request his assistance. 
 ^5:1^ - "I am, dear Sir, 
 
 " Ever most faithfully and truly yours, 
 
 " LOWTHER." 
 
 Extract from a Letter from Lady Hester 
 Stanhope to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Dawlish, March 25th, 1806. 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " I am much obliged to you for yom- kind letter, 
 but shoidd not write merely to thank you for it, had 
 not the dear personage who you tell me mentioned 
 me with interest, named you in the following terms, 
 in his last letter : — ' Since I wrote to j^ou last, I 
 have seen our mutual friend, dear old Rose, and love 
 him better than ever ;' part of your conversation then 
 followed, too long for me to detail. I hope this 
 pleases you ; it does me ; for they are not in the hahit 
 of disguising their thoughts or treating me with 
 insincerity, therefore in naming you thus hindlij, they 
 only expressed what they felt. 
 
 " I perfectly agree with Lord Lowther in the pro- 
 priety of the history of Mr. Pitt's life being begun 
 immediatelv, and also in the choice of his historian. 
 Mr. S. is certainly a man of great integrity, and pos- 
 sesses great literary knowledge, and he will have
 
 21 S DlAlllFS AND CORKESPONDENCK OF 
 
 many opportunities of k-arniti^' tacts, wliicli would not 
 be coinnumicatcd to every one who nuijlit undertake 
 such n work, hi sliort, few persons I think Ijetter 
 (juaHlii'd to do justice to the sul)hnie virtues and 
 tran.scen(h'nt talents of tliis tver-hunented, greatest of 
 men, than Mr. S. A liistoryof a lifehke his is a work 
 of hibour, and genius o/i/^ will not tit a man lor this 
 interesting task. 
 
 " Kvcr most sinciivly yours, 
 
 "11. L. S." 
 
 From IIknry Mackknzik {Ai/f/ior of lln- " Man of 
 Fei'iiny') to Mu. Kosk, on llir dcmrabh'nL'as of a 
 Life of Mr. I'itf. 
 
 "Achiudiuuy, 15th Juuo, IStKi. 
 
 *' Mv DEAR Sir, 
 
 " My principal reason for troubling you with a 
 letter is on a subject in which I know you must be 
 interested, and which 1 si'e, by the additions to your 
 political pamphlet you lately sent me, has been fre- 
 quently in your thouglits. You mention your hope 
 that tlie Lf- (f Mr. Pitt will be written by some one 
 (pialitied to do it justice. Now, some of my friends 
 have mentioned this subject to me, with an earnestness 
 which is a greater proof of their kindness than their 
 judgment; but the above-recited passage in your 
 papers, leads me to mention it, though perfectly aware 
 that I am not the person you wish for, as qualified to 
 do justice to the memory of Mr. Pitt. Were it other- 
 wise, 1 own T should esteem it one of the best as w ell 
 as most honourable closes which I coidd make of my
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 219 
 
 literary life. But, independently of every other con- 
 sideration, I sliould like to know where proper mate- 
 rials are to be had, and if they are in quarters where 
 I might hope to find access to them. I once men- 
 tioned to Lord Melville how essential it would be to 
 the honour of the Administration of wliich, under 
 Mr. Pitt, he formed a considerable part, to have some 
 memorial or abstract of its principal events : — events 
 coimected with the most momentous era in the history 
 of Europe, and indeed of mankind ; and I think he 
 mentioned that he had papers and letters which he 
 could communicate to me that would enable any one 
 to throw much light on our history during that period. 
 But you are one of the best authorities I know on 
 this subject ; and it will be a great favour if, during 
 any moment of leisure, you will write me your candid 
 opinion upon it. Perhaps it is yet much too early for 
 a history of that period to be written ; but there are 
 certain facts, as well as certain motives and opinions, 
 which are better and more accurately recorded near 
 the period of their rise than at a remoter one ; some- 
 thing like what the French call ' Mcmoires pour 
 servir :' a good enough phrase in itself, though dis- 
 credited by the numerous silly works of the kind to 
 which the national vanity gave birth in France. 
 
 " The substance of such a work there is perhaps 
 nobody so well qualified to write as yourself. If you 
 should have any thought that way, I would give up 
 those slight and iuiperfect ideas to which the above- 
 mentioned suggestions of some friends of mine had 
 sometimes given birth. At any rate, write to me
 
 220 DIARIES AND COURESPONDEXCE OF 
 
 fraiiklv on the siil)j(.'ct. I look every day for tlic 
 a|)j)('arancc ot" the new e(Htion of yoin* ])aMi|)lilrl, 
 Avhicli, in itself, is an i!n|)ortant sketch of the life and 
 character of that jj^reat and cxallent man. 
 
 " Most faithiiilly and truly yours, 
 
 " II. Mackenzie." 
 
 The Duke of IIichmond to Mh. Kose. 
 
 ''PhcEnix Park, June 2d, is 10. 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 "It is particularly flattering- to me that the 
 Pitt clul) should wisli me to be their president, and 
 1 he^ of von t<» thank them in mv najue for the 
 honour they do me. Then' is nothing 1 pride my.>^elf 
 on so much as havint' been the intimate friend of 
 such a man. If another inducement to accept the 
 oHice was necessary, the choice of you as vice- 
 president would have been sufficient. I was very 
 glad to hear you had so good a day as 1 understand 
 vou had on the last 2Sth. 
 
 "Believe me, my dear sir, 
 
 " Yours very faithfully, 
 
 " RlCIlMO.ND." 
 
 Mr. Rose to the Secretary of the Pitt Club. 
 
 "Sir, 
 
 " You will see by the inclosed letters from the 
 Duke of Richmond, which I have the honour of 
 inclosing to you, how highly gratifying it will be to 
 him to preside in the society established for com- 
 memorating the memory of Mr. Pitt ; and it cannot
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 221 
 
 be necessary for me to seek for expressions to convey 
 to the members of that society that it will not be less 
 so to me to be placed in a distinguished situation 
 amongst them. 
 
 " I was in habits of the closest confidence with 
 Mw Pitt from the first hour of his entrance on 
 administration, and enjoyed his most cordial and 
 affectionate friendship, without the slightest interrup- 
 tion, to the latest hour of his existence ; everything 
 therefore that keeps alive in the minds of others what 
 can never have any abatement in mine, must afiford 
 me the highest satisfaction. Under this impression, 
 therefore, which will not be weakened while I exist, 
 I cannot hesitate to request that you will acquaint 
 the gentlemen that I shall be highly flattered by being 
 allowed to enrol myself amongst the members of the 
 Pitt Club in the manner which has been suggested 
 to me."
 
 222 DIARIES AND CORUKsmNDKNCK OF 
 
 (:ii\i'Ti:i: \ii 
 
 is4>«;. 
 
 MR. rose's DIARira FOR JAMUAUV AND FEBRUARY, 1 800 — PARTICULARS 
 RFflPECTINO UR. PITT'S DEATH AND FUNERAI. — TUE DREAKINO UP OP 
 HIS MINISTRY, AND THE FORMATION OF A NF.W OOVERNMENT. 
 
 [TiiK ))iv€iHlinfT corrcsjKHuk'ncc I'iis i^ivon a l)ri('f 
 account of the circuinstanccs of Mr. Pitt's dfHith, ))!it 
 the Diary outers much more into detail, and then 
 relates the broakinp: up of his Ministry, and the 
 formation of a new one. — Kn.] 
 
 Wechu'siJfn/, Januarji \v)l/i. — I arrived at Mr. Pitt's 
 house on l^itnev Heath; exi)ecting, from tlic ac- 
 counts I had received in the country, to find him 
 gaining strength daily, as he had arrived tiierc from 
 Bath on the Saturday eveninir preceding, after a 
 journey made in three days, nliich the ])hysicians 
 thought would have required six; Sir Walter Parquhar 
 having travelled with him : but, to my deep concern, 
 I learned that he had lost ground since his arrival. 
 On the Sunday he was better, and continued im- 
 proving till Monday in the afternoon, when Lord 
 Castlereagh insisted on seeing him, and having
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOKGE ROSE. 223 
 
 obtained access to liiin, entered (Lord Hawkesbury 
 being also present) on points of public business, of 
 the most serious importance (principally respecting 
 the bringing home the British troops from the Con- 
 tinent), which affected him visibly that evening and 
 the next day, and this morning the effect was more 
 plainly observed. Sir Walter Farquhar, wiiom I found 
 in the house, said so much on the subject that I 
 positively declined going to Mr. Pitt on being re- 
 quested by him to do so through the Bishop of 
 Lincoln. Mr. Pitt then insisted that I should not 
 leave the house till evening, and about eight o'clock 
 Sir Walter brought me a message to say he was con- 
 fident the seeing me would do him good. I there- 
 fore no longer hesitated, but went up to his room and 
 found him lying on a sofa, emaciated to a degree I 
 could not have conceived. He pressed my hand with 
 all the force he could (feebly enough God knows !) 
 and told me earnestly he found himself better for 
 having me by the hand. I did not remain with him 
 more than five minutes. The short conversation was 
 quite general, as I felt it of importance not to touch 
 on any topic that could agitate his mind in the 
 smallest degree ; and at ten in the evening I left the 
 house. His countenance was changed extremely, his 
 voice weak, and his body almost wasted, and so indeed 
 were his limbs. 
 
 From Thursday ike \^fh to Sunday the \Wt. — No 
 considerable alteration in Mr. Pitt. He took no 
 nourishment of any sort, except occasionally a small 
 cup of broth, which seldom remained on his stomach ;
 
 22 i DIAILIES AND COURKSPnXDFXrK OF 
 
 lianlly spoke at nil, tliouu;li as entirely right in his 
 iiiiiid as at any time in his lif'r. The very little he liiil 
 say to his })hysicians, and to the liishop of Ijincoln 
 (the only ])ersons, except servants, who saw him in this 
 interval), liad not the remotest tendency to anything 
 respecting public atlairs. 
 
 Dr. Jiaillie and Dr. Reynolds were first called in 
 to the assistance of Sir Walter Farquhar on Sunday 
 the 12th; they then thought there was a reasonable 
 prospect of Mr. Pitt's recovery, that the probability 
 was in favour of it, and that if his complaint should 
 not take an niifavoiirable turn, he might be able to 
 attend to business in about a month. On this follow- 
 ing Sundav morning the l'.)l1i, they acknowledged 
 that although there were no new unfavourable 
 symptoms in the disorder, he was much weaker ; and 
 they now suggest (especially Dr. Baillie separately), 
 that supposing the patient to go on as well as they 
 can reasonably ex})ect, it can hardly be hoped that 
 he will bo able to transact business in less than 
 two months, and they entertain considerable doubt if 
 he will be fit to take an active part in the House of 
 Commons this winter. 
 
 Under that discouragement, I felt an extreme 
 anxiety that Mr. Pitt should be apprised of the probable 
 length of time that would elapse before he could 
 return to his public duty, in order that he might 
 decide what course it would be proi)er for him to take 
 with respect to his retaining or resigning his office. 
 I therefore, on Sunday, pressed Sir Walter Farquhar 
 myself (and the Bishop of Lincoln did the same at my
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 255 
 
 desire) to consult the other physicians, whether it 
 would be safe to make the communication to Mr. 
 Pitt as to the duration of his confinement. The point 
 was accordingly considered by the three physicians, 
 and they were most decidedly and unanimously of 
 opinion, that nothing should be said to their patient 
 on the subject. At this I felt deep and sincere 
 concern, under an impression that if the Opposition 
 should press us vigorously on Tuesday, on the point 
 of the insufficiency of the Administration, without 
 Mr. Pitt to conduct the difficult and arduous affairs 
 now depending, both as to foreign politics and 
 financial measures, we should be in great danger 
 of being beaten ; and so, uncreditably driven out of 
 government : which I am persuaded would be avoided 
 by a dignified resignation, if Mr. Pitt could be con- 
 sulted. In the unfortunate state, however, in which 
 he is, the risk is utterly unavoidable ; and we must 
 take our chance. It is my determined purpose to 
 take as strong and direct a part in the debate on 
 Tuesday, as I shall find it possible to do; and my 
 son has promised to do the same. If there had been 
 a reasonable hope of Mr. Pitt's attendance in three or 
 four weeks after the meeting, I should certainly have 
 thought it right to make every possible exertion to 
 carry on business till then ; and 1 have a firm per- 
 suasion we should in that case have been able to go 
 on till the middle of March. But the hope of the 
 Administration maintaining itself for two or three 
 months, within which time the budget nuist unavoid- 
 ably be opened, appears to be utterly desperate, if 
 
 VOL. 11. Q
 
 22G DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 Mr. Pitt cannot, iluring the period, be even consultcil 
 on business ; especially as the ways and means of tlie 
 year will require resources being resorted to of a new 
 and extraordinary nature. 
 
 Sundaif Evftiixf/, Jauuarj/ 11)///. — A meeting was 
 held at two o'clock, to consider the speech and the 
 aildress, at Lord Castlercagh's, when some small al- 
 terations were made in the speech, to render it as 
 unexceptionable as possible, avoiding any expression 
 that could convey approbation of hite measures, in 
 order to take the best chance of unanimity on the 
 address ; it being thought most advisable that those 
 should be separately discussed when the papers come 
 before the house. Lord Francis Spencer to move the 
 address, and Mr. Ainslie to second it. 
 
 Although detained at the meeting till past four 
 o'clock, T got on horseback to go to Putney Heath; 
 but meeting Lord Camden and the Duke of Montrose 
 entering Fulham, and the former beginning an inter- 
 esting conversation with me, I thought it more essen- 
 tial to pursue that by retin-ning with them than to 
 pursue my ride to Mr. Pitt's house. They told me 
 they found Mr. Pitt's health rather improving, and 
 Lord Camden expressed a decided opinion that if 
 there should not be a probability of his recovery 
 within such a time as there miiz-ht be a necessity for 
 his appearing in the House of Commons, in that 
 case undoubtedly he would not be prevailed with to 
 retain his office; which should not however induce his 
 colleagues to resign, so long as the King could form 
 a Government, including them, that could carry on his
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 227 
 
 business. But that, if unfortunately Mr. Pitt should 
 die, it might be prudent for them to advise his 
 Majesty to form a new Administration altogether ; 
 and admitted that in this event the King could do no 
 better than to send for Lord Grenville, and put the 
 arrangement into his hands. With the Duke of Mon- 
 trose I had had repeated conversations before. He 
 agreed with me most entirely on every point bearing 
 on our present situation ; but he found it quite im- 
 possible to get the cabinet to discuss the consideration 
 of the propriety of Ministers resigning or continuing 
 in office ; Lord Hawkesbury in particular insisting 
 upon it, that that was not a point on which a cabinet 
 could be summoned. On learning that from his Grace, 
 I suggested to him that he might bring on the discus- 
 sions incidentally when the cabinet should meet on any 
 other matters, — which he tried to do, but without 
 success. Nothing could more plainly mark the dis- 
 inclination of a part of the Administration to quit 
 their offices. Those who were evidently desirous of 
 some arrangement that would give them a chance 
 of retaining them, were Lord Hawkesbury, Lord Castle- 
 reagh, Lord Chatham, and Lord Camden, influenced 
 altogether by considerations for Lord Castlereagh. — 
 Lord Mulgrave is desirous of retaining office till after 
 the discussion of the late measures of the Govern- 
 ment, but will on no account remain longer, or form 
 a part of an Administration without Mr, Pitt. Of 
 Lord Westmoreland nobody knows anything, nor has 
 he so much as made a single inquiry after Mr. Pitt. 
 The Chancellor, from the recent severe misfortune 
 
 Q 2
 
 228 DIARIES AND COKRESrONDENCE OF 
 
 of the loss of his eldest son (a most ainial)le and re- 
 spectable young man) has been shut out from all 
 intercourse ; but I have not the slightest doubt of his 
 disposition to make up a Government witliout revert- 
 ing to Mr. Fox or Lord rirenville. Lord liarham's 
 very advanced age will make him, to a certain degree 
 at least, indilVcrcnt about what is to be done relative 
 to a new arrangement, though he has most un<pies- 
 tionablv conducted the Admiralty with as nmeh 
 industry, ability, and success as any one of his 
 predecessors without exception. Tlu' Duke of Mon- 
 trose is decided for retiring, in tlie hope the King 
 would call into his service Lord Grenville and Mr. 
 Fox. Lord Harrowbyis abroad ; but I am persuaded, 
 if he was on the spot, his sentiments woidd completely 
 coincide witli his Grace's. On the whole, however, 
 my conviction is that, in the afilicting event of the 
 death of Mv. Pitt, which appears to me to be too 
 certain!! the present Ministers who are desirous of 
 remainini]: in othce will not be able to form a Govern- 
 ment that would stand three months. They can 
 strengthen themselves only by Lord Sidmouth's friends; 
 the worst of all resources in every respect. 
 
 These notes are written, with an aching heart 
 and anxious mind ! I have lived now a little more 
 than two-and-twenty years (T do not include the 
 first eighteen months of our accpiaintance) in habits of 
 the closest intimacy and most confidential friendship 
 with ^Ir. Pitt ; hardly ever clouded, never inter- 
 rupted. Li addition to the feelings naturally incited 
 thereby, I foresee consequences likely to be deeply
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 229 
 
 hurtful, if not ruinous, to tlie public interest by his 
 loss. Any further reflections on this subject will be 
 unnecessary to my son when he reads these notes 
 hereafter, as he is a witness to my feelings. To others, 
 into whose hands they may subsequently fall, they 
 would be comparatively indifferent. 
 
 Monday, January 2()th. — I got to Putney soon after 
 daylight, and learned from Mr. James Stanhope, that 
 Mr. Pitt had fainted the evening before, or had fallen into 
 something like a fit. Sir Walter Farqnhar soon after 
 came to me, and confirmed that, adding that the 
 symptom was an unpleasant one, and that a repetition 
 of it would be highly alarming. He had given Mr. 
 Pitt two large glasses of Madeira.^ 
 
 Tuesday, January ^\st. — On going early this forenoon 
 to Mr. Pitt's, I found the three physicians in better 
 spirits. Mr. Pitt showed some disposition to take food 
 (which he had not done for several days), and last 
 night Sir Walter had given him his choice, whether he 
 would have an egg or some bread jelly ; he determined 
 for the former, and then asked for a second, which he 
 ate with appetite. On pressing Sir Walter, however, 
 to explain to me what he really thought of the state 
 of Mr. Pitt, he said, he did not think him in so promis- 
 ing a way as he was in on Sunday ^ before he fainted. 
 
 1 In this situation of Mr. Pitt, I was extremely desirous that the 
 usual public dinner at his house the day before the meeting of Par- 
 liament, should be put off, in which Mr. Canning, Mr. Bourne, and 
 Mr. Huskissou concurred ; but we were overruled by Lord Castle- 
 reagh, and it took place. 
 
 2 In the afternoon, when the three physicians met, they thought 
 very ill of his case ; the account they desired might be sent to the King, 
 was, that the symptoms tvere unpromising and his situation hazardous.
 
 230 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 On retnniing to town, therefore, T said to two or three 
 confidential friends, that I was convinced the misfor- 
 tune we were dreading was very fast npproacliing. 
 
 Wednesdaii, Januari/ 22c/. — On my arrival at 
 Putney Heath this morning, the Bishop of Lincoln 
 and Sir Walter Farquhar were going in to Mr. Pitt. 
 The ]iishop came down to me, however, and took me 
 into his own room; where he begged me to wait till he 
 could speak to me at more leisure. \\ hen he came, 
 he confirmed the account of Mr. Pilt's dangerous 
 state. What followed leads me here to observe, that 
 from my seeing him on the evening of ^Ve{lnesday the 
 1 5th (from which time no one had access to him 
 except the Bishop and the physicians), he had lain on 
 the sofa or in bed without hardly oj)ening his mouth, 
 except to answer questions put to him by the physi- 
 cians, nor did he attempt to read a line ; but such 
 a mind as his must have been occui)ied with some- 
 thing ; about what that was, however, no conjecture 
 could be formed. The Jiishop did not venture to 
 call his attention to religious duties, lest he should 
 do harm by agitating his mind ; the physicians having 
 strictly directed that nothing should be done to incur 
 a risk of that. 
 
 I now resume the diary : — After the Bishop was 
 told by Sir Walter that Mr. Pitt's death was inevi- 
 table, he proposed to him to administer the Sacrament 
 to him, which ^Ir. Pitt said he had not strcnirth to go 
 through. The Bishop then desired to pray with him, 
 — whereupon, he asked Sir Walter, " how long he 
 thought he might hold out?" who answered, " he
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 231 
 
 could not say that he might not recover." Mr. Pitt, 
 apparently regardless of that, turned on his bed to- 
 wards the Bishop and said, " he had (as he feared 
 was the case with many others) neglected prayer too 
 much to allow him to hope it could be very efficacious 
 tioid!' He, however, joined the Bishop in prayer, with 
 his hands clasped with much earnestness.^ After that 
 was over, the Bishop observed to him, that, although 
 he had nothing to bequeath, his papers were of impor- 
 tance, and he might probably wish to give some direc- 
 tions about them ; which induced him to desire the 
 Bishop would put in writing what he should express to 
 him. Proceeding then to dictate : first, — that he was 
 indebted to Sir Walter Farquhar one thousand guineas, 
 for his attendance on hira from the month of October 
 last, which he signed ; he then stated, that in the year 
 1801, he had borrowed the sum of 12,000/., through 
 the medium of Lord Camden, the Bishop of Lincoln, 
 Lord Carrington, Mr. Steele, Mr. Long, and Mr. Joseph 
 Smith, which he was anxiously desirous should be paid 
 Avith interest. He then directed that the examination 
 and care of his papers should be entrusted to Lord 
 Chatham and the Bishop of Lincoln ; — that his servants 
 should have double wages ; and, lastly, he expressed 
 a hope that pensions might be granted of 1,000/. or 
 1,200/. a-year, to each of his nieces, the daughters of 
 Earl Stanhope; and 1,000/. each to their younger 
 brothers,^ Charles and James ; which he did not know 
 
 ' See further on this interesting subject, -what the Bishop men- 
 tioned to me in quiet conversations at Buckden. 
 
 * They are not the children of his late sister, but the sons of the 
 present Countess Stanhope.
 
 232 TUARTES AXn CDRKESPONDKNf'K OF 
 
 tliat he IkuI {'ariR'd, l)iit he hoped his wish mij^dit he 
 acquiesced in. This paper was subscribed by Mr. 
 Pitt in tliree places in the wliole, liis sip^naturc vary- 
 ing very httlc from the manner in wliieli lie signed 
 his name when in health. \\ hen the Bishop showed 
 ine this paper, with the ink hardly dry, it struck me 
 with astonishment, and tilled me with grief to observe 
 that Mr. Pitt had a fixed opinion that Lord Carrington 
 was one of the six who raised the money for him in 
 1801, instead of me. The measure was concerted at 
 that time by Lord Camden, the l^ishopof Lincoln, and 
 myself; and in the final arrangement the names were 
 as above, with mine instead of Lord Carrington's ; 
 but Mr. Pitt had most unquestionably been led some- 
 liow to believe I had withdrawn mvsclf from the 
 loan, and und(^r that impression, unfortunately for my 
 feelings, he must have continued to his death. After 
 the arrangement was comiileted, and the monev was 
 raised, the communication with Mr. Pitt was left with 
 Mr. Long; from which quarter the misconception 
 must have arisen. 
 
 After a most distressing scene with Ladv Hester 
 Stanhope, and her brothers Charles and James, I 
 returned to town. No intelligence was brought to me 
 during the afternoon or evening ; but about half-an- 
 hour after midnight, Miss Jennings and my son came 
 to me with a letter from Sir Walter Farquhar to the 
 former, telling her that Mr. Pitt's situation was per- 
 fectly hopeless ! However the late accounts had 
 prepared me to expect this, the shock convulsed me 
 strongly, and in half-an-hour I felt the gout in my foot,
 
 THE KIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 233 
 
 with wliicli I have never been troubled a week in my 
 hfe. 
 
 Thursday, Jmmaryl^d. — I passed a completely sleep- 
 less night. I received a note about seven in the morning 
 from Mr. James Stanhope, and afterwards one from the 
 Bishop, to tell me that my most inestimable friend 
 quitted this world soon after four o'clock. He saw no 
 one after the Bishop had taken notes of his last desires, 
 but Lady Hester, who went to his bed-side in the 
 evening. He at first did not know her, but afterwards 
 he did and blessed her : nor did he utter another 
 WT)rd, except that about half-an-hour before he breathed 
 his last ; the servant heard him say, " My country ! 
 oh, my country ! " 
 
 Mr. Pitt attempted to write himself before he dic- 
 tated to the Bishop; but it w^as not at all legible, 
 though his name was signed very nearly in his usual 
 manner. 
 
 Intending these notes merely as memoranda of oc- 
 currences, it is not my intention to attempt to express 
 the agony of my mind on the incalculable loss I have 
 sustained; severe and irreparable as it is, and deeply 
 as it will be felt by me to the latest hour of my hfe, 
 I bow with resignation to the Power that has inflicted 
 it : that which I have exhorted others to I will practise. 
 The event, however, will strongly put to the test this 
 resolution, but I trust it wiU not overcome it. This 
 afflicting stroke follows close on the loss of Lord Nelson, 
 for whom I had also a cordial love and affection ; and 
 it leads me to reflect on the uncommon similarity of 
 their characters : — gentleness of mind ; sweetness of
 
 23 1 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 disposition, accoiii})aniLd Ijy the iiiuj-t clctcniuiiccl 
 resolution ; quickness of conception, and promptitude 
 in decision ; ardent zeal for the welfare of their country, 
 rendering it most signal and imj)ortant services; wis- 
 dom in concerting plans, and tirnmcss in executing 
 them, undismayed by any hazards or tlie severest 
 responsibility. In all these they resembled each other 
 with a degree of exactness not to be conceived by any 
 one who did not know them as intimately and as 
 entirely as 1 did. They ditlered only in one having 
 been educated as highly as a man could be, and the 
 other in having been deprived of that advantage by 
 being sent early to sea. With respect to Mr. Pitt, 
 1 can sav with the sincerest truth, that in an inter- 
 course almost uninterrupted during more than twenty 
 years, I never saw him once out of temper, nor did 
 ever one unpleasant sentence pass between us ; of which 
 I verilv believe there have been few, verv few, so 
 remarkable instances, where two persons have had the 
 same constant intercourse on public atl'airs (in times 
 too of the most trying dithculties respecting finances, 
 internal government, and foreign politics) without the 
 slightest disagreement having occurred, or a harsh or 
 even, to the best of my recollection, a hasty word used. 
 These two great men died, as they lived, for their coun- 
 try. Mr. Pitt sacrificed his life in its service as much 
 as Lord Nelson did. I foresaw what he would have 
 to encounter when he undertook the Government in 
 1804 ; that the whole weight of it falling, as it inevita- 
 bly would do, upon him, woidd be too much for his 
 health and strength to stand. He bore up, however.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 235 
 
 under all the incredible fatigue that he underwent in the 
 conduct of his own department, and of the War and 
 Foreign departments, occasionally assisting in those of 
 the Commander-in-Chief and the Admiralty, beyond my 
 utmost hopes ; and although he was sometimes indis- 
 posed (seldom indeed for a long interval, without taking 
 cordial medicines), he was, when at CufFnells in Septem- 
 ber last, and when I left him at Weymouth in the same 
 month, apparently as well, or nearly so, as I ever saw 
 him. And from all I heard there was no failure in his 
 health till the beginning of December; when, more 
 from precaution than from any other cause, he was 
 advised to go to Bath,' some symptom of the gout 
 having appeared. The waters there almost immediately 
 threw the gout into his right foot, and soon after into 
 the left ; but on receiving the account of the armistice, 
 after the battle of Austerlitz, the gout quitted the ex- 
 tremities, and he fell into a debility which continually 
 increased till it deprived the world of the man who 
 appeared to have been born to save it. The physicians 
 were decidedly of opinion that he died merely from a 
 decay, and that there was nothing wrong in any of the 
 vital parts. 
 
 To return to the similarity of character betv^'een the 
 two eminent men of whom the nation has recently been 
 deprived : I am desirous of observing that they carried 
 the principle of disinterestedness to the utmost extent, 
 with the liveliest disposition to reward merit wherever 
 they found it. In short, I can say with the utmost 
 confidence, arising from a thorough knowledge of both, 
 
 ^ He went on the 7tli of December.
 
 2'M) DIARIES AND CORRESPONDKNCK OF 
 
 that there ucvtr existed in tliis or any other country 
 greater men than themselves in their ditlercnt lines. 
 Their perception on subjects on which they bestowed 
 their attention, and on which they had occasion to state 
 opinions, appeared like intuition. Anxious, in the ex- 
 tremest degree, about the payment ol' Mr. Pitt's debts, 
 T wrote to tlie King, refpiesting 1 might be at liberty to 
 mention his Majesty's gracious proposal in ISOl, as to 
 putting money into my hands tor that purpose; con- 
 ceiving that it would retlcct great honour on his memory 
 that he declined the otl'cr, and tliat it might be very 
 useful f/o/r, whcthrr aj)j)lication shouhl be made to 
 Parliament, or we shouM have recourse to a sub- 
 scription. 
 
 The Cabinet this day communicated to the King 
 their unanimous opinion that it would be impossible, 
 by any accpiisition to the present Government, to form 
 an Administration that could have a prospect of carry- 
 ing on the pubhc busine.<« in the present crisis; and, 
 therefore, recommended to his Majesty, most earnestly, 
 to send for Lord Grenville, in order to take his advice 
 about forming a new one In the evening. Lord 
 Hawkcsbury said the King had received the communi- 
 cation with perfect temper and coolness ; that his 
 ^iajesty saw the necessity for following the advice 
 offered to him, and had made up his mind to admit 
 of such an Administration as should be recouiuiended 
 to him, u'Uhout any exclusion.' The prom})titude with 
 which that determination is taken may, I think, lead 
 to a suspicion in some minds that Mr. Pitt had not 
 
 ^ This was not expressed decidedly till the following day.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 237 
 
 made all the exertions he stated to his friends he had 
 done, for prevailing with the King to admit Mr. Pox to 
 his comicils ; the certainty of which, however, is as clear 
 to me as my own existence. 
 
 Fnclaif, January 2^(1/ . — Lord Hawkesbury came to 
 me, by the King's command, to talk with me on the 
 subject of my letter of yesterday, and to express his 
 Majesty's disposition to do respecting it what I and 
 the other friends of Mr. Pitt might think right ; from 
 whence an explanation followed, by which I learned 
 his Majesty understood me to have submitted to his 
 Majesty's consideration the propriety of his now paying 
 Mr. Pitt's debts. On referring to the letter I answered 
 his Lordship I had no such meaning. I found the mis- 
 conception had arisen from my requesting that I might 
 mention the former proposal instead of disclose it. Not 
 choosing to trust the explanation altogether to his 
 Lordship, I wrote an explanatory letter to his Majesty 
 to free myself from the presumption of offering an 
 opinion to his Majesty on a matter of so much delicacy. 
 Unfortunately, my first letter was delivered to the 
 King at the Queen's House, when Colonel Taylor 
 (who reads all papers to his Majesty) was not there, 
 he having remained at Windsor. 
 
 I received no answer to either of these letters. 
 
 During these three days I have seen various friends 
 of Mr. Pitt, and two or three leading men in the City 
 who highly respected him, on the subject of his debts. 
 Mr. Smyth, of Heath, thought a proposal for paying 
 them would be very readily and cheerfully acquiesced 
 in, in the House of Commons. Mr.Wilberforce decided
 
 238 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENXE OF 
 
 against that, iiiuk-r a jHTsuasioii tliat the amount 
 could he raised amongst his private friends. Wishing 
 to learn the sentiments of tlic Opposition on the suh- 
 ject, I begged Lord Glastonbury to sound Mr. 'I'lionias 
 Grenville upon it ; whose answer was discouraging 
 as to an application to Parliament. Mr. Bank.es 
 decidedly against that course, l^ord Carringtt)n un- 
 willing even to talk about it, and said he was going 
 to Wycombe. Mr. Angerstein and Sir Robert Buxton 
 in the City, eager for success by subscription. Mr. 
 Thornton and Mr. Manning there, cool, and for be- 
 ginning with lOU/. each. The two former had proposed 
 1,000/., and said they were sure some others in tiie 
 City woidd give as much. At this end of the town I 
 found few very eager ; Lord Camden not so ; Lf)rd 
 Lowther absent. 'I'he Duke of Montrose thouo^ht 
 people lived in general so entirely up to their income, 
 some beyond it, that few would give liberally, and dis- 
 couraged the idea of subscription. On the whole, the 
 prospect of raising the necessary sum in that way is 
 certainly unpromising. On Friday, Mr. Lascelles, 
 member for Yorkshire, gave a notice in the House 
 that he should on Monday move for a mark of public 
 respect being shown to the memory of Mr. Pitt ; in- 
 tending to propose a public funeral. After which, 
 Mr. Fox intimated to him, privately, that if he should 
 do so, he would oppose it ; but that he would inter- 
 pose no difficulty in the way of a monument and the 
 payment of debts. On Sunday, there was a meeting of 
 Mr. Pitt's friends to consider of what course should be 
 followed in the business next day, which was held at
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 239 
 
 Mr. Lascelles' house. Himself and his elder brother, 
 Lord Euston, Lord Bruce, Mr. Smyth, of Heath ; Mr. 
 Steele, Mr. Morton Pitt, ]\Ir. Blackburne, Mr. Bootle, 
 myself, my eldest son, Mr. Canning, Mr. Bourne, Mr. 
 Huskisson, Mr. Gunning, Mr. Thornton, Mr. Manning, 
 Mr. Richard Ryder, and some others were present. It 
 was agreed to adopt, at my instance, the resolution for 
 an address for a public funeral and monument in West- 
 minster Abbey, in the same words as in Lord Chat- 
 ham's case in 1778. I was led thereto not from likinoj 
 those words so well as others proposed by Mr. Smyth, 
 of Heath (probably written by his son), but under an 
 impression that by taking the specific words we find 
 in the Journal, we shall have less resistance than if w^e 
 suggest any new ones ; because it cannot be imputed 
 to us that we have invented anything to press the 
 individuals in Opposition who invariably differed from 
 Mr. Pitt in his politics and in the Avhole of his Parlia- 
 mentary conduct. 
 
 The subject of the debts was then discussed. Lord 
 Euston was for submitting to Parliament to pay them. 
 Mr. Canning concurred in that, and thought it might 
 be proposed to grant 100,000/. to trustees, one-half 
 of which might be applied to the payment of debts, 
 and the other be divided amongst those relatives who 
 in his life w^ere dependent in any degree on him. That 
 was, however, very generally thought inadmissible. 
 I then stated the discouragement I had met with 
 respecting a Parliamentary application, which influenced 
 the meeting to give up that intention ; but as Mr. 
 Pitt, within three days of his death, had expressed
 
 2i0 DIAllIES AND COTlllESrONDENCE OF 
 
 to the Bishop of Lincohi an earnest wisli tlmt tlie tliree 
 Ladies Stanhope, one married to Mr. Taylor, another 
 married to Mr. Tekell, tlie tliird, Lady Hester, un- 
 married, shouhl be secured in an income of 1,500/. or 
 1.000/. a vear each ; and Mr. Charles and Mr. .lames 
 Staidiope of 1,000/. a year each, which, as already 
 stated, was taken down in writinc^ by the Bishop, and 
 signed by Mr. Pitt, — it was agreed by the gentlemen 
 present, unanimously, that Lord llawkesbury, should be 
 requested to carry to the King the following warrants : 
 — 1,:200/. a year for Lady Hester, under which she 
 will not receive 900/. net ; the same for each of her two 
 sisters, contingent on the death of their husbands; and 
 500/. each for the two brothers ; and it was agreed to 
 meet again the following day (Moiulay) to receive his 
 Lordship's answer: that in the event of his tinding 
 himself under a difficulty in proposing such warrants to 
 his ^Lijesty, some measure may be taken in the House 
 for carrying into efiect that part of Mr. Pitt's will, or 
 rather dying request. 
 
 Mr. Bourne and Mr. Huskisson, the two secretaries 
 of the Treasury, were deputed to wait on Lord 
 Hawkesburv, who immediatelv agreed to carry the 
 warrants to the King the next dav. 
 
 Monday, Januarif '111/1. — The same gentlemen nearly 
 as yesterday met at the house of Mr Lascelles ; and 
 Lord ILiwkesburv's consent having been comnmni- 
 cated to them, it was agreed that no mention should 
 be made of the matter in the House of Commons. 
 
 Mr. Lascelles moved in the House of Commons for 
 a public funeral for Mr. Pitt, and the Marquis of
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 241 - 
 
 Titclifield seconded him. The motion was resisted by- 
 Mr. Windham and his personal friends (from whence 
 the difficnhy certainly arose), supported by Mr. Fox 
 and the old Opposition. Lord Grenville did all he 
 could to prevent any objection being made to it ; Lord 
 Temple, therefore, supported the motion, but Mr. 
 Thomas Grenville did not attend, and I believe Sir 
 Wm. Young went away. Lord Morpeth and Lord 
 Stafford's friends voted with us, and I think every 
 member present not immediately connected with ]Mr. 
 Fox's party. The division was 25S to 89. After that 
 was over, Sir Robert Buxton, sitting behind me, 
 expressed an earnest desire that I wonld allow him to 
 give a notice of his intention to submit, on some future 
 day, a motion f(n' the payment of Mr. Pitt's debts ; 
 but I entreated him to take four-and-twenty hours at 
 least to consider of it ; when, greatly to my surprise, 
 Mr. Cartwright rose, and gave notice that on this day 
 se'nnight he should propose such a motion. 
 
 Lord Grenville saw his Majesty to-day. It is gene- 
 rally believed that the interview was a short one, ami 
 that no particulars were entered into on either side. 
 His Lordship requested he might attend his ^lajesty 
 asain on Thm'sdav, to submit then the names of the 
 persons to form a new Administration. 
 
 Fridai/, "dist. — Lord Grenville waited on the King, 
 with the list of the new Cabinet, in which there was a 
 provision that the Duke of York shall remain Com- 
 mander-in-Chief, but assisted by a military council. 
 His Majesty put the paper in his pocket, but desired 
 two days to consider of the arrangement, asking, 
 
 VOL. II. R
 
 242 DiAraES and correspondence of 
 
 however, Avhether the proposal rcsj)ectinp: the mihtary 
 council would be insisted on ; to which, on that being 
 twice repeated. Lord Grenville answered that he was 
 only instructed to submit it to his Majesty The King 
 then asked if Lord KUlon had been re(|uested to retain 
 the Great Seal? to whicli Lord (Jrenville answered, No ; 
 and whether it had been proposed to Sir \\"in. CJrant? 
 to which his Lordship answered also in the negative. 
 
 Safunlai/, Ffhntari/ l.v/. — The friends of Mr. Fox and 
 Lord Grenville circulated industriously that the King 
 would not consent to the Duke of York being fettered 
 by a council, and that the formation of a Government 
 was completely abroad ; perfectly well knowing that 
 what they should insist up(m must ultimately be 
 acquiesced in. 
 
 Sundai/, Fchrunry 2(1. — A meeting was held in the 
 evening at Lord Camden's, in Arlington Street, to 
 consider whether the paper before alludeil to, dictated 
 by Mr Pitt, written by the liishop of Lincoln and 
 subscribed by Mr. Pitt, the day before he died, con- 
 taining his latest recpiest about a provision for the 
 Stanhopes, and the payment of his debts, especially 
 the money borrowed of friends in 1801, should be 
 proved as a will. There were present. Lord Camden, 
 Lord Bathurst, the Bishop of Lincoln, Mr. Long, with 
 Mr. Perceval, the late Attorney-General, Sir William 
 Grant, Master of the Rolls, and Sir John Xicholl, the 
 King's Advocate ; when it was decided the paper 
 should be proved as a testamentary one. When that 
 point was settled, it was considered whether the 
 money lent in 1801 by private friends should be
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 243 
 
 claimed, on which subject Mr. Steele was sent for ; 
 and it was agreed that those sums should not be 
 claimed, nor included in the list of debts for which 
 application is to be made to Parliament ; the Bishop 
 of Lincoln dissenting from that as unreasonable, and 
 contravening Mr. Pitt's last and dying request. Mr. 
 Long undertook for the approbation of the persons 
 absent, who were interested. Those present were, Lord 
 Camden, Lord Bathurst, Mr. Steele, 1000/. each, and 
 himself 500/. I, who was on the spot, and with whom 
 and Lord Camden the measure of that loan originated, 
 and who advanced 1000/., was not thought of by those 
 present, nor the Duke of Montrose, who contributed 
 1000/./ nor, I believe, Lord Carrington. A conduct 
 at which I feel a proper resentment (by which I do 
 not mean anger), and advice for which a proper con- 
 tempt ; the present inclination of my mind being to 
 act in direct contradiction to it. 
 
 1 I have since heard that the Duke was not one of the contributors, 
 who were as follows : — 
 
 Lord Camden Jl,000 
 
 Lord Bathurst 1,000 
 
 Bishop of Lincoln 1,000 
 
 Lord Carrington .... 1,000 
 
 Mr. Steele 1,000 
 
 Mr. Rose 1,000 
 
 From Scotland : — 
 
 ] 
 
 4,000 
 
 Duke of Buccleugli .... ^1,000 
 
 Duke of Gordon 1,000 
 
 Lord ]\[elville 1,000 
 
 Chief Baron 1,000 J 
 
 Wilberforce. Joseph Sraitli, and Mr. Long, £500 each 1,500 
 
 .£11,500 
 There was a further sum of Xi-'iiO. from .1 know not who, 
 
 u 2
 
 214 DIAlliES AM) COKKESPONDENCE OF 
 
 ^foN(Ial/, Fchruari/ S(/. — liord Grenville saw the 
 King again, wlun his Majesty acquiesced in the 
 arrangeiiK'nt ])rop()se(l ; and the uvw achninistration 
 was settled acconhngly. Tlie instant I hearil that, I 
 sent a letter to Lord GrenviUe, wliieh I wrote the day 
 alter .Mr. Pitt died (waiting only to till up the blanks 
 of date and address), desiring his Lordship would lay 
 before the King my Inunble request to be allowed to 
 retire from the situation of Joint Pavmaster-Cieneral. 
 and that his Majesty would be pleased to name a suc- 
 cessor for me as Vice-President of the Committee for 
 Trade ; adding, that 1 should consider it as an act 
 of personal kindness to nie, if he would at the sanu* 
 time state to his Majesty that I should carry into 
 retirement the warmest sentiments of gratitude, duty, 
 and ati'ection. 
 
 I omit the other arrangements till thev shall l)c all 
 completed, in order to state them in out' view ; ob- 
 serving mcrelv that it is understood thev are likely to 
 include only the friends of Mr. l'(>\, Lord Grenville, 
 and Lord Sidmouth. 
 
 hi the afternoon, Mr. Cartwright made his motion 
 for an address to his Majesty, that he would be pleased 
 to advance the sum of 40,000/. for the payment of 
 Mr. Pitt's debts, entering into no particulars what- 
 ever, lie was seconded, in the same manner, in 
 Mr. Bootle, which brought on a debate, in which very 
 little difference of opinion prevailed. The proposal met 
 with a very general concurrence. Mr. O'Hara, Lord 
 Folkestone, and Mr.Wm. Smith, member for Norwich, 
 expressed disapprobation, but did not give a negative.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 245 
 
 T asked Mr. Cartwright if in making the proposal he 
 considered the money lent in 1801 as waived; to 
 which he answered, withont the least hesitation, that 
 he certainly did not ; that he purposely avoided saying 
 anything about it, in order to leave it open to the 
 parties to do as they might think proper ; in which 
 Mr. Bootle concurred. 
 
 After the resolution respecting ^Ir. Pitt's debts 
 was agreed to, Mi*. Fox gave notice that he should 
 to-morrow move for leave to bring in a bill to remove 
 doubts respecting the First Lord or other member of 
 the Board of Treasury holding the Auditorship of the 
 Exchequer. I would have suggested to him the utter 
 impossibility of such a bill passing in the shape pro- 
 posed ; but there being no question before the House, 
 the Speaker would not allow me to say anything. 
 
 Tuesdai/, Fehruary ^th. — Mr. Fox named his bill, 
 on which I felt myself compelled to state to the House 
 that the measure proposed was a partial repeal of the 
 Act of 8th and 9th Wm. III., and would most mate- 
 rially affect the business of the Exchequer, by remov- 
 ing not only a legal, but a practical check ; and that, 
 if the bill should pass, the title must be changed to 
 " a Bill for altering the ancient course of the Exche- 
 quer, and taking away a check important to the 
 security of the public money." The Attorney-General 
 supported me ; and Mr. Fox agreed to alter the Bill. 
 I told i\lr. Charles Wynne, therefore, on passing 
 him, that if lie would let me see the bill before the 
 House should meet to-morrow, I would suggest the 
 necessary alterations. 
 
 Wednesdaij, Fehniary Mh, — Mr. Charles Wynne
 
 216 ULAKIESJ AND COHKE^srONDENCE OF 
 
 accordingly ctiiue to me in the morning, and I went 
 through the bill, making such alterations as removed 
 all my objections, by cnal)ling Lord Grcnville to sub- 
 stitute another person who should perform all the 
 functions of auditor, with the same rcsponsil)ility as 
 himself, and t(^ hold the office so long jis Lord 
 Grenville should be a commissioner of the Treasury ; 
 with wiiich alterations the bill passed without ditti- 
 culty. Mv. \\'}nne was the bearer of a very civil 
 and kind letter from Lord Cirenvdic, in consequence 
 of my profl'ercd assistance, and of mv having, in the 
 course of my speech, said I did not wish to obstruct 
 his holding the office of First Lord nf the Treasury, 
 in which situation I had ratlier see him than any 
 other man in tlie kingdoin. 
 
 Fridaif, Ffhruari/ V/i. — An answer from Lord 
 Grcnville to my letter of resignation, in which he 
 says he could not rrf/ularlt/ answer it sooner; and 
 adds, " It is a matter of verv sincere regret that the 
 course which circumstances have taken should lead to 
 his being the channel of a resignation, on mv part, of 
 the office which I held under the Administration of a 
 friend whom he shall ever revere and lament. That it 
 is, however, useless to dwell on these sentiments ; " and 
 then proceeds to expressions of regaril and esteem in 
 a style of feeling and cordiality. 
 
 Siaiffaf/, Felruary Sith. — An mtcrview with the 
 Duke of Montrose, at his instance. In the coiu-se of 
 it, he told me that he had learned from Lord Camden, 
 Lord Castlereagh, and Lord Hawkesbiiry, the line 
 that was thought best for Mr. Pitt's friends to take at 
 present — viz., to keep together in one compact body ,
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 247 
 
 to watch the conduct of the Administration, but not 
 to oppose, unless any measures should be taken sub- 
 versive of any of those adopted by Mr. Pitt ; to hold 
 themselves ready at any time to aid Lord Grenville in 
 the event of Mr. Fox attempting to force upon him 
 any proceeding hostile to constitutional principles, or 
 that would press unfitly upon the King ; and, in 
 general, to hold a temperate language, and to act 
 accordingly. In conclusion, his Grace assured me 
 that Lord Hawkesbury and Lord Castlereagh had 
 completely given up Lord Sidmouth, and would con- 
 cur with Mr. Pitt's other friends in looking exclu- 
 sively to Lord Grenville ; in confirmation of all which, 
 and to point out clearly the line to be pursued. Lord 
 Castlereagh had written a letter to Lord Camden, to 
 be shown to every one who it might be thought right 
 to enter on any explanation with, containing in sub- 
 stance what his Grace had now said to me. I heard 
 the Duke patiently, and then answered that, for my- 
 self, standing now as unconnected as any human being 
 can, I had one rule to guide me, which I should 
 follow as nearly as I could, without regard to the 
 opinions of others : to do as nearly as I could what 
 Mr. Pitt would have wished if he had been in life, and 
 disabled from further interference in public matters. 
 That the line suggested by his Grace very much coin- 
 cided with my own opinions ; that I had, indeed, 
 expressed in the House of Commons ray satisfaction 
 at Lord Grenville's being placed at the head of the 
 Treasury ; that the dispositions professed by the two 
 Lords towards him was natural, as they could not
 
 248 DIARIES AND COKUESPONDENCK OF 
 
 otherwise liope for the cuiicurreiice of .Mr. I'itt's 
 friends, and thev were cast off 1)V Lord Sichiiouth. 
 That, however, 1 thought thcin very improper persons 
 to give the tone to Mr. Pitt's friends, consi(h'ring tlie 
 vacillation of their politics; that tlie niuinniery of 
 Lord Castlereagh writing to Lord Canulen, with 
 whom he was completely idcntitied, in ordrr to that 
 letter to be >hown, was ofl'ensive and disgusting; and 
 that their L(jrdshii)s had Ix-tter remain (piiet lor a 
 while, at hast, as those whom it was intended sliould 
 be imposed upon by the trick woidd see through it 
 too clearly to allow themselves to be made stepping- 
 stones for their Lordships to mount into power by : 
 concluding that those who deserted Mr. Pitt on his 
 tirst and widest ditlerence from Lord Sidmouth, could 
 not now be admitted to be the persons who should 
 derive all the consequence that can be obtained 
 through Mr. Pitt's firmest and most valuable ad- 
 herents. His Grace having also, in the course of the 
 conversation, mentioned an intention of the two Lords, 
 Lord Camden, himself, Lord Mulgrave, and others, to 
 give dinntrs, and to keep u|) in that way a constant 
 convivial intercourse to hold friends together, I cau- 
 tioned him to be careful how that was to be acted 
 upon, lest, instead of conciliulifif/ people, it should 
 revolt them. That men who felt [)roperly would not 
 submit to dine with persons with w horn they had been 
 in no former habits of familiarity whatever, when they 
 could not be ignorant that the civility shown to them was 
 to forward the views of those who w ere offering it. That 
 himself, Lord Mulgrave, and others, who had occa-
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 249 
 
 sioiially entertained political friends, might do so use- 
 fully at this time ; but I repeated my caution as to 
 others, and concluded the conversation with saying 
 that I disliked any immediate meetings, which did 
 not appear to me to be called for ; that I had, therefore, 
 declined Lord Mulgrave's dinner invitation for next 
 Thursday, intending to go on Tuesday or Wednesday 
 to the Bishop of Lincoln, at Buckden, in order to be 
 out of the way of all interruption, and to find a quiet 
 there from which I hoped to obtain real benefit to my 
 health and relief to my mind. Heaven knows I want 
 the latter much more than the former ! On the sub- 
 ject nearest my heart I can certainly communicate 
 with the Bishop with less reserve than with any other 
 person in the world, out of my own family. 
 
 Mr. S. Bourne called upon me, and rather abruptly 
 asked me if I was aware that it had been ]\Ir. Pitt's 
 intention to bring Mr. Canning into the Cabinet, leav- 
 ing him in his present ofKce of Treasurer of the Navy ? 
 To which I answered that I had never heard from 
 Mr. Pitt, or any one else, the remotest hint of such an 
 intention ; nor could I conceive it could ever have 
 entered Mr. Pitt's mind for a single moment. That it 
 would have been an instance of want of judgment and 
 of infatuation which I could not reconcile with any- 
 thing I had ever known Mr. Pitt do, because such a sud- 
 den advancement would have given much oftence, and 
 would, I am sure, have been generally disapproved of. 
 That Mr. Pitt could have derived no possible advan- 
 tage from it, as he had all the benefit of Mr. Canning's 
 advice and judgment whenever he chose to resort to it ; 
 
 .\
 
 250 DIARIKS AND CoKKESPONDENCE Of 
 
 and he could have no assistance from him in any detail 
 of business without j)hicin^ him in the department to 
 wliich it niif^ht rehite. Tli:it, if this was now stated for 
 the first time, to give him weiglit and consi(k*ration 
 amongst Mr. Pitt's friends, I thought the object wouhl 
 not be attained, as it would be more likely to drive 
 people from him than to advance them to him ; no 
 part of which did Mr. Roiu'ne seem to enter into. It 
 appeared to me evidently that his warm regard for 
 Mr. Canning had led him to assist in circulating and 
 giving effect to the accoimt of the circumstance stated 
 by Mr. Canning. In short, I did not conceal from 
 Mr. Bonrne any part of what occurred to me on 
 his making the conununication, and he left me not 
 entirely well satisfied. 
 
 Monday, Fefjrunnj \Ol/i. — .Mr. Canning called upon 
 me, and went over nearly the same ground as the 
 Duke of Montrose did yesterday, respecting the con- 
 duct of Lord Castlereagh and Lord Ilawkesbury, and 
 the line thought best to be pursued by Mr. I'itt's 
 friends. I made nearly the same observations to 
 him thereupon, exj)ressing my.self with rather more 
 warmth at the presumption of the two Lords, espe- 
 cially Lord Castlereagh, in taking upon themselves to 
 mark the road for Mr. Pitt's friends to pursue, not 
 having grown cooler on that point upon reflection ; in 
 all which he agreed with me. 
 
 Mr. Long made rae a visit, — the first time 1 have 
 seen him since his arrival from Ireland (some weeks), — 
 and told me Lord Grenville made him an offer to re- 
 main in office, and allowed him to mention it ; but
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 251 
 
 that he had decKued the proposal. Nothing fell from 
 him that could lead to a coiijectm-e Avhy he was singled 
 out from all Mr. Pitt's connexions for such a mark of 
 favour. He did not mention Mr. Pitt's name, nor did 
 any other allusion to the present state of things, or 
 what had recently been passing, fall from him. I told 
 him I had given in my resignation at the earliest 
 moment I could, and how properly it was received by 
 Lord Grenville. 
 
 Tuesday, February llth. — Received a letter from 
 Mr. Canning, savino; that he had been industrious in 
 preventing the bad effects which might be produced 
 by the premature activity of the noble Lords before 
 alluded to; and that he thought the letter would now 
 be suppressed, and that no such manceuvre would be 
 resorted to in future. In which case he was of opinion 
 that the more harmoniously we could go on the better ; 
 and that he had not mentioned my name to any of the 
 parties. I concur m thinking it Avill be desirable for 
 Mr. Pitt's friends to act together, and in proper con- 
 cert, but that it will require much prudence to devise 
 and direct the mode of domg that. 
 
 All the arrangements being now completed, I state 
 them here in order to mark opposite to each, the class 
 of connexions each person belongs to : — F. Fox, G. 
 Grenville, S. Sidmouth. 
 
 r. Lord Erskine . . . I ^, '''// 1 ^^''^ Eldon. 
 
 y Chancellor. ) 
 
 G. Lord Grenville . . 
 
 F. Lord Henry Petty 
 
 G. Lord Althorpe . . 
 G. Mr.Wickham . . 
 F. ^Ir. Courtney . . 
 
 Treasury. 
 
 Mr. Pitt, and Lord Fitz- 
 
 barris, 
 Marqiiis of Blandford, 
 Mr. Long, 
 Lord Lovaine.
 
 
 DIARIES AND COllKESPONDENCE OF 
 
 F. 
 
 let 
 Do 
 Do 
 
 F. 
 
 G. 
 
 S. 
 
 s. 
 
 Mr. ( Jrey 
 
 Sir Philip Stephens . 
 N. Admiral Markhaui 
 
 Sir Cliarlej* Polo . 
 
 Sir Harry Nealo 
 Lord Williiiin Ru-ssoll 
 Lord Kensington . 
 
 Lord Minto . . . 
 Lord Morpeth . . 
 Mr. lliley Atldington 
 Mr. Sullivan . . . 
 Earl of Moira . . . 
 
 ■ Jdmira/ty. 
 
 ^ 
 
 Board of 
 Control. 
 
 ' Lord Barham. 
 Keinains. 
 Adniirul Gainl)ier. 
 Lord Uarlies. 
 Admiral Patten. 
 Sir Evan Nepoan. 
 Mr. Dickenson, Jan. 
 
 Lord Castlereagh. 
 Mr. Wallace. 
 
 Earl of Chatham. 
 
 F. 
 F. 
 
 O. 
 
 G. 
 
 F. 
 
 G. 
 F. 
 
 Mr. Fox . . . 
 
 Sir Francis Vincent . 
 General Walpole . . 
 
 Lord Spencer . . . 
 
 Mr. Beckett . . . 
 
 Mr. Charles Wynne 
 
 Mr. Windham 
 
 Colonel Crawfiird 
 Earl Fitzwilliam . . 
 Lord Sidmouth . . 
 General Fitzpatrick 
 
 Mr. Sheridan . . . 
 Lord Temple . . 
 
 !l 
 
 ord Mulgrave. 
 
 OrdnaHrf. 
 
 Forcif/H 
 Secretary 
 nf State. 
 Under 
 Secretaries. 
 , Home 
 
 Secretary 
 i of State. 
 
 1 Under 
 
 Secretaries 
 of State. 
 ( lUar 
 
 > Secretary 
 y of State. 
 Under ditto. 
 i I/)rd 
 \ President. 
 Priry Seal, 
 ( Secretarij 
 \ at War. 
 ( Treasurer of | ^^^ ^^ 
 
 ) Paymanters ( Mr. Rose. 
 
 Mr. llninmond, 
 Mr. Ward. 
 
 Lord Hawkesbury. 
 
 ( M r. John King, now Secre- 
 j tary of the Treasury. 
 ^ Mr. Smyth. 
 
 ) 
 
 Lord Castlereagh. 
 
 Mr. Cook. 
 \ Lord Camden. 
 
 Lord Westmoreland. 
 I Mr. William Dundas. 
 
 Lord JnTowusheud ) 
 Lord Auckland . 
 
 General. { Lord Charles Somerset. 
 
 ( President of \ f^ , ... ^ 
 
 I f J \ ^^^^ of Montrose, 
 
 .r , r„ , ( yi<^e President | , , _, 
 
 Lord Temple. . .| ^f Trade. p^- ^^ose. 
 
 G. 
 
 S. 
 
 Lord Carysfort 
 
 X J r) 1 • u Post-Masten 
 
 Lord Buckmgham- , g^^^^^^^ 
 
 shire •' 
 
 Duke of Montrose. 
 Lord Charles Spencer.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 
 
 253 
 
 s. 
 
 Q. 
 
 ( 
 
 ] 
 
 Surveyor 
 Lord Robert Spencer | General of [ Lord Glenberoie. 
 
 I Crown Lands. ) 
 Lord Charles Spencer Master ofMint. Lord Bathurst, 
 
 G. Lord Carnarvon 
 
 F. Lord Albemarle 
 F. Lord Ossulston 
 F. Earl of Derby 
 
 I Master of the | j^^ ^^ ^^riiovA. 
 
 \ Horse. ) 
 
 ( Master of the ^ 
 
 Lord Sandwich. 
 
 F. Lord St. John . 
 
 F. Mr. Pigott . . . 
 
 F. Mr. Romilly . . 
 
 S. Mr. Bond . . . 
 
 F. Duke of Bedford 
 
 F. Mr. Elliot . . . 
 
 G. Sir John Newport 
 
 Mr. Vansittart 
 Mr. King . 
 
 Mr. Tucker 
 
 \ Stag Hounds 
 . {Treasurer ofthe\ j^ord Stopford. 
 i Household. ) 
 
 . [ Chancellor of ) Lord Harrowby. 
 
 I the Duchy, j 
 
 J- Captain of \ 
 . I Band of \ Lord Falmouth. 
 
 I Pensioners. ) 
 . Attorney-General. Mr. Spencer Percival. 
 . Solicitor-General. Sir Vickery Gibbs. 
 . Judge-Advocate. Sir Charles Morgan ret ireB. 
 . [t^0Td-Ueutenant\ ^^^^ Hardwicke. 
 
 ( of Ireland. ) 
 ^ ^Principal Secre-\ ^^^ ^ong. 
 
 \turyfor Ireland.) 
 
 (Chancellor of \ 
 Exchequer for \ Mr. Foster. 
 Ireland. ) 
 Secretaries of i Mr. Sturges Bourne. 
 Treasury. \ Mr. Huskisson. 
 
 . (^'^^^'•f^^'-^^^''"^} Mr. Barrow. 
 ( of Admiralty. ) 
 
 :1 
 
 Of the above-mentioned appointments those which 
 seem most to attract attention are Lord Erskine to be 
 Chancellor, not only on account of his total inexperi- 
 ence in the Court of Chancery, but from his poHtical 
 attachment to Mr. Pox not having been steady and 
 uniform. I recollect Mr. Pitt telling me, many years 
 ago, that on meeting Mr. Erskine at the opera, the 
 latter took occasion to tell him that he had no 
 determined political tie to any one ; and in Lord
 
 254. DIARIES AND CORKESPONDENCE OF 
 
 Sidmontli's administration he was evidently opening 
 his way for admission. Lord EUcnborough being of 
 the cabinet, utterly improper for a criminal judge, for 
 reasons most obvious. 
 
 Sundai/, Fcbninri/ 10///. — While at Buckden, the 
 Bishop e.xplained to lue more particularly what 
 passed in his last interview with Mr. Pitt ; from 
 which I learned that, although he was too weak to 
 say n\uch, he (when he spoke of his neglect of prayer) 
 alluded to the innocency of his life, and expressed a 
 confident hope of the mercy of God. through the in- 
 tercession of his Redeemer : — and that with great 
 fervour. 
 
 Wi'dnrxdtiy, Frhrnnrji 1 !)///. — Returned to London 
 with the Bishop of Lincoln. 
 
 Thursday, Fthninri/ 20///. — Previous to my leaving 
 town to go to Buckden, Mr Thomas, the accountant 
 of the Pay-Office, with .Mr. Hammond and Mr. 
 Bradshaw, two of the senior clerks, came to me to 
 make some observations (on Monday, the 10th of this 
 month) respecting the office, and to thank me for 
 attentions, &c. «&:c. ; after which, when they were rising 
 to go away, ^Ir. Bradshaw, under some apparent em- 
 barrassment, said he wished to apprise me of a 
 circumstance of nii extraordinary nature that had 
 occurred in the time of my predecessors. That Mr. 
 Steele had in the year ISOO taken two sums of 
 7,000/. and 12,000/. out of the cash in the hands 
 of the Paymaster-General, on giving his own receipt 
 for the same, which receipt was written by Mr. 
 Wood, deputy cashier, — without any authority having
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOEGE ROSE. 255 
 
 appeared for the same, either from the Treasury or the 
 War Office. At which statement I expressed great sur- 
 prise, and to Mr. Thomas some resentment, at the same 
 having been delayed till I was out of office and could 
 apply no possible remedy, observing that the transac- 
 tion was, on the face of it, at least, a most irregular 
 one ; but that from my long knowledge of Mr. Steele 
 I was perfectly sure he would be able to explain it, so 
 as to acquit himself of having done anything more 
 than taking upon himself a serious responsibility. 
 That he probably had a voucher in his possession, and 
 that, in any event, it was his (Thomas's) indispensable 
 duty to remind that gentleman of the transaction on 
 his quitting office in 1804. That if it had not been 
 satisfactorily explained he ought then to have stated it 
 to me and my colleague on our appointment. To which 
 Mr. Thomas answered, that he had called two or three 
 times at Mr. Steele's door, without finding him at 
 home. Such a justification appeared to render his 
 conduct still less excusable, because, if he thought it 
 necessary to see Mr. Steele on the subject, he certainly 
 should have apprised him of his wish to do so, that 
 he might be sure of meeting with him. I therefore 
 desired him to write to Mr, S. to ensure his seeing 
 him, and to let me know on my return from Buckden 
 whether any interposition of mine with Mr. Steele 
 would be necessary. 
 
 This morning Mr. Thomas came to me accordingly, 
 when he told me he had seen Mr. Steele, who said 
 generally that the sums before mentioned were re- 
 ceived by him for services of a secret nature.
 
 25G DIARIES AND CORllESPONDENCE OF 
 
 Friday, 21*/. — Mr. Tlionias's statement of liis inter- 
 view yesterday was so little satisfactory to me tliat I 
 went to Mr. Steele this morning myself, from whom 1 
 could obtain no clear explanation of the business. He 
 said I must excuse liis entering into particulars at 
 present, as he did not feel himself at liberty to do so; 
 that the advances were made to a person (or persons 
 I am not sure which) for services of a secret nature ; 
 that the whole wouhl be repaid, but he could not at 
 this moment exactly fix the time when ; — acknowledg- 
 ing that he had no warrant or other authority whatever 
 for the issue. I observed to him, that under such cir- 
 cumstances T thought he should see either Lord Grcn- 
 ville or the presciif Paymaster-General, and explain to 
 his Lordship, or them, so much of the transaction 
 as should satisfy them ; the whole, certainly, if they 
 should think it necessary, adding, that it was beyond 
 all comj)arison better he should do that in the first 
 instance, as from himself, than wait to give an ex- 
 planation when he should be called upon to do so; as 
 the precedent in this case would show to future Pay- 
 masters-General the possifjilifi/ of their taking money, 
 placed in the bank on the account of the public, for 
 their own })iivate accommodation, at any time when 
 they should find themselves under a pressing urgency 
 to do so ; — which was plainly against the spirit of the 
 Pay-Office Act. 
 
 Reflectino; in the course of the afternoon on what 
 had passed, I wrote to Mr. Steele to enforce all that 
 I had said in the morning. 
 
 I received to-dav a letter from Lord Lowther, in
 
 THE IIIGIIT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 257 
 
 answer to one I wrote to him from Buckden, requesting 
 to see him when he sliould come to town, that we 
 might have a httle conversation on the present state 
 of things and parties ; in which he says he comes for 
 the funeral to-morrow morning, and returns part of 
 the way to Cottesmere in the afternoon ; laments the 
 severe loss sustained by the death of Mr. Pitt, to 
 whom he was attached by every tie that could bind 
 the human heart ; that if he could feel the same dis- 
 position towards Lord Granville he entertained two 
 months ago, or consider him as the same person he al- 
 ways thought him till his present accession to power, he 
 should have little difficulty in fixing the line of his own 
 political conduct ; but, as matters have turned out, he 
 is much at a loss what course it may be best to pursue. 
 His Lordship then expresses a desire to have some 
 conversation with me on the subject, adding that what- 
 ever may be the result of our present determination, 
 he hopes Mr. Pitt's friends may be kept together if 
 possible. 
 
 Saturdai/, 2'2d February. — The day of i\L". Pitt's 
 funeral ! On attending the remains of my ever to be 
 deeply lamented friend, I was appointed to walk in 
 the procession from the Painted Chamber to West- 
 minster Abbey, as one of the supporters to Mr. 
 Spencer Perceval (the late Attorney-General), who 
 carried the banner of emblems ; Mr. Canning was 
 the other. Those who were to walk near the body 
 assembled in the old House of Lords, where I saw 
 Lord Lowther, who was to be one of the supporters 
 to the chief mourner (the Earl of Chatham.) His 
 
 VOL II. S
 
 258 DIARIES AND fOllUESrONnENf'K OF 
 
 Lordship begged nic to go to the upper end of the 
 room with him, and referring to liis letters, repeated 
 sentiments very generally according with my own, 
 against taking any precipitate step of hostility to the 
 present Government ; the composition of wliich, how- 
 ever, he utterly disliked, marking his disapprobation 
 c.f Lord Grenville's conduct, :uul suggesting that 
 Lord Ilawkisbury and Lord Castlereagh appeared 
 to him to be taking tlnir ground for stepping into 
 Dower airain bv means of Mr. Pitt's friends, which he 
 thought should be guarded against. In conclusion, 
 In- said lie should return to Loiulon in eight or ten 
 days, when he would take an early op|)ortinuty of 
 discussing matters fullv with me. 
 
 The funeral was numerously and respectably 
 attended \\y Peers, members of both Houses, and 
 others. The pall-bearers were the Archbishop of 
 Canterbury, the Dukes of lieaufort, Rutland, and 
 Montrose. The chief mourner was support«'d by six 
 Peers. The Duke of York, the Duke of Cumberland, 
 and the Duke of Cambridge, were in the procession ; 
 also several Peers and Bishops, with about 250 of the 
 House of Commons, amongst whom was the Speaker. 
 
 I got through the performance of this last public 
 demonstration of my respect, love, and regard for the 
 memory of one of the pnrest-minded and best men to 
 whom God, I verily believe, ever gave existence, better 
 than I hoped to do, although so deeply affected during 
 one part of the ceremony as to be in danger of being 
 completely overcome. 
 
 On my return to my own house, T indulged myself
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 259 
 
 with what has been very frequently the occupation of 
 my mind during the last five weeks, and will not 
 unfrequently employ it during the remainder of my 
 life ; the reflection on the character and talents of my 
 deceased friend, and the loss I have sustained in his 
 death, banishing entirely every consideration of an 
 interested nature. His talents ; the quickness of his 
 perception, ahuost intuitive ; his discerning judg- 
 ment ; the firmness of his mind, which secured to him 
 the fullest advantage of that discernment, in cases of 
 the extremest public dangers and calamities, such 
 as indeed had never occurred since the revolution, — 
 namely, the democratical exertions, prepared to be 
 supported by an immense armed force, influenced by 
 meetings, public and private, of those of the most 
 dangerous principles and active minds, as well as by 
 libels of a treasonable nature ; the mutiny of the fleet ; 
 the stoppage of the banks ; famine in the country ; 
 invasion threatened by an immense force of the enemy, 
 brought down to their coast, opposite to ours, with 
 ships collected sufficient to transport them. In short 
 no danger (however great) ever dismayed him, or 
 deprived him of the advantages resulting from the 
 quickness of his conception. A certain shyness or 
 reserve with persons he had httle or no acquaintance 
 with, and his general carriage (walking remarkably 
 upright), were by many mistaken for pride ; of which 
 he had as little as ahuost any gentleman I ever knew ; 
 for in families, or with people with whom he was 
 acquainted, his address and manner were the easiest 
 and most pleasant possible. His temper, as I before 
 
 s 2
 
 2()() DIARIES AND COKllESl'ONDENCK OF 
 
 observed, tlie sweetest I tliiiik 1 ever knew ; on no 
 occasion rulllcd l)y any dangers, diiKculties, or un- 
 pleasant occurrences, except in the House of Com- 
 mons, wliere und()ul)te(lly he sometimes, undi r eon- 
 si(leral)le provocation, gave vent to his feelings ; and 
 when he did it was with wonderful eiVect, for his 
 elo(pience was tremendous as w»'ll as persuasive. 
 Few could know him as well as myself. From 
 Christmas, 17S3, to the time of his dissolution, 
 1 was in constant habits of the warmest allection 
 and friendship, as well as of business with him. 
 Hardly three days passed without my seeing him 
 throughout that period, except during the five or 
 six weeks in the- summer, and the three weeks at 
 Christmas, which I used to spend at Cuti'nells in the 
 year, lie hardly ever had the slightest thought al)out 
 himself; his mind was wholly occupied with his 
 country. His most uncommon share of good-nature 
 occasioned his giving way sometimes to solicitations 
 he should have resisted, esj)eeially with regard to 
 Peerages, of which he was liberal to a most unfortu- 
 nate extent ; but so far from gaining political strength 
 thereby, I am perfectly sure he suffered by them ; 
 for it frequently happened that an enemy was chosen 
 in the room of the newlv-created Peer. In the 
 administration of finances, and in the management 
 of the public purse, it is not possible any one could 
 be more entirely pure and disinterested. lie abolished 
 all contracts whatever, all purchases by commission, 
 all private distributions of Loan, and every other 
 species of money influence ; — which was in truth at my
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 261 
 
 solicitation. He abolished also the sinecure employ- 
 ments in the Customs, numerous and valuable. He 
 established a Sinking Fund in the year 1786, when 
 the finances were in so wretched a state, that no 
 other man would have even entertained a ihouglit of 
 the kind, which amounts now to more than eight 
 millions a year, and which in no public exigency would 
 he allow to be touched. These are only some of 
 his internal arransjements and measures of domestic 
 policy. In foreign politics he was intelligent, able, 
 and indefatigable. I have heard several of the foreign 
 Ministers say, they would rather discuss intricate 
 matters with him than with any other man they ever 
 knew ; particularly Count Woronzow, who, I verily 
 believe, laments his loss most deeply. The last union 
 of Austria and Sweden with Russia, in which Prussia 
 had actually undertaken to join, was accomplished 
 absolutely by himself, and would have saved Europe, 
 almost to a certainty, if it had not been defeated by 
 the conduct of those who w^ere entrusted with the 
 command of the Austrian armies. The effect of these 
 miscarriages has been already truly stated to have 
 occasioned his death. Other points in his character 
 may occur to me ; if they do I shall note them. A more 
 amiable one, upon the whole, no man can leave behind 
 him. I am much mistaken, if the fact of his country 
 being deprived of him, will not be deplored by some 
 who are at present exulting at the event. God grant 
 that no public calamity may lead to that 1 No one 
 laments the loss with more bitterness of grief than 
 myself. I am, as a political man, completely left alone ;
 
 2()2 DTAltlES AND COUUESPONDENCE OF 
 
 no tic nor comuxiuns with any one li\ing, cxcopl iiiy 
 son and Mr. BournL', who I bring into Parliament, 
 and the habits I am in witii many of Mr. I'itt's 
 friends. Thus left, I must endeavour to take the 
 best course 1 can. 1 trust I shall be guided only by 
 views most strictly honourable, such as will reflect no 
 discredit on those who shall come after me. 1 shall 
 be inclined en evi'ry important instance to consider 
 what Mr. Pitt would iiave been likely to wish me to 
 do if he had been aliv.-, but incapable of taking an 
 active share in public business ; — comnmnieating on 
 all such occasions most freely with the Bishop of 
 Lincoln, wlio knew him, and the opinions he enter- 
 tained, better than any one. 
 
 The Hishop and myself were to have sat down to a 
 {[uiet dinuer after the sad ceremony we had atteiuled, 
 but Mr. Canning having desired he might join us, 1 
 could not refuse it, and my eldest son at my desire 
 made a fourth ; as I wished him to be present in the 
 event of any political proceedings being mentioned. 
 In the afternoon Mr. Canning referred to what had 
 passed relative to Lord Castlercagh writing to Lord 
 Camden, before referred to, and again expressed his 
 Lordship's contrition for his forward conduct in that 
 instance, which led to a general discussion on the 
 state of parties at gi'eat length, both on his part and 
 mine ; the Bishop aud my son only making occasional 
 observations. The substance of Mr. Canning's ex- 
 pressions of his intentions, views, and inclinations, I 
 think was, that either Lord Lowther or the Duke of 
 Beaufort, or some other such considerable Peer, shoidd
 
 THE IIIGHT UON. GEOJIGE ROSE. 263 
 
 be considered as the pomt d'appui ; but that lie would 
 acknowledge no leader in Pai'liament, objecting to 
 Lord Castlereagli and Lord Hawkesbiiry as such, par- 
 ticularly the latter, with whom, he pointedly declared, 
 he never would have any intercourse. That if no consi- 
 derable Peer, like one of those above mentioned, would 
 set himself up to keep ]\Ir. Pitt's friends together, he 
 thought the next best thing would be to go on with 
 a vigorous Opposition, looking to Lord Greuville at 
 ilie same time as the person really at the head of the 
 party. That he would allow no time for further reflec- 
 tion of individuals, as he was determined not to keep 
 himself in abei/ancc, but if he could do no better, he 
 would go down to the House of Commons, day after 
 dav, with three or four friends who would adhere to 
 him. He said much more, nearlv in the same strain, 
 and frequently with much warmth. I replied, that 1 
 was resolved to remain in abeyance, to afford time 
 for talking with other people, and for consideration ; 
 that I was extremely disinclined to determined hostility 
 to a Government immediately on its being formed, in 
 a period of real danger and great difficulty, both from 
 foreign and internal causes, as well on the ground of 
 the impolicy of that line of conduct as on account of 
 the probable mischief that might arise to the country 
 from it. That I had as little liking for the two Lords 
 above mentioned as he had, and was very averse to 
 their being considered as leaders of Mr. Pitl's friends ; 
 but that I could conceive the possibility of circum- 
 stances occurring in such a way as to render it neces- 
 sary, in some degree, to place Lord Castlereagli in a
 
 20 1< IMAIMKS AM) COllUESPOXDENCE OF 
 
 pruiiiiiient situation amongst iis,lio\vcvti' imcomfortaljly 
 wc might feel about liis having left Mr. Pitt for Lord 
 Sidmouth. That feelings, siieh as I certainly entertained 
 respecting the two Lords, nmst occasionally be sup- 
 pressed in pricafc life, and still more so in puljlw, 
 which would prevent my deciding positively against 
 acting with Lord Casllereagh, at least as a leader, 
 althouu;h 1 should anxiouslv wish to avoid that. 1 
 then suggested Charles Yorke and Mr. Perceval, to 
 whom Mr. Camiing did not evince so strong an objec- 
 tion as to the others, and seemed to think either of 
 those two might do tolerably will ; aiul yet they both 
 left Mr. Pitt to act with and serve uiuhr Mr. Adding- 
 ton. I also stated distinctly my fixed determination 
 not, in any event, to go on with a systematic o])posi- 
 tion to the Government, the avowed o])ject of which 
 should be to su|)port Lord Grenville, against the other 
 part of the Administration, if they should ever enter- 
 tain c»i)inions discordant on public matters. That 
 agreeing with Mr. Canning as I did, in thinking Lord 
 Grenville the best man to be at the head of the Govern- 
 ment, and wishing to keep him there rather than 
 bring forward Mr. Fo.x, I should be more disposed 
 (if it should not be found possible to keep Mr. Pitt's 
 friends together,) to say to Lord Grenville, f/iaf is 
 what T wish. I will not take office now, but I will 
 privately and publicly give you all the assistance 1 am 
 able to afford, and make me as useful as you can. 
 That I thought also such a course would be more 
 creditable, and more honourable, than the one he 
 marked out for himself, believing perfectly, however.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 265 
 
 that he felt disposed to do what should appear to 
 hmi correctly right. We agreed that there can be 
 no doubt of the expediency, and indeed the strong 
 necessity, of calling the attention of Parliament to the 
 nomination of Lord EUenborough to the Cabinet, as 
 a measure in principle most dangerous to the Consti- 
 tution, bv mixing; the character of a confidential 
 servant of the Crown with that of the first criminal 
 Judge in the kingdom, without the remotest neces- 
 sity for so highly objectionable a proceeding. 
 
 So far, this is a narrative of what actually passed. — 
 Left now to my owm guidance in politics, unconnected 
 with any human being, except my eldest son and 
 Mr. Sturges Bourne, brought into Parliament by me, 
 I have naturally reflected seriously and deeply on the 
 course I should pursue. In supporting the measures 
 of Mr. Pitt, my real opinion went with him, to the 
 best of my recollection, in every instance in which I 
 concurred with him. On some great and important 
 points I differed with him in my parliamentary con- 
 duct : the Reform of ParKament (to which he w^as at 
 last a convert), the Slave Trade, and the Peace of 
 Amiens, were the most weighty. On the impeach- 
 ment of Mr. Hastings I concurred, but have since, 
 on more mature reflection, and from subsequent events, 
 regretted the part taken both by him and myself. 
 To return to the consideration of the line I ought to 
 pursue, thus left to myself, my most anxious wish is 
 that I may be able to prevent personal resentments, 
 passions, disappointments, or private views, from enter- 
 ing into contests where the public interest is concerned ;
 
 2()() DIAIUES AND (OKUESl'oN DENC E OF 
 
 .'it least, to guard aj^aiiist tlicir iiiHiicnces as iiiucli as it 
 is j)ossil)lr tor Imiiian iiatitrc to do. I know how 
 liard the lesson is, and 1 liavi- paiiitiilly witnessed 
 how seldom it is jjraetiscd. I am aware that there is 
 soinethiiii? in selt-love ' so dee|)ly rooteo, that j)nvaU? 
 intcr(\sts, and private views, have often a silent and 
 ctFectual inflnenee upon men, even when their move- 
 ments arc not distinctly telt uilhin. 1 have nut with 
 instances in others, where, I verily believe, tlu'y made 
 tliiit appear reasonfihlc whieli was pro/ilfihir, or agree- 
 able to some present view. Against n-venge lor 
 personal injnries my mmd i> most strongly tortified ; 
 t/uil I know by experience is blind against all light, 
 and deaf to all aigumeiit. May 1 on the whole so 
 eomlnet myself, as to bring no discredit on my cha- 
 racter, or give a moment's pain to those who come 
 after me. 
 
 ' When I read Uocbofoucault's detiiiition of this jMus-vjitn at n m-if 
 rar/yage) I was sti-uck au<l pained at it. The constant guard I have 
 had in my mind against misanthropy would not, liowever, allow me 
 1.0IC to impute to that author a total want of knowlrdgo of the 
 world, although he colours highly. " Self-love " he describes as '* the 
 love of one's self and of everything else for our own .sake ; it n)akes a 
 man the idolater of himself, and the tyrant of others. Mnn is a 
 nii.xturo of contrarieties ; imperious and supple, sincere and false, 
 fearful and bold, merciful and cruel ; he can .sacrifice every pleasure 
 to the getting of riches, and all his riches to pleasure ; he is fond of 
 his preservation, and yet sometimes eager after his own destruction ; 
 he can flatter those he hates, and destroy those be loves."
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 267 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 1806—1807. 
 
 A VINDICATION OF MR. PITT's CHARACTER IN COMPARISON WITH THAT 
 OF MR. FOX, BY THE EDITOR OF THE PRESENT WORK — ESTIMATE 
 OP MR. PITT BY LORD WELLESLET — LETTER FROM MR. CANNING TO 
 MR. ROSE, FEBRUARY 7th, 1807, EXPLANATORY OF HIS POLITICAL 
 VIEWS AND OPINIONS AT THAT TIM 13. 
 
 [It is remarkable that both the great rival Ministers 
 of the Crown died in one year ; and that, as in their 
 social position and in their conduct, several parallels 
 may be observed, so in their character there were as 
 many contrasts. First, both were giants in oratory ; 
 Mr. Fox excelling most in acuteness of argument, and 
 Mr. Pitt in lofty declamation, the effect of which, 
 however, was so great, that even an opponent. Sir 
 Samuel Romilly, bears this testimony to it, that " his 
 influence and authority in the House exceed all belief ;" 
 for his reasonings were always logical, whereas Mr. 
 Pox's were often tainted with sophistry. Secondly, 
 both of them were at the head of large sections in Par^ 
 liament who were enthusiastic partisans, and adopted 
 their opinions with a veneration little short of idolatry, 
 and were bitterly hostile to each other ; hence fairness 
 in judging of one another is rarely to be expected,
 
 208 DIARIES AND CORUESPONDENCE OF 
 
 but that regard for truth, — which, in nicu of liigh 
 ]H-inciplcs, will force its way occasionally tlu-ough 
 the opposition of political bias, like gleams of sun 
 through a dense mass of ch)uds, — sometimes involved 
 them in strange inconsistencies. Thus, for instance, 
 Sir S. Romilly, in general a very consistent man, but 
 intlnmed by party zeal, challenged Mr. Canning to 
 show " in what class of the communitv he could 
 discover an increase of comforts and lia])i)iness, the 
 effects of Mr. Pitt's talents; ami to what part of the 
 empire he was to look to re:ul his history in a nation's 
 eyes."' Ihit uhat is his own acknowledgement? 
 Either he nuist have thought that truth was an 
 inconvenient and unnecessary garniture of oratory, 
 or he nuist have cpiitc forgotten certain facts which he 
 had entered in his journal a few years before, and 
 which are a very sutHeient answer to his challenge. 
 During the peace of Amiens he went over to Paris ; 
 and this is what he records of the conversation there : — 
 " Almost all the French I have seen entertain a very 
 high opinion of Mr. Pitt, and a proportionally mean 
 oj)inion of the English Opposition. They admit that 
 Mr. Pitt did not carry on tlie war with great ability ; 
 but they think that ///* talents alone saved us from a 
 revohition such as they have themselves experienced."^ 
 It is evident, from what is said of their admission, 
 that, in order to break the force of their culogium, Sir 
 S. Romilly himself had suggested the ill-success of the 
 
 ' Mouioii-si, vol. ii. p. .3.")7. " Und. p. 1(»1.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 209 
 
 war, — an argument against which, of course, they were 
 not disposed to do battle ; and yet it was a very bad 
 argument, because it assumed that Mr. Pitt was respon- 
 sible for all the miscarriages of the Austrians, and the 
 blunders of the Aulic Council. But the rest of the 
 sentence proves, incontrovertibly, that the superior 
 comfort and happiness enjoyed in unrevolutionized 
 England were the effects of ]\lr. Pitt's talents ; and if 
 he wanted to know in what part of the empire he had 
 to look to " read his history in a nation's eyes," he 
 had only to look at the representation of the whole 
 empire in the House of Commons. There was, 
 however, this difference between the two leaders : Mr. 
 Pox had not so large a party ; but he identified himself 
 with it, and shaped his policy in the strictest con- 
 formity to its interest, and laid them nearer to his 
 heart than the public good. Of this his letters give 
 sufficient evidence. Thus, when in 1792 he expressed 
 his conviction that they never could with honour and 
 advantage come in under Pitt, he added, — " And I 
 deceive myself, if I do not ground this opinion much 
 more upon party than personal reasons and feelings."' 
 And in 1804, when Mr. Pitt failed in all his attempts to 
 persuade the King to admit Pox into the Cabinet, 
 he declared that " nothing could have fallen out more 
 to his mind than what had happened ; the party 
 revived and strengthened, Pitt lowered, and, what 
 was of more consequence in his view% the cause of 
 
 1 Memoirs and Correspondence of C. J. Fox, vol. iv. p. 287.
 
 270 DIARIES AND CORIIKSPONDENCK OF 
 
 Royalisiii, in the bad sense of the word, lowered 
 too."' In short, it mij^Hit more truly be said of Fox, 
 tlian of JJiirkc, that " to party lie gave wliat was 
 meant for mankind. " 
 
 Mr. I'ilt, on the otlier liand, preferred the in- 
 terests of the conntry to tliose of liis partv ; and it 
 is witli ^Mvat truth observed \)\ .Mr. W'ilbcrforce that 
 he wished to toiiu for AchliuL^ton the stroiij^cst and 
 best possible Aibninistration : — 'lb has reallv be- 
 liaved witli a ma«i;naniinity uuparalhlcd in a pohtician. 
 New instanees of it are (hiilv oceurrint; ; it is one of 
 the nol)lest exercises of true mairnaniinity that was 
 ever cxliibitcd to thr athniraticjn and imitation of 
 mankind." Both I'itt and Fox advocated, in tlie 
 strongest terms, tlie abohtion of tlie shive-trade ; but 
 neither of them ventured to abob^h it wliih' thev 
 were in office. Mr. Fox, indeed, passed a liill bv 
 wliich its further extension nndrr tiie British flaf^ was 
 prevented ; but tliis bill was only to be in force for 
 two years. Both of them were advocates for parlia- 
 mentary reform ; but Mr. Fox agreed with Lord North, 
 that on that subject every man should follow his 
 own opinion ; and, therefore, while they were in 
 office, Mr. Pitt's resolutions in favour of it were 
 defeated by a large majority. If it be asked, whv 
 he did not renew the attempt afterwards, when he re- 
 turned to office, the answer may be given in the words 
 of Lord Brougham : — " The atrocities of the French 
 
 ^ Memoirs and Correspondence of C. J. Fox, vol. iv. p. ,57.
 
 THE RIGHT HOy. GEORGE ROSE. 271 
 
 Jacobins, the thoughtless violence of the extreme 
 democratic party in this country, the spirit of aggres- 
 sion which the conduct of her neighbours had first 
 roused in FrancCj and which unexampled victories 
 soon raised to a pitch that endangered all national 
 independence, led many who were naturally friendly 
 to liberty into a course of hostility towards all change ; 
 because they became accustomed to confound reform 
 with revolution, and to dread nothing so much as the 
 mischief Avhich popnlar violence had produced in 
 France, and with which the march of French con- 
 quests threatened to desolate Europe/'^ Similar rea- 
 sons were assigned by Mr. Pitt himself, in answer to 
 Mr. Grey ; but it is better to adduce them from the 
 pen of the great Whig Reformer who makes these 
 candid admissions ; only he should have recollected 
 that it was difficult not to confound reform with revo- 
 lution, when, at the head of the reformers, we find the 
 London Corresponding Society vow'ing, in their Maga- 
 zine, the destruction of the King, the Royal Family, 
 the Nobility, and the Episcopacy, and talking at their 
 meetings of a Revolutionary Tribunal, as the only 
 court adapted to the state of the country. 
 
 Both statesmen were real lovers of peace, and yet 
 neither of them could obtain it during their tenure 
 of office. Mr. Fox enjoyed more credit for it, because 
 it is so easy for those who have no responsibility to 
 
 ' Historical Sketches of Statesmen, by Lord Brougham, vol. i. 
 p. 281.
 
 272 DIARIES AND COKUESPONDENXE OF 
 
 condemn tho.^c wlio have, and to censure tlicni for not 
 overcoming im[)ossibilitics ; but, when he came into 
 power, he found out how much he was mistaken, and 
 tliat tliere were circumstances in whieli, consistenilv 
 with liis dnty to his country, peace was an impossi- 
 bility. In 1S(I() he expressed his conviction to Lord 
 Holland, founded on what lie termed " the shuliling 
 conduct of France, that the negotiation for pence 
 would fail ;"' and fail it did. .Mr. Pitt was equally 
 averse to war, althougii he oijtained no credit for it, 
 because he could not control the destinv of nations 
 according to his pleasure. Lord Malmesi)ury made it 
 an argument with him for turning out Addington at 
 the end of ISO;?; and, if he had preferred reputation 
 to conscience, it miglit have had great weight with 
 him. "I said, if -he came in at such a moment, and 
 could preserve peace even for a year, and till war was 
 manifestly forced upon us, he wouhl do away that 
 clamour raised against him (and no one knew better 
 than myself how undeservedly) of his ])eing fond of 
 war. This, he must know, was the Jacobin cry ; it 
 was believed on the Continent, and ati'ected to be be- 
 lieved by the factious and discontented here. ' I know 
 it,' said Pitt, 'the Jacobins cry louder than we can, 
 and make themselves heard." '^ On the same authority 
 we have this decisive evidence to the same effect : 
 *' Mr. Pitt has always been held up to the present 
 
 1 Memoirs of the Whig party, by Lord Holland, vol ii. p. 78. 
 - Lord Malmesburys Diary, vol. iv. p. 114.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 273 
 
 generation as fond of war; but the Harris papers 
 could furnisli the most continual evidence of the con- 
 trary ; and that he often suffered all the agony of a 
 pious man who is forced to fight a duel."' Up to 
 the commencement of the war which was forced 
 upon him by the Prench Revolution, w^e have the 
 testimony of Mr. Fox himself, " that his language 
 breathed only the strictest neutrality, which con- 
 tinued even after the King had been dethroned, 
 and many of the worst atrocities had been per- 
 petrated."^ 
 
 If, after the palpable proof of insatiable ag- 
 gressiveness which the excitement then raging in 
 France exhibited, he had been guilty of " that blind 
 and obstinate adherence to the same system of neu- 
 trality," which, according to Prince Hardenburg, 
 " precipitated Prussia into the abyss ; "^ he would 
 have deserved to be impeached, as the author of ruin 
 and degradation to his country. But it has been 
 already shown, that notwithstanding the reluctance 
 and opposition of his Secretary for Foreign Affairs 
 (Lord Grenville), he availed himself of every glimpse 
 of an opening for bringing the war to a conclusion, 
 and was so anxious for peace, that he was ready to 
 sacrifice anything to obtain it, except the honour of 
 his country ; so that one of his warmest admirers, 
 
 1 Lord Malmesbury's Diary, vol. iii. p. 51G. 
 
 2 Alison'.s History of Europe, vol. ii. p. 445, 
 
 ■* Prince Hardenburg's Memoirs, vol. iii. ]>. l.'il. 
 
 VOL. IT. T
 
 274 DIARIES AND CORRKSPONDENCE OF 
 
 Mr. Canning, comijlainod tluit he was always too 
 pacific. Lastly, botii held tlie same views of the 
 Roman Catholic <|uestion.' Roth of them believed 
 that justice and policy recpiired tiie removal of many 
 of the restrictions : l)ut neither of them, when thev 
 were at the head of the (Jovernment, attempted to 
 remove them. Both of thrm were indul^int to the 
 conscience of the King, and wen- unwilling to cm- 
 hitttM* the remainder of his life, hy striving to make 
 him disreirard it. On this account both have l)een 
 charired with inconsistencv ; l)ut if Mr. Pitt was incon- 
 sistent, it was an inconsistency of a very ditTerent 
 character, juid of far less conse(juence than that of 
 .Mr. Vo\. 
 
 It has been shown, that he did not resign his 
 office because he could not carry that measure, but 
 upon a political principle which merely touched upon 
 it ; and whether upon that point any concession was 
 subsccpiently made, either by himself or by the King, 
 there is no evidence to show. But upon the measure 
 itself he never insisted as a si/ie quit non ; he only laid it 
 before the King as a measure recommended to his 
 consideration by tiic Cal)inct, and from the first was 
 wiUing to pledge himself, that he would not introduce 
 it during his Majesty's life. But Mr. Fox, three years 
 before, had reprobated, in the strongest terms of ab- 
 horrence, the idea of giving way upon the Roman 
 Catholic question. He wished to rescue his i)arty 
 
 ^ Lord Malniesbury's Diary, vol. iv. p. 50.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE HOSE. 275 
 
 "from the infamy of acquiescing in the baseness of 
 conceding the most important of all national points 
 to the private opinion of the King ;"' and yet in that 
 infamy and baseness he did acquiesce, much to his 
 credit, for he was too good-natured a man to inflict 
 needless pain. 
 
 The motive which he assigned to his nephew for his 
 conduct on this occasion, was the apprehension, lest 
 an opportunity of restoring peace to the world might 
 be lost by stickling for a measure which he knew he 
 could not carry. If it were so, lie must have been 
 grievously disappointed ; but the truth is, that though 
 a great demagogue out of office, yet in office he was 
 an excellent courtier, perhaps better than Mr. Pitt, 
 certainly better than Lord Grenville ; for the King 
 told Lord Eldon, who was more in his confidence 
 than any one after the death of Mr. Pitt, that it was but 
 just to acknowledge that Mr. Fox, though certainly 
 forced upon him, had never presumed upon that 
 circumstance to treat his Sovereign like a person in 
 iiis power ; but had always conducted himself frankly, 
 and yet respectfully : his manner contrasted remark- 
 ably with that of another Whig ^Minister, wdio when 
 he came into office, walked up to him in the way he 
 should have expected from " Buonaparte after the 
 battle of Austerlitz."^ And this is quite in the spirit 
 of the letter wdiich he addressed to the King, when he 
 
 1 Memoirs of Fox, vol. iii. p. 429. 
 
 " Lord Eldon's Anecdote Book, p. 510. 
 
 1 <w
 
 270 DTARTES AM) f OUUESPONDENCK OF 
 
 was in office before, in which he iiuploivd his .Majesty 
 to believe, thaf \u- liad notliing so nnich at lieart as 
 to conchict his Majesty's atVairs, both uitli respect to 
 measures and to persons, in the manner that niii,dit 
 give his Majesty most satisfaction; "and tliat wlien- 
 ever your Majesty will i)c graciously pleased to eon- 
 descend, even to hint your inclinations upon any 
 subject, tliat it will be the study of your Majesty's 
 Ministers to sIkjw how trulv sensible they are of your 
 Majesty's goodness."' Lord Holland, therefore, who 
 was more a Whii^ than the leader of the Whiirs him- 
 self, was maliciously wrong, wlun he asserted that 
 the King could hardly suppress his indecent exultation 
 at Fox's death.- On the contrary, the King said that 
 once he would not have believed that he could be so 
 sorry for that death. 
 
 So far we have seen that there was a great re- 
 semblance, though not without sonic signal ditTerences 
 too, in the conduct of the two Premiers. But in their 
 characters they were entirely ditl'erent. It has been 
 shown, that in point of morality, the profligacy of 
 Fox was a striking contrast to the spotless reputation' 
 of Pitt ; nor was the difterence between them less, in 
 the exhibition of that spirit of evangelical " charity, 
 which envieth not, seeketh not her own, is not easily 
 provoked, thinketh no evil, and endurcth all things." 
 From their private correspondence it appears, that 
 
 ' Memoirs of 0. J. Fox, vol. ii. p. 123. 
 
 - Memoirs of the Whig Party, vol. ii. p. 40.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 277 
 
 I OX " spoke with acrimony of Pitt : he called him 
 impudent, audacious, one that never would do right, 
 incapable of acting fairly, and a mean, pitiful fellow ;" 
 than which there could not be a greater outrage upon 
 truth. He imputes to him the basest motives, and 
 professes that to lower him is the great object of his 
 ambition. Mr. Pitt, on the contrary, never speaks 
 evil of his rival ; his name is only introduced when he 
 advocates his cause, connnends his nobleness, and 
 advises that he should be consulted. 
 
 In matters of religion, they were equally far apart ; 
 for Mr. Fox was an enemy to the Church of England. 
 Mr. Wilberforce, a good and impartial judge, who 
 writes of it more in pity than in anger, asks Macau- 
 lay, " Does it not strike you, that there is a certain 
 philosophical spirit throughout his history, very hostile 
 to the spirit of Christianity, as well as a manifest 
 hatred in him, poor fellow — but too natural, to the 
 Church of England ? "^ This might partly arise from 
 a principle avowed by Lord Holland, that in any 
 contest with the Crown (he might with equal truth 
 have omitted the Crown), the Whigs must always 
 mainly rely upon the Dissenters.^ Mr. Pitt, on the 
 contrary, was friendly to the Established Church. In 
 1790, when he was pressed to repeal the Test Acts, 
 he said, " The Dissenters had succeeded in their ap- 
 plication about fourteen years before, and obtained 
 
 1 Life of Wilberforce, \ol. iii. p, 387. 
 
 2 Memoirs of the Whig Party, vol. ii. p. 227.
 
 278 DIARIES AM) tURUESPONDENCK ui 
 
 what was considered a completion of tluir toleration. 
 It was then doclnrod that they intended to proeccd no 
 furtiier, if they only obtained the relict' wliich they 
 then solicited, lie conid not therefore trust their 
 assurance, that they would now hi- satisfied, if they 
 gained their point, and wouKl [)roeeed r.o further; for 
 they had violatetl their })roniisc, and if the House 
 should coniply with their wishes, who could tell but 
 their next application would be for an exempt iun 
 from Church dues, to whicli cverv ar":ument ad- 
 vanced in support of the present rpiestion would 
 ecpially ap])ly. 
 
 "Now an established religi(jn had been admitted as 
 necessary, useful, and advantageous to the civil govern- 
 ment of a state. It ought, therefore, to be protected and 
 supported by the Government ; and its expense should 
 fall cipially on all the mcnd)crs of the general com- 
 numity in a certain proportion."' 
 
 Subsecpient events have proved how accurately Mr. 
 Pitt looked forward into the future ; and it were well, if 
 those wlio have succeeded him, and have only to look 
 back to the past, would profit by the justness of his 
 reasoning and the fultilment of his predictions, and 
 beware of giving any further aid to the ultimate 
 designs of political nonconformity. What those designs 
 were, was accidentally revealed to Mr. Fletcher, a 
 Methodist preacher, eminent for his genuine piety and 
 great talents, who attended a meeting of Dissenters, 
 
 1 GifforfVs Lilc of Pitt, vol. ii. p. 462.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 279 
 
 at Bolton, in the belief that its object was to petition 
 for the repeal of the Test Acts ; but they informed 
 him, that "they did not care the nip of a straw for 
 the repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts ; but that 
 they designed to try for the abolition of the Tithes, 
 and the Lilurgtj :" — a curious instance of intolerant 
 tyranny, in those who were clamouring for toleration, 
 and liberty of conscience. 
 
 But the most important point of this contrast between 
 the two statesmen, is their behaviour on the bed of 
 death, when all human greatness sinks into insignifi- 
 cance, and the awful prospect of eternity searches the 
 heart of the dying sinner. In the one case we see no 
 sense of religion at all ; in the other, uncultivated reli- 
 gion, and forgetfulness of God. But the time which 
 had been too much given to this world was redeemed 
 by penitence and faith. 
 
 Nothing can be more painful to a Christian mind than 
 the mockery of religion at the death of Fox. The scene 
 is related by his nephew, who was present, and seems 
 to have shared his apathy. " About this period of his 
 illness (September 11th) Mrs. Fox, who had a strong 
 sense of religion, consulted some of us on the means 
 of persuading Mr. Fox to hear prayers read by his 
 bedside. I own, that I had some ap[)rehensions lest 
 any clergyman called in might think it a good oppor- 
 tunity for displaying his reUgious zeal, and acquiring 
 celebrity by some exhibition, to which Mr. Fox's 
 principles and taste would have been equally averse.
 
 280 JJiARlES AND COUlii:Sl'()Xl)KNCK OF 
 
 \\ Irm, lioweviT, Mr. Houvciic, a yount:: man of excel- 
 lent character, uithunt pretension or In pocrisy, was 
 in the honse, I seconded her request, in tlie full per- 
 suasion that hy so doing I promoted what would have 
 been the wish of Mr. l-'ox hitnself; his vh'nf object 
 throu^^hout was to soothe and satisfy her. Yet repug- 
 nance was felt, and in some degree urged, hy Mr. 
 Trotter, who soon afterwards tlunight tit to describe 
 with great fervour the devotion it inspired, and to 
 build upon it numy conjectures of his own on the 
 religious tenets and principles of Mr. Fox. Mr. 
 Ronverie stood behind the curtain of the bed, and in 
 a faint but audible voice read the service. Mr. Fox 
 remained uiuisually (piitt. Towards the end, Mrs. Fox 
 knelt upon the bed, and joined his hands, which he 
 seemed faintly to close, with a smile of incflable good- 
 ness. His last words were, "1 die happy.'" ' 
 
 Thus died, on September 13th, he whom Lord 
 Holland ventm-es to call, " the best and greatest man 
 of his time." Whether he was in any sense sjood or 
 great, he and Lord Holland, and the whole world will 
 knoAv, when we all stand before the judgment-seat of 
 Christ ; but, in the meantime, what can be more 
 shocking to a well-regulated mind, than the picture 
 here presented to us of a dying man, with expanded 
 understanding, almost it would appear destitute of 
 divine grace, w^ith no cai'e apparently for his soul, 
 no fear of judgment, submitting to a cold formality 
 
 ' Flax's ^Memnii-s, vol. iv. p. 480.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 281 
 
 of prayer, in wliicli he takes no interest, and seeks no 
 profit, not from any sense of duty, or any desire of 
 spiritual good, but merely to soothe and satisfy his 
 wife? While in the background stands the minister of 
 Christ, not permitted to speak a word of warning or 
 admonition, but concealed behind a curtain, and 
 giving utterance only to a portion of the appointed 
 service for the sick, which wakes no emotion in the 
 heart of the listener, not even the semblance of devo- 
 tion, till he is lovingly compelled to assume it. Yet 
 this man dies under the belief that he is happy ; and 
 one then present, who wishes his idol to stand well in 
 the opinion of the world, imposes upon it a faljle 
 directly opposite to the truth, in which he would have 
 succeeded if another nephew had not spurned the false- 
 hood, and Q;iven the true version in a manner more 
 to his own taste. 
 
 But he might have known that there was a better 
 and a greater statesman, who had left this world only 
 eight months before his uncle. He might have known 
 it, if he had not hugged his political prejudices to the 
 last, and desiring to drag down Mr. Pitt to the same 
 depth of irreligion and infatuation, he scrupled not to 
 contradict most positively the truths which he was 
 unwilling to believe, without a particle of evidence to 
 support him, and in the teeth of the most authentic 
 evidence on the other side. It is due both to Mr. 
 Rose and to Mr. Pitt, not to allow these bold allega- 
 tions to pass unnoticed, and to show that they are
 
 282 DIAIUES AND COKUKSPONDENCE OF 
 
 shaincfullv calumnious. " A tale," Lord liollaiul says, 
 "rclatiui; to the ciiriimstanccs of Mr. Pilt's dentil was 
 fabricated by Mr. Rose, and delivered in his place in 
 Parliament. As Mr. Rose was his intimate associate, 
 and steady partisan, and his account was uncc^ntra- 
 dieted in the House, it mii^ht very reasonably obtain 
 credit with posterity. Mr. Pitt was represented by 
 this unscrupulous and injudicious encomiast, to have 
 exclaimed in the agonies of death, 'Save my country, 
 save my country 1 ' And then to have gone through his 
 devotions, and takeu the sacrament with the most 
 fervent and edifying piety. — In all this there was iiol 
 one word of truth ; for some days before Mr. Pitt's 
 death his fever had rendered him nearly insensible ; 
 and during the last twenty-four hours he was actually 
 speechless. As to religious observances, he at all 
 times com[)licd with the custouis of the world, but 
 neither felt uor atlected any extraordin:»ry zeal or 
 devotion. Mr. Canning was disgusted at the ettrontery 
 of Mr. Rose, and left the House, after observing to his 
 neitrhbour, that the value of historical testimony was 
 impaired by seeing that a lie could pass uneontra- 
 dicted ill the presence of hundreds who knew it to 
 be false." ' 
 
 Now it may at once be admitted that Mr. Pitt 
 never affected any extraordinary zeal or devotion ; but 
 such was never asserted by Mr. Rose, and therefore is 
 nothing to the purpose. What he felt neither Lord 
 
 ' Memoirs of the Whig raity, vul. i. p. 208.
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE HOSE. 283 
 
 Holland nor any one else can know, except the 
 Searcher of all hearts ; and the anecdote concerning 
 Mr. Cannmg is altogether apocryphal. He was dead 
 when the paragraph was written, and Ids neighbour 
 was not designated : no one therefore could con- 
 tradict it. But considering the intimacy at that time 
 existing betwen ]\Ir. Canning and Mr. Rose, and his 
 attachment to Mr. Pitt, the storv is in the highest 
 degree improbable. One thing, however, is certain ; 
 that if Lord Holland's statement be true, Mr. Canning 
 said a very foolish thing ; for he was not present in the 
 chamber of death, and there was no time for him to 
 obtain any evidence upon which he could impeach the 
 truth of his friend's statement. Moreover, such an 
 insult being publicly known Avould have cut short 
 that friendship which the Diary shows was not broken 
 off till at a much later period, on a very different 
 occasion. 
 
 With respect to the rest of the contradiction, 
 it may be said with much more reason, that " there 
 is not a word of truth in it." Mr. Pitt was 
 lethargic but not insensible. He was not speechless 
 during the last twenty-four hours. He was heard 
 by the servant in attendance to say, with his last 
 utterance, *' My country ! " and at that time, it is 
 a rational inference, that it was a prayer to Him, to 
 whom he had been praying, to save it ; for he did 
 ju'ay fervently. All this we have upon the evidence 
 of the Bishop of Lincoln, who was not only present,
 
 284 DIARIES AND COUllESI'ONDKXCE OF 
 
 but received Mr. Pitt's confession, and witnessed liis 
 devotion. lUit since that evidence has been aheady 
 produced in the Diarv, it may be more useful to «^ivc 
 another account of the closini^ passaifc of Mi". I'itt's 
 Hfe, by one wlio ihelares hinisrll to be no partial 
 friend. A writer in tlie Annual Rcz/isfar of that year, 
 the poUtics of which are wholly of a W hig complexion, 
 gives these details : — " The day before his death the 
 physicians told the IVisliop of Lincoln, that any attempt 
 to arouse him from his present lethargy would be 
 attended with instant death. The Bishop now saw 
 the necessity of intimating his danger to Mr. I'itt : lie 
 fullilled this [)ainful ollicc with lirmness. Mr. l^itt 
 was hardly sensible ; this dreadful shock had scarcely 
 power to dissipate his lethargy ; but after a fi'W 
 moments he waved his hand, and was left alone with 
 the Bishop. He instantly expressed himself perfectly 
 resigned to the divine w ill ; and w itli the utmost com- 
 posure asked Sir Walter Far(pdiar, wIkj was present, 
 how long he might expect to live. Mr. Pitt then 
 entered into a conversation of some length with the 
 Bishop, upon religious subjects. He repeatedly de- 
 clared, in the strongest terms of humility, a sense of 
 his own unworthiness, and a tirm reliance upon the 
 mcrcv of God, thron2;li the merits of Christ. After 
 this, the Bishop of Lincoln prayed by his bedside for 
 a considerable time ; and Mr. Pitt appeared greatly 
 composed by these last duties of religion. Lady 
 Hester Stanhope, his niece, had an interview with him
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 285 
 
 on the Wednesday evening, and received his last 
 adieu, which he gave in the most afFectionatc and 
 solemn manner. Mr. James Stanhope continued with 
 him all night, during which he expressed at intervals 
 frequent solicitude as to the political intelligence at 
 that time expected. It is said that he continued 
 clear and composed till a short time before his dis- 
 solution, wdiich took place without any addition of 
 suffering, or struggle, at half-past four, on Thursday 
 morning. His last words arc said to have been, 
 " my country ! " ^ 
 
 It cannot have escaped the observation of any 
 thoughtful reader, that the advice of the physicians 
 very nearly deprived him even of one solitary day for 
 preparation to meet his God ; and medical men, in 
 general, are not sufficiently aware of the heavy respon- 
 sibility which they take upon themselves, and the 
 grievous mischief to the souls of men, of which they 
 may be the authors, when, from any imaginary or real 
 danger to their bodies, they keep back the knowledge 
 of their approaching death. It is not because death 
 may be sudden, that we pray in our liturgy to be 
 delivered from it. To be transferred in a moment of 
 time from earth to paradise, would be the greatest of 
 all possible blessings ; and blessed are they, whom, at 
 
 ' Annual Register for 180G, p. 882. This account is evidently 
 derived from a different source, but fully coincides in proving 
 that with the few exceptions already noticed, there is not one word 
 of truth in Lord Holland's slanderous report.
 
 2S() DIAHIF.S AND CORUKSPONDKNCK OF 
 
 wliatever hour of the nii^lit lie may come, tlieir Lord 
 shall find watchinj;;. iiiit it is because hy such sudden- 
 ness the majority of mankind would be precluded from 
 all prej)Mration ; and that communion with ( Jod in 
 prayer, which the angel of death sujrgests, while he 
 hovers over his prey, is one of the most ellicient means 
 of 'qacc to reclaim the wanderiufc soul, niul raise its 
 affections to thinprs abov(\ and tit it for the enjoyment 
 of heaven. 
 
 If the Bishoj) of Lincoln had not been restrained 
 by the injudicious timidity of the physicians, who 
 feared to agitate Mr. I'itt's mind by a sense of danger, 
 — a mind far too strong and healthy to be so easily (lis- 
 mayed, — his spirit might have been refreshed by par- 
 taking of the holy comnuniion, which he only declined 
 when it was jiroposcd to him, because then he had 
 not strength enough remaining to go through the 
 ceremony. And as this fact is recorded in Mr. Hose's 
 diary, it is utterly impossible that he could have made 
 the statement in the House of Commons which Lord 
 Holland chooses to attrii)ute to him. 
 
 Mr. Gitlbrd relates the same circumstances with 
 more muuiteness, and as he nuist have obtained them 
 from some one who was present, they are an impor- 
 tant conlirmalion of Mr. Rose's statement -. " Sir W. 
 Farquhar called up the Bishop of Lincoln, telling him 
 he was much alarmed, and could now no longer object 
 to any communication which the Bishop might think 
 j)roper to make to him. . . . The Bishop immediately
 
 THE JIIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 287 
 
 went to Mr. Pitt's bedside, and told him he found it 
 to be his duty to inform him that his situation was 
 considered as precarious, and requested his leave to 
 read prayers to him, and to administer the Sacrament. 
 Mr. Pitt looked earnestly at the Bishop for a few 
 moments, and then, with perfect composure, turned his 
 head to Sir Walter Farquhar, who stood on the other 
 side of the bed, and slowly said, ' How long do you 
 think I have to live ?' The physician answered, he could 
 not say, and expressed a faint hope of his recovery. 
 A half smile on Mr. Pitt's countenance showed that 
 he placed this language to its true account. In answer 
 to the Bishop's request to pray with him, he said, ' I 
 fear I have, like too many other men, neglected prayer 
 too much to have any ground for hope that it can be 
 efficacious on a death- bed ; but ' — rising as he spoke, 
 and clasping his hands with the utmost fervour and 
 devotion — ' I throw myself entirely ' (the last word 
 being pronounced with a strong emphasis) ' upon 
 the mercy of God, through the merits of Christ.' The 
 Bishop assured him that the frame of his mind at this 
 aw^ful moment Avas exactly such as might be reasonably 
 expected to render prayer acceptable and useful. The 
 Bishop then read prayers, and ^Ir. Pitt joined in them 
 with calm and humble piety. He repeatedly expressed, 
 in the strongest manner, his sense of his own unworthi- 
 ness to appear in the presence of God, disclaiming all 
 ideas of merit ; but with a conscience clear and undis- 
 turbed, he appealed to tlie Bishop's knowledge of the
 
 288 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 steadiness of liis religious principles, and said it had 
 ever been his wish and endeavour to act ri}i;htly, and 
 to fultil liis duty to (jiod and to the world; but that 
 he was very sensible of many errors and failures, lb 
 declared that he was perfectly resi'^ned to the will of 
 (lod, that he felt no enmity towards anyone, but died 
 in peace with all mankiml, and ex])ressed his hope, 
 at once lunnble and confident, of eternal hap[)iness, 
 
 through the intercession of his Redeemer Sir 
 
 W. Far(|uhar and several of the servants had remained 
 in the room a part of the time in which Mr. IMtt was 
 engaged in religious duties, and heard this great and 
 good man profess the faith and hope anil charity of an 
 luunbly pious Christian." 
 
 Moreover, there is another remarkable trait in Mr. 
 ritt's character, related by Lurd Eldon, which shoidd 
 not be omitted as an evidence of his general philan- 
 thropy. " I observed," he says, " to Mr. Pitt that 
 his station in life nnist have given him better oppor- 
 tunities of knowing men, than almost any other 
 person could possess ; and I asked whether his inter- 
 course with them, upon the whole, led him to think 
 that the greater part of them were governed by rea- 
 sonable and .'lonoiu-able principles, or by corrupt 
 motives. His answer was, that he had a favourable 
 opinion of mankind, upon the whole ; and that he 
 believed the majority was really actuated by fair 
 meanins; and intention." ' Contrast with this what 
 
 > Vol. i. p. 499.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 289 
 
 Sir Samuel Romilly reports of Napoleon I., that he 
 entertained a very bad opinion of mankind. 
 
 In order to complete the portrait of Mr. Pitt's 
 character, it only remains to give some additional tes- 
 timonies from J\Ir. Rose, concerning his deportment 
 in society, taken from a pamphlet entitled " A Brief 
 Examination into the Increase of the Revenue, Com- 
 merce, and Navigation of Great Britain during Mr. 
 Pitt's Administration :" — 
 
 " No man was ever better qualified to gain, or 
 more successful in fixing, the attachment of his friends 
 than Mr. Pitt. They saw all the powerful energies of 
 his character softened into the most perfect compla- 
 cency and sweetness of disposition in the circles of 
 private life ; the pleasures of which no one more cheer- 
 fully enjoyed, or more agreeably promoted, when the 
 paramount duties he conceived himself to owe to the 
 public admitted of his mixing in them. That indig- 
 nant severity with which he met and subdued what he 
 considered unfounded opposition ; that keenness of 
 sarcasm with which he repelled and withered (as it 
 might be said) the powers of most of his assailants 
 in debate, — were exchanged in the society of his inti- 
 mate friends for a kindness of heart, a gentleness of 
 demeanour, and a playfulness of good humour, which 
 no one ever witnessed without interest, or participated 
 in without delight. His mind, which in the grasp 
 and extent of its capacity, seized with a quickness 
 almost intuitive all the important relations of political 
 power and political economy, was not less uncom- 
 
 VOL. II. TJ
 
 290 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 iiionly susceptible of all the light and elegant impres- 
 sions which form the great charm of conversation to 
 cultivated minds," 
 
 It is much to be regretted that Bishop Toinline, 
 who had been in habits of familiar interconi-se with 
 Mr. I'itt from the very first commencement of his 
 collegiate life, and enjoyed his confidence till the 
 hour of his death, should not have fulfilled the promise 
 which he made to the public, that the last volume 
 of the work he had then undertaken, should be a 
 picture of his domestic life. Perhaps he was deterred 
 by finding that it could not be done without com{)ro- 
 mising many persons then living; but whatever might 
 be his motive, the result has been that the volumes 
 which he published were only compiled out of public 
 documents, and add nothing to our knowledge of 
 Mr. Pitt's private character. Some amends, however, 
 have been made by another most distinguished friend, 
 who, in a letter to the editor of the Quarterb/ Review, 
 has given us a very highly-finished sketch of those 
 minute details of character, which none but his most 
 confidential intimates could have the opportunity 
 of observing. Lord Wellesley, in IS 3(3, gave this 
 masterly description of what he had known and seen, 
 in the following letter to the editor of the Quarterly 
 Beview : — Ed.] 
 
 " Hurlingham, Fulham, Nov. 22d, 1S36. 
 
 " In attempting to convey to you my recollection of 
 Mr. Pitt's character in private society, I cannot sepa- 
 rate those qualities which raised him to the highest
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 291 
 
 public eminence, from those whicli rendered him a 
 most amiable companion. Both proceeded from the 
 same origin, and both were liappily blended in the 
 noble structm-e of his temper and disposition. Mr. 
 Pitt's mind was naturally inaccessible to any approach 
 of dark, or low, or ignoble passion. His commanding 
 genius and magnanimous spirit were destined to move 
 in a region far above the reach of those jealousies, and 
 suspicions, and animosities which disturb the course 
 of ordinary life. Under the eye of his illustrious 
 father, he had received that ' complete and generous 
 education which fits a man to perform justly, skilfully, 
 and magnanimously all the offices, both public and 
 private, of peace and war.' 
 
 " Such an education, acting on such a natural 
 disposition, not only qualified him to adorn the most 
 elevated station in the councils of his country, but 
 furnished him with abundant sources to sustain the 
 tranquillity and cheerfulness of his mind. He had 
 received regular and systematic instruction in tiie 
 principles of the Christian religion, and in the doc- 
 trine and discipline of the Church of England, and 
 in every branch of general ecclesiastical history. His 
 knowledge on those subjects was accurate and ex- 
 tensive. He was completely armed against all scep- 
 tical assaults, as well as against all fanatical illusion ; 
 and, in truth, he was not merely a faithful and dutiful, 
 but a learned member of our Established Church, to 
 which he was most sincerely attached, with the most 
 charitable indulgence for all dissenting sects. No doubt 
 can exist in any rational mind, that this early and firm 
 
 r 2
 
 292 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 settlement of his religious opinions and principles, was 
 a main cause of that cheerful ecjuaniniity, which formed 
 the great characteristic of his social intercourse, and 
 which was never aftected by adversities or troubles. 
 
 " He was })erfcctly accompHshcd in classical literature, 
 both Latin and Greek. Tiie accuracy and strength of 
 his memory surpassed every example which I have 
 observed ; but the intrinsic vigour of his understand- 
 ing carried him far beyond the mere recollection of 
 the great models of anticpiity, in oratory, poetry, his- 
 tory, and philosophy. lie had drawn their essence into 
 his own thoughts and language ; and with astonishing 
 facility he applied the whole spirit of ancient learning 
 to his daily use. Those studies were his constant 
 delight and resort. At llollwood, in Kent, his favourite 
 residence, and at Walmer Castle, Ids apartments were 
 strewed with Latin and Greek classics ; and his con- 
 versation with those friends who dcliG;hted in similar 
 studies, frequently turned on that most attractive 
 branch of literature ; but he was so adverse to pe- 
 dantry or aftectatiou of superior knowledge, that he 
 carefully abstained from such topics in the presence of 
 those who could not take pleasure in them. In these 
 pursuits, his constant and congenial companion was 
 Lord Grenville^ who has often declared to me that 
 ^fr. Pitt was the best Greek scholar he ever conversed 
 with. 
 
 " Mr. Pitt was also as complete a master of all English 
 literature, as he was undoubtedly of the English lan- 
 guage. He amply possessed every resource which 
 could enliven retirement. No person had a more ex-
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 293 
 
 quisite sense of the beauties of the country. He took 
 the greatest delight in his residence at HoUwood, which 
 he enlarged and improved (it may be truly said) with 
 his own hands. Often have I seen him working in 
 his woods and gardens with his labourers, for whole 
 days together, undergoing considerable bodily fatigue, 
 and with so much eagerness and assiduity, that you 
 would suppose the cultivation of his villa to be the 
 principal occupation of his life. He was very fond of 
 exercise on horseback, and when in the country, fre- 
 quently joined the hounds of his neighbourhood, both 
 at Hollwood and Walmer Castle. At the latter place 
 he lived most hospitably, entertaining all his neigh- 
 bours, as well as the officers of the neighbouring 
 garrisons and of the ships in the Downs ; and he was 
 most attentive to his duties of Lord Warden of the 
 Cinque Ports, which called him frequently to Dover, 
 and sometimes to the other ports. 
 
 " But in all places and at all times his constant 
 delight was society. There he shone with a degree 
 of calm and steady lustre, which often astonished me 
 more than his most splendid efforts in Parliament. 
 His manners were perfectly plain, without any affecta- 
 tion. Not only was he without presumption or arro- 
 gance, or any air of authority, but he seemed utterly 
 unconscious of his own superiority, and much more 
 disposed to listen than to talk. He never betrayed 
 any symptom of anxiety to usurp the lead or to 
 display his own powers, but rather inclined to draw 
 forth others, and to take merely an equal share in the 
 general conversation ; then he plunged heedlessly into
 
 291 DLVRIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 the mii'th of the hour, with lU) other care than to 
 promote the general good humour ami happiness of 
 the eompauy. His wit was (juick and ready; hut it 
 was rather lively than sliarp, and mvcr envenomed 
 with tlie least taint of malignity ; so that instead of 
 exeiting admiration or terror, it was an additional 
 ingredient in the common enjoyment, lie was en- 
 dowed beyond any man of his time whom 1 knew, 
 with a gay heart and a social spirit. 
 
 " With tiiise (jualities he was tlu* life and sold of 
 his own society. His appearance dispelled all care; 
 his brow was never clouded, even in the severest 
 public trials ; and joy, and lio[)(', and contidence 
 beamed from his countenance in every crisis of difH- 
 culty and danger. He was a most aft'ectionate, indul- 
 gent, and benevolent friend, and so easy of access that 
 ail his acquaintance in any I'lnbarrassment would rather 
 resort to him for advice than to any person who 
 might be supposed to have more leisure. His heart 
 was always at leisure to receive the comnumications 
 of his friends, and always open to give the best advice 
 in the most gentle and pleasant manner. 
 
 " I cannot resist the conclusion that a pure and 
 clear conscience must have been the original source of 
 such uniform cheerfulness and gaiety of spirit. The 
 truth, which I have asserted, I possessed ample means 
 of knowing. From the year 1783 to 1707 (when I 
 ■went to India), I lived in habits of the most confiden- 
 tial fi-iendship with Mr. Pitt. On my return in 1806, 
 I warned Lord Grenville of Mr. Pitt's approaching 
 death. He received the fatal intelligence with the
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOEGE ROSE. 295 
 
 utmost feeling, in an agony of tears, and immediately 
 determined that all hostility shonld be suspended in 
 Parliament. Mr. Pitt's death soon followed (two days 
 after the meeting of Parliament). 
 
 " If any additional evidence were required of the 
 excellence of his social character, it would be found 
 abundantly in the deep sorrow of a most numerous 
 class of independent, honest, and sincerely attached 
 friends, who wept over the loss of his benevolent and 
 affectionate temper and disposition with a degree of 
 heartfelt grief which no political sentiment could 
 produce." 
 
 [A Commission had been issued by the Crown for 
 ' the purpose of inquiring into the truth of some grave 
 charges which had been brought by the friends of the 
 Prince of Wales against the character of the Princess, 
 similar to those which were renewed after his accession 
 to the throne; and the Commissioners had made a Report 
 unfavourable to the Princess, but they seem to have 
 conducted the inquiry without any great desire to convict 
 her. It appears from the letters of the lawyers to whom 
 her case was referred, and who drew up her answer 
 to the Report, — Mr. Perceval, Sir Vicary Gibbs, and 
 Mr. Plumer, — that the Commissioners had omitted 
 some important points in the accusation, which made it 
 a difficult matter for the lawyers so to defend her as 
 not to suggest to the accusers the necessity of asking 
 for a renewal of the inquiry, and to prosecute it further.
 
 296 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 Mr. Rose was friendly to her, and at her request lent 
 her for two or three days his house at Christchurcli. 
 When the Princess was on lier road to Norbury Park, 
 near Leatherhead, her carriage was overturned by the 
 postilion, in turning a corner, and Miss Choliuondcley, 
 who was sitting on the box, was thrown against a 
 tree and killed njxm the spot. This accident is 
 alluded to in one of her letters, but one only has been 
 selected for publication, partly as a specimen of h»r 
 familiar style when she was on her good behaviour, — 
 for she was a rcniarkabh^ woman, and her ill-regidated 
 mind occupied a large share of public attention for a 
 long perioil of time, — and partly because it contains 
 her opinions uj)c)n two events of great historical 
 importance, whicli had recently occurred; the death' 
 of Mr. Pitt, with the payment of his debts, and the 
 trial of Lord Melville for supposed malversation as 
 Treasurer in the Navy. The other letter shows the 
 view taken by her lawyer, Sir Vicary Gibbs, of tlie 
 position in which she was placed by what was not 
 very appropriately called " the delicate investigation." 
 —Ed.] 
 
 The Princess of AVales to Mr. Rose. 
 
 "Rose Cottage, May Ist, 1806. 
 
 " !Mt dear Sir, 
 
 " Encouraged by your so well-known good nature, 
 and as well by Lady Hester Stanhope, I resume my 
 pen to ask of you a favour, which consists in lending 
 me yoiu' little cottage at Christchurch near Poole, for
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 297 
 
 eight and forty hours, "which fame has told me is 
 beautiful. 
 
 " The period of my intruding on you will be the 
 21st or 2 2d of this month. I now am setting off for 
 Mount Edgecumbe with Lady Hester, and I hope that 
 the variety of new scenes will be conducive to her 
 health as well as to her spirits, which I found very 
 indifferent ; but between you and me, no wonder, 
 after such a loss ! and not less to us ; and depend 
 upon it, my dear Sir, that our departed friend will 
 remain immortal in our hearts, as I hope his loyal 
 spuit will in the common rustic's heart. 
 
 " If it were not too indiscreet of me, I would feel so 
 thankful if you would still more heighten your good- 
 ness to me by informing me how clear, good, amiable, 
 and for ever respectable Lord Melville is in health. 
 I know that he bears with fortitude and with greatness 
 of mind his very severe trial of adversity ; which only 
 an innocent and elevated mind could give him. 
 
 " Lady Hester has been kind enough to commu- 
 nicate your letter to me, my dear Sir, and I have only 
 to add, that I never had a doubt of the very great 
 difficulty to settle that very intricate business in the 
 most amicable and comfortable way for all parties ; 
 but if it should remain in your hands, I have all right 
 to expect that the nation would do it with their usual 
 justice and generosity. And believe me, my dear 
 Sir, for ever with the highest regard and esteem, 
 
 " Yours, 
 
 " C. P."
 
 20S DIARIES AXD CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 Sir VicARY Giints to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Hayes Coraraon, Bromley, 
 "Sept 28th, 1806. 
 
 " My df.ar Sir, 
 
 " The Answer is fmishcc], and I oiilv wish tiiat 
 his Majesty may be prevailed upon to give his 
 personal attention to it, and torni his own judgment 
 upon the case. Perceval has done it most inrom- 
 parai)ly. Every guard is placed, as you suggested, 
 atrainst the renewal of the same sort of intiuirv, which 
 was a point that n'([uired some delicacy, as it was 
 necessary, in many instances, to comj)lain that the 
 inquiry which took place was calculated to produce 
 a false impression by being left short, and to cast 
 suspicions upon the conduct of the party accused, 
 which a few further (piestions must necessarily have 
 cleared up. To avoid, therefore, any insidious otler 
 of renewing it, that these defects may be supplied, 
 there is a strong protestation against such a measure, 
 pointing out the gross injustice, and throwing doubts 
 at least upon the legality of it. Her Royal Highness 
 desires Lord Eldon to present her answer to the 
 King, and I shall be glad to hear that this is permitted 
 by his Majesty. It was impossible to avoid making 
 strong observations upon the conduct of the Commis- 
 sioners ; in truth, the justice of the conclusions which 
 the Report adopts could not be effectually attacked 
 without showing that they have been at least inat- 
 tentive to many material facts which they either 
 knew or had the means of knowing. The greatest 
 respect is observed towards them in expression, and
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 299 
 
 their oversights are always attributed to their constant 
 occupation in the business of their respective offices. 
 
 " It seems as if Lord G. did not acquire any 
 addition of strength in the Cabinet by these new 
 arrangements. 
 
 " I beg my best comphments to Mrs. and Miss 
 Rose, and to Mr. and Mrs. G. Rose, if they are with 
 you. 
 ~ '' Yours most truly, 
 
 " V. GiBBS." 
 
 [Both Mr. Rose and Mr. Perceval felt the same 
 interest at first in the Princess of Wales which the 
 King and the whole country would have felt, if they 
 had not been disgusted by the coarseness of her mind, 
 and the indiscretion of her whole life. Mr. Perceval 
 took up her cause warmly against her husband. — Ed.] 
 
 Mr. Perceval to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Castle Ashby, Northampton, Oct. 3d, 1806. 
 
 '* Dear Rose, 
 
 " I should be extremely sorry, indeed, if you had 
 really thought that I had, as you express yourself, 
 snubbed you upon the occasion of your very kind 
 offer to call upon me on the Tuesday morning. In 
 the substance of what I did, I can trust to my own 
 feelings that there w^as nothing but what was consis- 
 tent with the truest kindness and respect ; and if there 
 was anything in the manner of it, which was not 
 sufficiently attentive, I only beg you will recollect how
 
 300 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 1 was circumstanced, just stopping into my chaise, 
 with httle more tlian half my work liiiislicd for her 
 Royal Ilighness's perusal; and under the necessity of 
 dedicating whatever time 1 could of tlie next morn- 
 ing to the completion of the remainder. For as it 
 was all necessarily to be fairly copied over before it 
 could be delivered to the Princess for her signature, 
 and as 1 wished this to be so done as to enable mo to 
 leave town on Saturday last to attend my constituents 
 at their Mayor's feast on Monday, I had no time to 
 lose; as you will the better understand wlu-n 1 tell you, 
 that notwithstanding all my exertions, 1 worked the 
 whole of Saturdav with Gibbs and IMumer, for whom 
 I sent up to town in order to receive their final opinion 
 upon tlu! business. 1 could not, therefore, leave town 
 till Sundav, and 1 was not without some fear of bein^: 
 recalled at the beginning of this week. But, however, 
 the business is all linished, and by this time the letter 
 is delivered either to the King, or, by his command, to 
 some of his Ministers. Which course is to be pursued, 
 I have not yet learnt ; but it was apprehended, when 
 I left town, that liis ^lajesty would not receive it 
 through any hands but his Ministers. 
 
 " AVith respect to the desire of preventing all fur- 
 ther inquiry upon the subject of her Royal llighness's 
 conduct, there is no difference of opinion amongst any 
 persons that I have consulted ; and we have kept in 
 view tliat desire, in the execution of our more imme- 
 diate duty, — that of setting her right, and doing her 
 justice, on the subject of the present inquiry. 
 
 " It was extremely ditiicult, if not perhaps impossi-
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEOEGE EOSE. 301 
 
 ble, to do justice to her in the present case, without 
 doing much Ayhich may provoke more hostility against 
 her ; but we were all satisfied, at least so I thought I 
 collected the general sentiment, that the report was so 
 framed that she could not acquiesce under it in silence 
 without admitting its truth ; and that, in fact, there 
 was evidently so much disposition to be hostile to 
 her manifested in the whole course of the proceed- 
 ing, that looking forward to a new reign, there 
 could be no possible security for her being per- 
 mitted to hold her rank or station in this country, 
 but from the existence of a strong sentiment in her 
 favour throughout the kingdom ; and that, therefore, 
 her letter to the King should be so prepared, that 
 if published, it should have the efiect of producing 
 rather than checking that sentiment. The copies of 
 this letter, undoubtedly, unless it should be deter- 
 mined to publish it, ought to be kept very secret ; but 
 as soon as I conveniently can, I will endeavour to 
 procure you a sight of one of them, as I really shall 
 be very anxious to know your opinion u])on it. In 
 the stage to which we had advanced, when you were 
 in town, it would have been extremely difficult, upon 
 any suggestion, to have adopted any material altera- 
 tion in our plan ; and the materials Avhich you must 
 have been acquainted with to have enabled you to 
 have formed a judgment, would have taken you more 
 time to read, than you could possibly have employed, 
 between your proposed call, and your visit on the next 
 morning. On your business which interested you so 
 strongly and justly as connected with your County, I
 
 802 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 felt incapaljle of giving you any further opinion ; and, 
 indeed, it seemed to nie, that as the onlv useful elVect 
 that could !)(' produced by anything that couhl be 
 done, wouhl he by its operati(»n upon tlic general 
 sentiments of the county, notliing very decisive 
 couKl be determined upon till you met together, 
 and had an opportunity of seeing how the sub- 
 ject would be received in the county. 1 am glad 
 to see, however, that such sentiment seems to have 
 been in the most hapj)y state for the best im- 
 pression ; and I can hardly conceive, that as this 
 matter has been taken up at so respectable a meeting, 
 there can be any doubt of Chute's success, and that 
 of Sir llenry Mildmay, or of whatever other candidate 
 (equally j)ropcr as he is) you may be able to prevail 
 upon to stand. I am now in a house where this 
 subject is a very anxious one (Chute married Lady 
 Northampton's sister), and I tind here that Chute's 
 reception in diti'ercnt parts of the county has been 
 most favourable. 1 am glad that my brother Druni- 
 mond supports him ; and I tind your neighbour, 
 Compton, does the same. I cannot help thinking 
 that Lord Temple's indiscretion will have a very 
 strong eftect, not only in Hampshire, but in other 
 parts of the country. Lord Ellenborough called 
 upon me the other day (if I had not had occasion to 
 write to you upon other business, I should not have 
 thought the circumstance of importance enough to 
 mention it, but he called), and began by stating that 
 now Fox was no more, probably the obstacle and 
 objection which I felt to having anv connexion with
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 303 
 
 the present Administration were at an end. And as a 
 friend of mine, lie wished to express his anxiety to 
 do anything which lay in his power to promote my 
 connexion with them. I told him, that I thought 
 I ought, in candour to his friendship, to stop 
 him immediately ; saying, that if his idea was con- 
 fined to me individually, I was so connected with 
 others, that I could not possibly receive any proposal 
 whatever, and therefore the conversation had better 
 stop, before I even knew whether what he had to 
 communicate was, or was not, in concert with Lord 
 Grenville, or was merely suggestive of his own 
 friendship to me. — And he said, that if I felt so, 
 undoubtedly there could be no occasion for its 
 proceeding any further; and therefore, though I 
 own I was not without a little curiosity to have 
 known how they fancied they could have reconciled 
 me to what I should have felt such great degradation 
 and disgrace of character, I was left quite in the dark 
 upon that subject. 
 
 " I was in town all Saturday last, but heard nothing 
 of your son ; and as I shall not return till the end of 
 this week, or the beginning of next, I imagine his 
 business will not wait till my return. I should have 
 had great pleasure in giving it any attention in my 
 power. 
 
 " I am, dear Rose, 
 
 "Very faithfully and sincerely yours, 
 
 " S. Perceval.'
 
 301 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDEN'CE OF 
 
 Sir Vicary Ginns to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Hayes Common, Bromley, Oct. 5th, 1 HOfl. 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " His Majci^ty has (Ucliiii'd rocciviiipj the answer 
 excc))t througli the sanu* cliannd as the other papers 
 liad pa.ssed ; but the manner of (h»ing this, and the 
 circumstances attending it, do not lead to so unfa- 
 vourable a conchision as the refusal itself would 
 otherwise justify. It will be delivered to the Chan- 
 cellor to-morrow, bv Plumer, The observations which 
 are made upon the conduct of the Commissioners will 
 certainly provoke them to any hostile measures which 
 it may bo in their power to adopt ; but it was diffi- 
 cult, if not impossible, to avoid this consequence, and 
 at the same time g;Wc its fidl strenu'th to the case. 
 All asperity of expression is avoitled, but certainly 
 nnieh of substantial blame is imputed to them, and 
 with good reason., as you will say when you see the 
 papers. 
 
 " The papers contain a correct account of the horrid 
 
 accident at Leatherhead. Miss Cholmondclev was, I 
 believe, a sincere friend to the Princess, and is, there- 
 fore, a real loss to her at this time, though I have heard 
 that there are some who think otherwise. The Princess, 
 whom I saw yesterday, was a good deal bruised, parti- 
 cularly in her hce, but not materially hurt. I beg my 
 best compliments to Mrs. and Miss Rose, and Miss 
 
 Dewar. 
 
 " I am, my dear Sir, 
 
 " Most sincerely yours, 
 
 "V. GiBBS."
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOUGE ROSE. 305 
 
 [As a powerful electric magnet draws to itself a 
 multitude of nails, and forms out of them a sort of 
 iron cable, which, when its connexion with the source 
 of that force loses all its cohesion, and falls to pieces ; 
 so the party which was held together by the command- 
 ing influence of Mr. Pitt's talents, was broken up 
 entirely by his death, and resolved into its indivi- 
 dualities. Dissensions and jealousies sprang up im- 
 mediately ; and they found it impossible to array 
 themselves under any one leader, or to agree upon any 
 common rule of action in opposition to the Whig 
 Government. So much, indeed, of the Whig element 
 was eliminated by the death of Mr. Fox, that the 
 party was almost ready to split into two sections : the 
 one quite willing to act with Lord Grenville, with 
 whom they had been so long connected ; the other 
 and major part vehemently objecting to it. 
 
 The objection, as it appeared upon the surface, 
 rested on his desertion of Mr. Pitt in 1804 ; but, in 
 reality, the strong feeling on the subject of the Roman 
 Catholic question lay at the bottom of it. Mr. Can- 
 ning, who on that and all other points of policy agreed 
 with Lord Grenville, was only kept by party ties from 
 joining him at once. In the letter which is here 
 given he very plainly defines his position, and explains 
 his views. Lord Eldon, on the other hand, followed 
 Mr. Pitt much more closely in his attachment to the 
 King, and was for many years at the head of the 
 other party in the House of Lords ; and, therefore, it 
 
 VOL. II. X
 
 300 DIAIUES AND COUREsl'ONDKNCl-: OF 
 
 is certainly strange that he should have been so little 
 consulted by his friends. Mr. Rose scorns to have 
 been the only one ^vho coninumicated to him what 
 was going on ; and his answer breathes a deep discon- 
 tent and nioititication at such treatment, lie says : — 
 " I lament upon, I hope, worthy grounds, that my 
 obscm-itv was such as to keep nic entirely ignorant of 
 liic proceeding at Lord Lowther's till it was of no 
 maimer of use that I shoidd ever have known of it." 
 The whole of his letter is in this strain, and, theref(jre, 
 is not much to the purpose. 
 
 After reading Mr. Canning's letter at the beginning 
 of this year, and seeing how ready he was to desert 
 his colours, no one can be sur[)ris(.(l at linding him 
 before the end of it again in oflice. But there is 
 bitterness as wcl! as sweetness in the cup of ambition ; 
 and the importunity of friends sometimes alloys the 
 enjoyment of high })atronage. Mr. Rose, who never 
 cared to aggrandize himself, was always eager to obtain 
 something for his son ; and some disappointment on 
 this subject is afterwards mentioned by him with 
 feelings of resentment. But, on the present occasion, 
 the apologetic answer of Mr. Canning probably falls 
 within the experience of most official men. lie says : 
 " Only be assured of my general disposition to gratify 
 your wishes, and your sou's fair pretensions ; but 
 pray have the goodness to bear in mind, at the same 
 time, the limited means on the one hand, and the 
 many unavoidable and powerful claims on the other
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEOEGE EOSE. 307 
 
 which. I have to reconcile (if I can) at my first outset ; 
 and do not, therefore, ascribe the want of immediate 
 attention to any defect of real good-will." 
 
 It so happened, however, that he had an immediate 
 opportunity of proving his sincerity by sending the 
 late Sir George Rose on a special mission to the 
 United States ; and the appointment is proved to be a 
 wise one, by a letter from Mr. Munroe, the American 
 Ambassador. " The appointment " says he to Mr. 
 Rose, " of your son to the United States on a special 
 mission is an event which gives me great satisfaction. 
 It will, I trust, be productive of consequences honour- 
 able and advantageous to both nations. The senti- 
 ments which you are so good as to express of the rela- 
 tion which oudit to subsist between them are such as 
 might have been expected from one who had had such 
 long experience in the great concerns of his country. 
 They cannot fail to be highly approved by all who 
 take an interest in the welfare of either. I have full 
 confidence that those sentiments are entertained by 
 your son ; as I have that he will be received by my 
 government with the attention and consideration due 
 to his acknowledged personal merit and to the public 
 character of his mission. It is my sincere desire that the 
 difterences which have unhappily arisen between our 
 Governments may be speedily settled, to the satisfaction 
 of both parties ; and I beg you to be assured that, as I 
 have long laboured to promote that very important 
 object, I shall continue to take a deep interest in the 
 accomplishment of it." 
 
 X 2
 
 308 DIARIES AND COIUlESrONDENCE OF 
 
 TlicTc arc two otlicr letters belonging to this year 
 which deserve sonic little notice. In tiie tirst place, 
 one from Sir John Macplurson, who had hcen 
 Governor-General of Bengal, and is accused bv Lord 
 Cornwallis of having encouraged gross abuses in his 
 administration. Xcvcrtheless, he takes to liimself 
 credit for having devised plans by which India was 
 saved, and which must be resorted to again, in 
 order to save this country in India ; and he declares, 
 witii an amazing degree of self-complacency, that 
 when the Conunissioners for the Carnatic Debt shall 
 make their report to Purliament, it will not be a 
 proud day for others, but must be for him, John Mtu:- 
 plicrson. Moreover, like the fly upon the wheel, he 
 mentions his armed statistical accomit of ^parish in 
 Sussex, which was translated into French, and sent to 
 all the foreign courts. " The late armed J^rmaian 
 vianj/csto fully end)races all its parts." In mitigation 
 of this vanity, it may be stated that he had almost as 
 liigh an oj)inion of his correspondent's influence over 
 Europe as his own, for he tells Mr. Rose, " It is 
 essential that the new plan of finance (the present 
 Lord Lansdown's) should have your support to have 
 the j)ropcr effect upon the Continent." 
 
 The other letter is from a parliaiuentary supporter 
 of Mr. Kose, in Hampshire, who endeavours to coax 
 him into giving him a permission to see the Houses of 
 Parliament by alarming him about a conspiracy against 
 the Church, with which, however, he had l)een ac- 
 quainted four years before without saying a word on
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 309 
 
 the matter. The conspirators were Mr. Miles and 
 Earl Wycombe, afterwards Lord Lansdown. The 
 former begged the latter to inquire what was the 
 value of tlie Deanery of Durham and its prebends, 
 and how many there were. His notions on the sub- 
 ject were of the vaguest kind ; for lie seems to have 
 supposed that they were all golden prebends, and that 
 there was one officer in the Chapter called the Pre- 
 bendary, who enjoyed a larger income than the rest. 
 But he then proceeds to say, " If I could set men a 
 thinking about the Chapters, I will answer for their 
 dissolution ; and their dissolution will tend to the 
 abolition of tithes ; and the abolition of tithes to the 
 improvement of landed property." Now, this rapid 
 excnrsion to the contemplated ruin of the Esta- 
 blished Church, indicates a mind very much in har- 
 mony with the prediction attributed to Talleyrand, 
 that Christianity would go into the grave without 
 a struggle. 
 
 The unmitigated selfishness of the object which Mr. 
 Miles proposed to himself is very characteristic of that 
 class of men ; but the Power above, which never entered 
 into his thoughts, and the religious principle which he 
 ignored, have defeated all his speculations, and saved 
 the Church of England, under the control of a super- 
 intending Providence. The landowners of England 
 refused the glittering bait. They have reformed the 
 Chapters, and commuted the tithes, but they have not 
 al)olished cither; and they have been rewarded by a
 
 310 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 great improvement, not only in their property, but, 
 ■what is of more importance, in tliose who cultivate it. 
 
 The correspondence of the next year (180S), though 
 containing nothing of public note, is yet of great 
 importance in the unevontl^il life of the subject 
 of tlicse Memoirs ; for the few letters belonging to it 
 show the high estimation in which Mr. Rose was held 
 by those who were highest themselves in rank and 
 office. The Duke of Portland not only assured him 
 that his wishes would alwavs have considerable wei^^rht 
 with him in any decision he might take, but proved it 
 by promising tliat General Ilibbert, for whom he had 
 shown some interest, should be recommended to the 
 King for a baronetcy. And Lord Barham recom- 
 mended to his care, as if he were the fountain of 
 honoiM", two olhcers distinguished for their gallantry 
 and good conduct (Captains Blacklock and Lambert), 
 who, therefore, deserved some reward ; at the same 
 time disclosing a project of Mr. Pitt's, which, if he 
 had lived, he would have carried into execution, of 
 establishing an order of merit siinilar, it would seem, 
 to the present Victoria Cross. 
 
 But it was of more importance to himself that he 
 received the offer of two appointments, one from the 
 Duke of York, who overruled his objections and 
 insisted upon his taking the office of Deputy Warden 
 of the New Forest, in the management of which he 
 seemed to rely much upon his deputy's advice and 
 assistance. The other was from Mr. Canning, who
 
 THE IIIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 311 
 
 wanted him to go out on a special mission to Brazil, 
 to frame a commercial treaty. This is the subject of 
 a long: letter, in which Mr. Rose declines the offer, 
 wisely and discreetly. If he had been sent there with 
 a carfe blanche, before the regular avnbassador, he 
 Avould have had a fair chance of making arrangements 
 with the Court of Rio Janeiro beneficial to both 
 countries ; but Lord Strangford was already there, 
 and if he was competent to the business, no one else 
 was wanted. If he was not — if his errors had to be 
 corrected, and his defect of experience had to be 
 supplied, conflicts between them would have been 
 inevitable, and the Brazilian minister would have been 
 able to play oflF the one against the other. Despairing 
 therefore of doing any good by being placed in such 
 a false position, he would not accept the appointment. 
 
 Mr. Canning to Mr. Rose. 
 "Dear Rose, "Feb. 7th, i807. 
 
 "I entirely agree with you that the communica- 
 tion which you have received from Lord Eld on 
 entitles his Lordship to as explicit a declaration in 
 return, from any person to whom he may allow you to 
 report what he has said, and whose sentiments he 
 may be desirous of learning, 
 
 " I can have no difficulty in stating mine to you 
 freely, as you desire. I shall only be surprised if, 
 with respect to my sentiments, Lord Eldon has any- 
 thing new to learn. For I certainly have all along
 
 312 DIARIES AND COIIIIESPON'DEN'CE OF 
 
 supposed tliat the substance of a conversation, ^vllicll 
 passed between Perceval and Lord Castlereagh on tlie 
 one part, and myself on tlie other, so long ago as in 
 the month of February last, hail been reported by 
 them to their friends ; as on my part I reported it, as 
 soon as it had taken place, to those with whom I had 
 previously ascertained my own entire concurrence of 
 feeUngs and opinions. I reported it, as you will 
 remend)er, to yourself; and I communicated it by 
 letter to Lord Lowther, as furnishing (according to 
 my view) a ground on which the co-operation in 
 Parliament, between the two dilhrent descriptions of 
 Mr. Pitt's friends, might be honourably and satisfac- 
 torily established. 
 
 " Perceval and Lord Castlen^agh called upon me in 
 Somerset Place (I think on the 8th of IVbruary), and 
 began by stating their own intentions with respect to 
 attendance and conduct in Parliament. They then 
 expressed a desire to know mine. 1 had no scruple 
 in saying plainly, " that I entertained great doubts (as 
 did others with whom I was in habits of communica- 
 tion) of the probability of such an agreement with 
 them (P. and L'l C.) as to the end and objects o( any 
 opposition in which we might engage, as would make 
 our entire co-operation practicable. 
 
 *' Li evervthiui^ that miijrht relate to the defence of 
 the measures and memory of Mr. Pitt (I said) there 
 could be no question ; but we should all cordially 
 co-operate, without the necessity of any formal stipula- 
 tion, or even of any previous concert. 
 
 "But, as to ulterior objects, I stated distinctly that
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOEGE ROSE. 313 
 
 whatever causes of complaint there might be against 
 Lord Grenville, 1 still thought him the fittest, indeed 
 the only fit, man to be at the head of the Government ; 
 that I saw no possibility of forming a Government, 
 sufficient to carry the country through its difficulties, 
 without him ; and that though nothing would tempt 
 me to continue in office with him (if it were proposed 
 to me) at that time, nor did I think it likely that 1 
 could ever be induced to join the Government, con- 
 stituted precisely as it then was, — I yet had no desire 
 to see it entirely overthrown. My wish would be to 
 see it, at some fit opportunity, amended by the asso- 
 ciation with Lord Grenville of some portion of the 
 friends of Mr. Pitt. 
 
 "I said that 'I apprehended iheir views {\J. C.'s 
 and P.'s) might be different. It was natural they 
 should be so. My habits with Lord Grenville were 
 those of constant and intimate private friendship, and 
 (with the exception of his unfortunate separation from 
 Mr. Pitt in 1804) of uninterrupted concurrence in 
 political opinion and conduct. Theij, and their friends, 
 had been long in direct political hostility with Lord 
 Grenville, and never (I beUeved) in habits of private 
 friendship. It would be nothing extraordinary, there- 
 fore, if in iheir eyes Lord Grenville should not even be 
 the most favoured part of the administration. Nor 
 could I blame them, if their first object should be (as 
 it probably would) a complete change ; or if, finding 
 that impracticable, they should look for a more partial 
 change through Lord Sidmouth. Put neither of these 
 was an object for which I could consent to co-operate.'
 
 31t DIARIES AND COKUESPONDENCE OF 
 
 " III answer, Lord Castlereagh and Perceval dis- 
 claimed looking to Lord Sidmoutli, in any ^vay or for 
 any purpose, in the most pointed terms. And to my 
 great surprise, I confess, but to my great satisfaction, 
 added, that with respect to Lord Grenvjlle, their views 
 and wishes coincided with mine. And they expressed 
 these sentiments not on their own behalf onlv, but on 
 that of others with whom tluy were most immediately 
 connected. 
 
 " Such was the distinct and express understanding 
 under which I went into the House of Commons, after 
 the formation of the New Government; — and such arc 
 the opinions which 1 still retain. 
 
 " 1 need not tell you tli;it al the lime when I first 
 declared these opinions, I had had no intercourse with 
 Lord Grcnville of any sort. We did not even ex- 
 change the ordinary civility of a letter upon my 
 quitting office. The course of the Session certaiidy 
 did not appear to bring us nearer to each other ; and 
 I was taken completely by surprise, by the overtures 
 which were made to me at the end of June or begin- 
 ning of July. 
 
 " Of the manner in which I received those overtures, 
 of my positive and repeated refusal to listen to them 
 separately, and my persevering endeavour to turn 
 what was addressed, in the first instance, to myself 
 alone, into a general or comi)rehensive proposal, 1 
 need not here trouble you with any particular 
 account. The inclosed coi)y of a letter to Lord 
 Lowther, written on the 2Gth of September, contains 
 a plain statement of the substance of my intercourse
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 315 
 
 with Lord Grenville, up to the 14th of that montli 
 (the day of ]\Ir. Pox's death), on which day that 
 intercourse terminated. 
 
 " Lord Ehlon will probably recollect a conversa- 
 tion which I had on that day, in Ids presence, with 
 Lord Hawkesbury, in which Lord H. repeated, at 
 my desire, the amount of those pretensions, which 
 had been brought forward at a meeting held at Lord 
 Lowther's in July, as necessary to be satisfied in any 
 arrangement between Lord Grenville and the friends 
 of Mr. Pitt. • - 
 
 " What that amount w^as I see no advantage in 
 recording. It was certainly sufficient to form an 
 insurmountable impediment to any successful negoti- 
 ation with Lord Grenville. 
 
 " These pretensions were, as you know, professed 
 to be founded on what ]\Ir. Pitt was said to have 
 been ready to offer to the Opposition in the summer 
 of 1805, had he then been permitted to make an 
 offer to them ; but it required very little sagacity to 
 discover that they were not founded on any principle 
 that was calculated to facilitate a junction ; but rather 
 on the preference of another , which was considered as 
 a better speculation. 
 
 " From the period of the opposition to ]\[r. 
 Windham's military plan, it had begun to be believed 
 and inculcated, that the King meditated a change of 
 Government ; and that particularly if a dissolution of 
 I'arliaraent should be proposed to him, he would take 
 his stand upon that ground. 
 
 " How or where these ideas originated I purposely
 
 31G ULVlllES AND COllRESPONDEN'CE OF 
 
 forbear to iiuiuirc. T certainly could he niysflf no 
 judge of their solidity. I could know nothing per- 
 sonally of his Majesty's sentiments, and I had m-xcv 
 received from any one member of the Administration 
 Avliieh resigned in January, the slightest communiea- 
 tion of the grounds of that resignation ; of the footing 
 on which they partt-d from the King, or of the King's 
 feelings, views, or wishes, expressed at parting with 
 them. 
 
 " Taking everything upon trust, however, I deter- 
 mined that this speculation, whatever it might be 
 worth, should not be spoiled by any act of mine. 
 Therefore it was that I offered no objection to the 
 extent of the pretensions stated at Lord Lowther's, 
 and therefore it ^vas that in all my intercourse with 
 Lord Grenvillc, though I never specified to liiin the 
 extent of those pretensions (which could have done 
 no good), I kept that statement constantly in view ; 
 sacrificing my own judgment as well as my own 
 wishes, and therewith, I believe, what would have been 
 (well understood) the true interest of the party (if 
 party it coidd be considered), to what 1 had collected 
 to be i//('ir oirn view of their own interests and pre- 
 tensions. 
 
 •' The loss of this opportunity has been followed by 
 the dissolution ; of the operation of which event upon 
 the pretensions to which 1 have referred, and upon 
 the calculation on which they were founded, 1 sup- 
 pose there cannot be much difference of o})inion. 
 
 " It remains only to speak of the second topic 
 of Lord Eldon's conversation with vou, that of the
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 317 
 
 necessity of more perfect understanding and concert 
 in Parliament. 
 
 " I am not aware that there has been any want 
 of union or of activity in the House of Commons ; 
 and if there has been (as does appear to be the case) 
 any such deficiency in the House of Lords, I confess 
 I do not see how it is to be remedied, but by them- 
 selves. In truth I very much doubt, from the tone 
 taken by some of their Lordships last year, whether 
 our interference even with the expression of an 
 opinion might not do more harm than good. 
 
 " I need hardly say, however, that I am perfectly 
 ready to listen Avith the utmost deference to any sug- 
 gestion upon this subject. 
 
 " Yours sincerely, 
 
 " Geo. Canning."
 
 318 DIARIES AND CORRESl'ONDENCK OF 
 
 CIlAPTEPv IX. 
 1807. 
 
 MR. nOSE'S DIARY FROM THE 9TH FEBRUARY TO 3D MARCH. 
 
 [The next part of Mr. Rose's Diary gives a succinct 
 account of what passed between the King and his 
 ^linisters in this year on the suljject of the restrictions 
 upon the Roman Catholics. Tliougli it contains 
 nothing absohitely new, yet it presents the negotiation 
 in such an inlelHgihle form, as to show clearly enough 
 the inaccuracy of Lord Brougham's account of their 
 expulsion from the Cabinet. Nothing but his hatred 
 of George 111. can ex})lain how the natural clearness 
 of his mind could be so nuich clouded with error. 
 He states that " the King, uneasy at being counselled 
 by a Whig Cabinet, had resolved to change his Minis- 
 ters, and to (piarrel with them upon the highly popular 
 ground of tiieir having made themselves the con- 
 federates of the I'rince, then in the aotte of his 
 iinpo})\darity ; and as such, having taken part against 
 the Princess. Fortunately for that party, whose utter 
 ruin this would have consummated, another scent 
 crossed his Majesty while in that pursuit, and he dex- 
 terously turned aside to follow it. This was the theory 
 of 'No Popery, and Danger to the Church.'"' 
 
 1 Historical Sketches of Statesmen, &c , vol. ii. p. (53.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOEGE ROSE. 319 
 
 Now there is no symptom of any disagreement 
 between the King and his Ministers on the subject of 
 the Princess. Those of the party who Hved a few 
 years longer were her fastest friends ; himself the very 
 foremost of them all. The only one who could be 
 called a confederate of the Prince was Mr. Fox, but he 
 was dead ; and Lord Moira was the sole member of 
 the Cabinet who lived on terms of confidential intimacy 
 with the King. But the scent that crossed the King's 
 path, as it were by accident, is a singular misrepre- 
 sentation by Lord Brougham, for one so well acquainted 
 with the facts. Any person ignorant of the contents 
 of his preceding volume might suppose that this was 
 a new cry of which the King availed himself, not on 
 princi[)le, but merely to gain his end of turning out 
 the ?\Iiuisters. 
 
 It is true, the popular cry supported him in so doing, 
 but the whole current of the negotiation proves that 
 they brought it upon themselves. They did not sliare 
 the strong attachment to the Sovereign which prompted 
 Mr. Pitt to sacrifice his character, in the eyes of 
 strano-ers, bv undertakinsr not onlv to refrain from 
 moving a cpiestion so entirely repugnant to the King's 
 conscience, during the remainder of his reign, but 
 also, as far as he could, to prevent others ; and, 
 therefore, they merely temporized Avith him. Tliey 
 would withdraw the bill they had prepared, but they 
 would not guarantee him from being tormented with 
 it again another year if it were brought forward by
 
 320 DIARIES AND CORKESPOXDEN'CE OP 
 
 others : vvliidi, undtT such circumstances, was sure to 
 hiippcn. Tor being supported by tlie Ministers, which 
 they wouhl claim the hberty to assert, it wouUl i)ass 
 througli both Houses; and tlien the conscience of the 
 King woidd drive him into this dilemma, of either op- 
 posing his veto to a law of Parliament, or of abdicating 
 the throne. Thev were willint; to make a concession for 
 the present, but not a particle for tlie future. Their 
 characters would be lost if they did not state their 
 opinions freely; but tliey might iiave i)romise{l to 
 exercise no ministerial intluence to carry the motion, 
 and then there would have been no objection to the 
 expression of their individual opinions. Or, if an 
 emergency should arise, in which they thought the 
 safety of the State indispensably required it, they 
 might then have resigned their offices. In point of 
 fact, no such emergency did arise before the cstabUsh- 
 ment of the Regency ; but they would do nothing to 
 calm the fears or tranquillize the mind of the aged 
 monarch. It was the haui^htiness of tliese Whigs 
 that drove them out of office. — Ed.] 
 
 Biary^ Februan/ ^t/i. — Lord Spencer sends to the 
 King, in a note from himself, a minute of the Cabinet 
 Council of this date — 
 
 Lord President . . . Lord Howick. 
 
 Lord Priry Seal . . . Lord H. T. Petty. 
 Earl Spencer. Lord Grenville. 
 
 Earl Moira. Mr. Secretary Windham. 
 
 Mr. Thomas Grenville.
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 321 
 
 This minute accompanies a despatcli from the Lord- 
 Lieutenant of Ireland, respecting the Catholics there ; 
 with the draft of an answer to be sent to his Excel- 
 lency. 
 
 February lOM. — The King's answer, approving of 
 the Lord-Lieutenant being instructed to keep back any 
 petition from the L-ish Catholics, and to prevent the 
 renevi^al of the question on which his sentiments and 
 the general sense of the nation are so well known, — 
 expresses his most serious concern that any proposal 
 should have been made to him for the introduction of 
 a clause in the Mutiny Bill which would remove a 
 restriction on the Roman Cathohcs, forming a most 
 essential /mif^^;-^ of the question ; and that he trusts his 
 Parliament will never, under any circumstances, agree 
 to it. His objections are strong. They arise from 
 principles by which he has been guided through life, 
 and to which he is determined to adhere. 
 
 Minute of Cabinet Council ; — the same ministers as 
 before, except Lord Spencer, ill; with the Lord 
 Chancellor added, and Lord EUenborough. 
 
 They had formed the answer so as to be free from 
 the difficulties which might attend other parts of the 
 subject on which his Majesty knew a difference of 
 opinion prevailed among themselves ; it being confined 
 to assimilating the law here to what it has within these 
 few years been made in L'cland, as the latter will 
 otherwise be illusory ; the measure will unite all his 
 Majesty's subjects in military efforts for the defence of 
 the empire. The Ministers would think themselves 
 deeply criminal if they disguised this point from his 
 
 VOL. II. Y
 
 l\22 DTARIES AND COKRKSPONDKNCE OF 
 
 Majesty, or if they could neglect to otier to Parliaineiit 
 a proposal they respectfully conceive is not liable to 
 the ground of objection which his Majesty appears at 
 first to have felt to it, which in its principle is clearly 
 sanctioned by a law long since passed and acted upon 
 in many instances; it will avert the dangers they 
 have represented, and eftVet the most probable means 
 of preventing the agitation of those questions, on 
 which the opinion of Parliament has been so recently 
 pronounced. 
 
 Fehruar}/ Wth. — A long note from Lord Grenville 
 to the King, transmitting the last minute, urging his 
 Majesty, from himself (in addition to the reason in the 
 minute) to acquiesce in the measure proposed, as per- 
 fectly conformable in its principle to the concession 
 therein alluded to. Nothing but a deep impression of 
 the intlispensable necessity of some step of this nature 
 at the present moment could induce his Lordship to 
 think himself warranted in recommending it with such 
 extreme earnestness. 
 
 Fehruarji Vlth. — Note from the King. Ilis Majesty 
 is disposed to do full justice to the motives of Lord 
 Grenville and his other confidential servants. How- 
 ever painful his Majesty has found it to reconcile to 
 liis feelings the renewal of objections to any proposal 
 which may have had the least reference to a question 
 which has already been the subject of such frequent 
 and distressing reflections, he will not, under the cir- 
 cumstances in which it is so earaestly pressed, and 
 adverting particularly to what took place in 1793, pre- 
 vent his Ministers from submitting to Parliament, the
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 323 
 
 propriety of inserting the proposed clause in the ^Ivitiny 
 Bill. Whilst, however, the King so far reluctantly 
 concedes, he considers it necessary to declare that he 
 cannot go one step farther ; and he trusts that this 
 mark of his forbearance will secure him from being, at 
 a future period, distressed by arty further proposal C07i- 
 nected with this question. 
 
 Note from Lord Grenville (in the absence of Lord 
 Spencer) to the King, with the following minute of the 
 Cabinet Council, with a despatch of the Lord-Lieu- 
 tenant of Ireland, to which it refers. 
 
 Minute. — The same Lords present as at the last, 
 thanking the King for the concession, and expressing 
 their concern that the Catholics presenting a petition 
 will be unavoidable. 
 
 March 12th. — Note from Lord Grenville to the 
 King, desu-ing permission to wait on him, in conse- 
 quence of what his jMajesty expressed yesterday ; 
 feeling the greatest anxiety and distress of mind from 
 the idea that any misunderstanding, however unin-. 
 tentional on his Lordship's part, should have had the 
 effect of creating uneasiness in the breast of his 
 Majesty, on a point on which he had felt so earnest 
 and peculiar a desire to avoid any such impression ; and 
 he hints, that what he shall have the honour of laying 
 before the King to-morrow will at least evince the 
 sincerity of these sentiments. 
 
 Lord Grenville was appointed at twelve on 
 the 13th. ■ 
 
 Note from Lord Howick to the King, stating 
 that having learned from the Lord President, that 
 
 Y 2
 
 324 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 in the conversation he had IkuI with liis Majesty 
 on the bill de[)Ciiclinf]; in P;iiliainent for the admis- 
 sion of Dissenters from the Church of Kiip;lan(! 
 into the army and n:ivy, he had not accurately 
 understood the opinion which his Majesty in- 
 tended to convey on the subject; Lord Ilowick is 
 most anxiously desirous to explain to his Majt-sty 
 the conduct he has pursued under this niisaj)j)re- 
 hcusion, and therefore solicits an audience. Till the 
 explanation is had. his Lordship feels it would bo 
 unfit to proceed with the bill, and will, therefore, this 
 afternoon ])ropose to postpone it till Tuesday, the 
 17th; and will, in the mean time, endeavour to find 
 some mode by which the measure (proposed from 
 a sense of duty to his Majesty) may be rendered less 
 objectionable. 
 
 Lord Ilowick apj)ointed at one, on the 13th. 
 
 March \hth. — Note from Lord Grenville to the 
 King, transmitting the following minute of the 
 Cabinet Council, announcing the opinions of such of his 
 Majesty's servants as are therein named, respecting 
 the bill depending in Parliament; and requesting leave 
 to wait on the King the next morning for the purpose 
 of giving any explanation that his Majesty may deem 
 necessary on this important occasion.' 
 
 Lord Privy Seal . . . Lord Grenville. 
 Earl of Moira. Mr. Secretary Windham. 
 
 Lord Howick. Mr. Grenville. 
 
 Lord H. Petty. 
 
 ^ This minute, and the one of the 18th, are rerhatim ; so are the 
 lung's answers.
 
 THE KIGHT HOX. GEORGE ROSE. 325 
 
 Yoar Majesty's servants now present, being those 
 whose opinions are favourable to the bill, humbly 
 submit that, on a full consideration of all circum- 
 stances connected with it, they do not intend there 
 shall be any further proceedings on it in Parliament. 
 This determination rests entirely on the same motives 
 which have induced them to abstain from bringing 
 forward other and more extensive measures connected 
 with the same subject, and which would, in their 
 judgment, be highly advantageous to the public 
 interests. They had flattered themselves that the 
 present proposal might not have encountered the 
 same difficulties which attended the measures to which 
 they allude ; but as this hope appears to have been 
 founded on misunderstanding, they judge it on the 
 whole more consistent with their public duty not to 
 press forward any further the discussion of the 
 present bill. They have thought this course of 
 proceeding would be both more respectful to his 
 Majesty, and more advantageous to the public in- 
 terests, than any statement to alter the bill so as to 
 bring it nearer to the strict letter of the Irish Act. 
 The points of difference which exist between this 
 law and the present bill, relate to matters, the 
 consideration of which (as it appears to them) it is 
 almost impossible to separate from the measure itself; 
 and they have found the attempt impracticable to 
 reduce the bill to such a form as would, on the one 
 hand, be likely to obviate the difficulties which now 
 obstruct its success, and as could, on the other hand, 
 be at all satisfactory for them to propose.
 
 32(5 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 In stating to Parliament their dctcrinination to make 
 this very painful sacrifice to what they conceive to Ix; 
 their public duty, they trust your Majesty will see the 
 indispensable necessity of their e\[)ressing (with the 
 same openness by which their lauf^uage on that subject 
 lias uniformly been marked) the strong persuasion 
 which each of these individuals entertains of the advan- 
 tages which would result to the empire from a dillerent 
 course of p(jliey towards the Catholics of Ireland. 
 Their opinions they liave never concealed from your 
 Majesty; they continue strongly im[)ressed with them, 
 and it is obviously indispensable to their public 
 character that they should openly avow them, both on 
 the present occasion and in the possible event of the dis- 
 cussion of the Catholic ])etition in Parliament : a discus- 
 sion which they have all ecpially endeavoured U) j)re- 
 vent; in wliich (if it should be forced upoji them) there 
 might not be a perfect uniformity of conduct between 
 them, luit in which an adherence in them all to their 
 former opinions must naturally be declared. 
 
 They beg leave to add, that they cannot look without 
 great uneasiness and apprehension at the present state 
 of Ireland, which they consider as the only vulnerable 
 part of the British Empire. The situation of that 
 country is, as they fear, likely to force itself more and 
 more on the consideration of your ^lajesty's Govern- 
 ment and of Parliament : and it is essential not onlv to 
 their own character, but also, as they sincerely believe, 
 to the public interests, that the deference which they 
 have felt it their duty to show on this occasion to the 
 opinions and feelings expressed by your Majesty,
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 327 
 
 should not be understood as restraining them from 
 time to time, from proposing, as their duty is, for your 
 Majesty's decision, such measures respecting that part 
 of your united kingdom as the nature of circumstances 
 shall appear to require. 
 
 They have only further most humbly to assure your 
 Majesty that, in discharging that and every other part 
 of their duty, so long as your Majesty shall think fit to 
 honour them with your confidence, nothing shall be 
 omitted on their part which can best testify their 
 invariable and respectful attachment to your Majesty ; 
 and their sincere and anxious concern for your 
 Majesty's personal ease and comfort, and for the 
 prosperity and honour of your Majesty's Govern- 
 ment. 
 
 March \lth. — Note from the King to Lord Gren- 
 ville, with the following answer to the minute of the 
 15th: That his Lordship may communicate it to his 
 colleagues, his Majesty trusting that Lord G. will 
 see the propriety, with a vieio to the prevention of 
 all future mistakes, that, when they shall have consi- 
 dered the latter part of his Majesty's answer, their 
 determination should be stated on paper. 
 
 The King's Answer. 
 
 March \lfh. — The King having fully considered 
 what is submitted in the minute of the Cabinet, wiiich he 
 received yesterday morning, desires Lord Grcnville will 
 communicate to those of his confidential servants who 
 were present, his sentiments and observations on the 
 contents of that minute, as hereafter expressed.
 
 328 l5l ARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 His Majesty has learned, with satisfaction, tlmt they 
 have determined not to press forward any furl her the 
 discnssion of the bill depending in Parliament, and he 
 is sensible of the deference shown to his sentiments 
 and to his feelings ; bnt he regrets that, while they 
 have felt bonnd, as his Ministers, to adopt this line of 
 condnet, they slionld, as itiflividuals, consider it neces- 
 sary to state to Parliament opinions which are known 
 to be so decidedly contrary to his principle's; at a 
 moment, too, when it is tli»; declared object of his 
 Government not to cnconrage any disposition on the 
 part of the Roman Catholics of Ireland to prefer 
 petitions to Parliament. 
 
 From the latter part of the niimite the King must 
 conclude that, although the bill now (lcj)en(ling is 
 dropped, they have been unable to make uj) their minds 
 not to press upon him in future, measures connected 
 with a (juestion which has already proved so distress- 
 ing to him ; nor can his Majesty conceal from them 
 that this intention on their part, unless withdrawn, 
 will leave the matter in a state most embarrassing and 
 unsatisfactory to him ; and, in his opinion, not less so 
 to them. The King, therefore, considers it due to 
 himself, and consistent with the fair ami uj)right con- 
 duct which it has been and ever will be his object to 
 observe towards every one, to declare at once, most 
 unequivocally, that upon this subject his sentiments 
 never can change ; that he cannot even agree to any 
 concessions to the Catholics which his confidential 
 servants may in future ever propose to him ; and that 
 under these circumstances, and after what has passed,
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 329 
 
 his mind cannot be at ease unless he shall receive a 
 positive assurance from them which shall effectually 
 relieve him from all future apprehensions. 
 
 March \^th. Half -past One, a.m. — Lord Gren- 
 ville has the honour most humbly to lay before your 
 Majesty the minutes of a meeting of such of your 
 Majesty's servants as are therein named, which w^as 
 held to-night at Earl Spencer's house. 
 
 March llth, 1807. 
 
 Lord Trivy Seal .... Lord H. Petty. 
 Earl Spencer. Lord Grenville. 
 
 Earl of Moira. Mr. Secretary Windham. 
 
 Viscount Howick. Mr. Grenville. 
 
 Your Majesty's servants have considered, with the 
 most respectful and dutiful attention, the answer 
 which your Majesty has done them the honour to 
 return to the minutes of the 15th. They beg leave 
 to represent to your Majesty, that at the time 
 when your Majesty was graciously pleased to call 
 them to your councils, no assurance was required 
 from them inconsistent with those duties which are 
 inseparable from that station. Had any such assur- 
 ance been then demanded, tliey must have expressed, 
 with all humility and duty, the absolute impossibility 
 of their thus fettering the free exercise of their 
 judgment. Those who are entrusted by your Majesty 
 with the administration of your extensive empire, are 
 bound by every obligation to submit to your Majesty, 
 witliout reserve, the best advice which they can frame 
 to meet the various exigencies and dangers of the times. 
 The situation of Ireland ap])ears to your Majesty's 
 servants to constitute the most formidable part of the
 
 330 DIARIES AND C0RUE8P0NDENCK OF 
 
 present difficiiltics of the empire. Tliis subject must, 
 as they conceive, rccpiire a constant and vigilant 
 attention, juuI a repeated consideration of every fresh 
 circumstance whicli may call for the interposition of 
 your Majesty's Government or of Parliament. 
 
 In forbearing to urge any furtiier (while employed 
 in your Majesty's service) a measure which, in their 
 judgment, would have tended to compose the present 
 uneasiness in Ireland, and have been productive of 
 material l)enefits to the empire, they humbly submit to 
 your Majesty that they have gone to the utmost pos- 
 sible limits of their public duty; but that it would be 
 deeply ciiminal in them, with the general opinions 
 which they entertain on the s\d)ject, to bind them- 
 selves to withhold from your Majesty, under all the 
 various circumstances which may arise, those counsels 
 which may eventually appear to them indispensably 
 necessary for the peace and tranquillity of Ireland ; 
 and for defeating the enterprises of the enemy against 
 the very existence of your Majesty's empire. 
 
 Your Majesty's servants must ever deeply regret 
 that any diiticulty should arise on their part in giving 
 the most })rom))t obedience to any demaiul which your 
 ]\Iajesty considers as indispensable to the case of your 
 Majesty's mind ; but it is not possible for them, con- 
 sistently with any sense of those obligations which 
 must always attach to the sworn counsellors of your 
 Majesty, to withdraw a statement which was not 
 made without the most anxious consideration of every 
 circumstance which could be suggested by their 
 earnest desire for your Majesty's ease, comfort, and 
 happiness; or to give assurances which would impose
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 331 
 
 upon them a restraint incorapatilile with the faithful 
 discharge of the most important duty which they owe 
 to your Majesty. 
 
 FrmdjKil Heads of the Desjmtclics from the Lord- 
 Lieutenant OF Ireland, of the 11 fh February/, 
 transmitted to the King, with the Minutes of the ^th. 
 
 A meeting of the Cathohcs had been held. His 
 Excellency thinks they would be satisfied if the 
 restrictions on the admission of Roman Catholic gen- 
 tlemen into the army and navy were removed, and they 
 were allow^ed to serve as sheriffs, and to be admitted 
 into corporations. 
 
 The answer to that was, a request to the Lord- 
 Lieutenant to keep back the renewal of the pretensions 
 formerly preferred, but to suggest a proposal to remove 
 the restrictions upon admission into the army, and the 
 military promotion of the Catholics ; with which 
 view it is the intention of his Majesty's Ministers, with 
 his Majesty's sanction, to introduce a clause in the 
 Mutiny Bill to that effect. The Catholics to take an 
 oath to be framed for securing their allegiance, re- 
 ferring the point respecting sheriffs, and suggesting 
 that Catholics are now admissible to corporations 
 under an old law. 
 
 The Lord-Lieutenant's Despatch, dated 10th Fe- 
 bruary, referred to in minutes of February 12th, states 
 that the Catholics meant to request everything but 
 admission to seats in Parliament. 
 
 On the 14th, the King received from Lord Grenville 
 (without any accompanying letter) a despatch from
 
 332 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 the Lord-Licutcnant, of the lltli, transmitting an 
 Irish newspaper containing an account ot" the proceed- 
 ings at tlie Cathohc meeting oi" tlie \H\\. Keogh's 
 speeelies most violent and intlammatory. As the 
 matter now stands, his Excellency donhts whether 
 any concession will keep back the petitions; that, 
 indeed, the Irish Chancellor conceives that if the three 
 j)oints mentioned in the first despatch were granted, 
 and a fourth, viz., the capacity to he made King's 
 counsel, their further proceedings would i)e stopped; 
 but till' liord- Lieutenant declares his sentiments to be 
 decidedly adverse to any mibecoming conij)romise, 
 \\ Inch iroulil only bet rat/ ircuk/icss, (ind //ivr no sccurHij 
 for the fill lire. If his Majesty's Ministers should be 
 disposed to make any concessions on this occasion, his 
 Excellency suggests the pro])riety of their merely 
 stating generally that it was their intention to oiler 
 certain proposals, for the consideration of Parliament, 
 which should afford the Catholics relief, — without 
 enterinir into anv |)artieulars. 
 
 Mr. Elliott, in a private letter of the same date, 
 thinks a resolution will be taken at the next meeting 
 of the Catholics, to present a petition on the 17th. 
 
 On the 21st February, Lord Spencer sent to the 
 King despatches from the Lord-Lieutenant, of the 
 17th, and ISth. Communications had been made to 
 the Catholics that the admission respecting military 
 promotion was not of the nature of a compromise, 
 but one intended previous to any knowledge of their 
 intentions to petition. Some conversation about cor- 
 porations and the bank. Mr. O'Connor asked, 
 whether it was intended that Catholirs should be
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 333 
 
 employed as generals on the staff ? Mr. Elliott 
 replied he understood it to stipulate the admission 
 to any military commission. 
 
 No further observations made ; but the deputation 
 said they would communicate what had passed to the 
 committee. 
 
 Lord Spencer sent the above despatches without 
 observation. 
 
 On the 2Sth of February, the King received des- 
 patches from the Lord-Lieutenant, of the 25th, in 
 which was stated the result of the meeting of the 
 Catholics in Dublin, on the 34th. 
 
 On the 3d of March the King received from Lord 
 Howick (in the absence of Lord Spencer) a copy of 
 the proposed clauses, together with a draft of a 
 despatch to the Lord-Lieutenant, transmitting them. 
 They were unaccompanied by any observations, 
 although, upon reading them, they appeared materially 
 to differ from those originally submitted to the King ; 
 inasmuch as they admitted of the employment of 
 Dissenters of all descriptions, including Catholics, in 
 all ranks of the army and navy. 
 
 His Majesty returned them without any observa- 
 tion, considering that to be superfluous, after having 
 declared so positively in his letter of the 12th of 
 February, to Lord Grenville, that he would not go 
 one step further, &c. The King, however, repeated 
 that declaration verbally to Lord Howick, in London, 
 on the following day, the 4th, when it appeared that 
 Lord Howick had, in the intermediate time, sent off 
 the despatch.
 
 33 t 1)1 ARILS AM) ( OUUKSt'ONUEXCE OF 
 
 CIIM'TI'.K \. 
 
 1809. 
 
 CORRFaPONDENCE DETWKKN Mil. ROSE, LORD MII/JRAVE, SIR I.UCAS 
 rEl'Y.S, LORD CLIFFORD, THE UIHIIiJP OF LINCOLN, LADY HESTER STAN- 
 HOPE, LORD WELLESLEY. HIR WALTER SCOTT, THE DUKE OF YORK, MH. 
 STUROEii HOURNK, LORD MALMI->iUURY', AND BIR ANDREW 8. HAMyoND. 
 
 [The letters of pulilic interest at the beginning of 
 this year are not very ninnerous. Tlie first is iVorii 
 Lord Miil^ravc, then First Lord at tlie Admiralty, 
 to whom Mr. Rose and Mr. Canning ha<l been sug- 
 gesting an augmentation of eertain salaries : a pro- 
 position which he firndy and reasonably resists. But 
 liis temper was much tried at a later period, by 
 a complaint made against him by the (juerulous Sir 
 Andrew Hammond, wlio chose to consider himself 
 treated with marked injustice by the promotion of 
 two olliccrs as Commissioners of the Navy, and by 
 what he calK'd being deprived of his Flag. When 
 the facts are explained by Lord Mulgrave, no one 
 but Sir Andrew could wonder at the indignation ex- 
 cited by the charge; and the resentment wliich he 
 displays only shows how ill qualified most men are to 
 be judges in their own cause. 
 
 Then follows a lamentation that Dr. Jenner would
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 335 
 
 not accept the office of Director of the Vaccine Insti- 
 tution. It does not appear what was his reason for 
 decKnins: it. It midit be that it would too much in- 
 terfere with his practice ; or it might be some jealousy 
 of him amongst his brethren, which perhaps the 
 annals of the College could explain. But certainly 
 it does seem a just subject of regret, that the author 
 of that valuable system should not have directed its 
 first operations. Lord Clifford gives some account of 
 his ancestor who signed the secret treaty, by which 
 the worthless Charles II. sold his faith to Louis XIV. 
 for a sum of money. He also famished a copy of the 
 treaty itself, which was published for the first time 
 by Mr. Rose, in his " Observations on the Historical 
 Work by Charles James Fox." That profligate 
 monarch had too much sense to attempt to com- 
 promise his people ; but to himself it was a matter 
 of perfect indifference what religion he professed to 
 hold. 
 
 At this time (1809), there were abuses going on in 
 the disposal of ecclesiastical patronage, which go far to 
 account for the lethargy which still entranced a large 
 portion of the Church of England. The Bishop of 
 Lincoln places at the disposal of Mr. Rose, for any 
 suitable person, the curacy of Stony Stratford, without 
 any explanation of what he meant by " suitableness," 
 and without a hint of any anxiety for caution in the 
 choice ; as if no other qualifications were required 
 than such as might be needed for a beadle or a parish
 
 33G DIARIES AND CORRKSPONDENCE OP 
 
 clerk. Til the next letter, Lady Hester Stanliope dis- 
 plays the tiery vigour ot" her character in her demuicia- 
 tion of the expedition to W'alcheren, thougli com- 
 manded hy her relation, Lord Chatham ; and of Mr. 
 Frerc, the minister of Madriil, for not co-oprrating 
 more cordially with Sir John Moore, who ched vic- 
 toriou>< at Cornnna. The rest of tlie correspondence 
 of this year illustrates the perplexities of the Cahinet, 
 occasioned hy the restlessness of Mr. Canning, who 
 advanced through a covered way to spring a mine 
 muler the feet of Lord Castlereagh, and seriously 
 shattered the Administration. The most reinarkahlc 
 events noticed are the resignation of the Duke of 
 Portland, .Mr. Canning, and .Mr. Sturges Bourne, the 
 vain attempt to form an alliance with the ()j)posi- 
 tion, and the offer of the important office of Chan- 
 cellor of the Exchequer to .Mr. Rose, which he de- 
 clined. — Ml).] 
 
 Lord Mulgr.we to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Admiralty, Feb. 4th, 1809. 
 
 " My dear Rose, 
 
 " It must be ever unpleasant to me not to accede 
 at once to any measure proposed by you and by 
 Canning ; more especially as I find the Memorial is 
 in the hands of the clerks of the Council before I had 
 an opportunity of answering your note. 
 
 " Since I came into office 1 have proceeded on all 
 questions of augmentation of salaries, on a strong 
 impression of the importance of public economy, and
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 387 
 
 on a full conviction that the advance of any one salary 
 does not rest there, but raises a cry of claim, founded 
 upon relative duties and rank, with an air of justice 
 from precedent; which involves either an excessive 
 increase of charge to the public, or an imputation of 
 harshness and injustice, against the person in au- 
 thority, who rejects the authority of the precedent, 
 and refuses the increase demanded. I feel how 
 impossible it is for me to follow up the principle 
 I have set out upon either with comfort to my- 
 self or advantage to the public, if I alone pursue 
 it. Upon all the demands of clerks for increase of 
 salary, I have consulted Perceval, to ascertain how 
 far the general charges upon the funds of Govern- 
 ment would be influenced by such increase ; because 
 I know that the advance in one department must 
 be followed bv a similar advance in every other. I 
 relinquished, on the representation of Perceval, a most 
 important, and almost necessary, measure of increas- 
 ing the appointments of the Naval Lords of the 
 Admiralty. I rejected the recommendation of the 
 Commissioners of Naval Revision for the addition 
 of £200 per annum to the Commissioners of the 
 Navy, because I did not think that increase necessary, 
 whilst so many eager candidates were pressing for the 
 situation. If the Paymaster to the Treasurer of the 
 Navy has his salary raised, will not the Commissioners 
 of Victualling and Transport Boards, whose duties 
 are so constant and laborious, especially the former, 
 have a claim to a similar advance ? I have re- 
 fused the advance to the Commissioners at the Cape, 
 as recommended by the Commissioners of Naval Re- 
 
 VOL. II. Z
 
 .•?38 DIARIES AND COlir.KSrONDENCE OF 
 
 vision; and in short I ha\u (.onscuLcii to no increase 
 of salary uithont Imw^ persuaded that j)roper persons 
 could not be fovnid witiiout sncli increase ; and there- 
 fore, as far as my consent is required, 1 cannot give it, 
 but upon tliat persuasion, in any ease. I am aware 
 that 1 have created nuich dissatisfaction by hohling 
 the pubUc purse strings so close ; but it is from an 
 apprehension that without very rigid economy we can 
 neither retain the goodwill of the public, nor hold ont 
 against the pirseverance and resources of the enemy. 
 " Ever yours, sincerely, 
 
 " MULGRAVE." 
 
 Mu. Ivnsr, TO Sir Lrrvs Mii-vs. 
 
 ".March 1st, IH()9. 
 " SiK, 
 
 " I cannot return the enclosure to von without 
 expressing my sincere regret at finding that Dr. J.nner 
 has declined to accept the situation of Director of 
 the National Vaccine Institution, which, in my con- 
 versation with him, he appeared to be anxious to 
 obtain, that he might rcndir the best possible service 
 in his power to the public, in return for the liberal 
 bounty bestowed upon him by Parliament ; and I will 
 fairlv own that the ground assigned by him for his 
 determination has added considerably to my concern 
 on the subject. 
 
 " In proposing the address to his Majesty respecting 
 Vaccine Institutions, I hoped to obtain the establish- 
 ment of an institution in which the confidence of the 
 public might be placed, for a fully satisfactory investiga- 
 tion of the benefits or dangers of that practice ; as well
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 839 
 
 as for the purpose of an immediate supply of proper 
 vaccine matter being at all times afforded to <5very part 
 of the kin2;dom. 
 
 " In this view of the subject, it appears to me, that 
 if Dr. Jenner had been allowed to guide the measure 
 of the Board, however higlily I think of his skill and 
 integrity, it could hardly be expected that the public 
 would have been as well satisfied with this decision as 
 to the merits of the practice of whicli he was the first 
 ])romoter, as they are likely to be, if the eminent mem- 
 bers of the Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons who 
 compose the Board shall have the direction in their 
 own hands ; although Dr. Jenner would probably 
 have been extremely useful in assisting practitioners 
 with his advice, and in bringing cases of an extraor- 
 dinary nature properly and scientifically under con- 
 sideration. 
 
 "Under the disappointment arising from Doctor 
 Jenner's refusal, I am sure you, and the learned gen- 
 tlemen who are acting with you, will take the best 
 possible measures for repairing the inconvenience 
 arising therefrom ; it would therefore be presumptuous 
 in me to attempt to afford you any advice foi- your 
 conduct." 
 
 Lord CLTFir'f)Ri) to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Hinchinhrook, April 1 1 tli, ]fS09. 
 
 " Dear Sir, 
 
 "I have compared the extract with the original 
 treaty, and it appears to me to contain the substance 
 with sufficient accuracy. T have added such passages, 
 with pencil in the margin, as I conceived might be 
 useful to you to form a more accurate judgment of 
 
 / ^
 
 'itO DIAKIKS AM) (OUIIKSPONDKNCI.: OF 
 
 the whole. 1 am happy I had it in my power to assist 
 in clearing up a transaction which has been niuch mis- 
 represented, owing to the mystery with which it was 
 conducted. The confidence mv father placed in vou 
 entitled you to the same from me, and you had a 
 further claim on me as a historian, I hope 1 may be 
 allowed to add, tli;it I am (piite satisfied with the im- 
 partiality with which you have stated it to the public, 
 and I beg you will atce|)t my acknowledgments for 
 the manner in which you have mentioned my ancestor. 
 The prominent measnre of his short administration 
 was the subjugation of Holland; he looked upon the 
 Dutch as our natural rivals in trade, and our most 
 dangerous enemies at sea. Subserpient events have 
 proved how far he was justified in his opinion, lie 
 embraced the Catholic religion in Holland when lie ac- 
 companied the King, who seemed desirous of following 
 his example, but was deterred by political con.sidera- 
 tions. To enable Charles to follow the dictates of his 
 conscience was the object of the private article of the 
 treaty in question. A friend of Mr. Fox applied to 
 me, in his name, to know if I had any papers relating 
 to the reign of James H. I told him I had not, but 
 offered to let Mr. Fox see the treaty of 1670. He 
 answered that his history did not go so far back, but, 
 as a matter of curiosity, he should be glad to see it. 
 He died, however, before I had an opportunity of 
 showing it liini. 
 
 " I have the honour to be, 
 " Dear Sir, 
 " Yonr obedient hmiible senant, 
 
 " CLirroRD.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 'S4il 
 
 " I hope to have the pleasure of seemg you soon in 
 London, when I will show you the original, and you 
 may then judge whether it can be of any further use 
 to you or the public. As I think I have not been 
 sufficiently explicit in the abstract I have given of the 
 preamble, I send it you at full length, that you may 
 shape it to your own ideas." 
 
 The Bishop of Lincoln to Mr. Rose. 
 
 "Buckden Palace, May 12th, 1809. 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " In consequence of information which I have 
 this morning received from Mr. Archdeacon Heslop, 
 in addition to what I knew before, I had thought it 
 my duty, and a very painful one it is on many accounts 
 to my feelings, to write to j\Ir. Strutt to say that I am 
 ready to accept his offer of resigning the perpetual 
 curacy of Stony Stratford. My secretary, Mr. Hodgson, 
 will send him the form of resignation from London by 
 to-morrow night's post. I am anxious that the business 
 should be completed before my visitation at Newport- 
 Pagnell, which would be his place of appearance on 
 the 23d. I will not dwell upon this subject for your 
 sake, as well as my own. 
 
 " As this vacancy was not expected, the preferment 
 is, of course, at liberty ; and allow me to say that if 
 you have any friend suited to the situation for whom 
 you wish to make a provision, I shall have great 
 pleasure in accepting your recommendation."
 
 'U2 IHAKIES AND CORKK-SPONDKNCK (i| 
 
 Lady IIkstkk SrANHui't lu Alii. liosK. 
 
 "S«'pt. I3th, 1800. 
 
 "Dkah Mr. Kosk, 
 
 " Jl;ivu not events proved liow just was the abuse 
 1 l)csto\ve(l \\\)(>\\ Lord Chatliani and u|)<)n Ministers, 
 and wlial a day of ju(l<;nieiit to tliein will l)e the 
 meetiu'^ of Parliament? 1 always sav to vou, if I 
 speak at all, just wiuit I think, jujst what I wish, and 
 you never take anything ill; therefore, I shall tell you 
 at 0//CP, that after deep consideration, I eannot help 
 feeling uneasy at the prosj)ect of your suffering' in the 
 eyes of tlic world for the faults committed bv your 
 party. They must fall, ere long, branded with infamy; 
 anil 1 wish to CJod, as you have no love for oHicc, that 
 yoii would not disguise your disapprobation when a 
 proper opportunity offers to publiely demonstrate it. 
 I can have no interest in what I am advisinir, but 
 your welfare. If I am wrong, it is you who are to 
 correct me, but do not blame the feeliuij which 
 dictates these opinions. 
 
 " 1 must now thank you for having relieved the 
 mind of tlie poor fidgety old man who was the sub- 
 ject of my last letter, wliich you must have received 
 some time after date, as I find it missed one day's ])ost, 
 being too late, and in the part of the world I was then 
 in, it only comes in and goes out three times a Aveek. 
 Upon General Clinton's mission being at an end, James 
 came down to see me. "We spent some time at home, 
 and since then we have been to Swansea. lie has just 
 left me to relieve Lord A. Somerset, and I am a^ain
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 343 
 
 become a wanderer. I am now writing from an inn, 
 a stage from Margara, the most beautiful place I have 
 ever seen ; though the house has been pulled down, 
 if the new one Mr. Talbot talks of building equals 
 the grounds in beauty and magnificence, Margam 
 will certainly be the most delightful residence in his 
 Majesty's dominions. As Mrs. and Miss Rose are so 
 fond of plants, it would be almost worth their while 
 to take a journey on purpose to look at those at 
 Margam. Some of the old orange-trees were wrecked 
 upon the coast in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and 
 are now so hardy, that they stand out from May till the 
 end of October ; and one might almost fancy one-self in 
 a grove in Italy, for I think there are more than six 
 himdred of them : tulip-trees as large as fine oaks, and 
 all the other flowering trees in proportion. I suppose 
 Miss R. would tell me that a bay-tree Avas a shruh ; 
 but when they ^vow fft^-six feet high, I think they 
 can no longer be called so. 
 
 . "I suppose you have read James Moore's book. It 
 is interesting, because authentic ; but most shockingly 
 written, to be sure. Two things he never should have 
 done, — published Napier's conversations with the 
 French generals, or left out one word in his brother's 
 letters; for all he said \Yasjusf, and events will prove 
 it to have been so. 
 
 " Wc already see that Sir A. Wellesley, who is 
 famous for indulging his troops, speaks very harshly of 
 the conduct of several officers ; and we shall also see, 
 if we have not already seen enough, how useless it is to 
 send more troops to Spain. Frere is certainly dis- "
 
 34 i DIARIES ANU CORRESl'ONDKNCK Ol' 
 
 graced forever. His birth was always, in my opinion, 
 a sufficient reason against sending him ambassador to 
 the proudest nation in the world. Nobody who knows 
 him can deny he has talents ; but conceit and indolence 
 prevent their being turned to account : and since his 
 conduct towards General Moore, I shall never be able to 
 endure the sight of him. But Canning and he have 
 both equally forgotten the respect due to those Mr. 
 Pitt thought highly of; for had General Moore been 
 General Don, they ought to have been the hunt persons 
 in the world to have treated him as they did during 
 his life ; and to have forgotten the respect due to 
 a soldier's meniorv, who lost his valuable existence 
 endeavouring to repair their ma.sl infamous blunders. 
 M'hen I began, I meant only to write a short letter ; 
 but I have ceased to recollect I was writing, not 
 speaking. 
 
 " Believe me, 
 
 " Yours, most sincerely, 
 
 "H. S. S. 
 
 " I cannot tell vou at this moment where to direct 
 to me. ' 
 
 Lord Welleslet to Mil Rose. 
 {Private?^ 
 
 "Donegal, at Sea, July 26th, 1809, lat. 49 N. 
 " long. 6.30' W. 1 r. M. 
 
 " Mv DEAR Sir, 
 
 " I was highly gratified by your kind invitation 
 to CufFnells, of which I most readily should have 
 availed myself if I had taken the route by Torbay ;
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 3^5 
 
 but as I embarked at Portsmouth, it was not in my 
 power to wait on you. I sailed on Monday, and we 
 are proceeding very well. I find that the sea has been 
 rather advantageous to my health. With a strong 
 sense of your constant kindness to me, and with the 
 most sincere respect and esteem, 
 " Believe me to be, 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 " Always your most faithful and humble servant, 
 
 " Welleslet." 
 
 Mr. {afterwards Sir Walter) Scott to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " I regret to observe from your note that a letter 
 which I had long ago written to my friend, Mr. 
 William Rose, had miscarried. The purport was to 
 say, that the manuscript was quite at your service, 
 and that I had it from the Buccleuch family, to make 
 any use of I thought proper ; and I know none so 
 proper as placing it at your disposal. The grammar, 
 &c. of the copy sent you seems to be inaccurate, but 
 is exactly according to the original, which is still in 
 my possession. Had I received the letter you men- 
 tion, I would have brought the original to town with 
 me. 
 
 ** I am, with great respect, 
 " Dear Sir, 
 " Your very faithful and obliged servant, 
 
 " Walter Scott. 
 
 " Piccadilly, Tuesday."
 
 3 to DIARIKS AND COKUKSPONDENCK OF 
 
 Mcmurunduni of a Lcllcr lo Mil. Rosk rvHpediny the 
 DuKK OF Kent's Income. 
 
 Tlic Duke of Kent origin;illy proposed to liord 
 Grenvillu, through Lord Melville aiul Mr. Adam, that 
 the Parliamentary incomes of his brothers, and his 
 own, should l)e made 15,000/. a year, clear of all 
 deductions ; and to those who had not the tahle, an 
 allowance of (5, 000/. per annum in lieu thereof, 
 which Colonel Dalrymple intimated to be the cor- 
 responding value ; and also to retain, as at present, 
 the allowance of fuel, oil, and cmdles from the 
 Lord Steward's department. And that a sum should 
 be allowed to provide ])late, china, earthenware, 
 glass, household and table-linen, culinary utensils, 
 &T. for those who had nol the table, as a com- 
 pensation for all the advantages enjoyed by those 
 who had it. However, the present expectation falls 
 short of //////, for the utmost Lord Grenville seems 
 disposed to propose, is an addition of (1,000/. ; and it 
 was even doubtful whether that may not be reduced 
 to 5,000/. should the income of the late Duke of 
 Gloucester, exclusive of what was granted him for the 
 maintenance of his children, appear to have been 
 only 17,000/. instead of 19,000/. or 21,000/. as it was 
 conceived to be. As such, all that is to be done now, 
 seems to be to ground the precedent on that income, 
 and to urG:e its beinir frmnted to its full amount, free 
 of deduction, be that what it will ; and as the allow- 
 ances are to be struck ofl', that would seem a fair plea 
 for remitting tht> Income Tax. If the friends of the
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 347 
 
 old Administration, especially Mr. Rose, who is fully 
 master of the subject, will urge this, and the outfit, 
 which he always felt an unanswerable claim, no doubt 
 it would be carried ; yet it must originate with ikemy 
 for with Ministers it will not. 
 
 The Duke of York to Mr. Rose. 
 
 "Stable Yard, July 29th, 1809, 
 
 " Dear Sir, 
 
 " I have the pleasure to acknowledge the receipt 
 of your two letters, and return you many thanks for 
 the return of the number of deer fit to be killed this 
 year in the New Forest, as likewise for the informa- 
 tion relative to Burley Lodge, and the walks, late in 
 the possession of the Duchess of Bolton, and which 
 are now to be disposed of, for the remainder of her 
 lease, by auction. 
 
 " It vi ould be very desirable that tlie Treasury should 
 make this purchase, as the greatest damage might be 
 done to the New Forest, if it were to fall into improper 
 hands ; besides that it might be given as a lodge to 
 the Warden instead of Lvndhurst ; and I will not fail 
 to make the necessary application accordingly. 
 
 " I have been credibly informed, to my great sur- 
 prise, that Princess Sophia has let her lodge in the 
 New Forest, and that the Duke of Gloucester means 
 to do the same with Bolderwood, for wdiich he asks 
 400/. per year, but will take 200/. if he cannot get 
 more. 
 
 " I can suppose that they have the power to grant 
 leave to their tenants to meet in their respective walks
 
 31)8 DIARIES AND COKRESPONDENCE Of 
 
 witlioiit the consent of the Warden, hut if they have 
 not, I beg that it may be known that I will upon no 
 account grant it. 
 
 " I am ever, dear Sir, 
 
 " Yours, most sincerely, 
 
 " rilKDERlCK. 
 
 " P. S. I cannot but highly approve of your pro- 
 posal of sending a buck to Lord Morpeth." 
 
 The Duke of York to .Mk. Rose. 
 
 "Stable Yard, Augiust 20th, 1809. 
 
 " Dear Sir, 
 
 " Nothing but a severe indisposition, which has 
 confined me for the last week, should have prevented 
 me from aeknowlctlging sooner the receipt of your 
 letter of the lOth instant, by which I am very happy 
 to learn that the Treasury has purchased Burley, and 
 T am only waiting for the return of Mr. Adam to 
 town, to apply for the possession of it, instead of 
 Lyndhurst. 
 
 " It seems verv essential to enter into some airree- 
 ment with Mr. Jenkinson, in order to prevent his 
 shooting the deer which may stray upon his manor, 
 and I shall most readily consent to any composition 
 you may enter into with him. 
 
 " I am so little in the habits of intimacy either with 
 the Duke of Gloucester or his sister, Princess Sophia, 
 that I do not know throuti-h what channel to endea- 
 vour to make them sensible of the impropriety of 
 letting any lodge in the Royal forests. Indeed, one
 
 THE RIGHT HOX, GEORGE ROSE. 349 
 
 might imagine, that a moment's reflection would 
 point out to them the indecency of it. 
 " Beheve me ever, dear Sir, 
 
 " Yours most sincerely, 
 
 " Frederick." 
 Mr. W. Stdrges Bourne to Mr. Rose. 
 
 *' De\R Rose "Holywell, Alton, Sept. 17th, 1809. 
 
 " When I learned the miserable state of affairs 
 
 in Downing Street, I anticipated the ditficulties it 
 
 might impose upon you ; and I was glad to have an 
 
 opportunity at Bedfont, of preparing you for what 
 
 you were to hear, that you might have some little 
 
 time for reflection before it was disclosed. Till our 
 
 meeting there, I knew not how far you might have 
 
 been informed on the subject, or how far you had 
 
 pledged yourself to Canning. With respect to myself, 
 
 I owe to him my uitroduction to Mr. Pitt, Parliament, 
 
 and public life, and have been attached by long 
 
 intimacy, and generally confidential friendship. To 
 
 no one of his colleagues have I the smallest obligation, 
 
 nor for more than one or two, any particular respect, 
 
 and to the King I am scarcely known. My feelings 
 
 therefore (and in my unimportant situation, I have 
 
 nothing else to consult) would at all times have 
 
 prompted me to relinquish my post under such a 
 
 Government, whenever Mr. Canning ceased to be one 
 
 of its members, and on that principle I determined to 
 
 follow him in the spring, when he announced to me the 
 
 probability of his resignation. Not then, however,
 
 350 DIARIES AND COUUE8PONDKNT I, .-i 
 
 thinking myself quite sutficiently infornicd to judge of 
 the wisdom or propriety of his conduct, I should liave 
 acted quite in contidence, thinking him alone capable 
 of deciding how far he ought to act with one of his 
 colleagues. To the course he has now taken I was a per- 
 fect stranger till I heard it from Perceval, and though 
 I have no scruple in saying to you, that if 1 had been 
 on the spot, and thought worthy of being consulted, 
 I should on many accounts have deprecated that 
 course ; yet consulting the feelings 1 have before stated, 
 and l)eing of no consequence to the Government, 1 
 cannot hesitate to abandon ofHce, and perhaps Parlia- 
 ment, ratiier than be suspected by him, or even by my 
 bitterest enemy, of having sacrificed obligations and 
 friendship to the love of place. 
 
 " To YOU I also feel obligations which 1 am most 
 anxious to considt ; and if vou shotdd remain in ollice, 
 and I .shoulil fiiul myself prompted by any motive, 
 which I do not now anticii)ate, to act inconsistently 
 with those feelings, I should then be anxious to quit 
 the House of Commons ; and I feel, I assure you, with- 
 out regret, that my \mhY\c life (if I may dignify myself 
 by such a term) is perhaps near its end. For I hate 
 the rumour of party, and I see much of management 
 •in political matters which disgusts me. I need only 
 instance that ruinous appointment by which the 
 safetv of a larf:;e armv has been hazarded, the success 
 of an important enterprise, and the credit of the 
 country sacrificed, by selecting, from indirect motives 
 I am sm-e, a man to conduct an expedition whom all 
 those who consented to his appointment must have
 
 TUE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 351 
 
 felt to be the most unfit for that special service. 
 Would that Canning had made his stand then ! Ill, 
 hoAvever, as I think of an Administration that has so 
 acted, I deeply regret that it should be so broken up ; 
 and after deploring the situation of the King and 
 country, I lament sincerely the predicament in which 
 Perceval is placed ; his conduct being perfectly con- 
 sistent in this transaction with the strict honour and 
 integrity with which it has always been marked. 
 
 " I have thus explained to you, with perfect open- 
 ness, my own conduct and feelings, and I hope they 
 may be sanctioned by your more experienced and 
 sound judgment. With regard to yourself, it would 
 be in me the most ridiculous presumption to offer 
 you advice. There certainly is nothing in common in 
 our situations, though I hope there may be in our 
 feelings. You owe no obligation, but such as you 
 have imposed on yourself, to any member of the Ad- 
 ministration ; your station in the Government, your 
 consideration in the country, your obligation and 
 attachment to the Kino-, — all distinoruish vour case as 
 widely from mine as possible ; and you, I am sure, 
 alone can judge what your own conduct ought to be, 
 either with reference to your duty or inclinations. 
 
 " That any Government which is to be formed from 
 the ruins of that now dissolved, will stand in the 
 utmost need of your assistance, I cannot doubt, who 
 believe, that even unbroken, they could scarcely have 
 defended themselves from the attack to which they 
 have wantonly exposed themselves. But I confess 
 I cannot conjecture where the materials are to be
 
 352 DIARIKS AM) COKRK.SPONDEN'CE OK 
 
 found of which any fabric of an Aihninistration ran 
 be constructed, and 1 fear it must ultimately fall into 
 those hands which we least wish. In the mean time, 
 I see the certainty of much distraction and the pro- 
 bability of much evil. I wish our fears may be 
 visionary. 
 
 "At the proper time I shall be anxious to ascertain 
 that my motives for (juitting otHce are not misunder- 
 stood, particularly by Perceval. And T shall be 
 hap|)y to hear that you have come to that decision 
 which will best satisfy yourself, and at least relieve 
 you from the misery of a state of perplexity arising 
 perhaps from a contlict between duty and inclination. 
 " Believe me, dear Kose, in all situations, 
 
 " Yours most trulv, 
 
 " W. Sturgks Bourne." 
 
 Mr Rosk to Mh. Sttrges Bournk. 
 
 " Dear Bournk, 
 
 " There is not a svllable in vour letter that 1 did 
 not expect to hear from you : and when I wrote on 
 Friday to you, indeed till late in the day on Sunday, 
 the inclination of mv mind was so stronf^ towards 
 (juitting office, that if 1 had been compelled to give 
 a decisive answer then, it would certainlv have been 
 that I would do so. 
 
 T told you, I think, what passed on Friday with 
 Perceval and Lord Bathurst. I heard nothing of 
 Canning that day except a note, desiring me to dine 
 with him the day following ; which, under the existing
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 353 
 
 circumstances, I thought odd. I went, tlierefore, to 
 Gloucester Lodge the next morning, when I had a full 
 conversation with him, which was not satisfactory to 
 me, as to the ground of his resignation ; but my 
 disposition to act with him was so earnest, that I 
 left him with my desire to quit office very much 
 the same as before. I conveyed that to him in a 
 manner he could not mistake. He gave me the corre- 
 spondence which had passed between him and his 
 colleagues to read, which I brought away with me ; 
 and I got as low in it as Perceval's first communication 
 (I think the 28th of August) respecting the Duke of 
 Portland's resignation before I returned to the lodge 
 to dinner. No alteration in my opinions, or rather in 
 my feelings, had taken place then. Mr. Bagot dined 
 with us, and the conversation during the afternoon 
 must have led Canning to expect there had been no 
 change in those; but I told him expressly I would not 
 decide till I should see my son, who I thought would be 
 likely to come up the next day (Sunday). 
 
 " He allowed me to take back the remainder of the 
 papers, from the end of August, that I might read them 
 attentively. George arrived on Sunday morning, to whom 
 I repeated the substance of what I had before written to 
 him respecting the state of my mind. I then finished 
 reading the correspondence ; on which subject it is un- 
 necessary to go into a long detail with you of all that 
 has passed in the course of my reflections upon it, be- 
 tween my son and me ; it is sufficiently distressing 
 and painful to state the results. A¥ith the most anxious 
 and earnest wish, manifested as you know in repeated 
 
 VOL. II. A A
 
 J551 IMAUIKS AND CORRESPONDKNCE OF 
 
 instances Ijcyinul all possil)ility ot" tlouljt, to att witli 
 Canninir, 1 do tVcl it f|uite impossible to l)c a party 
 to hrcakinji: iij) the (ioverninent, because he failed in 
 obtaining the situation of First liOnl of the Treasury, 
 when Perceval (tlie other competitor) would have ac- 
 quiesced in Canning's naming a third j)erson ; for in 
 substance, thougli not positively in words, his conccs- 
 si()!i went tliat length. 1 do wrong, indeed, in de- 
 scribing IVrceval as a competitor, for, in truth, lie 
 disclaimed from the beginning the remotest intention 
 of looking to the situation; ;.(lmitting that such a 
 pretension on his part could not be actpnesccd in by 
 Canning. How deij)ly is it to be deplored, that in 
 a crisis like this, when ardent attempts arc making 
 by the Jacobins to break in iij)on all (jovernment, 
 that thosi- whose first duty it is to protect it, should 
 sacrifice that sacred duty to views of j)ersonal am- 
 bition ; which views are in more danger of being 
 defeated by the common enemy than by rivals for 
 power ! 
 
 " My decision, 1 most solcniidy declare, is one of 
 judgment against strong feelings; and having taken 
 it, 1 will neither look prospectively nor retrospectively, 
 but rest nivself contented with a full conviction that 
 I am acting upon principles which, if known, can 
 neither discredit me nor those who are to come after 
 me. I am writing, however, with an aching heart, 
 arising from convulsed agitations, such as I never 
 experienced on political matters. 
 
 " You know me well enough, I am sure, to believe 
 me when I sav, that the first hour in which I can
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 355 
 
 retire will be infinitely the happiest of my life, as con- 
 nected with political matters ; and I think it very likely 
 that ill at will occur in the course of a week. 
 '' I am, dear Bourne, 
 
 A^'ery truly and faithfully yours, 
 
 " G. Rose. 
 
 "Old Palace Yard, Sept. 19th, 1809. 
 
 " Concessions were made to Mr. Canning by the 
 King and the other ministers, such as I verily believe 
 were never made before to any subject in this country. 
 I have not to this moment mentioned my determi- 
 nation to a human being except to George ; but am 
 going to the painful and distressing task of communi- 
 cating it to Cariuing." 
 
 Lord Malmesbury to Mr. Rose. 
 
 "Bath, Oct. 20th, lb09. 
 
 *' My DEAR Sir, 
 
 " I received very sincere pleasure from your 
 letter of the 17th, which found me just as I was 
 leaving for this place, where I propose remaining a 
 week for the purpose of bathing. 
 
 " At any period of ray life, and with the principles 
 on which I have endeavoured to regulate my public 
 conduct, I could not act or think differently from 
 what I said to my good friend your son. 
 
 " I lament extremely the loss of Canning's abilities, 
 and still more the idea, after that intimate and friendly 
 intercourse, which from his earliest days has subsisted 
 between us, that there should be even a shade of dif- 
 ference in our political conduct. It is my anxious wish, 
 
 A A 2
 
 350 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 that time and reflection may bring him to view the 
 state of public aftairs in a diliorcnt liglit from wliat he 
 now appears to do, and restore liim to that set of 
 friends with whom he lias already acted, and who 
 know how to value his talents and character. I feel 
 convinced Mr. Pitt would have entertained the same 
 sentiments as those I express, and this conviction con- 
 firms me in them. 
 
 " It is amongst one of my first wishes to see you, my 
 dear Sir, fill a higher situation in his Majesty's councils 
 than the one you now hold. There is one for which 
 you, and perhaps you alone, arc pecnliarly fit, and which 
 they ought to solicit you to accept. Since the con- 
 clusion of the Austrian peace with France, we must 
 look to even more arduous times than any we have 
 yet experienced. The great burden of the war is now 
 coming on us, and every individual in the country is 
 called on and bound to exercise his power, small or 
 great, in support of a contest the issue of which will 
 be as important to his individual well or ill being as it 
 will to the preservation, safety, and security of the 
 community at large. 
 
 " Believe me, my dear Sir, 
 
 " Most sincerely and faithfully yours, 
 
 " Malmesbury." 
 
 Lord Mulgrave to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Admiralty, December 2d, 1809 
 
 " Dear Rose, 
 
 " The reproaches which you have transmitted to 
 me from Sir Andrew Hammond arc an additional and
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 357 
 
 pre-eminent proof of the impossibility of finding a 
 candid and dispassionate consideration of his own case, 
 from any man, however capable of a sound and discreet 
 judgment in other matters. Anybody, not informed of 
 the actual state of the affair, and reading Sir Andrew 
 Hammond's address to you, would suppose that the pro- 
 motion of Admiral Hamilton and Sir Charles Thompson 
 had been given as matter of personal partiality and 
 favour, and under the pretence of their peculiar and 
 distinguished merit as Commissioners of the Navy, and 
 that thereby a marked injustice had been done to the 
 meritorious services of Sir Andrew Hammond, by de- 
 privi7ig him of his flag. Such is the charge, if it is any- 
 thing. What is the fact? On the event of the 50th 
 anniversary of the King's reign a promotion is made, 
 not on the score of merit, not on the ground of selec- 
 tion, not on the principle of claim, but as a mere act 
 of grace ; taking without exception the senior officers 
 of each rank on the Navy Lid. Admiral Hamilton 
 and Sir Charles Thompson had a right to make their 
 option, in an ordinary promotion, between their profes- 
 sional rank and their official situation. Such an option 
 would have been no act of grace. An act of grace was 
 intended to the senior officers on the List, of each rank. 
 No inquiry was even made whether officers had served 
 during the two last wars, but the name 07i the List at 
 that peculiar time, and at that unexpected celebration 
 of the event, was the passport to promotion. Sir 
 Andrew Hammond, under other circumstances, had 
 put it out of my power to deprive him of his flag, by 
 having voluntarily relinquished it for his civil situation.
 
 358 DIAIUKS AM) COKKKSl'ONDKNCK OF 
 
 Nav, he had i)ut it uiit ul' my power lu i/iVf liiiii liis 
 flag, ills iiaine being removed from the J^if^t of the 
 Navy, an order from tlie King in Couneil eonhl alone 
 phice Inm on the List of Admirals. No snch list was 
 made lor others beeause they were aetnally on the 
 List and eligible for promotion. And this is the 
 ' markeil injnstice ' — this is the way in which Sir 
 Andrew Hammond ' has been deprived of hia flag.' 
 Of all the nnreasonable complaints, of all tlie nnjnst 
 reproaches to which 1 have been exposed by the nn- 
 reasonable expectations of over-rated claims, this is the 
 most gronmlless, harsh, and ottensive, that 1 have ever 
 had to digest ; and I leave ijoa to judge of the impres- 
 sion it mnst make, coming to ma in the guise of the 
 Jirxt com plaint of a tried friend of Mr. Pitt. 
 
 "The knighthood of Captain iStaines I have men- 
 tioned to .Mr. Perceval, and it will be submitted to his 
 .Majesty. 
 
 " Ever yours, sincerely, 
 
 " MuLflRAVE." 
 
 Sir Andrew S. Hammonu to Mr Ivuse. 
 
 " Terriugton, 6th December, 1809. 
 
 " Mt dear Sir, 
 
 " I have had too much experience of your friend- 
 ship and regard not to be perfectly certain, that 
 whenever you move in any matter that concerns me, 
 it is with a hearty and sincere wish to render me 
 service. I therefore beg you will accept my best 
 thanks for your late communication to Lord Mulo-rave 
 (whose letter to you I herewith return). At the same
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 359 
 
 time I cannot help expressing my regret in the present 
 instance, that what was meant as a private statement 
 to a friend, of my feehngs at being deprived of my flag 
 when others were in possession of it, under circum- 
 stances which had been a bar against me, should have 
 drawn from Lord Mulgrave such a tirade of invective 
 against me. I never meant to charge him with having 
 deprived me of my flag, or to have conceived that it 
 was in his power to have given it to me in the ordinary 
 course of things ; knowing perfectly well that if I 
 thought proper to move in the matter, the only road 
 was by a memorial to the King in Council. 1 knew 
 enough of Lord Mulgrave's hasty and petulant disposi- 
 tion not to put a question of that sort into his hands 
 until his brother Cabinet ^linisters had been canvassed, 
 and the King prepared for it by Lord Chatham, who 
 is well aware that he was the cause of my allowing the 
 first promotion to pass by me. 
 
 "I, therefore, shall be glad if you have an oppor- 
 tunity of undeceiving his Lordship, and explaining 
 that all he has said was perfectly unnecessary and un- 
 provoked on my part ; but at the same time, if I am 
 allowed by you to consider his letter as a public com- 
 munication to me, I shall certainly tell him how 
 indignant I feel at the charge of ' over-rated claims 
 more groundless, harsh, and ojfensive than he has ever 
 before had to digest,' being applied to me. 
 
 " You must allow, my dear Sir, that I cannot fail 
 of being hurt at these expressions. As to the thing 
 itself, it shall never give me a thought more, I mean 
 the flag. But why the occasion of the late promotion
 
 3(50 1>1ARIES AMJ CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 could not have been stated without venting abuse 
 
 upon me is quite extraordinary, and ought not to pass 
 
 over. 
 
 " Ever, my dear iMr, 
 
 " Your faithful and affectionate humble servant, 
 
 " A. J?. Hammond." 
 
 [Mr. Rose was always anxious to obtain employment 
 for his ( Idtst son, the father of General Sir Hugh 
 Rose. He had more than once before enumerated his 
 (jualiHcations and described his early training for 
 ottice ; and he now shows how those (pialitieations 
 were appreciated by former Ministers, and grounds 
 thereon a fresh ap[)lication to Lord Wellesley, who 
 was at the Foreign OfHce, for a mission to some 
 foreign court. — Ed.] 
 
 " Mu. Rose to tuk Makquis Wellesley. 
 
 "Old Palace Yard, Decciuber 19th, 1809. 
 
 " Mr DEAR Lord, 
 
 "I have forborne to break in upon you since 
 your arrival, knowing that Lord Bathurst had most 
 kindly suggested to yon his intentions respecting my 
 son, and what his objects are, thinking it much better 
 to leave him in your hands, with a full knowledge of 
 these, than to pester you with any specilic application. 
 My sole motive for troubling you now is, that I think 
 it desirable on my leaving town for a month, to entreat 
 your attention to a further short statement relative to 
 my son, as I shall not have an opportunity of making
 
 THE IIIGHT HON. GEOJIGE ROSE. 361 
 
 any personally in the event of anything occurring 
 during my absence. You have ah'eacly the account of 
 his education to qiiahfy him for any business in the 
 Foreign Department. 
 
 " Lord Grenville, from the account he had of him 
 from Lord Auckland (under whom he became con- 
 versant with all the details and forms of business, as 
 well as initiated in all the confidential correspondence 
 of Europe), sent him at two-and-twenty to Berlin as 
 Charge d' Jffaires ; where Lord Malmesbury being 
 for a month or two on a special mission, contracted 
 a friendship for him, and gave him the highest 
 commendations ; though just before that time I had 
 succeeded in an important political struggle against 
 his Lordship. My son returned from thence, after a 
 residence of thirteen months, in a dangerous state of 
 health. Some time after that, Lord Bute proposed to 
 him to go as Secretary to the Embassy to Spain, from 
 character only, for he had no personal acquaintance 
 with him ; but he was then on the point of marriage, 
 and declined it. 
 
 " Circumstances, of a private nature, not worth 
 troubling your Lordship about, prevented his being 
 employed till the change of Government in 1801 ; 
 when Mr. Pitt applied to Lord Hawkesbury, who in 
 the kindest manner offered him the mission to Copen- 
 hagen or Stockholm immediately, or to Naples when 
 it should be vacant. His health prevented his hesitating 
 a moment about making his election for the latter, as 
 a northern climate would have been fatal to him. But 
 before there was an opening at Naples, the discussion
 
 IM)2 DIAKIKS AM) rOKRKSPONDKNCr. ol 
 
 on the peace took place, and on that, (|U('stion neither 
 my son nor myself voted with the (ioverinnent -. alter 
 which he thought he could not honourahly accept a 
 favour from a leatling niend)er of it. Ilr, therefore, 
 went to the Continent and resich-d at ditlerent Courts 
 for nearlv two years, to (lualifv himself further for the 
 lint' in which he had engngt>d. Two years ago. .Mr. 
 Canning sent him to America on a special mission ; who 
 was so well satislicd with his coiuhict, that he recjuested 
 him last winter to return tliere on another special 
 mission, wliich he had agreed to do, and was prepared 
 to end)ark, when the account of the confusi»)n created 
 by .Mr. Erskine arrived, whicli reiidrred it necessary 
 to send a permanent end)as.sy, 
 
 "In agreeing to return to America, at the instance 
 of Mr. Canning, my son sup|)ressed the fecHngs wliicli 
 were excited in his mind hv the selection of Mr. John 
 Villiers for Lisl)on, whose merits were certainly not 
 conspicuous, and who had fpiitted Mr. Pitt in a man- 
 ner altogether unaccounted for. 
 
 '■ I will only add Lord .Malmesbury's expression 
 respecting my son in .lamiary last: 'He is indisputably 
 better qualified than any one who has lately been 
 selected for the Foreign huties.' And that his 
 Majesty condescended to express himself quite as 
 favourably about my son years ago. I believe, indeed, 
 he mentioned him with approbation to Lord Bathurst. 
 When vou have thrown vour eve over the enclosures, 
 pray let thera be returned to me, directed Cufinells, 
 Hants, where I »o on Thursday morning."
 
 THE lUGUT HON. GEOKCxE KOSE. 303 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 1809. 
 
 MK. rose's MARY FROM SEPTEMBER TO DECEMBER, 1809 — HE REFUSES 
 THE OFFICE OF CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER — CHANGE OP 
 ADMINISTRATION. 
 
 [In passing from the correspondence to tlie diary of 
 this year, we find the same ground travelled over again 
 with respect to the plot against Lord Castlereagh, but 
 with more minuteness of detail, especially in the notes 
 which are appended to it — notes which were taken by 
 Mr. Rose from the correspondence placed in his hands 
 by Mr. Canning himself, though contrary to the 
 intention of the lender. They determined him to take 
 an unfavourable view of that gentleman's conduct, and, 
 instead of sharing his fortunes, to separate from him 
 and support the Government. It may be thought 
 that his whole family combining to urge him to retain 
 his office may have had more than its fair share of in- 
 fluence in that determination. But it is certain that 
 his OAvn feelings were strongly enlisted on the side of 
 Canning, to whom he had been hnked by a long com- 
 munity of friendship with Mr. Pitt ; and it is scarcely 
 possible to read these notes without coming to the 
 same conclusion that Canning preferred his own
 
 3G1. DIARIES AND CORIIESPONDKNCE OF 
 
 ambition to the good of his country. But since the 
 editor of the Castlcrcagh papers, pu])Hshed only ten 
 years ago, imputed all the blame, though he abstained 
 from expressing it in all the gravity which he thought 
 it deserved, to Canning, and seemed to tliink his 
 brother (p.iite justified in challenging him to fight a 
 iluel on that account, it is but due to truth and to the 
 memory of that eminent man to say, that the conceal- 
 ment of which the other complained was not his fault, 
 as the correspondence [)lainly shows. It was the effect 
 of mistaken kindness on the part of his otiier col- 
 leagues, who were unwilling to lose him, and so little 
 understood the character of Canning, that they could 
 not perceive the necessity of sacrificing either the one 
 or the other. In vain they devised scheme after scheme 
 to bring about an accommodation ; in vain they post- 
 poned their decision till after tin- expedition to 
 Walcheren, in the hope that a successful issue would 
 render it impossible to remove the ministers who had 
 conducted it ; in vain tluy prevailed upon the Duke 
 of Portland to resign, in the hope that a vacancy in the 
 Cal)inet would give room for am[)le accommodation. 
 But they reckoned without theii* host. The failure of 
 the expedition strengthened the argument against 
 Lord Castlereagh ; the resignation of the Duke only 
 gave rise to new difficulties, for Canning would not 
 give way to Perceval. And on the other side, the 
 long concealment became a grave oftence when it was 
 no longer possible.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 365 
 
 The procrastinating policy, however well intended, 
 was disastrous to the Government, and in their fear of 
 losing one of these statesmen they lost both. But the 
 duel was quite unjustifiable. All duels indeed are 
 unjustifiable ; but even judged by the low standard of 
 the code of honour, this duel was unjustifiable ; for it 
 was proved to the challenger that the alleged cause of 
 offence had no existence ; that the concealment was 
 not to be visited on Mr. Canning ; that he might with 
 better justice on that ground have fought Lord Cam- 
 den or Perceval, or the Duke of Portland. But his 
 resentment got the better of him, and he would not 
 be pacified. The mischief, however, of giving way to 
 it did not end there. The Christian maxim was too 
 sadly verified, that "he who hateth his brother is a 
 murderer." 
 
 The code of worldly honour used to demand that 
 each of the combatants should risk his life ; but a 
 single exchange of shots satisfied that demand, and he 
 who persists in fighting contrary to the advice of his 
 seconds betrays a thirst for blood. He seeks not to 
 display his courage but to obtain a sanguinary revenge. 
 If the second bullet had pierced Mr. Canning's heart, 
 who could have acquitted his adversary of murder ? 
 Amidst many revolting features in the complexion of 
 these times, it is some consolation that that wicked 
 folly is now exploded. 
 
 The opinion about this quarrel in the Cabinet 
 expressed by Mr. T. Grenville, a popular person, and
 
 .•J(J() DIAlllES AND COKIIESPONDEN'CE OF 
 
 living in the first society of Loiulon, sliows liow iinich 
 tlie bost-infornicd men, not in otKce, may be mistaken 
 in their conjectures of wliat is going on, thougli they 
 may be correct enough in their estimate of cliaractcr. 
 He writes to his brother in the month of July thus : — 
 " There are dissensions in the ('aliinet of a very serious 
 nature, so much so that my opinion is that resignation 
 will l)c the result inunediatelv, and that Lord Liver- 
 pool and iVrceval are aiiiongst those \\li() will resign. 
 The alleged cause of all this fracas is said to be Can- 
 ning's enterprising spirit, who will have everything his 
 own way." The same writer observes afterwards, 
 that if Mr. Canning would have been satisfied with- 
 out turning out his rival, the as.sistance of Lord 
 Wcllesley might have been obtained, and the clashing 
 of the departments obviated by the generous offer of 
 Lord Camden to resign the Presidency of the Counril 
 to him. and the j)roposal to combine the U'ar I)ej)art- 
 ment with that for Foreign matters; thus transferring 
 it to Canning from Lord Castlereagh, who was to be 
 left in possession of that for the Colonies, l^ut Canning 
 refused to accede to that arrangement ; and this was 
 afterwards attributed to an unaccommodating pertina- 
 city in dictating to his colleagues, and a close attention 
 to his own personal consequence. 
 
 But the best and most impartial character of Can- 
 ning is that given by one of the most eminent of 
 modern statesmen, ^L Guizot.' He describes him as 
 
 ' ^ternoirs of Sir Robert Peel, pp. 24, 32.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 367 
 
 " a man of free and noble mind, full of impulse, and 
 but little troubled with scruples respecting principles, 
 or traditions, Skilfid in discovering what concessions 
 must be made to the liberal feelings of the people, in 
 order to gain their favour, he was far better adapted 
 for movement than resistance ; and the flexible inno- 
 vator was always perceptible behind the eloquent con- 
 servative. He stood in the midst of his colleagues an 
 isolated and suspected man." 
 
 The Diary goes on to relate the ineffectual attempt 
 made to fill up the gap made in the Cabinet by this 
 defection (which left them very defenceless in the 
 House of Commons), by an alliance with the Whigs ; 
 but that party had taken the Roman Catholics under 
 their protection, and would not unite with those who 
 differed from them. Lord Grenville, who had more 
 real tenderness for the Kinsf's feelino;s than his out- 
 ward manner indicated, might have consented ; but 
 Lord Grey's brusque refusal to move from Howick 
 was an insuperable obstruction. Then follows a long 
 review of the financial position of the country, which 
 makes it unnecessary to print a separate treatise upon 
 the same subject, which was presented to Mr. Per- 
 ceval. Mr. Rose was much gratfied by Lord Wellesley 
 calling on him as soon as he returned from Spain and 
 promising to befriend his son. — Ed.] 
 
 Diary, September, LS09. — Li the month of April, 
 soon after Easter, ]\lr. Canning made a confidential
 
 368 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 coininuiiication to nie, uiuKt the strictest injunction of 
 secrecy, respecting what liad passed between the 
 King, tlie Duke of Vortlaiid and liiniself, nlutive 
 to a part of the business of the A\ ar Department, 
 mixed to a certain extent with dij)l()inatic matters, 
 being transferred to the Foreign OlHce, on account 
 of serious inconvenience liaving been experienced 
 lately on the subject ; or that Lord Wellesley should 
 be a])pointed to the former, in lieu of Lord Castle- 
 reagh. And in conserpiencc thereof, I had assured 
 Mr. Canning that if that arrancrement was not made 
 satisfactorily to him, I would resign with him. 
 
 A correspondence took place between Lord Hathurst 
 and nic in the latter end of August, continued to the 
 second week in this month, in which an anxious wish 
 was expressed, in the name of the Cabinet, for ray 
 going to Walcheren, in order to settle measures 
 which should be immediately taken, and to advise 
 future ones for making that island as available as 
 possible for carrying on an extended connnerce to 
 all the northern psirts of Europe ; and I liaving 
 agreed to go there, the Nyaden frigate was ordered 
 to the Nore, to receive me on board. Hut on the 
 7th, I received a letter from Mr, Canning expres- 
 sing much anxiety to see me ; and in a day or two 
 afterwards, one from Lord Batlmrst, in the same style ; 
 the latter suggesting that the Walclieren business did 
 not now press. 
 
 Thursday, September 14///. — Having therefore settled 
 the election for mayor, at Cliristchurch, satisfactorily, 
 and finished the business of the Swainmote Court at
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 369 
 
 Lyndliurst ; this clay, I left CufFnells in the afternoon, 
 and slept a few hours at Bagshot. 
 
 Fridaij, September 15//^ — In the morning, very 
 early, stopping to change horses at Bedfont, I saw 
 Mr. Bourne in the inn, returning from London, where 
 he had been called by a letter from Mr. Perceval. 
 From him I learned, for the first time, that Mr. 
 Canning had resigned, or was determined immediately 
 to do so, in consequence of the Duke of Portland 
 having retired, fron) the necessity he found himself 
 under on account of irrecoverable ill health, and of 
 the difficulties arising from that in making any arrange- 
 ment which could be satisfactory to Mr. Canning, 
 who thought he should lead the House of Commons. 
 My conversation with Mr. Bourne was very short; 
 but, in the course of it, he told me his determination 
 was to give up his seat at tlie Board of Treasury, as 
 his introduction into office was tlirough Mr. Canning^ 
 to whom also he owed his first seat in Parliament, 
 through the friendship of Mr. Pitt ; which determina- 
 tion was accompanied, however, by expressions of 
 obligations to me for the liberal way in which I had 
 repeatedly brouglit him in for Christchurch, without 
 putting one guinea into my own pocket. 
 
 I arrived in town before nine o'clock, and found on 
 my table notes from Lord Bathurst and Mr. Perceval, 
 desiring to see me. Not a line from Mr. Canning ! 
 T saw the former first, from whom I learned that 
 for some time past the Duke of Portland's health had 
 declined so fast that, although he had recovered from 
 a severe attack upon him lately, it was thought by his 
 
 VOL. II. B B
 
 370 DIAKIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 family, as well as by his Grace, to be (luite iinpossibh- 
 for him to go on in ollice, and that he had therefore 
 given in his resignation to his Majesty on the Gth of this 
 month ; previously to which a correspondence had taken 
 place between Mr. Canning and Mr. Perceval respecting 
 an arrangement to be made for lilhng the Duke's place; 
 in which was mixed the business of Lord Castlereagh 
 and the Foreign Department ; namely, a new arrange- 
 ment of that, or for Lord \\\llesley to succeed to it. 
 That, in order to avoid, as far as jjossible, any incon- 
 venience from a rivalship between Mr. Perceval and 
 Mr. Canning, the former had proposed a third person, 
 in the House of Lords, to be at the head of the Treasury, 
 and himself to remain Chancellor of the Exchcqu(;r. 
 With \h\> Mv. Canning was not satisfied, and had 
 determined to retire ; which naturally led to an anxious 
 wish on the part of the remaining Ministers to ascertain 
 what line those more closelv connected with the 
 Government would pursue. Having listened atten- 
 tively to his Lordship's statement, I told him I had 
 in no instance in my life been taken more entirely by 
 surprise than in that ; as, with the excejjtion of the 
 short conversation I had with Mr. Bourne, at Bedfont, 
 I had not heard one syllable on the subject, nor, in- 
 deed, had entertain»d the remotest suspicion of any 
 change in the Government, beyond that already 
 alluded to in the War Dcj)artmcnt ; and a successor 
 being found for the Duke of Portland, whenever he 
 should retire, which, on the ground of his health, I 
 had lately thought could not be far off; and that, 
 on talking with my family on the latter event, before I
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 371 
 
 left Hanipsliire, I expressed a decided opinion that 
 the best thing that could possibly be done would be 
 to place either his Lordship or Lord Harrowby at 
 the head of the Treasury. But that, in the present 
 state of things, for myself, having been in confidential 
 intercourse with Mr. Canning (not then suggesting 
 that it had been confined entirely to one specific 
 point), the strong inclination of my mind was towards 
 resigning ; but that, in a case of so much importance, 
 I would take some time to consider of it, and would 
 not ultimately decide upon it till I could advise with 
 my son, whose future prospects in political life might 
 probably depend upon the line now to be taken by 
 me, and to whom I had written in a manner likely 
 to induce his coming up. 
 
 I then went to Mr. Perceval, from whom I had the 
 same sort of narrative, somewhat more in detail. I 
 learned from him that Mr. Canning had an objection 
 to a third person, from the House of Peers, being at 
 the head of the Treasury, as Mr. Perceval admitted 
 that, in such case, he, as Chancellor of the Exchequer, 
 must have more power, as derived from patronage, 
 than he has hitherto had, which would give him 
 a more decided lead in the House of Commons, and 
 leave him (Mr. Canning) in a more inferior relative 
 situation there than he ought to be placed in. Li the 
 course of the conversation, I understood Mr. Perceval 
 that Mr. Canning had given him an expectation that 
 he woidd not oppose the Government on his retiring 
 from office. Mr. Perceval then expressed great anxiety 
 to know what I should do, to which I answered exactly 
 
 B B 2
 
 372 DIAIUKS AND COKKK.Sl'ONDKNCi: OF 
 
 as 1 had done to Lonl Jiatlmr.st. llo seciiu-d atVoctcd, 
 and laiiu'iitrd in strong terms that he had lost Mr. 
 Bourne, and was Hkely to lose me.' 
 
 On my return iiome, I found a letter from Mr. 
 Canning, desiring mc to dine vif/i him fhn ncAt dot/, 
 at Cdouccster Lodge. 
 
 ISdti/rdat/, Srptfin/ji'r 10///. — Being desirous of learn- 
 ing all I could, that ought to inthunce my conduct, 
 before the post wtnt out, in order to make a full com- 
 nuniication to mv faniiiv in the country, I went out to 
 Mr. Canning in the morning, who, in the course of 
 two hours, went through everything that had passed 
 from the spring, referring to former conversations on 
 the subject of the War Dipartment, and Lord Castle- 
 reaii;h and Lord WelK'skv as connected therewith : 
 complaining nmch of the delay that had taken place in 
 that arrangement. But the principal ground of com- 
 plaint made by him was, that Mr. Perceval had pre- 
 vailed with the Duke of Portland to resign without any 
 previous concert with him, which had produced the 
 present embarrassment, partly by mi.xiiig the other 
 arrangement with it, which ought to have been settled 
 some time ago, separately and unconnected with any- 
 thing else, but principally from the difficulty of filling 
 the Duke's place. That he (Mr. Canning) was per- 
 suaded there should be a Minister, not an elective owe, 
 
 ' At this time he certainly knew nothing of Mr. Huski.sson's 
 intention of quitting the Secretaryship of the Trea.sury. In the 
 conversation, I told him distinctly that in any arrangements he 
 could make for a strong Government, my office (even in the event 
 of my not resigning now) would most cheerfully be given up to his 
 disposal.
 
 Q'TQ 
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 37' 
 
 and that that Minister should be in the Honse of 
 Commons ; that he was aware Mr. Perceval would not, 
 indeed could not, yield that situation to him ; and, on 
 the other hand, it could hardly be expected he should 
 yield it to Mr. Perceval. That in such a dilemma, 
 therefore, the only resource was for him to resign. I 
 first mentioned to him what I understood from Mr. 
 Perceval yesterday, respecting his (Mr. Canning's) 
 intention of not opposing the Government, thinking 
 it material there should be no misconception on that 
 point between them ; and he assured me he had held 
 out no such expectation, having confined himself to 
 general assurances of good-will towards Mr. Perceval, 
 and of taking no off'ensive course in matters which 
 personally interested the King. I then told him 
 plainly that I thought he had taken a very wrong 
 course, reminded 4iim of conversations, in the last two 
 years, of mine, dissuading him from thinking of 
 placing himself at the head of the Treasur}^, and 
 related to him the opinion I had expressed to my 
 family in the country of my opinion as to Lord 
 Harrowby or Lord Bathurst being at the head of the 
 Treasury, to avoid the consequences of rivalship 
 between himself and Mr. Perceval. I assured him, 
 however, that my inclination was to take my line with 
 him, and, at his desire, I took away with me all the 
 papers which had passed in the correspondence 
 between himself, the Duke of Portland, Lord Liver- 
 pool, and Mr. Perceval. I stated to him, however, in 
 the clearest and strongest terms, my attachment to 
 the King, for favours received and kindness repeatedly
 
 'M \, DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 experienced, and the reluctaiiee I should fetl in {K)ing 
 anything that wouhl in any degree (hstress his 
 Majesty ; who, independently of all [ursonal con- 
 siderations, was entitled, in the present state of things, 
 to the steadiest attachment that could he manifested 
 to him. Mr. I iammond, the Undersecretary of State, 
 brought me in his carriage, and was the Ixiuvr of 
 a letter to Mr. Perceval, e\})laining his intintions ns 
 to liis conduct out of ollice, in the manner lie had 
 <lonc to me, with respect to parliamentary support. 
 
 In the interval, l)etween mv return from ( iloucester 
 Lodge and going tliere again to dinner, I read as 
 many of the papers as my attendance at the Com- 
 mittee of Trade, and writing letters, would permit 
 me, which carried me down to the letter of Mr. 
 Perceval to Mr. Canning, of the 2sth of August, 
 which was the commencement of the correspondence 
 relative to the Duke of Portland retiring from otiice. 
 When I went back to dinner, I carried the whole of 
 the papers with me, but Mr, Canning insisted upon 
 my keeping them subserpient to where I had left off 
 ill the earlier part of the day. Mr. Charles l^agot, 
 the Under-Secretary, and Mr. Plaiita, Mr. Canning's 
 private secretary, dined with us. Soon after dinner, 
 the hitter withdrew, and Mr. Canning showed me Mr. 
 Perceval's answer to his letters respecting his intended 
 parliamentary conduct out of office, about which there 
 had been some misunderstanding by Mr. Perceval. 
 The conversation was confidential to a certain extent, 
 but led to no disclosure of who Mr. Canning expected 
 to act with him, as I repeated my determination not
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 375 
 
 to decide on my own conduct till I should see my son, 
 and my desire of reading the remainder of the papers. 
 
 Mr. Canning, and the two gentlemen who dined 
 with us, Avalked on with me to Hyde Park Corner, 
 where Mr. Bagot and I separated from ]\Ir. C, and 
 Mr. P. and I walked on to the top of St. James's 
 Street w^ith Mr. Bagot, who seemed desirous of learn- 
 ing whether the King had any disincKnatiou towards 
 Mr. Canning ; to which I answered that, as far as 
 I was capable of forming a judgment, I believed he 
 had not ; and I repeated to him, what I had said to 
 Mr. Canning, that I would take no determination till 
 I should see my son. He would, however, I am per- 
 suaded, infer from my conversation that the inclination 
 of my mind was decidedly towards Mr. Canning. 
 
 Sunday, September 17///. — I read the remainder of 
 the correspondence from the 28th of August through 
 with the most careful attention ; and the impression 
 left on my mind strongly was as follows : — That the 
 Duke of Portland's resignation was become necessary, 
 and that his family would not have been satisfied 
 with his longer continuance in office ; but that it had 
 been brouQ;ht about without sufficient communication 
 with ]\lr. Canning, who had, some months ago, had 
 some discussions with his Grace on the subject ; some 
 assignable difficulty also appeared to have interposed 
 as to an increase of power to Mr. Perceval under a 
 new First Lord of the Treasury, which would neces- 
 sarily give him some further pre-eminence in the 
 House of Commons. But the important point to 
 which the breach that had unhappily taken place was
 
 870 DIAUIKS AN I) CORRESPONDKNCE OF 
 
 to be imputed, was; the claim of Mr. Canning to ho 
 the leader of tlie House of Commons, attainaljle only 
 by his being First Lord of the Treasury. Just as 
 I had finislied reading these papers, and taking full 
 notes from them, my eldest son eanie into my njom 
 from Southamj)ton, into whose liauds I put tliese 
 notes, and afterwards gave him as faithful a narrative 
 as I could of ail that had j)assed with tlic different 
 ministers I had seen. lie had formed an oj)ini(iu, 
 previously to ids having left tiie country, that I siiould 
 not resign, in which Mr>. ivose, my younger son, 
 my daugliter, and Mrs. George liose, all concurred 
 iieartilv, from the statements made to them in letters 
 from nu' of the 15(11 and Ulth ; in which opinion he 
 was not shaken by having read the papers now, (jr 
 rather the notes I had made from them, which were 
 very full. My judgment coincided with his ; but the 
 partial confidence I had been in with .Mr. Camiing, 
 though on a matter entirely distinct from and uncon- 
 nected with this, put my feelings in a painful state 
 of conflict with my judgment. In this state, with- 
 out having had ns full and satisfactory a di.scussion 
 with my son as I wished, T went to dine with 
 Lord Bathurst, to settle finally our official letters 
 to Mr. Canning on the subject of the Brazil Treaty 
 which I liad written yesterday. Lord Ilarrowby 
 came in to dinner : and the onlv conversation about 
 matters depending was my saying that if I followed 
 the dictates of my inclination it would be, that 
 having had the misfortune (one I hoj)cd never to 
 have witnessed) to see a division of Mr. Pitt's friends,
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 377 
 
 to retire altogether, and to take no part with either. 
 Tlicy carried me to .Downing Street in the evening, 
 wliere there was a Cabinet, on my way home. 
 
 I found my son at home, and went through with 
 him every circumstance that had occurred, and all 
 the bearings upon it ; which more and more satisfied 
 my judgment that I was not at liberty to indulge my 
 feelings by a resignation of my office. 
 
 Monday, September \Wi. — Having reflected most 
 seriously, with the most attentive care, during a 
 sleepless night, on the whole subject, giving the 
 fullest consideration in my power to what line Mr. 
 Pitt would have wished me to take if he had been 
 living, and in a state unable to mix in political con- 
 cerns, / decided against resigning my office ; and then 
 set out to communicate that to Mr. Canning, but in 
 the Green Park was overtaken by a violent storm of 
 rain, my son with me, that compelled us to take 
 shelter under the trees between the wall of the 
 Queen's garden and Constitution Hill, till near twelve 
 o'clock, when it was too late to expect Mr. Canning 
 would be foimd at home ; I therefore determined 
 to give up seeing him till to-morrow. 
 
 At the Board of Trade I met Lord Bathurst, who 
 expressed some anxiety to know whether I had made 
 up my mind on the point about which he and his 
 colleagues were so anxious ; and my answer was, that 
 I would first communicate that to Mr. Canning before 
 I did to any one else. We then transacted the 
 ordinary business of the Board, and I returned home. 
 Some time after that, his Lordship called upon me, to
 
 :}78 DIARIES AND COKIIKSPONDKNCK ol 
 
 say tliat it was of importance the Ministers slioiilil 
 know my determination ///r//, pressing me closely to 
 decide ; on which I said, it' I mnst thru do so, he 
 would take my determination tor resignation ; that I 
 was aware it might he material to them to be at 
 a certainty about all persons nearly connected with 
 the Goyernment, but that no consideration shonld 
 induce me to declare inv intentions untd 1 should sec 
 Mr. Canning. His Lordship then asked nie if they 
 might hope it was fayourable to their wish ; and 
 1 replied 1 woiiM not drop a hint eyen of what 
 it was: consecpiently, I should have not the slightest 
 ground of complaint if Mr. iVrceyal acted as if he had 
 my resignation. 
 
 Tncsddjl, Srjjtntihrr Vdl/i. — 1 went out to .Ml. 
 CaiHiing at Gloucester Loilge, aiul communicated to 
 him niv purpose of not seiuling in my resignation, at 
 which hr was a irood deal att'ected, but much more so 
 at parting. The point on which I princijially rested, 
 \yas the impossibility of my being a party to his 
 breaking up the Goyernment on motiyes of personal 
 ambition, — throwing the King, as far as depended 
 upon him, on those who woidd be likely to deal 
 hardly with him, to afford cause of trium[)h and exul- 
 tation to the Jacobins, &c. ; detailing my reasons on 
 each head, and assuring him most truly that I had 
 taken mv line with infinite reluctance. He airain 
 attempted, unsuccessfully, to justify his conduct to me ; 
 obserying, that if he had acquiesced in the appointment 
 of a third person, he should haye given up the lead in 
 administration almost for ever, as Lord Bathurst or
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 370 
 
 Lord Harrowby were very little older tlmn himself : — 
 that he had no desire to suppress Mr. Perceval; on 
 the contrary, he had proposed his being made a peer 
 and President of the Council, with the Duchy of 
 Lancaster for life ; and still insisting that the latter, 
 by driving on the Duke of Portland to a resignation,^ 
 had produced these difficulties, as his Grace might 
 just as well have continued their nominal head, as he 
 had for some time past. At the close of the conver- 
 sation we parted, without a syllable having fallen from 
 liim in the course of it that conveyed the slightest 
 shadow of blame on me for any part of my conduct ; 
 but he took leave of me in the most affectionate manner 
 possible. I should have observed that he for the first 
 time expressed some surprise at the Ministers having 
 taken it for granted that he had resigned; though his 
 letter to the King by no means expressed that, but 
 submitted propositions to his Majesty on which he 
 had not received any communication of his pleasure, 
 either from himself or from the Duke of Portland. 
 
 ^ It will be seen in Lord Bathurst's letter to me, of Wednesday, 
 the 2()th, that he says, — " That after the Duke's fit had shown how 
 impossible it was for him to continue Minister ; and, after the ex- 
 planation between Perceval and Canning, in which the latter gave 
 him to understand that he would admit of no third person, Canning, 
 without communication with Perceval, wrote to the Duke, calling 
 upon him to execute immeiliatchj the change in the War Department. 
 The Duke sent that letter to Perceval, asking his advice, and it was 
 in answer to that letter that Perceval advised him to resign, as by 
 that measure it was possible the change in the War Department 
 might bo made palatable amongst other arrangements incidental to the 
 Duke's resignation. And the next day when the Duke came to 
 town, he explained to his Grace what might possibly be the conse- 
 quence of his resignation. It was not until after this explanation, 
 and having seen Canning also, that the Duke resigned.
 
 380 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCK OF 
 
 That 111' (lid not consider hiiusclf out of otiico ; — so far 
 from it, he slioukl call ii Cahiiict this day, and meet 
 his collea^MCS as usual. That it was not liis incli- 
 nation to oppose the new Administration, hut that he 
 liad heard it was the intention of the present Ministers 
 to run at him, and that if they should do so lie would 
 make inveterate war upon them, which he had the 
 means of doin^, from the Convention ' of Cintra 
 (resting nmch u[)on that) downwards. That he had 
 refused seeing Lord C'hatham, who he supposed had 
 grievances against the Ministers, till after the meeting 
 of the Cabinet, and he luul seen the King. 
 
 On my coming to town, I met Lord Batliur>t at 
 the Committee for Trade, and then communicated to 
 him my resolution not to resign ; at which he expressed 
 his own satisfaction in terms and in a manner that 
 astonished me, and said he knew that his eolhagues 
 would feel not less delight at it. I explained to him 
 that I had not delayed till then to do it from a wish 
 to conciliate Mr. Canning to the measure, as I had 
 stated to that gentleman my tixed determination to 
 that end, at the very opening of the conversation 
 with him; and had ac(inainted my own family with it 
 by yesterday's post ; but that I had a feeling towards 
 
 ' Respecting that transaction itself, he certainly had jn.st and strong 
 ground of complaint against his colleagues. He was in Leicestei>hire 
 when the account of it arrived, and, without waiting for his opinion 
 on the subject, they sent off the son of Sir Hugh Dalrymple, who 
 brought the account, with an unqualificl approbation of the measure ; 
 and Mr. Canning arrived in town just in time to have Captain Dal- 
 rymple stopped by telegraph on the road to Plymouth, and brought 
 back to London, when a qualified censure was expressed on the 
 Convention.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 381 
 
 liiiu which hiduced me to be desh"ous of making the 
 communication to himself before I did to any one else 
 whatever. 
 
 After the strongest and warmest expressions of 
 satisfaction on the part of his Lordship, he went 
 on to say, that as a proof of what he felt on the 
 occasion, he would no longer have any sort of reserve 
 with me ; and then told me, that finding Mr. Canning 
 bent on breaking up the Administration, they had 
 turned their attention in every direction as to how they 
 might strengthen themselves, and mentioned an over- 
 ture to the Speaker, which he had declined. On which 
 I observed that I was confident that that would not 
 have done, and was persuaded that nothing short of a 
 junction with Lord Grey and his friends, with whom 
 I feared must be joined Lord Grenville and his friends 
 (as the two would not be separated), could afford a 
 hope of a strong Government. In this he concurred, 
 and told me it was meant to be tried ; for which pur- 
 pose Mr. Perceval was going to Windsor, to ascertain 
 whether the King could be brought to approve of the 
 attempt being made ; of which there was some doubt, 
 as his Majesty entertained an insuperable dislike to 
 Lord Grenville, though lie would not object to Lord 
 Grey. I observed, that unfortunately the King had 
 no choice, but to decide whether he would permit 
 Mr. Perceval to try what he could do by treating with 
 Lord Grenville, or wait to be compelled to treat with 
 his Lordship in his own person. Lord Bathurst con- 
 sulted me in the most confidential manner on several 
 points likely to arise in the progress of the discussion
 
 382 DIARIES A\D CORRESPONDKNCK OF 
 
 between tlie parties — and mciitioiKHl many tliinf^.s 
 that liad oceurred in tlic intercourse with Mr. Can- 
 ning. Amongst others, tliat the hitter had suggested 
 to the Duke of l\)rthuul, by way of satisfying Mr. 
 Perceval, that he shouUl be made Lord Chancellor ; 
 which the Duke, in the simplicity of his heart, had accord- 
 ingly proj)()sed to the Chancellor, who was outrageous 
 at it. That the King said he liad made such con- 
 cessions to Mr. Canning, unprecedented to any subject, 
 as would be hij/hly uncrrditaUc lo him if t/irt/ should 
 evn- he knoicfi : and was therefore certainly not likely 
 to make any more. That Mr. Iluskisson adheres to 
 Mr. Canning; and that Mr. Long had desired his 
 office might be considered as at their disposal, under 
 a conviction that they could not make a Government. 
 That he (Lord llithurst) considered himself out of 
 office, as he was persuaded his would be wanted in the 
 arrangement. That l^ord Liverpool was desirous of 
 giving his up to Perceval if the latter should not 
 continue Chancellor of the Lxchecpier; and Lord 
 Castlereagh being out of otHce, I conjecture there will 
 be disposable three Secretaryships of State, Secretary- 
 at-War, and probably the Presidentship of the Council, 
 Lord Camden, and the Privy Seal, Lord ^Vestmoreland. 
 Why not the Admiralty, Lord Mulgrave?— Wellesley 
 Pole very firm, but doubtful about his brother the 
 ALinpiis; who most likely will attach himself to Mr. 
 Canning, in consequence of the stand he has made for 
 him. Mr. Yorke extremely eager, but still restrained 
 by his brother Lord llardwicke. 
 
 Lord Bathurst told me that Mr. Canning's letter
 
 THE IIIGHT nON. GEORGE ROSE. 383 
 
 to the King last week was not a resignation, but 
 conveying an intimation that if he had his Majesty's 
 approbation he could form an Administration ! ! Which 
 explains his expressing surprise at his having been 
 considered to have resigned. 
 
 Wednesday, September 'IWi. — In the Mornivfj 
 Chronicle of this day they say confidently that the 
 only changes in contemplation are of persons in the 
 Cabinet to new situations ; and that Mr. Canning is 
 to go to the Admiralty, which has long been the 
 object of his ambition. 
 
 Lord Bathurst did not come down to Whitehall 
 to-day, as he was to go to the levee at the Queen's 
 house. He therefore wrote to me to say that the 
 proposition for treating with Lord Grenville was 
 received less ill than was apprehended ; that nothing 
 decisive was said ; from whence it was conceived to 
 be clear that the advice would be accepted. Perceval 
 was very graciously received, and the overture to 
 Mr. Canning wholly rejected. 
 
 I saw Mr, Long on a Pay-Office business, who 
 confirmed to me the account I Ijefore had of his 
 resignation, and said he had liad no communication 
 whatever with Mr. Canning. 
 
 Thursday, Sepfember, '2>\st. — On going to the Office 
 for Trade, Sir Stephen Cotterell told me, there had 
 been in the morning a duel between Lord Castlereagh 
 and Mr. Canning, and that the latter was wounded, 
 not dangerously, in the upper part of the thigh. 
 
 Lord Bathurst acquainted me that he had yester- 
 day communicated to the King my determination, to
 
 381 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OK 
 
 which I was greatly influenced by personal attach- 
 ment to his Majesty, and tliat I had been very much 
 led to and supported in that decision hy my eldest 
 son, warnilv countenanced by the rest of niv tainilv ; 
 at which his Lordship assured me his Majesty had 
 expressed the hii^hest sense of gratitieation, dwelling 
 with peculiar satisfaction on the attachment (»f my 
 son and family to him. The Kinj^ has not acceded 
 to any overtures being made to Lord Grenville, under 
 an impression that a Government may be formed by 
 Mr. Perceval and liis rcmainin'' colh'ac'ues : a vision- 
 ary expectation certainly, but not an unnatural one 
 for his ^L^jesty to entertain, from his extreme dislike 
 to Lord Ci., and still more froin having had positive 
 assurances from Mr. Canning that /le could, and 
 would, undertake to form a Government without 
 having recourse to Lord Grenville ; in which 1 can 
 hartlly conceive it possible he could be sincere,' 
 because he could not expect any of his present 
 colleagues to make a part of it, and he had no other 
 quarter to look to, except Lord Sidmouth's friends, 
 with whom he was at irreconcilable enmity, as Lord 
 Grey is inseparable from Lord Grenville. These 
 particulars tin- King could not have entered into; 
 and Mr. Canning having made such an ofl'er, it is not 
 surprising that it should produce an eflcct on his 
 Majesty's mind ; and the mischief occasioned by it 
 may be difficult to be removed. The King, however, 
 
 ' This may have been to get the negotiations into hia hands ; and 
 then to have made that available to his views,— by being a principal 
 in it.
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 385 
 
 put aside entirely that offer of Mr. Canning's, and 
 treats Mr. Perceval with the most perfect cordiality. 
 
 In the Park, as I was getting on horseback, I met 
 Lord Lonsdale, who arrived in town only half-au-hour 
 before, having travelled from Lowther in two days on 
 hearing of the breaking-up of the Government from 
 Lord Camden, Lord Mulgrave, and Mr. Long. I 
 mentioned to him the immediate cause of the mischief, 
 leaving him to collect particulars from others. The 
 conversation lasted full three-quarters of an hour, 
 walking up and down the Mall, and he coincided com- 
 pletely in my view of matters. I then went out to 
 Mr. Canning's, where I saw Mr. Charles ElHs, who had 
 been his second in the duel, on Mr. Henry Wellesley 
 having declined to go with him, who told me that 
 Lord Yarmouth had brought a letter to Mr. Canning- 
 yesterday morning, in which Lord Castlereagh re- 
 capitulated all that he had lately learned had passed 
 relative to his removal from the War Department, 
 and resting his ground of complaint principally, and V'ij-^'*" x. 
 almost exclusively, on the concealment from his Lord- 
 ship of the whole transaction and everything con- 
 nected with it till after the expedition to Walcheren 
 was over ; concluding with a positive call upon him 
 for the only satisfaction he could receive. In the 
 afternoon, Mr. Ellis went to Lord Yarmouth, and in 
 a conversation of an hour and a half explained all the 
 circumstances that had occurred, to show that the 
 concealment (the only important groimd of complaint 
 insisted upon) was not in the remotest degree imputa- 
 ble to Mr. Canning. On a report of which, however, to 
 
 VOL. II. c c 
 
 v/L-v"
 
 38(> DIAUIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 Lord Castlereagh, the meeting ^vas still insisted upon. 
 Accordingly the parties met tliis morning. W hen 
 the parties reached the ground, Mr. llllis explained 
 a further circumstance, to show tliat Lord Camden 
 (the near relation of Lord Castlereagh) had imder- 
 taken positively to explain to the latter all that was 
 necessary respecting the arrangement connected with 
 the Foreign Department ; but it was inefieetual ; 
 Lord Yarmouth attending Lord Castlereagh, and Mr 
 Charles Ellis Mr. Cannini;. The second of the latter 
 said to the other, that as the j)rincipals could not be 
 there to seek each other's blood, it would be desirable 
 to take the usual distance, to wiiich Lord Yarmouth 
 agreeing, twelve paces were measnred ; and it was 
 then settled the parties should fire together. On the 
 first fire both esca})ed. Mr. I'^llis tlu^n said to Lord 
 Yarmouth he supposed enough had been done, but 
 that it must be as Lord Castlereagh wished, as Mr. 
 Cannincr came there onlv to satisfy him. Lord Yar- 
 mouth then talked with Lord Castlerea2;h, and ad- 
 dressing himself to Mr. KIlis said there must be 
 another shot, after which he should leave the ground, 
 as he would not witness any further proceedings. 
 The ])arties then fired together a second time, and 
 Mr. Canning was wounded in the flesh of the upper 
 part of tlie thigh, the ball passing through ; after 
 whicli he walked to a cottage near the spot, where 
 Mr. Home, the surgeon, was waiting, having been 
 engaged for that purpose by Mr. Ellis last night — 
 and then went home. 
 
 Having been mformed fidly of everything that led
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 387 
 
 to the proposal by Mr. Canning of a part of the 
 business in the War Department being transferred 
 to the Foreign, or for Lord Wcllesley to succeed to 
 the former, I have as clear a conviction as I can have 
 on any point, that Mr. Canning is absolutely blame- 
 less on any point that should have given ground of 
 offence to Lord Castlereagh. He had long, and 
 repeatedly, urged a communication of all that was in 
 agitation to his Lordship ; and no delay respecting it 
 could be fairly imputed to him. 
 
 In the Park, on my return, I met Lord Westmore- 
 land, who expressed great satisfaction at having heard 
 that I did not mean to resign. And he congratulated 
 himself very much on his good fortune in not having 
 heard a syllable till last week of the intended arrange- 
 ment of the War Department, which had led to this 
 breach in the Government ; which, in truth, had 
 nothing ivhatever to do ivith it, except in hastening 
 the resignation of the Duke of Portland, which could 
 not have been delayed much longer; indeed, not 
 many weeks, as his Grace could not have met Parlia- 
 ment again as Minister. 
 
 On returning to the Board of Trade I learned from 
 Lord Bathurst, that the Duke of Portland, in perfect 
 simplicity of heart, had communicated to Mr. Canning 
 all that his colleagues had been doing to strengthen 
 themselves by applications to the Speaker, &c. ; 
 which he will, of course, not fail to communicate to 
 Lord Grenville. The natural consequence will in- 
 evitably be, his Lordship turning upon his heel 
 if any proposition shall be made to him, with an 
 
 cc 2
 
 388 Ul ARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 observation tlmt no application was tliouglit of to liiin 
 till every otlier iiad tailed ; and so the formation of 
 the new Government will probably fall exclusively into 
 his hands. In wlneh event it is perfectly dear that 
 I shall be within no j)ossibility whatever of being 
 included in the new arrangement : but 1 am so 
 entirely satistiexl with the determination I have taken, 
 that no human event ran sliakc my mind uj)oii 
 it ; nor would I alter it now to secure the tpiiet 
 possession of my otlice for life. The approbation 
 arising from !iiy reHections on all that has passed, — 
 sanctioned, supported, and strengthened by the con- 
 current opinions of all those most dear to me, — will 
 support me under severer political trials th;in T can 
 meet with, and will be a comfort to me under any 
 discij)line. 
 
 Fridai/, Srpfeinlx'r H^d. — Nothing of any impor- 
 tance occnrred this day ; but Lord l^athurst told me 
 he dined vesterdav with the Cabinet at the Duke of 
 Portland's, where he stayed three (piarters of an iiour 
 with his Grace after the others went away, in the hope 
 of learning from him how Mr. Canning had proposed 
 to form n Government but without much success ; as 
 he could get no further than Lord .Moira and Mr. 
 iluskisson! — the latter of whom the Duke thought 
 was to be brought forward to some considerable 
 station. Lord Bathurst is persuaded the Duke had 
 been no further intrusted with Mr. Canninij's secret. 
 But it is entirely certain that a regular offer was made 
 by him, as before observed, to form an Administra- 
 tion without Lord Grenvillo . — a most unequivocal
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 389 
 
 proof that he had not treated me with the smallest 
 share of his confidence respecting what has occasioned 
 his resignation. 
 
 I rode out to Mr. Canning's, and learned from his 
 servant that he is doing perfectly well. 
 
 Saturday, September 2'dd. — Went in the morning 
 to Woolwich, and embarked in the " Trinity Yacht " 
 for a sail down the river, or wherever the wind and 
 tide would take me. 
 
 Monday, September 25//^. — Returned in the evening 
 from Sheerness, wdiere I went in the Trinity yacht, 
 accompanied by Mr. Pelly and Mr. Lewin, two of 
 the Eider Brethren ; a strong gale of wind and very 
 foul weather having prevented our getting either to 
 Harwich or to the Downs. 
 
 I found on my table a letter from Lord Bathurst, 
 dated on Saturday, saying that Lord Liverpool and 
 Perceval were gone to Windsor that day, and that he 
 had little doubt, from what had passed yesterday after 
 he left mc, but that the King would authorize Perceval 
 to write to Lord Grey and Lord Grenville, to propose 
 forming an Administration on an extended basis. That 
 part of the Cabinet (those who have not resigned) have 
 concmTcd in advising a letter to be written to that 
 effect, the draft of which is to be submitted to the 
 King, and that there were two messengers to go down 
 to the King, in order to convey the letters without 
 delay. That it was his Majesty's letter of yesterday 
 which leaves little or no doubt that the message will 
 be sent by authority to-day ; but as it is possible 
 some fresh difficulty may be attempted from other
 
 390 DIARIES AND COHRKSrONDENCE OF 
 
 (jiiartcrs, his Lordsliij) desired I would not mention 
 the substance of this coniniunication. If the niessuire 
 goes, the sul)stanee of it will he notified, lie hoped, in 
 the papers on Monday (this day), as the pul)lic ouglit 
 not to be kept longer in suspense. 
 
 Found also on my tal)Ie, on my return, a letter 
 from .Mr. Hourne. Lord Malmcsbury had been with 
 liim, and left him on Saturday. 
 
 Tamduy, ticpicmher 2()///. — The King iuis agreed 
 to applications ])eing made to Lord Grey and Lord 
 Grenvill(\ and letters were sent to them accord- 
 ingly; but his Majesty has declared that he will have 
 no personal communication with either of tluMu till 
 the arrangements shall lie finally settled; to which 
 determination he will, I am persuaded, not be able to 
 adhere. Those two Lords very well know tjiat the 
 present Government cannot go on without consider- 
 able additional strength, and they cannot be ignorant 
 that sxich strength is to be looked for in no other 
 quarter. They will, thi'refore, almost to a certainty, 
 make their o\\n terms, and Lord Grenvillc will, 1 dare 
 say, insist upon settling those terms with the King 
 himself; or that Lord Grey shall do so, which, after 
 some ineffectual struggle, must be conceded. What- 
 ever shall happen, I am for a strong Government ; 
 which no personal consideration of any sort shall 
 induce me to throw any difficulty in the way of. I 
 wish, for the sake of the King, he may not be forced 
 into an arrangement that will be odious to him ; 
 which, if made by Lord Grenville, it will be, as his 
 Majesty has repeatedly told me in the course of the
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 391 
 
 last two years that his Lordship is even more offensive to 
 him than Mr. Fox ever was. I am anxious, also, for 
 the sake of the country, that the King shoukl not be 
 severely pressed on this occasion, from a conviction 
 that, if he should, the new Administration can have 
 no chance of being a permanent one; and I am per- 
 suaded that nothing can be more hazardous to the 
 public quiet and tranquillity than frequent changes 
 and weak Administrations. 
 
 Wednesday, September %ltli. — Lord Lonsdale having 
 called in Palace-Yard while I was out in the yacht, 
 and expressed an earnest desire to see me, I went to 
 Charles Street, and learned that he left town on 
 Sunday last. Lord Bathurst told me, however, that 
 his Lordship thought exactly as we did respecting the 
 necessity of forming a strong Government by a imion 
 with Lord Grey and Lord Grenville ; to attain which 
 he hoped there would be no hesitation in making 
 sacrifices on both sides. And on talking of the 
 probable line that would be pursued by different 
 persons, Lord Bathurst mentioned Henry Wellesley 
 as fixed to Mr. Canning's, by the latter having 
 appointed him some weeks ago to succeed Mr. Villiers 
 at the Court of Lisbon ! ! Such an appointment 
 might be necessary, considering the situation of 
 Marquis Wellesley at Seville, and Lord Wellington in 
 Portugal ; but some statement or explanation to me 
 was surely necessary, after what passed on the nomi- 
 nation of Mr. Villiers, who was named for the mission 
 without one single requisite quality for it, against 
 the fair and strong pretensions of my eldest son.
 
 392 DIARIES AND CORKESPONDEN'CE OF 
 
 This, althongli it would not have infliicnrcd the dctcr- 
 ininatioii I have lately taken not to resign with Mr. 
 Canning, certainly does not make me regret that 
 determination. 
 
 Thurndfu/, Srp/nnbcr 2^//i — Letters received this 
 morning l)y Mr. Perceval from liord Grey and Lord 
 Grenville, the former declining, in very gentleman-like 
 terms, but very positively, to come nj) lor the ])ur|)osc 
 of entering into a negotiation with the present 
 Ministers for forming an Administration; hut adding 
 that if the King had commanded his attendance, to 
 consult him independently of his present servants, he 
 should have felt it his duty to obey the command. 
 The persons to whom his Lordship wrote by return 
 of tlie messenger, were TiOrd Grenville, Lord Holland, 
 i\L-. Ponsonby, and Mr. Tierney. Lord Grenville's 
 answer was, saying drily, but civilly, that he should 
 come up immediately. His Lordship wrote to Lord 
 Grey and Mr. I'reemantle. Mr Thomas Grenville is 
 coming up with him; and from the persons he wrote 
 to, combined with other circumstances not likely to be 
 mistaken, there is the greatest reason to believe his 
 Lordship was desirous of endeavouring at least to form 
 a strong Government. It is not likely he can be pleased 
 or satisfied with Lord Grey having refused all inter- 
 course on the overture made to him without anv com- 
 munication whatever with him ; because coming to 
 London himself, he must naturallv have wished to meet 
 Lord Grey here, and to communicate with him. But 
 it is beyond all doubt that, whatever his feelings may 
 be in that respect, he will not treat separately from
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 393 
 
 Lord Grey. Thus they will ultimately constrain 
 the King to come into their terms, as I have been 
 persuaded from the beginning, but in a manner very 
 different from what I conjectured; for I certainly 
 imagined Lord Grey would have been found much 
 the most practicable of the two. It is understood 
 (perhaps only supposed) that he has said to Mr. 
 Tierney, that by holding back they shall obtain the 
 conditions they W'ish ; which is very likely to be the 
 case, but their prospect of making a permanent 
 Government cannot be a flattering one. 
 
 Friday, Sejjtember 2dt/t. — Lord Grenville arrived in 
 town ; and wrote a second letter to Mr. Perceval, 
 stating that he had come up in consequence of his 
 Majesty's commands, but that he thinks it impossible 
 to treat with the remainder of the present Cabinet to 
 form a Government, having in his recollection the 
 principles on which they came into the Administra- 
 tion ; but in making that declaration, he washes it to 
 be distinctly understood that he has no feeling whatever 
 of personal hostility. It is, however, beyond all doubt, 
 that the inducement for writing that letter must have 
 been the one he found on his arrival in town from 
 Lord Grey. If he had entertained the sentiments now 
 expressed ; or rather if he had formed the determina- 
 tion he is now acting upon, when he was in Corn- 
 wall, he w^ould certainly not have taken the trouble of 
 coming up 250 miles, merely to write from Camelford 
 House, in Oxford Street, what he might just as well 
 have written from Bocannoch. 
 
 Lord George Cavendish expressed this morning great
 
 .'JDt DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 regret at the rejection of the overture, aiul added that 
 lie tlioufjlit liis two friends liad acted very u/noisvli/. 
 
 Salurddff, Sep ton her 3()M. — I saw Mr. Perceval for 
 the tirst time since I took tht' determination not to 
 resifrii. He sliowed me the letter written to him l)y 
 the King, of tiie 2:2(1, a very long one, authorizing him 
 to make the overture to Lord Grey and Lord (Jren- 
 viilc ; very full, reasoning on the dillieult and critical 
 situation in which he is placed without any blame 
 upon himself ; referring generally to the past dilliculties 
 in his reign, and how he had met them ; with solemn 
 protestations that throughout he had never had any- 
 thing in his view but the good of his people, whose 
 real interest he had studied ; lamented in very ex- 
 pressive language his misfortune in being driven to 
 have recourse to tiiosc from whom he had icceived 
 injurious treatment, in terms of strong displeasure 
 against the leaders of the Opposition, referring more 
 l)articularly to the two peers; and sj)eaking in lan- 
 guage of the highest regard of the Duke of Portland, 
 for the manly part he had acted in coming forward at 
 his time of life, and in his state of health, to assist in 
 forming the present Government for his ])rotection ; 
 but admitted the absolute necessity of //i.s resignation. 
 His Majesty, in giving the authority to Mr. Perceval 
 and Lord Liverpool, to treat with Lord Grey and 
 Lord Grenville, stated his determination not to mix 
 personally in it ; but reserved to himself, when the 
 persons negotiating should have settled particulars, the 
 right of approving of, or dissenting from, any of those 
 he might think material. In more than one part of
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 395 
 
 the letter he pointed strongly at the clanger of his 
 being pressed by the new Government on the Catholic 
 question. The whole letter, which, of course, was 
 dictated to Colonel Taylor by the King, was written 
 with great energy and spirit, as the King's own used 
 to be on great and interesting occasions ; with much 
 fairness as well as firmness ; and, upon the whole, 
 would, if published, do incalculable good, except as to 
 the manner in which he speaks of the Opposition. 
 
 Mr. Perceval told me that, in the conversations he 
 had with the King, he dissuaded him earnestly from 
 calling upon his new Ministers, if they should come 
 into his service, to give any pledge against bringing 
 forward the Catholic question, as it would be utterly 
 impossible for them to do so without an absolute 
 abandonment of character with the public. That the 
 best security his Majesty could have in the present 
 state of things against that question being carried, 
 would be the mixture of those who must continue to 
 be against it being a part of the new Government. On 
 which hope the King at length agreed to rest ; but 
 gave strong assurances that he would rather abandon 
 the throne than consent to Catholic emancipation. 
 
 I had not much confidential information from Mr. 
 Perceval, except on the heads I have stated ; but I 
 conjecture, from some hints that dropped from him, 
 they are treating with Lord Melville, who, it seems, 
 has expressed his strong disapprobation of ]\Ir. Can- 
 ning's conduct, on the statement made to him by Mr. 
 Huskisson, who, having resigned with Mr. Canning, 
 would not put things unfavourably for him ; Lord
 
 39G DIARIES AND CORUESPOXDENCE OF 
 
 Melville at the same time professing a partiality for 
 Mr. Canning personally.* 
 
 Mr. Perceval represented to me strongly tlu' neces- 
 sity he felt we were untler of standing by the King in 
 the sitmition in which he is ])laced ; and the persuasion 
 he had that it was inlinitely hetter we should wait to 
 be beat in the House of Commons than to run from 
 our situation now as we did on the death of Mr. Pitt : 
 — on wliieh subject 1 am not so certain as he is, entir- 
 taining some doubt whether retiring now we could 
 not ailord the King a better protection than on being 
 driven out by a majority against us in Parliament, 
 especially considering the extreme ditliculty of tilling 
 the vacancies in the Cabinet. I know not even liow 
 a successor will be found for Mr. Iluskisson in the 
 Treasury. 
 
 Lord Bathurst and Lord Harrowby called on Mr. 
 Canning, coming in from "\Vind)U'don, lie havhig 
 desired to see the latter. The former probal)ly ac- 
 companying him to avoid any j)rivate conversation, 
 though it does not appear there could well have been 
 
 any. 
 
 SuncJai/, Ocfobrr \sf. — This day I have neither 
 seen anybody nor heard anything, as I remained 
 quietly at home, closely employed in arranging some 
 matters respecting prize agency likely to be of most 
 important use to the officers and men in the navy ; on 
 which I mean to make a representation to the Admi- 
 ralty to-morrow. 
 
 The freedom from all interruption afforded me 
 
 ' Mr. Canning married Lord Melville's niece.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 397 
 
 further opportunity for reflection on recent occui'- 
 rences, and on such as may be expected. 
 
 I have no information whatever, nor can form even 
 a probable conjecture of the intention of Mr. Perceval 
 and others, of the means they have in contemplation 
 for acquiring such additional strength as can enable 
 them to carry on the Government, or afford a pro- 
 bable chance of their doing so. It does not, indeed, 
 occur to me that any such are within their reach. 
 This persuasion fixes more deeply in my mind the 
 painful regret arising from the refusal of Lord Grey 
 and Lord Grenville to treat, or to have any intercourse, 
 on the formation of a new and a strong Government ; 
 especially as I am quite sure there would have been 
 concessions to them beyond any they can have formed 
 an expectation of. 
 
 The vacancies of the First Lord of the Treasury 
 and two Secretaries of State they know of. The 
 Chancellorship of the Exchequer would necessarily 
 have been immediately conceded to them.' One 
 Secretary of the Treasury vacant, and the other (the 
 confidential one) would certainly follow. Lord Liver- 
 pool's Secretaryship of State was, I know, agreed to 
 be given up ; that might, perhaps, have been expected 
 for Perceval. Lord Harrowby would have at once 
 
 ^ Of this concession Mr. Perceval never entertained a moment's 
 doubt. It would, indeed, have been quite impossible for him to 
 have held the office under Lord Gi'enville as the head of the Trea- 
 sury ; as he would certainly have brought back Mr. Wickham to 
 that Board, who had his confidence so entirely in his former 
 administration, that Lord Henry Petty, who was his Chancellor of 
 the Exchequer, was absolutely a cipher at the Board.
 
 398 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCi: Ol 
 
 given up the \udn\ Board, and Lord Batliiirst, the 
 Mint. The Privv Seal lickl bv Lord Wcstinorehmd 
 would have been made free with, without lie.sitati<jn. 
 Lord Miilgrave wouhl not, / .su/jjjo.se, have resisted 
 giving up the Achniralty. 
 
 Of Lord Chatliam's intentions, and the Chancellor's, 
 I know nothing; i)nt suppose they would adiicre to 
 their otliees as long as possible, under any circum- 
 stances. Lord Granville will, of course, vacate the 
 Secretaryship-at-War, to follow his intimate personal 
 friend. Ah'. Camiing, at whose instance solely he occu- 
 pied the situation. One Paymastership of the Forces 
 is vacant by the resignation of Mr. Long ; and my ollice 
 of Treasurer of the Navy, the best in the King's gift 
 out of the Cabinet. Mr. Perceval knows that the one 
 from me is most entirely at the KiiiLr's disposal, in anv 
 arrangement he can make for his ALijesty's service. 
 Here is a tolerably abundant crop for the Opposition ; 
 but I am quite certain that further sacrifices would 
 have been made without ditlieulty, to almost any extent 
 that could have been called for. 
 
 If Lord Melville and Lord Sidmouth shall be taken 
 into the Administration to give strength to it, my 
 situation will be a most painful and di.stressing one. 
 I cannot ?iow quit the Government, however it may be 
 formed, for the purpose of attording support to the 
 King ; at least, until it has taken a settled form ; and 
 not even then without a tixed determination to give it 
 every assistance in my power, in aid of the cause in 
 which they are embarking. But my dislike to the two 
 Viscounts last mentioned is insnperable ; for reasons of
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 399 
 
 a public nature, well known to my family, utterly un- 
 mixed with any personal consideration whatever. 
 
 Monday, October 2d. — A paragraph in the Morning 
 Chronicle of this day, respecting Mr. Canning's ap- 
 pointment of Mr. Bartholomew Frere to take charge 
 of the British interests at the Court of Spain, on the 
 departure of Lord Wellesley, led Lord Bathurst to 
 mention to me, that on Wednesday, the 20th of last 
 month, when Mr. Canning went in to the King on his 
 resignation, he acquainted his Majesty that the Mar- 
 quis, on his leaving this country, had left in his hands 
 a letter, desiring his recall in the event of Mr. Canning 
 retiring from office ; which he notified to his Majesty 
 in form, and obtained his permission to appoint Mr, B. 
 Frere to succeed him, pro tempore. Of which circum- 
 stance, so intimately connected with measures of the 
 highest importance to the national prosperity, and 
 the carrying on of Government from day to -day, he 
 said not one word to any one of his colleagues ; nor 
 would they have known anything of it at all, but 
 from the fact of Mr. Perceval accidentally going 
 in to the King after Mr. Canning. But that was 
 not all. Mr. Canning actually despatched the letters of 
 recall to Lord Wellesley the next morning, and they 
 would have reached his Lordship without a syllable 
 from any other human being — at least, from any one 
 connected with the Government — but for Mr. Perce- 
 val's discovery above alluded to, which induced Mr. 
 Wellesley Pole, brother to the Marquis, and Secretary 
 to the Admiralty, to detain the vessel going to Spain 
 for twenty-four hours ; and then Lord Bathurst wrote
 
 lOU DIARIES AND COllUESPONDEN'CE OF 
 
 to tlic iMiiniuis (anil, prrliaps, others also), to express 
 a hope that he would not ttuddcnly quit his mission at 
 so critical a period as this. 
 
 It is impossible here to avoid expressing the utmost 
 astonishment at this proceeding of Mr. Calming, 
 keeping the secret of Lord Wellesley's retiring from 
 his mission to the latest moment, then communicating 
 it to the King onli/. Having met his colleagues in 
 cabinet the same day, before he went to the Queen's 
 House, and endeavouring to send off his despatch to 
 his Lordship, without giving any of the other ministers 
 an oj)portunity of writing by the same opportunity, 
 aj)pears to be irri'concilable to the plain duty of a 
 public man. Such a general delegation seems extra- 
 ordinary on the part of Lord Wcllesley, to give in his 
 request to be recalled in case of Mr. Canning's resig- 
 nation, whatever imtjhl he the (/round of that ! ! The 
 manner of Mr. Canning availing himself of such a 
 delegated power, and the exercise of it, are no less 
 cxtraordinarv- To recall a foreif^n minister in the crmn 
 of a negotiation, is a very diilrrent thing from the 
 retiring of a minister at home. The place of the 
 latter may be supplied at once, and being only one 
 of a Cabinet, no serious inconvenience would be likely 
 to result from the change. But the case is very dif- 
 ferent where the whole weight of responsibility rests 
 on a single individual ; especially w here the mission is 
 to a fluctuating and precarious authority, like that of 
 the Junta at Seville. In the present instance there 
 is another powerful objection, in addition to these 
 considerations, to the measure of Mr. Canning ; that
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 401 
 
 it is the brother of the IVlarquis who is in the com- 
 mand of all the British forces in Spain, the supplies 
 and succours for which must depend in a great degree 
 upon the talents and energy of the British j\Iinister 
 with the Junta. 
 
 In the Morniufj Post of this day, and in other 
 papers, varying a little in words but not in substance, 
 is an account of the circumstances which occasioned 
 the duel between Mr. Canning and Lord Castlereagh ; 
 not accurate in all the details, but sufficiently par- 
 ticular to make it certain that it has been inserted by 
 some one informed of all that has passed on the 
 subject, giving a favourable turn to Mr. Canning's 
 conduct througliout. As to the immediate occasion of 
 the duel it was blameless. But this statement, per- 
 fectly uncalled for, is likely to occasion further dis- 
 cussions, which may be mischievous. 
 
 Tuesday, October 3f/. — Mr. Long saw Mr. Perceval 
 to-day, and agreed to remain in office. What has 
 induced him to this change of resolution I know not ; 
 possibly the declared opinion of Lord Lonsdale, who 
 brings him into Parliament. In his conversation with 
 Mr. Perceval, he deprecated the introduction of Lord 
 Melville into the Cabinet, as a measure likely to be 
 attended with the very worst consequences, both in and 
 out of Parliament \ by loss of support, in the first case, 
 and the public, in the latter, going the length of meet- 
 ings, addresses, &c. I think the mischievous effect out 
 of doors, by the impression on the public mind, would 
 be deeper and more felt than in Parliament ; but I 
 certainly have no wish to see the experiment made. 
 
 VOL. II. D D
 
 1,02 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 Mr. Sainut'l Thornton (Hank Director) called on me 
 in the evening, on coming in from the Quarter Ses- 
 sions in Surrey. 1 discussed fully with hiui all that 
 was passing, and lie approved entirely of the course 
 that was pursuing. He mentioned his relation, Mr. 
 Mills, member for Pontefract, as a man likely to be 
 useful in othce -. a remarkably eloquent young man, 
 
 certainly. 
 
 V'ednr/iilai/, Ocfobcr Ath. — Mr. r(>rreval kissed hands 
 
 as First \jon\ of the Treasury. 
 
 Mr. Perry, editor of the Morning Chronicle, said 
 Mr. Canning was fixed with the Opposition, and that 
 to-morrow he should have his full statement /// /tin 
 paper. No other arrangement settled to-day. 
 
 Thursday, October bfh. — Consultations going for- 
 ward about filling the difi'erent oHices. An offer 
 lias been sent to Lord Wellesley, either to continue 
 in Spain, or take the Foreign Secretaryshij) ; someone 
 to hold that situation till the Manpiis's determination 
 shall be known. Lord Ilarrowby's health will not 
 allow him to take it even for that time. Lord Liver- 
 pool verv averse from taking it, on account of the 
 run made at him when he held the situation before. 
 Lord Bathiirst strongly disinclined to it. And the 
 point not settled to-day. Lord Ilardwicke has relaxed 
 from the positive prohibition he put on his brother 
 Charles Yorke's taking office a few months ago, when 
 the Secretar)ship-at-War was offered to him on Sir 
 James Pulteney quitting, which he would then have 
 accepted; and it is now in contemplation for him to be 
 Secretary for the Home Department. Mr. Robert 
 Dundas to have the War Department.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 403 
 
 Lord Chatham, yesterday, told Mr. Perceval that 
 Lord Sidmouth was determined to support him, in the 
 present emergency, without office ; which encouraged 
 the latter to think of making overtures to Mr. Van- 
 sittart and Mr. Bragge Bathurst ; on his mentioning 
 to do which this morning to Lord Chatham, he told 
 him drily he believed the Opposition had got hold of 
 him. 
 
 I dined with the Elder Brethren at the Trinity 
 House, and found only one sentiment prevalent there 
 approving of the exertions making to maintain an 
 Administration. 
 
 Mr. Canning had written a very strong expostula- 
 tory letter to Mr. Dundas, on his taking office, having 
 considered him as committed to make common cause 
 with him. 
 
 The Duke of Portland, who has been long ill, 
 thought to be in danger. 
 
 Received a letter from Lord Lonsdale, in flattering 
 terms to myself, warmly approving of what is doing. 
 
 Friday, October Qth. — Settled to-day that Lord 
 Bathurst shall take the Foreign Office till it is known 
 whether Lord Wellesley will accept it ; and Lord 
 Harrowby to come to the Board of Trade. 
 
 From conversation with an intimate friend of Lord 
 Wellesley, there is good reason to believe he will 
 take office, which may appear extraordinary after the 
 account of the letters he left with Mr. Canning, 
 authorizing him to desire his recall from his mission 
 whenever he (Mr. Canning) should resign. But from 
 the account given by the friend alluded to, who is in 
 
 D D 2
 
 101 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDKXCK OF 
 
 the most cut ire confidciice of Lord Wcllcslcy, it is 
 quite clear that the letter was ohtained from him by 
 management, and that he was not at ease respecting 
 his having written it ; and that, on leaving England, 
 he was uneasy on the subject, and even quitted the 
 kingdom with considerable reluctance. 
 
 Tiie Prince of Wales has written to the Marquis, 
 for the purpose of fixing him in a dcterniination to 
 return home, and act witli the nartv, from his lioval 
 llighiuss' wishes to form a (Jovernment. His Royal 
 Highness asked the friend of the Manpiis already 
 alluded to, how to forward his letter safely and 
 quickly, who advised him to send it to his brother, 
 ]\Ir. Wellesley Pole; to which the Prince re|)lied that 
 he would not trust him with it. Colonel Sydeidiam, 
 lately appointed a Commissioner of Excise, a gentle- 
 num very j)articularly in the confidence of the 
 Manpiis, is despatched to him for the purpose of 
 delivering letters from Lord Rathurst, sent to him 
 with oilers of the Foreign Secretaryship, Sec. and of 
 exj)laining personally the whole state of matters at 
 present. 
 
 Mv. Canning has sent to Lord Wellesley the letter, 
 often referred to, which he had deposited with him, 
 desiring to leave him at liberty to act as he should 
 think right ; but not till he had given a degree of 
 publicity to it, by having shown it to a number of 
 persons, and probably kept a copy of it. It now 
 appears, from the account of the Marquis's friend, 
 that Mr. Canning had communicated to his Lordship 
 the whole of the intercourse he had with the Duke of
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 405 
 
 Portland, and the King, respecting the removal of 
 Lord Castlereagh from his office ; or the lopping from 
 it much of its efficient business ; enjoining the Marquis 
 not to allow Lord Bathurst to know that the commu- 
 nication had been made to him ; — Mr. Canning having 
 told him (Lord Bathurst) that nobody but himself was 
 intrusted with it. [The whole, to the minutest detail, 
 had been stated to me by Mr. Canning, from the 
 time I had dined with him at Mr, Huskisson's, about 
 Easter]. 
 
 Saturdaij, October 1th. — ]\Ir. Carthew breakfasted 
 witli me, who was Mr. Pitt's Private Secretary in his 
 first Administration, and told me an intimate friend of 
 his assured him that Mr. Huskissou told him, on his 
 first coming to town lately, that he meant to take no 
 part in the disputes going forward, but to remain quietly 
 in his station at the Treasury, and do his duty ; which 
 was certainly not true, as he wrote from Sussex to Mr. 
 Perceval, stating his determination to resign. 
 
 Lord Sidmouth will give no encouragement to his 
 friends to accept office, unless he is himself taken 
 into the Administration ; which resolution is not much 
 to be wondered at, considering Lord Chatham was the 
 person who was to make the overture to him, devoted 
 as he is to his Lordship. 
 
 Colonel Sydenham, the person deputed by Lord 
 Bathurst and others to Lord Wellesley, lost his trunk 
 on his journey to Plymouth. Fortunately, his letters 
 were not in it. 
 
 Monday, October ^Ih. — Mr. Perceval offered me a 
 scat at the Board of Treasury for my son, accompany-
 
 406 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 ing tliat with an assurance that he made the proposal 
 with a view to his being a useful and aetive menil)er 
 of the lioard, and reheving him, to a cortaiu extent, 
 from the pressure of business there. 
 
 Immediately aftenvards, Lonl Batlunst, aware of 
 Mr. Perceval's oiler, tuld me that from the tirst men- 
 tion of his being Secretary of State, he had decided 
 (in the event of his taking the office) to propose to my 
 son to 1)0 his coniidential Under-Secretary ; that he 
 is, as before, noted, to hold the ottice only till it is 
 known whether Lord \\(llesley will accept it or 
 not; that he has aj)j)<)inted Mr. Hamilton, a first 
 courier of Lord llarrowby's, to be his otlicial Under- 
 Secretary, who was precis-writer under iiis Lordship 
 when Secretary of State, and acted for Mr. Hammond 
 while he was on a special mission to Berlin with Lord 
 Ilarrowljy. That he is willing to appoint my son 
 directly as the confidential one, leaving it to him and 
 nie to judge whether that should take place now in 
 the state of uncertainty of his own situation ; and 
 whether, in the event of Lord Wellesley accepting, my 
 son's appointment might not be the occasion of some 
 embarrassment to that noble Lord, who would feel 
 uncomfortable in removing a son of mine from a 
 situation of confidence, although he might have some 
 one who has been intrusted by him that he would be 
 glad to have with him again. 
 
 These offers, both very flattering to my son, and 
 comfortable to me, I have communicated to him, with 
 such obsei-vations as occurred to me, and advised his 
 coming up.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 407 
 
 Mr. Perceval's difficulty in filling Mr. Huskisson's 
 place in the Treasury seems not likely to be well got 
 over. Mr. Vansittart not attainable for it. He has, 
 it seems, declared that he would never return to that 
 secretaryship, conceiving that, as a Privy Counsellor, 
 he ought not to hold it. It is nearly certain that he 
 no longer considers himself as belonging to Lord 
 Sid mouth. It is therefore extremely probable his 
 father-in-law has transferred him to Lord Grenville, 
 as a better speculation, his Lordship having long since 
 declared his firm opinion that Lord Grenville was 
 more likely to be long Minister of this country than 
 any other person in it. Mr. Perceval has decided to 
 ofi'er Mr. Vansittart the Chancellorship of the Exche- 
 quer, to induce him to take office, and assist him 
 constantly in finance — a bribe that cannot obtain him, 
 if he has given himself up to Lord Grenville, and 
 much more than he is worth, either from talents or 
 experience ; and the very offer, if known, would afford 
 a most unequivocal proof of weakness. 
 
 Tuesday, October \^th. — Explained to Mr. Ryder 
 what had passed since my coming to town. 
 
 Suggested to Mr. Perceval the release from confine- 
 ment of as many of the Crown debtors as in prudence 
 should be thought advisable ; as exertions are making 
 in many counties to release persons confined for 
 moderate debts, on the 50th anniversary of the King's 
 accession, the 25tli of this month. 
 
 Wednesday, October Wth. — Mr. Canning resigned 
 the seals of the Foreign Secretary to-day, and Lord 
 Euthurst received them from the Khig.
 
 108 DIARIES AND COllULSl'ONDKNCE OF 
 
 Previous to the latter going to Court, he proposed 
 to Mr. Ciinniiinr to call on him at riloncester Lodge; 
 which Mr. C. declined, bv saving he woidd receive 
 Lord 1^ at the Foreign Oflice, which he did very 
 coldly, and in the most distant manner. 
 
 Mr. Wellesley Pole appointed Secretary to the 
 Lord-Jiientenant of L-eland, and Mr. Croker to succeed 
 him at the Admiralty ; the last aj)i)ointment not a 
 desirable one at all. He is an honourable man, I 
 believe, and certainly has talents, but there is a some- 
 thing belonging to him that makes me much regret 
 the selection.' 
 
 Mr. Arbuthnot, Secretan* of the Treasurv, tells me 
 that if his colleague, Mr. Huskisson, had not retired 
 from oHice, he is quite sure he would not have been 
 content to remain at the Treasury'! lie looked to 
 a higher situation. Mr. A. thinks to the Irish 
 Secretaryship. 
 
 Thursday, (Jctuhcr VZt/i. — Received a letter from 
 my son, in answer to mine of the 9th, conveying the 
 ofl'er to him from Mr. Perceval and Lord Pathurst, 
 stating his disinclination to the seat at the Treasury 
 Board, for reasons obvious to myself, and lamenting 
 that he had suffered so much in his health from his 
 attendance in Parliament in the last session, as to 
 convince him of the utter imj)0ssibility of his con- 
 
 ' Mr. Ai-buthuot say.s, it was positively made by Lord Mulgrave 
 exclusively. Captain Smith, of the Navy, whom I met at dinner, 
 a.ssured me Sir Rd. Riche.ston told him the nomination originated 
 with the Treasury. Lord Bathurst since assured me that the nomina- 
 tion was Lord Mulgrave's.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 409 
 
 tinuiiig that in the next session, and performing the 
 official duties of an Under-Secretary of State also. 
 
 In the afternoon he arrived in town, and confirraed 
 personally what he wrote, which I communicated to 
 Lord Bathurst by a letter in the evening. 
 
 I find Mr. Yorke's acceptance of office is again 
 uncertain ; that Lord Hardwicke is not yet entirely 
 consenting to it, and perhaps some doubts are hanging 
 in his own mind. 
 
 Friday, October \Wi. — This morning, my son 
 stated to me that, upon reflecting upon the offer 
 Avhich had been made to him, he was disposed to try 
 whether he could go through the double duty of an 
 attendance in the House of Commons, and in the 
 Secretary of State's office ; on which I said not one 
 word, either to encourage him to such a trial, or to 
 dissuade from it. I carefully concealed from him also 
 the deep mortification I felt at the doubt in his own 
 mind, utterly unexpected by me, 2jainful cuid distress- 
 ing in the extreme, on account of the cause which led 
 to it ; and as disappointing the expectations formed 
 of some advantages he would derive from the Ions: 
 and arduous labours I had undergone, to give him 
 some political consideration in his country. In a 
 long conversation with him at breakfast, he expressed 
 to me an intention of saying to Lord Bathurst, that if 
 his answer might be deferred for a few days, he would 
 think more maturely on the subject, and consult his 
 Avife upon it, after which he would connnunicate his 
 decision to his Lordship j which, in an interview with 
 his Lordship, he told him accordingly, and was assured
 
 410 JJIARIES AND CORIIESPONUEN'CE OF 
 
 by liini that it would not put hiiu to tlic slij^litest 
 iuconvcniciice if \\c did not receive the answei* for 
 eight or ten days. 
 
 This morning appeared in tlie Morning Chronicle 
 Mr. Canning's statement of the occurrences respecting 
 Lord Castlereagh, the insertion of wliicli in tliat 
 paper first, is strongly symptomatic of Mr. Canning's 
 future intention as to the part he will take; ; esjje- 
 cially as the edit(H' saiil, a iVw days after Mr. 
 Canning's public declarations of his intention to 
 resign, that he should have the narrative to insert in 
 his paper. 
 
 We dined at the East India J)oek, with Lords 
 Bathiirst, Liverpool, llarrowby, and .Mulgrave, and 
 Mr. Perceval. 
 
 Saturday, Oclobcr Wlh. — My son returned to 
 ILampshire ; and I went to the Attorney-General 
 (Sir \'ickery Gibbs) at Hayes Common, where I stayed 
 till Monday ; riding on Sunday through and about 
 the grounds, at IluUwood, which again brought to my 
 recollection many scenes that had passed there ; but 
 led mc to reflect seriouslv and maturely on what Mr. 
 Pitt's opinions would have been, had he been living 
 and disabled from taking a share in public business ; 
 the result of which was a comi)lete approbation of the 
 course I have pursued. 
 
 Monday, October \Qith. — Lord ITarrowby reluct- 
 antly declined, from positive necessity, the Presidency 
 of the Board of Trade ; the whole labour, therefore, 
 must unavoidably fall upon mc. An attendance 
 daily of some hours, with a load of business, greatly
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 411 
 
 exceeding what fell to the lot of the Board of Treasury 
 in my time. 
 
 I dined at Lord Mulgrave's with the Board of 
 Admiralty, to discuss some points respecting my plan 
 for ensuring regular adjudication and speedy distri- 
 bution of the proceeds of prizes. 
 
 Wednesday, October \^th. — Nothing worthy of 
 notice occurred yesterday. At the Levee to-day, Mr. 
 Wellesley Pole kissed hands as principal Secretary for 
 Ireland, and Mr. Croker as his successor, as Secretary 
 to the Admiralty. I continue to think this last appoint- 
 ment, without any impeachment of the gentleman's 
 character, very much to be regretted. Mr. Dundas 
 did not kiss hands, as was expected, for the situation 
 of Secretary of State for the War Department. And 
 I heard, by mere accident from a private friend, that 
 Lord Melville is immediately coming to town, which 
 has the appearance of his throwing difficulties in the 
 way of his son's acceptance, unless he can be included 
 in the arrangement ! 
 
 Thursday, October 19M. — I sent over to Lord 
 Bathurst, at the Foreign-Office, a letter from my son 
 to him, agreeing to accept the office of his Under- 
 Secretary, in the event of his Lordship continuing to 
 hold the Seals of that department ; Avhich cannot be 
 ascertained till an answer is received from the Marquis 
 Wellesley. 
 
 In discussing political matters with my son lately, 
 he agreed with me that if the present Government 
 should be broken up (which has from the first attempt 
 to form it after the secession of Mr. Canning, &c.,
 
 112 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OP 
 
 seemed utterly uiiiivoitlible), it would, for the sake of 
 the country, be liighly desirable to give our best sup- 
 port to any Administration that ean be aj)i)()inted to 
 succeed, excej)t Mr. Wliitbread should have the 
 forujation of it. My son, therefore, on enclosing his 
 letter .sealid to Lord liathurst to me, very naturally 
 re(juested that if his arceptance of Lord Hathurst's 
 oiler was to occasion any end)arrassment on his future 
 conduct in that 'respect, I would in that case not lot 
 him be connnitted by his acceptance. To which I 
 answered distinctly, that no restraint of that sort, 
 or to that extent, could possibly be created by his 
 taking the office proposed to hiui, or indeed any 
 
 other. 
 
 Safurdai/, (Jctohcr 2h'/. — Dined willi Lord Ibirrow- 
 bv, and met Robert Dundas, but not a word passed 
 about political arrangements. 
 
 Moiulay, Octohrr 2S(/. — Soon after my coming 
 home from the Committee of Trade, I received a note 
 from Mr. Perceval, stating that he very much wished 
 to see me /fjjo/i particular fjusincas, at my earliest 
 convenience. I felt an alarm, at the moment, that 
 something unfortunate had happened to the King; 
 but, on going to Downing Street, Mr. Perceval in- 
 formed me he was eonunanded by the King to 
 propose to me to be Chancellor of the Exchequer, 
 with a scat in the Cabinet. Taken thus most com- 
 pletely by sm-prise, 1 did not hesitate to say, that if 
 I was expected to give au immediate answer, it would 
 most certainly be in the negative ; and that I did not 
 mean to convey to liiu), that there was the remotest
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 413 
 
 probability of that inclination of my mind being 
 altered by reflection in the interval between this and 
 to-morrow. At the same time, I felt it due to the 
 importance he chose to annex to my accepting the 
 office, not to refuse it abruptly; not leaving out of 
 sight, miquestionably, the duty I owed to his Majesty 
 in the present crisis, especially having in view the 
 gracious offer, in addition to all his former acts of 
 kindness, and adding, what I most sincerely felt, a 
 strong impression on my mind of what is fairly and 
 justly due to himself, in the arduous struggle in which 
 he is eno-ao-ed. 
 
 If either Lord Batlmrst or Lord Harrowby had 
 been placed at the head of the Treasury, and Mr. 
 Perceval removed to the Secretaryship of State, I 
 should not have declined the offer, because in that 
 case (however conscious I w^as of deficiency in public 
 speaking), I think I could have been most essentially 
 useful in the situation ; principally in the reduction 
 of tlie public expenditure, which I am persuaded is 
 become of absolute and indispensable necessity. Not 
 in the reduction of paltiy places and pensions, the 
 futility of which I shall show after Christmas, in a 
 short pamphlet I have already written, and shown to 
 Lord Harrowby, but in the great branches of public 
 expenditure. But in that respect, with IVIr. Perceval 
 at the head of the Treasury and in the House of 
 Commons, I can perhaps be more useful than if the 
 matter was in my own hands. Eifectual measures 
 of that description, I am most decidedly sure, are 
 positively necessary, and essential to the security
 
 411 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 and peace of tlic country, and even to the axis- 
 fence of the Government in wlionisoever it may ])e 
 vested. 
 
 To begin a new political career at my time of life, 
 now in my sixty-sixth year, by taking a Cabinet ofKce, 
 without being sure 1 should be able to prevail in 
 having such measures adopted as those to which I 
 have alluded; with a certainty therefore of respon- 
 sibility without ail<(|unte nuvuis of acting upon it, 
 would alone have decided me ; but various other 
 considerations crowd upon me, every one of which is 
 adverse to accepting the offer. 1 am certain too, 
 without assuming improperly any merit to mvselfto 
 which I am not justly entitled (not from talents, but 
 froju long experience and most assiduous attention), 
 that unless Lord l^ithurst shall return to the Com- 
 mittee of Council for Trade, my place there could 
 not be supplied without most serious disadvantaf^e 
 to the public ; and that infinitely more would be 
 lost by my removal from the department of Trade, 
 than would be gained by my assistance in that of the 
 Revenue. After having stated thus much on public 
 grounds, it is quite unnecessary to enter on private 
 inducements, every one of which has the same 
 tendency. 
 
 Tuesday, October 2^t/i. — 1 communicated to Mr. 
 Perceval personally my determination not to take the 
 office of Chancellor of the Exchequer, assigning to 
 him the reasons which operated in my mincl to lead 
 to that ; assuring him, at the same time, of my fixed 
 resolution to give him every possible aid in my power,
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 415 
 
 to which I thought him most justly entitled, both on 
 public and on private grounds ; considering the highly 
 honourable and moderate manner in which he had 
 conducted himself from the very beginning of this 
 unfortunate schism. 
 
 He told me that Lord Palmerston is to be Secre- 
 tary-at-War, and that Vansittart had refused to accept 
 any situation unless Lord Sidmouth is taken in. This 
 proves I was mistaken in supposing that Lord Auck- 
 land had attached him to Lord Grenville ; knowing, 
 however, that Lord as entirely as I do (I mean Lord A.) 
 I am persuaded he thinks he has a double security 
 himself with Lord Grenville ; which interest I know from 
 himself, he thinks the best in the country (for which 
 he left Mr. Pitt, who saved him from absolute want,) 
 and also his son-in-law with Lord Sidmouth, from 
 which something may come. 
 
 Mr. Perceval is not yet sure that Lord Melville will 
 allow his son to accept the situation of Secretary of 
 State for the War Department ! ! 
 
 And no successor is yet found for Mr. Huskisson as 
 Secretary to the Treasury. 
 
 Wednesday, October 2Wi. — The reflections I have 
 been led to make on the offer to me of the Chancel- 
 lorship of the Exchequer, have induced me on this 
 FIFTIETH anniversary of his Majesty's accession to the 
 crown of these kingdoms, to state in these notes, as 
 a record to those who shall come after me, what I am 
 persuaded is the true situation of the finances and 
 resources of this country, without exaggeration on the 
 one hand or concealment on the other.
 
 IKJ DIAUIKS AND CORRKSrONDKNTK OF 
 
 The total expense' of Great Britain, exclusive of Ire- 
 land, comjirehoutling interest and management of 
 (U-l)t, sinking fund, ct»lleotion of ruvonuo, and all 
 exiwnses for the service of the year, exceeds . . . j£83,0OO,0OO 
 
 And amounts, including the charge for Ireland, to . . 93,500,0(10 
 
 The supplies voted by Parliament for the current year 
 wore, for (Jreat Uritain il47,.'>H7,i KJO 
 
 And for Ireland . . . 6,273,000 
 
 r.3,800,OOO 
 
 The existing nv-ans of (Jrcat P>ritain to meet this ex- 
 penditure consist of till' on 11 nary disposable revenue 
 
 and the war-taxes. 
 
 The fonner, or in other words the revenue, which re- 
 mains unappropriated, after providing for the per- 
 manent charges, may Ihj estimated at the very 
 utmost, at il7,5<Kt,00O 
 
 The war-taxes, at 1H,0(X),0<X) 
 
 i:2.'i,.'K)0,000 
 
 Tlic latter cannot be estimated higher after the approi)riation 
 that has Ijcen made of a part of them. There will therefore re- 
 main to be supplied by a lutin, i,"22,0s7,(MKJ, in order to proviilo for 
 the next year's expenses at the rate of the present year, viz., 
 £47,r)87,(KM). 
 
 The interest and sinking-fumi on a loan of ^22,000,000, cannot 
 be reckoned as less than i,'l,32(>,0<^) or £ 1 ,3;J0,( hk » ; ho that, if the 
 war is to be carried on at the present rate of expense, there will 
 be a necessity of raising new taxes to the amount of that sum 
 annually, so long a.s such expenditure shall go on ; supposing 
 even, sangxiinely, that the exi.«*ting taxes continue as productive ns 
 they are. 
 
 The loans may, no doul>t, bo contracted for : but can taxes to such 
 an amount be found and forthcoming ? And is the present Govern- 
 ment strong enough to carrj' them through, if they could be found ? 
 These are questions which should, at this moment, be attentively con- 
 sidered by the Cabinet. 
 
 Mr. Perceval has seen a paper of Mr, Pitt's ; — 
 
 Husbandry horses £150,000 Overstated. 
 
 Tobacco 325,000 War-tax, new. 
 
 Cotton, L«. per lb 230,0OC» Do. 
 
 Coals, 1*. at the pit ... . 500,000 Tried and failed. 
 
 Candles 200,000 Impracticable. 
 
 Hides 80,000 Do.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 417 
 
 Private brewing ' ^500,000 Unproductive. 
 
 Broadclotli ^ 500,000 
 
 Having finished what occurred to me to turn my 
 thoughts and attention to, on the offer made to me of 
 tlie Chancellorship of the Exchequer, I went to the 
 Abbey (where I had not been for a great number 
 of years), to hear the Dean of Westminster. In a 
 sermon remarkable for eloquence and energy, he 
 touched on our domestic state ; and speaking of the 
 heavy taxen to which the people are subject, stated 
 the distinction between those which were imposed on 
 them, from the necessity of the case, by their own 
 representatives ; and the tribide they must have paid 
 on the demand of a foreign Prince, if they had 
 not been saved by great exertions, attended unavoid- 
 ably by privations. Then alluding to ex^jendiiure, he 
 said he had nothing to do with that, wdiich must 
 be accounted for to the proper tribunal. 
 
 A whimsical coincidence with what I had been 
 employed upon to the last minute of my going into 
 the church. 
 
 I saw^ Mr. Perceval after the service, and hastily 
 suggested to him my general view of the matters I 
 had been reflecting upon. 
 
 ' I convinced ]\Ir. Pitt this would not do ; and prevailed to make 
 Lord Henry Petty give it up. 
 
 ^ AVould do perfectly well when the price of foreign wool shall 
 fall, if the unpopularity of the measure would admit of it. 
 
 War-taxes to be made permanent : — 
 
 Wine £500,000 
 
 Malt, half war-tax 1,200,000 
 
 Customs, twelve and a half. . . 500,000 
 
 VOL. II. E E
 
 118 DIARIES AXD COIIRESPONDENCK OF 
 
 ] laving a lixod jjiiiposc to entur fully upon tliis 
 subject, and to \n- useful upon it, — if I shall find a 
 hearty disposition in Mr. Perceval and the Ca])inet to 
 act upon my view of it, — 1 have written to Sir Andrew 
 Jfaniniond, the late Conij)troller of the navy, who now 
 lives near Lynn, to express a wish to conunnniratc 
 with liim confidentially on the Xaval Kstiniates. And 
 it is my intention to talk to Mr. Steele about those 
 for the army. 
 
 I learn from Lord l^athurst, tliat Lord Melville has 
 positively refused to consent to hia son taking the 
 office of Secretary of State for the \Var Department ! ! 
 And this after the most plain, positive, and unefpiivo- 
 cal declaration from his Lordship in writing, on Mr. 
 Canning's secession, that every one ought to stand by 
 the King, and give the most strenuous support to his 
 government ; expressing at the same time his com- 
 plete approbation of his son's acceptance of the otfice 
 above mentioned. What an instance of the extent to 
 which a desire for office m\i\ personal distinction may 
 go 1 Utter indifTerence about the disappointment of 
 his son in an object of fair and honourable ambition ; 
 and as to the etf'ect of what mi^ht and would have 
 been produced to the Administration by taking his 
 Lordship into it. Respecting this it is impossible to 
 say more, even in these notes, which arc to be seen 
 only by those who are most dear to me; at least 
 while the parties mentioned in them are living, and 
 likely to be in anv manner affected bv them. 
 
 The crowds of people walking about the streets the 
 whole of the day, after service time, were beyond
 
 THE HIGHT HON. GEOUGE EjOSE. 419 
 
 anything I ever saw ; but perfectly quiet, decent, and 
 looking very cheerful. 
 
 Lord Bathurst carried me to the dinner at the 
 Merchant Taylors' Hall, on the invitation of the 
 Bankers and Merchants of London. The number of 
 people in the street, from Charing Cross the whole way 
 to the Hall, was immense, and the illuminations re- 
 markably beautiful ; the Mansion House equal to any- 
 thing I had seen, but the Bank most superbly magnifi- 
 cent : and the India House, as well as could be judged 
 of from the distance at which we saw it, not less so. 
 The crowd, great as I have described it on our going, 
 w^as become so immense as completely to fill the 
 whole of the streets we passed through from side to 
 side, and the carriage could only move at a foot's pace 
 through the people ; but all most perfectly quiet and 
 civil ; not an off'ensive word or insulting gesture, — 
 not even a squib or a cracker thrown by a boy which 
 might frighten the horses. I can truly say I never 
 saw before such a collection of people to give an idea 
 from sight of the population of the metropolis ; nor 
 ever witnessed such perfect order and decorum in any 
 great assemblage of the middling and lower order of 
 the inhabitants of it. 
 
 Before the dinner I found Mr. Canning in the room 
 and gave him my hand, which I thought he received 
 coldly. Lord Granville Leveson, Mr. Bagot, and ]\lr. 
 Hammond were with him. Lie did not say one 
 syllable to me, but talked easily with Lord Liverpool, 
 and for a short time with Lord Bathiirst. I did not 
 perceive him in conversation with Mr. Perceval, but I 
 
 E E 2
 
 120 DIAIllKS AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 am not sure that he was not. It is hdrcly posHihh' he 
 might think nic cold towards him, but not probable. 
 Separations sometimes happen from nuitnal miscon- 
 cepticMi, but I think that is not so in the present 
 instance. 
 
 Nothinj^ remarkable passed at the dinner; the 
 attendance was very great considering the luunber of 
 other public entertainments there were : at the Man- 
 sion House for the whole of the Corporation; at the 
 Sessions J louse fur the .Magistrates and (jentlemen 
 who usually attcml County business ; the City Light 
 Jlorse, which consists chiefly of opulent I^ankers and 
 Merchants, &c. Perfect unanimity prevailed. 
 
 JiOrd Erskine was present, and Lord St. Vincent. 
 The latter, full of civility to me, talked much of having 
 given his y/ioir attention to farming, and pressed me 
 to visit him in I'^ssex. 
 
 Mr. Sheridan was at the dinner also, and 1 had a 
 good deal of conversation with him after it was over, 
 lie blamed the conduct of Lord Grey and Lord Gren- 
 ville, and said they had given the Government very 
 great advantage by it ; lamented that Lord Grey had 
 not asked an audience of the King ; and expressed a 
 most decided opinion of the folly and madness of again 
 stirring the Catholic question during the King's life, 
 as well as the cruelty ; adding, that the two peers 
 had had a pretty good assurance of the feelings of the 
 country upon it. 
 
 TJiursday, October 2C)t/i. — Lord Camden having ex- 
 pressed a great anxiety to talk with me, I called on 
 him this morning, when he entered fully into the
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 421 
 
 history of Lord Castlereagh's business as far as he had 
 been concerned in it; and after going through his 
 narrative, showed me some letters which had passed 
 between him and the Duke of Portland respecting the 
 arrangement pressed for by Mr. Canning, either for a 
 new division of the departments, or for the Marquis 
 Wellesley to be named for that of War. Which 
 statement, supported by evidence that would be deci- 
 sive in any court of justice, estabhshed beyond any 
 possibility of a doubt, that his Lordship is free from 
 the slightest degree of blame in not having made a 
 disclosure to Lord Castlereagli of anything intended 
 respecting him. 
 
 Lord Camden admits the communication to have 
 been made to him as early as Mr. Canning states, 
 the end of April ; but so far from his being at 
 liberty to acquaint Lord Castlereagh with it, it was 
 made to him under the most solemn injunction of 
 secresy ; respecting which he was so uneasy, that on 
 the 29th of June he wrote to the Duke of Portland 
 to know whether he was in any mistake about that, to 
 which the Duke answered the same day, he was not : 
 stating that he had most strongly enjoined him to 
 secresy, in the hope that matters might be so arranged 
 as to avoid the necessity of anything being said to 
 Lord Castlereagh on the subject ; his Grace taking 
 upon himself, in the clearest terms, whatever blame 
 might attach to the concealment. A further corres- 
 pondence took place between Lord Camden and the 
 Duke of Portland in July, begun by the latter on the 
 same subject ; his Grace continuing to press for silence
 
 422 DIARIES AND COrwRESrONDEXCE OF 
 
 oil it till the C'lul of the Walchercn Expedition, on 
 tlie same ground as before. And at length, when the 
 disclosure became indispensaijlv necessary, Lord Cam- 
 den made it to Lord Castierengh on the 7th of 
 September; without, however, Ktting him know how 
 earl) the matter had been decided on, not conceiving 
 it necessary that his Lordship's feelings should be 
 wounded by a knowledge tliat his removal from 
 office had been accpiiesced in by his colleagues before 
 the expedition had been set on foot, and that he had 
 been allowed to conduct the whole of it when his 
 otlieial death-warrant was in their possession. 
 
 Lord Castlereagh thus having been led to believe 
 that the measure was only now adoj)te(l to strengthen 
 the (lovernment, agreed to n^iuMi, and declined to 
 accept any other oflice ottered to him, Lord Can»den 
 having pressed his own upon him, the Presidentship of 
 the Council : and it was not till Lord Castlereagh was 
 shown the correspondence of Mr. Canning by Mr. 
 Perceval that he expressed any resentment or uncom- 
 fortable feeling on the subject. It was from UkiI he 
 learned how early his removal had been consented to 
 by his Majesty and by his colleagues, and it was in 
 that he met with passages which induced him to chal- 
 lenge ]Mr. Canning ; a proceeding which, 1 still think, 
 even admitting some misconception on the part of liOrd 
 Castlereagh, his Lordship was utterly unjustitied in 
 adopting. If he had determined to call out any one, 
 the Duke of Portland was the only delinquent to whom 
 he should have resorted; and he had no motive whatever 
 but an anxious desire to reconcile matters in the best
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 423 
 
 way he could, and, if possible, to prevent any breach 
 amongst the Ministers ; constantly hoping that an 
 accommodation might be accomplished in some way 
 or other, and at last thinking his own resignation 
 would afford an opportunity for such an arrangement 
 as might, to a certain extent at least, be satisfactory to 
 Lord Castlereagh, That was however defeated by 
 Mr. Canning urging a separate arrangement, as is 
 proved by the extracts of the correspondence which I 
 made from the papers Mr. Canning put into my hands 
 on the 16th of September. 
 
 Lord Camden told me he understood Mr. Canning 
 to have an intention of publishing further, in conse- 
 quence of the very short statement he inserted in the 
 newspapers of this month. 
 
 He told me, also, that the friend alluded to in Mr. 
 Canning's statement in the newspaper of the 13th 
 (with whom his letter to the Duke of Portland and his 
 Grace's answer was deposited in the month of July, 
 respecting the concealment from Lord Castlereagh) 
 is, Mr. Perceval. 1 certainly believed it was Lord 
 Camden himself; and so did every one with whom 
 1 had conversed. 
 
 Friday, October '21th. — Lord Bathurst pressed me 
 most urgently to take the Chancellorship of the Ex- 
 chequer, as of very serious importance to the Govern- 
 ment, with so much earnestness, in truth, as to be 
 seriouslv distressino; to me. I am at a loss to know 
 what leads him and his colleagues to think thus ; for 
 I am most positively sure they would lose more by 
 my removal from the Board of Trade than they would
 
 42-J. DIAKIES AND CORRESrONDENCE OK 
 
 ^ain by having nic at tlic Trt'asury ; because, without 
 being at the hitter board I can be of very essential 
 service in matters of finance ; to which I am entirely 
 disposed. In addition to which, I feel an invincible re- 
 pugnance to taking upon myself a severe responsibility 
 in a department wiiere I should not be the head; and 
 without inthience enough in the Cabinet (unconnected 
 as I shouhl be there) to carrv the measures of retrench- 
 nient which I alluded to in my notes of yesterday, as 
 essential to the existence of tlu* country. In taking 
 the situation too, it would fall to me to lead the 
 House of Commons in the absence, from illness, of 
 Mr. IVrceval ; of which, from the weakness of his con- 
 stitution and the incessant pressure upon him. there is 
 real groimd of aj)preliension. To this most important 
 duty I fctl mysilf, from want of elo(pience, quite 
 une(pial. 
 
 1 omitted to mention, yesterday, that frt)m the time 
 Mr. Perceval showed I.ord Castlereagh the corre- 
 spondence, from whence he learned how early his re- 
 moval from the Secretaryshi[) had been acrpiiesced in 
 by his colleagues, he had broken otf all intercourse 
 with Lord Camden, notwithstanding the very near 
 connexion between them ; and that the latter had 
 originally introduced him into political life, by making 
 him his principal secretary in Ireland, and most closely 
 uniting himself with him ever since. Indeed, during 
 the course of the transaction which now creates the 
 separation, he had repeatedly cxi)ressed his anxious 
 desire to resio-n the Presidency of the Council to him ; 
 or, to make his resignation of that liigh olfice subser-
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOEGE ROSE. 425 
 
 vient to some other arrangement that might better 
 suit his Lordship's views or wishes. 
 
 The Duke of Cumberland joined me on horseback 
 to-day in Hyde Park ; very inquisitive about what is 
 going forward, but appeared to be but httle informed 
 of matters. He gave a most favourable account of 
 the King's health and spirits. 
 
 Saturday, October 2St//. — Mr. Fanshawe told me 
 that he carried Sheridan home from the dinner in the 
 City, who informed him that he sent a message to Mr. 
 Canning, who was in the room with him there, by Lord 
 Granville Leveson, " that this proceeding would not 
 do; he must, therefore, try something else." If he was 
 sincere in that, it does not look hke his having been 
 the asent to brini>; about an intercourse between Mr. 
 Canning and the Grenville and Fox parties. But in the 
 conversation with Mr. Fanshawe he said, if his friends 
 are to come in thev must be allowed to talk with the 
 King about the Catholic question ; which is unlike what 
 he said to me, though not absolutely contradictory. 
 
 A matter at this time occurring which may lead to 
 consequences of a public natnre, I think it right to 
 make a memorandum of it here ; though not imme- 
 diately connected with the subject of these notes. 
 I received a letter from my eldest son yesterday, in 
 which was inclosed an accurate statement of the sub- 
 stance of a part of Mr. Ciapham's sermon at Christ 
 Church (Hants) on the 50th anniversary of the King's 
 accession, Wednesday last. " A future historian, per- 
 haps partially informed, might say of this reign (here 
 various misfortunes occurring in it, or attributed to it,
 
 12G UiAKlES AND COllRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 were cited), that, bcijinning with ii dt-ht of one 
 hundred niiUions, it now had one of six hundred 
 nnlUons : tliat tlie middle class, by far the most re- 
 spectable, was annihilated: that wars, l)egun without 
 necessity, had terminated in failure and disgrace : that 
 the blood and treasure of the nation had been fruit- 
 lessly lavished in expeditions professed to succour 
 nations, who either asked it not, or would not contri- 
 bute to the deliverance we pretended to otVer them : 
 that the people were loaded with a weight of taxes 
 absolutely (or hardly) suj)[)ortable : and, that we were 
 to be told of the tinaneial j)rosperity of the country ! 
 And we were to judge by it of the happiness of the 
 people!" He then said, ''Kings were, however, 
 more to be pitied than blamed, being often (or gene- 
 ral! v) surrounded with designing and sdtish men : 
 that they could not sometimes avoid being mis- 
 chievous : that we nuist recollect they were men and 
 liable to err." lie then proceeded to say, that " how- 
 ever these matters might be, submission to the higher 
 authorities was a duty ; that factious and designing 
 men would mislead to mischief ; that there were dis- 
 contented men, who would be such even in the king- 
 dom of heaven." In the letter in which the preceding 
 was inclosed, my son told me that the captain of 
 the Horse Artillery (MacDonald), a sensible and tem- 
 perate man, was so disgusted that he walked out 
 of the church before the sermon was ended, and de- 
 clared that his men slrould never enter the church 
 again when Mr. Clapham preached. 
 
 The permitting a clergyman to go on })reaching
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 427 
 
 seditious sermons, especially to such an uncommonly 
 numerous congregation as that at Christ Chm-ch, ap- 
 peared to me so utterly unfit, if a remedy can be applied 
 to prevent it, that I prepared a case for the opinion of 
 some eminent civilian, to know whether the Vicar 
 can be silenced or removed, or what measure can be 
 adopted to correct the serious evil. When I put the 
 case into the hands of Mr. Frere, the solicitor, he told 
 me that Mr. Clapham had been lately with him, 
 venting most abusive language against me, and 
 declaring, that as he could get no more preferment, 
 he would take no care of the parish. I have, for a 
 very long time, borne with this man's infamous and 
 detestable conduct : falsehoods of the grossest kind, 
 contradicted in the plainest terms under his own 
 hand; threatenings to publish private letters, about 
 which I was perfectly indifferent, except from a 
 general dislike to appeals to the public on matters of 
 a private nature ; in short, everything that was most 
 off'ensive. To all which I opposed not even a justifi- 
 cation to any person in the place, except one, two, 
 or three sentences to an individual, much less any 
 recrimination, from an unwillingness to give a bad 
 impression of him to his parishioners. But further 
 forbearance would have an extremely bad tendency, 
 by endangering the corruption of those who hear 
 him in that pulpit ; and I am inclined to think any 
 deprivation of income, within my own reach, would be 
 proper in order to mark the sense entertained of his 
 conduct. 
 
 Monday, October 30M. — Wrote to the Chancellor,
 
 428 1J1A111L> AND COllRESPONDKNCE OF 
 
 \\\\\\ a statement ol" Mi-. ('l;ii)liain's l)iisinesa, to learn 
 from his Lordsliip, as patron of this gentleman's 
 Yorkshire hving, whether the Vicarage of Christ 
 Cluirch cannot be opened to a new presentation as 
 voidable but not void, on a pubhc remonstrance being 
 made to him of the offensive passages in the sermon. 
 1 forbear applying to the diocesan, the Bishop of 
 Winchester, till 1 have the opinion of the civilian. 
 
 Mr. K)der called' on mc, to tell me he had agreed 
 to accept the office of Secretary of State for the Home 
 Department, and that Lord Liverpool was to go to 
 the War Department. .Mr. .Manners Sutton, son of 
 the Archbishop of Canterbury, to succeed Mr. Ryder 
 as .ludgi-Advocate. 1 thought the appoiiitiucut of 
 Mr. Leycester to that situation might have been con- 
 sidered judicious ; but Mr. Uydi'r explained to mh* that 
 the office of a AWl^h judge, aiul the business of the 
 Attorney-Cieneral in the Court of Kxchequer, con- 
 sidering the durability of the former, are more desir- 
 able. 
 
 The Duke of Portland died this day, after an 
 operation for the stone. A perfectly amiable man, and 
 with an honourable mind; but from the entire neglect of 
 his own aff'airs, he was considerably embarrassed, with 
 a princely fortune, and so was in the hands of his 
 servants and people about him. His death is now 
 not likely to create any sensation whatever in the 
 state of parties. As Master of the Trinity House, he 
 will, I think, be succeeded by Earl Camden, who, T 
 suggested some weeks ago to the Deputy-Master (Mr. 
 Caton), and through him to the Elder Brethren, and
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 429 
 
 was assured liis election would meet with little or no 
 opposition. 
 
 Tuesday, October Vi.st. — The Duke of Cumberland 
 again rode up to me in Hyde Park, and talked of the 
 probability of the Government going on, of which he 
 expressed rather a sanguine expectation ; but very 
 much disliked Lord Liverpool being at the War De- 
 partment. He saw Mr. Canning, and read all the 
 papers he put into his hands ; after which he said he 
 had a strong impression that that gentleman's conduct 
 is utterly unjustifiable, and that he Avas persuaded he 
 now repents of the step he had taken ; of which I 
 entertain no doubt. His Royal Highness desired me 
 to read Cobbett's paper of last Saturday, in which he 
 attacks Mr. Canning's conduct with great severity ; — 
 this, however, I feel no disposition to read. 
 
 Wednesday, November \st. — The persons who kissed 
 bands to-day were Mr. Ryder, Lord Liverpool, Lord 
 Palmerston, and Mr. Manners Sutton, for the offices 
 before alluded to. 
 
 Addresses were presented to the King at his levee, 
 from the two Universities, and the City of London : 
 the latter remarkably loyal and very well expressed. 
 
 Thursday, November 2c/. — I dined with Lord Cam- 
 den. Met Lord Bathurst and Lord Han-owby. The 
 Chancellor too ill to be there ; and Lord M nigra ve 
 prevented by Lady Mulgrave being dangerously ill. 
 No account yet from Lord Wellesley. A conjecture 
 entertained that he may endeavour to eft'ect a recon- 
 ciHation between Mr. Canning and the present Go- 
 vernment, from a difficulty he may find himself under
 
 430 DTATIIES AN'l^ rORRESroXDKNCE OF 
 
 to choose, between them, which siile he will take. 
 Rut I am persuaded that wliatever his wish may be, 
 he will liardly make an attempt so desperate. It is 
 not to be expected, that if .Mr. Canning would not go 
 on with the Ciovernment under a First Lord of tlie 
 Trea.^urv, who lie miicht liave chosen hiiustlf, l)ecause 
 Mr. Perceval would lead the House of Commons with 
 a little more consideration than he had before, that he 
 would now reunite himself with it itndcr Mr. Perceval 
 at the head of the Treasury. 
 
 The terms of the peace between Austria and France 
 not vet known. The Tvrf)lians arc determined not to 
 be parties to it, whatever the conditions may be. Two 
 of them arc come here in the hope of getting some suc- 
 cour bv private subscriptions. They are very little in 
 want of arms ; powdi'r is their most important need. 
 The account Lord Uathurst gives of them, which he 
 believes, appears almost fabulous. That they are now 
 nearly 120,000 armed ; that they have given up to the 
 Emperor of Austria 20,000 prisoners they had made, 
 French and Bavarians, and have 25,000 still in 
 their possession. The two persons at their head are 
 a publican and a peasant, under whom nobles are 
 serving. 
 
 The deputies state that they received from the 
 Emperor of Austria solemn assurances, on the 20th of 
 September, that he would not abandon them ; and on 
 the 25th, it is understood, he signed the treaty, 
 leaving them at the mercy of Buonaparte. 
 
 Satiirdoi/, November \lh. — Lord Bathurst desired 
 nie to inform my son that he had seen letters from
 
 THE RIGnT HOy. GEOEGE ROSE. 431 
 
 Lord Wellcsley, which induced him to be persuaded 
 that the ]\Iarquis would accept the seals of the Foreign 
 Department, although in these letters he had not 
 expressly said that. His Lordship is certainly on his 
 way home ; but without knowing one syllable of what 
 he has actually written, or to wdiom he has written, I 
 entertain very great doubt whether he has decided 
 what he. shall do. I am strongly inclined to believe 
 he will not take his final determination till he informs 
 himself on the spot of the state of things. In any 
 event, my son's claims are strengthened in every way 
 by the offer made to him. Lord Wellesley must feel 
 that his acceptance disappoints my son of the situation 
 of Under-Secretary, which, combined with his own 
 just pretensions, Mr. Pitt's earnest wish, expressed 
 under his own hand, and the Marquis's friendship 
 for me, must, I think, insure to my son almost any 
 opening in the foreign line that can offer. On the 
 ground of public good, I must rejoice if the Marquis 
 shall accept ; wdiich at any time, but most peculiarly 
 at the present, should supersede all considerations of 
 private advantage. 
 
 Wednesday, November Si//. — ^Ir. Wharton is ap- 
 pointed Secretary to the Treasury, who is likely to fill 
 that situation extremely well and usefully; wanting, 
 of course, experience in the business of finance and 
 of the office, as most persons have done when first 
 appointed to that office. 
 
 Saturday, November 11///. — I gave ]\Ir. Perceval a 
 long paper on Finance, to prove the absolute and in- 
 dispensable necessity of a reduction in our expenditure ;
 
 132 DIAllIKS AM) COIUlKsrONUENX'K OF 
 
 showing tlistiuctly aiul plainly that the expense of 
 this vear grcatlv exceeds that of ISDO, the last vear of 
 Mr. Pitt's first Administration, when 1 was Seeretary 
 of the Treasurv. Tliat after allowinj^ a vi-ry lar^e 
 sum for necessary increased expenses since that 
 time, for Mr. Windham's plans, the local militia as 
 exceeding the volunteer expense, the additional j)rice 
 of naval stores, and other charges, our expenditure 
 might be brought so low as to bring the amount of 
 the necessary loans considerably below the sum aiuni- 
 allv paid otl" of the National Debt. Showinir, in the 
 strongest language in which I could express myself, 
 the infinite importance of the sole controlhng power of 
 the public purse being in the First Lord of the Treasury; 
 who alone has the responsibility ; while at present the 
 lieads of each department dip their hands into it with- 
 out mercy ; each anxious to have the service umler 
 his maiuigement j)erformed etVeetually, without con- 
 sidering the evil brought upon the country by the 
 expense of the whole. In the Transport I'laneh the 
 charge for ships for stores alone is more than for the 
 whole service in ISOO, when there were foreign ex- 
 peditions. The paper at length will accoiui)auy these 
 notes; and I tell Mr. Perceval in it that unless the 
 proposed reduction is zealously set about, I shall cer- 
 tainly make the same statement in some shape or 
 other publicly that 1 have done to him privately. 
 
 T/itirsdai/, Xovember 2Sd. — Between the 11th and 
 this day, nothins: worthy of notice occurred. 
 
 ^Ir. Perceval, this morning, received a letter from 
 Marquis Wellesley, dated Seville, the 30th of October,
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 433 
 
 expressing in terras of the utmost cordiality his cheer- 
 ful acceptance of the office of Secretary of State for 
 Foreign Affairs, rendered more agreeable to him by 
 being to act with persons with most of whom he had 
 long been in the habits of the closest friendship ; and 
 adding, that nothing could have been more agreeable 
 to him than Lord Bathurst having been the person to 
 hold the Seals in the meantime, from the affection he 
 had for him in particular. This acceptance of the Mar- 
 quis before his arrival, in so very unqualified a manner, 
 somewhat surprised me, at the same time that it 
 gratifies me, as well on his own account, as on that of 
 the public. It is a decided and manly conduct, and 
 will give strength to the Government ; but whether 
 sufficient to carry it through, remains to be seen. Of 
 that, from my ignorance of the line several Members 
 of Parliament will take, I can form no opinion in the 
 least degree to be relied on. 
 
 Saturday, November 2bf/i. — Lord Bathurst having 
 gone to Brighthelnistone, yesterday, I sent the state- 
 ment of finance, which I had given to Mr. Perceval, to 
 his Lordship, with a desire that he would show it to 
 Mr. Steele, who is there, for his opinion, princi- 
 pally, on the subject of the increase in the army 
 and ordnance. 
 
 Sunday, November 26///. — The Marquis AVellesley 
 arrived at Portsmouth, in the Donegal, after a passage 
 of fifteen days from Cadiz ; nd in the afternoon he 
 went to meet Lord Bathurst. 
 
 Tuesday, November 2St//.. — Lord Wellesley arrived 
 in town, from Sussex. The King did not come to 
 
 vol,. TI. F F
 
 •131' JJlAUllvS ANU LOllRESPOMJKNCK OT 
 
 town the next ilav, Wednesdav, the 2ytli : so that the 
 Marquis coukl not kiss hands tor the Seals. 
 
 Tiwadaif, Decmnher 'olh. — Lord Wellcslcy called 
 upon me to-day, to say that although he did not think 
 it right to return any visits till he had seen the King, 
 he could not resist calling upon me, to say how much 
 gratified he was on hearing the line 1 had taken, and 
 to assure me of his intention to show the most marked 
 kindness to my son. 
 
 Wnlncxdaii, Ih'cemhcr Qtlh. — Tiie liishop of Lincoln 
 (who is now in habits of the strictest intimacy and 
 confidence with Lord Grenville) dined with me alone. 
 I lis manner was (piite as it had been in Mr. Pitt's 
 time, free and unreserved. I avoided carefully every- 
 thing in conversation that could bring politics for- 
 ward ; but he led to them, to a certain extent, first by 
 alluding to the contest for the Chancellorship of the 
 University of Oxford, and afterwards to the prejudice 
 Lord fJrenville had to mett by njreting the over- 
 tures made to him for fonning a strong Goveniment, 
 as well as what he had to encounter on the subject of 
 the Catholic question. From what fell from the Bishop, 
 I am most entirely certain that Lord Grenville repents 
 seriouslv not onlv of not having formed his Govern- 
 ment by taking into it a part of Mr. Pitt's friends, 
 in January, ibOG, instead of Lord Sidmouth's; but 
 that, if he had alone been sent for by the King on 
 Mr. Canning's secession, in September, he would have 
 proposed to include in the new Administration several 
 of the present Ministers. And it is perfectly clear to 
 me, that his Lordship would have been infinitely
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 435 
 
 better pleased to have been sent for alone than with 
 Lord Grey. 
 
 The Bishop gave me a copy of Lord Grenville's 
 letter to the Head of Brasenose to read, about 
 which much conversation has taken place; as it was 
 meant as a sort of statement of his opinions and con- 
 duct respecting the Catholic question, as it may affect 
 his election for the University. His Lordship desires 
 that the Principal of Brasenose will acquaint the 
 President of JNIagdalen (who had expressed himself 
 civilly about his Lordship, but objected to the line he 
 had taken on the Catholic question), that he had a real 
 anxiety to stand well in his opinion, but that he could 
 not endeavour to gain that, or even the election for the 
 Chancellorship, at the expense of abandoning what he 
 had refused to do, to remain in office. That no man 
 living was a warmer friend to the Church Establish- 
 ment of this kingdom than himself. That Mr. Pitt 
 and himself were completely in unison as to the 
 propriety of the measures which had been intended 
 respecting the Catholics : the only difference between 
 them was as to the time in which they should be 
 carried into execution. That it had always been his 
 fixed determination, whenever they should be adopted, 
 that these should be combined with other measures 
 which should completely and effectually secure the 
 Church of England. That previously to the union 
 with Ireland it had never entered his mind that 
 there ever could be any further relaxation of the laws 
 ao-ainst Papists ; but that from that time he had been 
 convinced that everything necessary for them might 
 
 F F 2
 
 wo DIAIIIKS AND COKllKSPONDENCE OF 
 
 have been granted without the sHghtest danger to the 
 Protestant interest ; and that in the hite overture to 
 liim notliing liad been said on tlie subjeet, but tlmt he 
 had no security against his being immediately called 
 upon for 8uch a pledge as he refused when he went 
 out of office.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 437 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 1810—1811. 
 
 RECOLLECTIONS RESPECTING SELLIS'S ATTEMPT ON THE DUKE OF CUM- 
 BERLAND'S LIFE, MAT 31ST, 1810; BY A MEMBER OF THE ROSE 
 FAMILY — MR. ROSE'S DIARY FROM OCTOBER 30tH, 1810, TO FEBRUARY 
 9th, 1811 — THE king's ILLNESS, AND ESTABLISHMENT OF THE 
 REGENCY, 
 
 The account of the attempt to murder the Duke of 
 Cumberland, cannot even at this time be devoid of 
 interest ; for some false stories in connexion with it 
 were in circulation at the time, injurious to his Royal 
 Highness, and the impression still lingers in some 
 quarters that he was more or less in fault. This 
 statement of facts therefore is due to his memory. 
 
 The plan of the Duke of Cumberland's apartments 
 will recall them to your recollection. I will as clearly 
 as I can, and shortly, state the circumstances we 
 heard at the time, w^hich made an impression on 
 my mind ; and also some particulars relating to the 
 coroner's jury, which we learnt from a person to 
 whom the foreman stated them. 
 
 The page in attendance always slept in the room 
 marked on the plan Neales room. Neale was at that 
 time page in attendance. His wife was housekeeper, 
 and lived in the apartments, but on another floor. 
 
 The room marked Sehis's, Sellis slept in, when in
 
 438 DIARIES AND CUllRESl'ONUENCE OF 
 
 occasional attciulancc (to bo in readiness for a journey, 
 &c.). He bad a wile wlio cHd not l)elong to tlie bouse- 
 lK)ld, and lie usually inbabited, witb lier, apartments 
 tbe Duke bad procured for tbein, in another part of 
 St. James's palace, within tiic same court. 
 
 The liousemaid stated, that she bad as usual placed 
 the cushions, &'c. removed at night, from the Duke's 
 bed, in tbe closet adjoining tbe water-closet ; laid tbe 
 pidl of tbe bell over the end of the bed, and closed 
 oil the window-shutters of the state apartments ad- 
 joining the Duke's bedroom. Tbe Duke's sabre lay 
 on the sofa in his room. Some time ))efore, Sellis liad 
 observed it wanted repair, lie had, by permission, 
 had it repaired and sharpened ; and when it came 
 home, instead of replacing it in the wardrobe, threw 
 it on tbe sofa, in the bedroom. 
 
 When the Duke felt himself wounded in the head, 
 and bv the feeble lii^ht from the shaded lamp saw 
 only the glitter of the sabre, he put out his hand to 
 pidl tbe bell, but could not catch the tassel, which had 
 been dropped behind the raised head of the bed. lie 
 then sprang from the bed to the door of the ante- 
 room, communicating witb the page's room. Whilst 
 endeavouring to open that door he received a wound 
 in the thigh, and the door was marked by tbe point 
 of tbe sabre, which remained bent ; and a picture near 
 the door had a splash of blood on it. 
 
 Neale, on bearing tbe Duke's voice, sprang from his 
 bed, and from bis room barefoot, and trod on tbe 
 sabre where marked, in tbe ante-room ; which it 
 appears must have been thrown forward towards this
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 
 
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 •AIO 1)1 A III KS AND COllRKSPONDKNCK OV 
 
 room by the assassin, when the Duke openeil the 
 door. 
 
 Neale supported the Duke towards tlie principal 
 staircase, and called for help. Some servants came, 
 and Neale's wite ; and they called in the sentries and 
 the serjiant on guard, who hegan to search the house 
 below tor thieves. 
 
 The Duke earnestly asked for Sellis, and a servant 
 went across the court to his separate apartments to 
 call him. One of his children replied, that her father 
 slept in the Duke's apartments. On the return of this 
 messenger, the steward went to the door of Sellis's 
 room, opening from the passage and staircase : it was 
 locked, and no answer returned to their calls. One of 
 the soldiers observed that he heard a gurgling noise in 
 the room. On repeated messages from the Duke for 
 Sellis's attendance, Mr. Neale recollected that there 
 was another door to his room from the state apart- 
 ments. They went to those rooms from the principal 
 staircase, and as it was then light, observed that tlu' 
 ujipcr shutters of the windows were open. The door 
 to Sellis's room was unlocked ; they found him as he 
 was afterwards seen lying, or rather sitting, on his 
 bed, dead, half undivssed. On a chest of drawers, 
 near the bedside, lay a razor, and a basin, with water 
 tinged with blood, in which it was supposed he had 
 washed his hands before he began to undress, or was 
 disturbed by the knocking at his door. I have re- 
 peated shortly what was I believe printed in the news- 
 papers at the time, supported by authentic accounts, 
 to make what was otherwise obscure more clear.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 441 
 
 It was noticed, that there was a smear of blood on 
 the ie/t-\mm\ side of the door case, from the Duke's 
 bedroom, to the state apartments, — between four and 
 five feet from the floor; — and some unfavourable in- 
 ferences seem to have been drawn from it. 
 
 Sir Thomas Dyer told us, that he saw Sellis's body 
 and the room, exactly in the state it was found in; 
 that he sat, lying back upon the bed, his hands 
 on each side, and his face composed, with rather 
 a smiling expression. That his coat was off", and 
 hanging on a chair, as far as it could be from the bed 
 in so small a room. He observed that it gave proof of 
 the blood that had gushed from the wounds given 
 while it was worn ; for that the left sleeve, between 
 the shoulder and the elbow, was soared with blood, 
 which must have streamed on it from the sabre blade 
 held by the right hand. One of his half-gaiters was 
 off", the other, half unbuttoned ; in short, he had the 
 appearance of having been interrupted in undressing, 
 and of having thrown himself hastily on the bed. 
 Sir Thomas described the basin with the bloody 
 water and razor by the bed-side, as before stated. 
 I observed that the blood on the sleeve accounted 
 for that on the door-case ; — he said, he had not 
 seen it, nor heard it noticed ; but afterwards 
 remarked, on inquiry, thjit Scllis coidd not have 
 taken his coat otf, and })laced it where it was after 
 having cut his throat. It seems clearly to have ap- 
 peared, therefore, that Sell is was undressing when 
 every one else in the house had long been in their 
 beds (for the Duke, and afterwards the household,
 
 11:2 DIAIUES AND COllRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 had gone to rest at an early hour, and it was then 
 just daylijjjlit) ; and that he was found in the state Sir 
 Thomas Dyer saw him iii, hy the servants who wvrr 
 awaked 1)V the; Duke's and Xcale's voices, ami hv the 
 soldiers ealKd in hv thrm. On iminirv wiiy Scllis 
 slej)t in hisroom in tlir Duke's aj)artmcnts that nii;ht, 
 it appeared, tliat lir told the housemaid, before sonu* 
 livery servant in the kitchen m the eveninp:, to j)re- 
 pare tin; room for him; that the Duke would «;o to 
 Windsor earlv in the morniuLr, and that he nuist 
 he in readiness to attend him. lie <;ave his wife the 
 same reason for leaving her that night. The Duke 
 had not intended to go the next day to \\ indsor, and 
 no other servant had understood that he had. Vou 
 will have reeolleeted the eirrumstances I liave omitted 
 of the a|)pearanee of a person having been concealed 
 in the small closet adjoining the water-closet, where 
 the dress-cushions from the Duke's bed were thrown ; 
 and of one of Sellis's slippers and a bottle of water 
 (not there wh(>n she placed the cushions) being found 
 there, and the injury that the tassels that hung from 
 the drapery above tht' bed had received from the 
 sabre, 
 
 Wc had heard from undoubted authority a "f'lH'ral 
 account of the coroner's jury, and of the extraordinary 
 tone that aj)pcared in their dispositions, after they had 
 investigated all the circumstances of the case. The 
 people summoned for the juiy wi-re the principal 
 tradesmen about Whitehall, Charing Cross, &c., who 
 were then chiefly supporters of Sir Francis Burdett 
 and his politics ; and such, from suspicion and curiosity,
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 443 
 
 were more ready to engage in the painful duty 
 than indolently loyal men. Several we knew by name 
 and character, particularly Place, the tailor, whom my 
 father saw occasionally respecting journeymen's wages, 
 benefit societies, &c. &c., and was struck with him as 
 a strong and clear-headed man, well-meaning, though 
 warped by politics. 
 
 Mr. Wakefield, the land-surveyor, was at CufFnells 
 on business at Christmas, 1815. He is in the first 
 employment in his line, and is steward to many per- 
 sons of great property ; appears extremely intelligent, 
 very conscious of it, and to be just saved from being 
 a democrat by the power of his judgment and integrity 
 over his presumption. He stated, that Place, the tailor, 
 told him, that when he received his summons from the 
 coroner, he did not know what he ought to do, never 
 having been summoned on such a jury before. That he 
 Avent immediately to Clifford, the barrister. Sir Francis 
 Burdett's friend, to be instructed by him in the duty 
 and privileges of a coroner's jury. Clifford told him 
 that a certain nmuber must be assembled to form a 
 jury, twelve, I beheve, but that it might be extended 
 to twenty-four ; that the doors must be open ; and 
 further informed him on several points of law and 
 custom. Place admitted that his mind was preju- 
 diced, but that he resolved to do his duty. This visit 
 to Clifford had consumed so much time, that when he 
 reached St. James's a jury was already formed, and 
 he was refused admittance by the people without. He 
 inquired how many the jury consisted of, and insisted 
 on seeing the coroner, who came immediately, and
 
 Ill iiiAiUKs AND c()KHi:si'()Ni»i;n('k of 
 
 adiiiittcd thiit iilthougli thciv wrrc enough to form 
 the jury, more might he still luhk'd, to tlic mimln'r of 
 twenty-four IMacc was then added to the jury, who 
 found liim so well erammcd hy ClitVord, and so intelli- 
 gent, that they ehose hifu for their foreman. 
 
 lie told Mr. Wakrtitid that it was impossible that 
 better evidence could luivi- been giv«'n, or more full 
 and fair means of informati<in than what was before 
 them. That there was not an appearance of the ihini^ 
 haviiii/ been managed, or in any way withheld from 
 them. I'hat, as foreman, he had stated his j)erfeet 
 conviction of Sellis having been a murderer in inten- 
 tion, and a suicide; and that no doubt of both lacts 
 appeared to exist in the minds of the jury. Me 
 expressed great regret, that the Duke of ('umberland 
 had prosecuted the editor of the Slnfi'-wiftn, saying, 
 if the l)iike had not done so, as foreman of the jury 
 jjc should; since the libel, in fact, accus<'d that jury 
 of perjury. That if the assertion mailc in tho SfnfrM- 
 mnn had been foimd -d on truth, they nnist have liad 
 the means of ascertaining it from the « vidence l)efore 
 theuj. 
 
 Place mentioned a circumstance that was curious, 
 thouurh unconnected with this matter. ThomaN the 
 Butcher, at C'ha'^ing Cross, a juryman, turned sick 
 when he went into the room where Sellis's body lay, 
 and could not assist in examining it. 
 
 Other cirenm.'^tances, ascertained after the first 
 examination, were, that Mr. Harvey Combe, the 
 Alderman, found that his housekeeper said, she had 
 formerly lived in the same service with Sellis. and
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 445 
 
 that she also named some matters reflecting on his 
 character. On her master's inquiry, she stated that it 
 was in the service of Mr. Chant the American. That 
 frequently in the servants' hall Sellis used language 
 so disrespectful to the royal family, and so irreligious, 
 that it was offensive to her and to others of the 
 household, and that she had expressed her surprise 
 when she heard of Sellis being in the Duke of Cum- 
 berland's service, to a former housemaid and groom 
 of Mr. Chant's, then married and keeping a shop in 
 London. These people confirmed her statement. It 
 was found too, on further inquiry, that when Mr. Chant 
 returned to America, he carried Sellis with him to 
 New York. While there, a chest of Mr. Chant's was 
 broken open and a considerable sum in cash taken 
 from it. A strong suspicion fell on Sellis, from a 
 hammer being found in his possession which fitted the 
 marks made by the instrument with which the chest 
 had been forced open. When that was discovered, 
 Mr. Chant recollected having fallen asleep while alone 
 after dinner, awaking suddenly, and seeing Sellis start 
 back and close the door ; he was at the moment 
 scarcely conscious whether he was aw^ake or dreauiing, 
 and it passed from his mind, till the discovery of the 
 hammer revived the recollection with so unpleasant 
 an impression, that though he had no proof against 
 the man, he parted with him, paid him liberally, and 
 sent him back to England. Whether Mr. Chant 
 refused a character, or that Sellis believed he should 
 not benefit by it, I do not recollect to have heard ; 
 but I understood he returned to Piedmont, where he
 
 1 1() DTARrKs ANT) COUrvrsPOyiJENCK OF 
 
 was met with aiul cngagid In [juvd .Mount- lidgcciiiiibc, 
 in whose service lie was when the Duke ol" ('uinl)i'r- 
 huid Hved much witli Lord .Mount-E(lgccuml)e. \\'lieii 
 the Duke's income was increased and he formed liis 
 household, lie asked Lord Mount- Kdgecumhe to let him 
 have Sellis, who had often waited on him. 
 
 After a time, Sellis grew weary of constant attend- 
 ance ; for though the other pages took their turns of 
 waiting, the Duke preferred Sellis's assistance in 
 dressing, tSre., and he usually travelled with him. lie 
 was married, and wanted an ;ipj)()intment that would 
 enable him to quit service, and secure him a main- 
 tenance for life. The Duke refused to ask a favour 
 for him, hut gave him apartments for his family, to 
 whom he was very liberal, lie complained heavily that 
 the Duke would not solicit some employnu-nt lor him. 
 and stated his grievances, amongst others, to a (Jer- 
 man page of the Duke of Cambridge, a man of excel- 
 lent character. That man asked him why he did not 
 quit the Duke's service for a j)rivatc one ? He 
 replied, if the Duke would not ask for a place for 
 him, he had no resource, for that no private gentle- 
 man would like to take a servant from a roval house- 
 hold. He attributed the Duke's refusal to a selfish 
 wish to retain a useful attendant. 
 
 Sellis had nothing marked in his countenance. His 
 face and figure were mean, but his intelligence and 
 attention attracted notice even in his waiting at table.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 447 
 
 [Mr. Rose's diary of this period, comprising the end 
 of 1810 and the commencement of 1811, gives a 
 minute detail of the varying symptoms of the King's 
 illness, with respect to his mental derangement ; the 
 ever-shifting rumours of the Prince's intentions during 
 the establishment of the Regency ; and, when that was 
 finally effected, the disappointment and rage of the 
 Opposition, when, under the influence of right and 
 dutiful feelings, for which the world gave him little 
 credit, and which are still attributed to Mrs. Yitz- 
 herbert's advice, he determined to retain his father's 
 Ministers in office, because the physicians spoke so 
 confidently of the Monarch's recovery. One of those 
 Ministers, Lord Wellesley, obtained the Regent's 
 sanction for sending Mr. Rose's son as ambassador to 
 the Court of Constantinople, — the same Court at 
 which his grandson has since obtained so much 
 diplomatic distinction at the beginning of the Crimean 
 war, — but he declined. — Ed.] 
 
 Biaiy, T/fesdriy, October 30, ISIO. — This morning 
 Lord Bathurst, who w^as sent for from Worthing, came 
 in to me, lying on the couch with the gout, and men- 
 tioned that the King is again unhappily in a state of 
 derangement in his mind. The first symptoms, he 
 said, appeared on Wednesday last, at Windsor, by 
 talking very fast and loud to those about him ; since 
 which time they have considerably increased. 
 
 Dr, Baillie thinks the malady is likely to last 
 some months; Sir Henry llalford thinks not so long;
 
 448 DTARTrS AND CORTlFSrOVDFXrK OF 
 
 and Dr. Ilcbcnlcn that it may pass over in a sliort 
 tine ; and lio apj)ears to bo the most confident of the 
 three. 
 
 Tlie King broke out, as in tormcr instances, in 
 most unfit language to tiie l^rincesses ; and was 
 giving away to tliem and others about liim, many 
 very vahiable little articles, such as geius, &c., and 
 turned away some of his j>ages capriciously. Hut 
 ])r. Ileberdeu liad i?if1uence enough with him to 
 j)revail on him to lock up all his valuables in a drawer, 
 and to give the key to the Queen ; and also to re- 
 instate the pages he had removed. 
 
 This happens at a most unfortunate crisis, as the 
 commission for proroguing the Parliament (pursuant 
 to the Order in Council of last week) to the 20th of 
 next month, has not been signed ; and the ])hysician9 
 were yesterday of opinion that his Majesty was not 
 well enough to put I lie Koyal signature to it. 
 
 The Chancellor and .Mr. IVrceval went to Windsor 
 yesterday, and the physicians thought, upon the 
 whole, it was most desirabh* the latter should go in 
 to the King, which he did accordingly, and found 
 his Majesty considerably deranged ; but he talked to 
 Mr. P. very affectionately, spoke with much regard gf 
 his family, and with great earnestness about the 
 Government, declaring his fixed determination to give 
 them his utmost and most cordial support as long as 
 they would be firm, and stand by him ; and expressed 
 a conviction that if that should be made known, it 
 would fix many people in their politics who would 
 otherwise be likely to waver.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 449 
 
 The three physicians agree that the King's consti- 
 tution will carry him throno;h this afflicting com- 
 plaint ; and they concur also in the certainty that it 
 has been brought on entirely by his anxiety and grief 
 at the Princess Amelia's illness and sufferings, whose 
 name his Majesty has not, however, even mentioned 
 since his illness. 
 
 A bulletin is intended to be given out to-day of the 
 state of the King's health. 
 
 I had not the remotest suspicion that there was 
 any ground of apprehension respecting that, till 
 Lord Bathurst came to me. He had dined with 
 Mr. Perceval at Eahng yesterday, where he was joined, 
 at half-past seven, by that gentleman and the Chan- 
 cellor, on their retm^n from Windsor, who ^vere 
 overset in their chaise coming back, in the dark, near 
 Brentford. 
 
 A Cabinet is to be held to-day to deliberate on 
 what shall be done in the event of the King not 
 being well enough to sign the commission for the 
 prorogation before the Houses meet to-morrow. 
 
 It appears to be most extraordinary that the King 
 should have been deranged to such an extent, as he 
 certainly has been for six days, without the public 
 havinof had the least intimation of it. Not an allusion 
 of the most distant kind in any of the newspapers of 
 to-day. In the Morrdng Chronicle it is stated that 
 the King has had a cold, but that last night he was 
 better. Government have not (at one o'clock) had 
 the account from Windsor. 
 
 Surprising as this secrecy appears, and akhough 
 
 VOL II. f^' c;
 
 4r)() DIARIES AND ('ORRKSPDNTiENCi: OF 
 
 (jovcninifiit had no information of any symptoms of 
 derangement before tlic 24tli, I tliink there must 
 have been a strong susj)icion earher tlian tliat in the 
 minds of tliose immediately al)0ut his Majesty ; be- 
 cause 1 liiul urgent letters from Lord A\'alsinrrham, 
 who lives near Wimlsor, and is much with the Kinj^ 
 in private, dcsirin|j; me to search for precedents (to 
 which he referred) in the reigns of Klizabeth and 
 George 11., of the Great Seal having been put to 
 Parliamentary conunissions without the signature of 
 those monarchs. llis Lordship's first letter was dated 
 the L"^th of the month. 
 
 Mr. Perceval saw the Prince of Wales at Windsor, 
 who talked a great deal, but entirely in general terms. 
 The Duke of York told Mr. Perceval that the Prince 
 of Wales said to him he should be very nioderate and 
 guarded in all his proeiedings, in the event of a con- 
 tiiuiance of the calamity. 
 
 The Chancellor called upon me at three o'clock, 
 from the Cabinet, and read Colonel Taylor's letter to 
 me, in which he tells his Lordship that the physicians 
 thought it utterly unfit that he (the Colonel) should 
 give the commission to his Majesty to be signed, 
 which the Chancellor had left with him, for pro- 
 roguing the Parliament ; in consequence whereof, the 
 Cabinet had decided to get Members enough of the 
 Commons to make a house on Thursday, and thus, 
 on the meeting of the two Houses, adjourn for a 
 fortnight. I therefore wrote to my son, and to 
 Mr. St urges Bourne, to come uj) for that day, if they 
 should find it practicable to do so.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. -451 
 
 The Chancellor told me that Dr. Baillie had named 
 three months to him as the probable period for the 
 King's recovery ; but admitted that he was not at all 
 familiar with the sort of case. His Lordship was 
 very strong against putting the Great Seal to the 
 Commission withont the King having previously 
 signed it. I showed him one in the 28th of Eliza- 
 beth/or opening the Parliament, when the Queen was 
 ill, without the royal signature. 
 
 The Prince of Wales observed, on Monday, to the 
 Duke of York, that he conceived the King Avas not in 
 so perfect a state of mind as he should have been in, 
 last Wednesday, the 24th, to transact business of any 
 importance, when the Council was held on that day 
 for deciding on the prerogative of Parliament, but 
 that he did not believe the Ministers were aware of it. 
 
 Soon after the Chancellor left me. Lord Bathurst 
 returned. Prom him I found that Mr. Perceval had 
 apprised Lord Sidmouth and Mr. Canning of the 
 King's situation ; and that from the former he had 
 received the most cordial assurances of every support 
 in his power to see him through the difficulties conse- 
 quent on his Majesty's illness. From the latter no 
 acknowledgment of the communication had come to 
 hand. 
 
 The Prince of Wales was in town two hours to-day. 
 The servants told Sir Walter Parquhar, when he 
 called at Carlton House, that the Prince would see 
 nobody. 
 
 Wednesday, October '6\st. — Nothing interesting to- 
 day. Lord Bathurst told me that the private account 
 
 G G 2
 
 ir)2 DfAIlIES AND CORKKSPONDENCK OF 
 
 of the King, though written by i)r. liaiilio, was more 
 favourable tlian the puhHc bulletin. lie said the 
 KiuK talk«'(l sillilv last uiLrht, but that there had not 
 been anv unusual excitation. 
 
 Tlmrnddy, ISovemher \st. — The Ku«g not having 
 been well enough to sign the commission for })ro- 
 rofjuinj; the Parliament this dav, the two Houses 
 met, and adjourned themselves to the 15tli. In the 
 House of Commons there were more than a hundred 
 membiTS, and in the House of Lords about fourteen 
 or til'tcc n. Very few of the Opposition attmdcd in 
 either Hoiise. 
 
 Friilai/, Novemher 2(1. — A'er}' little variation in the 
 state of tlu^ King's health. In the course of yesterday, 
 while talking to himself, he enumerated the causes of 
 each of the derangements with which he liad been 
 afflicted, and conchuled with saying, " This was oc- 
 casioned by poor Amelia." 
 
 At twelve o'clock to-day the Princess Amelia died ! 
 
 Mr. Canning's answer to Mr. Perceval was, thank- 
 ing him for the comnumication, and adding that he 
 should be in his place in the House. 
 
 SirAValter Farcpdiar told me to-day, that the Prince 
 of Wales's disposition was strongly towards Lord 
 Grenville ; but that his Royal Highness had left oti' 
 talking to him (Sir Walter) for some time past. This 
 partiality to Lord Grenville is somewhat singular, as 
 the Prince complained loudly to Sir Walter and others, 
 on Mr. Fox's death, that from that event the Ministers 
 had left off making any confidential communications 
 to him, which he took exceedingly amiss.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 453 
 
 Lord Eardley's account of Mr. Davonport Sedley's 
 success in attacking his Royal Highness, and other 
 anecdotes of the same sort. 
 
 Saturday, November 'del. — The King was in so 
 irritable a state during a part of the morning of 
 yesterday, that the physicians in attendance were 
 induced to send for Dr. Symonds, whose practice 
 is in that line ; who went accordingly, but refused to 
 be in attendance on his Majesty, unless his son should 
 be alloAved to attend him also ; and that being refused, 
 the doctor left Windsor ; and no other resource oc- 
 curring, a person at Kensington, who has the care 
 of insane patients, was sent for. And a Cabinet 
 is to meet this evening, to decide whether Dr. 
 Symonds's demand about his son, shall be acquiesced 
 in or not. 
 
 No other alteration in the state of his Majesty's 
 health. The physicians say, that when they commu- 
 nicated to the King the account of the Princess Amelia's 
 death, he not only understood, but anticijjated it. 
 
 I have a letter from Lord Walsingham to-day, in 
 which he seriously assures me, that when he first 
 wrote to me to inquire about the Great Seal having 
 been put to commissions without the King's signature, 
 he had not the most distant idea or expectation of the 
 King's illness ; adding he had never seen the King 
 better in health, and in all respects, than he has been 
 during the whole svunmer. 
 
 Sunday, November Mh. — Mr. Perceval told me that 
 the King yesterday mentioned the Princess Amelia's 
 death, ^^ ithout aiiy appearance of increased agitation.
 
 451; DIARIES AND fOUUKSPnNDFNCK OF 
 
 Mondia/, yovember bf/i. — Sir Walter Farqiilmr told 
 me lie heard from Lord Yarmouth, that tlie King had 
 had a hicid interval of two hours yesterday. In a 
 letter from T^ord Walsingham 1 received this day, 
 he says, If 1 had been asked to say when I had ever 
 seen the Kinjjf's mind strouf^'cr for accuracy, reasoning, 
 judgment, and memory, I should have answered 
 that it has })cen for tlie last ft)>ir months ; and. there- 
 fore, I trust in (Jod that it may st)on resume its 
 wonted powers." This is (evidently in continuation, 
 to do away all suspicion of his having made the 
 inquiries hereinhefore alluded to, from an apprehen- 
 sion that the King was going wrong: though I 
 verily hclit've he expressed his true opinion in the 
 letter of this da v. 
 
 Dfrsda//, Xovember C)f/t. — The bulletin to-day is much 
 less favourable than tlie preceding one. 
 
 Friday, Xovcmhrr 9f/i. — Lord llarrowby sat with me 
 for some time, and gave a very favourable statement 
 of the King: much sleep last night niul this morn- 
 ing, and less agitation, lie knew Dr. Willis was in 
 attendance on him, and was not affected by it ; which 
 I was very apprehensive he would have been. His 
 Lordship agreed with me as to the fitness of another 
 adjournment on Wednesday next for a fortnight 
 more. 
 
 Sir Walter Farquhar told me he hud seen Colonel 
 McMahon, who expressed great delight to him at Mr. 
 Tyrwhytt and himself having dined the day before 
 with the Prince of Wales : who soon after dinner sent 
 Tyrwhvtt awav, and wejit through with the Colonel
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 455 
 
 all the important matters then depending, and which 
 might occur, in the most confidential manner ! ! 
 
 Monday , November 12///. — The Chancellor and Lord 
 Westmoreland were at Windsor vesterdav, and the 
 loriiier had nuich conversation with the King's physi- 
 cians. They told him the King asked in the morning 
 how long he had been confined, and whun they told 
 him, he said he had no recollection of the time ; that 
 this was the fourth blank in his life ; enumerating 
 the three former ones, and the periods of them. He 
 then asked if the Princess Amelia was buried, and on 
 being told 7iof, he desired that the directions he had 
 given about her funeral might be carefully attended to, 
 unless she had left any in her wdll ; in which case 
 those should be attentively observed. 
 
 The private and public account of the King's health, 
 much the same as yesterday ; but little rest in the 
 night ; asleep, however, when the messenger came 
 away. 
 
 Titesday, November 13///. — The jMinisters all went 
 to Windsor this afternoon, to the funeral of the 
 Prhicess Amelia; the King having expressed a wish 
 that they should do so, before he was taken ill, though 
 he did not issue any command for it. 
 
 Wednesday, November 14///. — On Lord Bathurst's 
 return from Windsor, he wrote me a note to say, 
 " the bulletin announces some sleep and amendment : 
 the looks of the physicians, whom I saw, and their 
 general conversation, were very flattering." 
 
 The Portuguese ambassador, w^ho came to me, was 
 very sanguine about the result of matters in Portugal ;
 
 1-50 DFAIIIKS AND COK KKSPONDENCE OF 
 
 conceiving Musscna cannot long subsist liinistlf in liis 
 position, and must, therefore, attack Lord Wellington 
 in his strong one, or utteiupt his retreat. The dit- 
 ficnltics attending the latter (which he explained), he 
 conceived to be verv great. 
 
 Thursday, November 15///, — The physicians to-day 
 announced the King to be in a progressive state of 
 amendment, atid the account they gave to Ministers 
 was extremely encouraging, hohling out the best ex- 
 pectation. Tile principal fear they entertain is that 
 as recovery advances, the King's anxiety about public 
 affairs will increase, and may throw him back. 
 
 Me was quite awan- of tlie (htlienltiis that would 
 arise from the connnission for prorogation not having 
 been signed. 
 
 Fridnij, Xovemhrr 1 0///. — Thi* K ing yesterday was not 
 quite so well as the day before, which was attrii)uted 
 to a long detailed arrangement he went through, 
 perfectly collectedly, respecting the Princess Amelia's 
 attendants, t\)r whom he had made provision in several 
 packets, which Ih^ stated were to be f(»un(l in a 
 particular drawer, all regularly marked. But at the 
 end of the business he was a])parently worn out ami 
 affected. 
 
 Saturday, November \ll/i. — Rather more fever, and 
 not much rest, was the account from Windsor to-day. 
 
 Stoiday, November lS//t. — The bulletin stated some 
 amendment to-day ; and the private account more en- 
 couraging. 
 
 Monday, Novembrr 19///. — The King slept nmch 
 yesterday, and was better in the evening. And to-
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 457 
 
 day he is announced to be quite as well as yes- 
 terday. 
 
 Mr. Samuel Thornton applied to me to-day to know 
 if a large quantity of lead and saltpetre could be 
 allowed to be sent to Russia ; which I explained could 
 not be done without a communication from the Foreign 
 Secretary of State. This led to a confidential com- 
 munication with him on the subject of Russia ; from 
 which I learned, that there is an entire disposition on 
 the part of that country to co-operate with us, as far as 
 depends on the Emperor and some of his Ministers ; 
 and that it will not be the fault of his Imperial 
 Majesty, if that is not manifested by the month of 
 April next. And it seems quite clear, from late 
 occurrences, that other northern powers are disposed 
 to take the same line, if the French shall be decidedly 
 worsted and disgraced in Portugal. Russia has been 
 told that we will not invite her. There is now again 
 a confidential private friend of the Emperor's to be 
 employed in this business, of the name of Parensky, 
 
 in the same manner that was on a former 
 
 occasion. 
 
 Tuesday, November 20t/t: — The account of the King 
 varies very little from yesterday. Lady Neale's ac- 
 count, from the royal family, is, that from the beginning 
 of the disorder they had entertained better hopes 
 of his Majesty than on any former occasion. He had 
 told the Princess Amelia, some time before, that he 
 was afraid he should be so afflicted, and that he trusted 
 God would give him strength to go through the trial. 
 
 WednenrJaj/, November 1\f<t. — Sir Walter Farquhar
 
 •158 DIARIES AND COKRESl'ONDENCE OF 
 
 tiild me tlitU the account lie liml t'rum tlic Princt^ of 
 AVales of the state of the Kiiifj's liealtli, corresponded 
 very much witli wliat was stated hy the pliysiciaus out 
 of doors. His Ki>y:»l llii^hness had talked with Mr. 
 Home, the surgeon, on the deterniination of the King 
 Uiiainst bein«r l)led, wliirh cotnixlled them to have 
 recourse to leeches; wliieli K-d Mr. Home to say, 
 " he would have hied him till he fainted 1 " 
 
 Little variation in the Imlhtin. 
 
 7ynir.'s(/f/y, Norcitthrr 'Z2(/. — 'I'he accounts to-day 
 less favourable than for some davs ; increase of fever 
 and distiubetl rest. 
 
 Lord Ilarrowbv came in, and said the j)rivate 
 accounts were not more pleasant. 
 
 He said tlu'y found by Lord Wellington's last Irtters, 
 that Massena subsisted himself in his position better 
 than had Imh ii cxpecti'd ; that the l\)rtngncsc had not 
 driven the countrv as thev had been instructed, which 
 left both cattle and grain, as the Indian corn was in 
 the cround : still his limits were narrow. Lord liar- 
 rowbv added, that Lord Wellington had no appreheii- 
 sion of reinforcements to Massena except from Seville 
 or Cadiz. 
 
 Friday, Sovi'iithcr '23(/. — Some increase of fever, 
 and bad rest, is the account from Windsor to-day. 
 
 The Duke of Cumberland called here and sat an 
 hour ; could give no other information about the King 
 than what I had heard. He was full of commendation 
 of the Prince of Wales for his prudent and temperate 
 conduct : said he had seen none of the Opposition ; 
 that he had no objection to the present Ministers, and
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 459 
 
 insinuated very strongly that his conduct, in the event 
 of a regency, would depend upon theirs towards him ; 
 alluding evidently to the restrictions in the Regency 
 Bill, if one should be brought in. That he should 
 expect to be treated like a gentleman, not like a 
 ruffian. 
 
 Tuesday, November 27f/i. — No change has taken 
 place since the 23d, in the King's health, worth notic- 
 ing, nor has anything occurred till this day, when it was 
 decided in the Cabinet, very reluctantly, as expressed 
 by Lord Bathurst, for an examination of tlie physicians 
 by the Privy Council; as the Ministers were not enabled 
 to say the King was better than when the Houses last 
 met. The examination to take place to-morrow. 
 
 Wednesday, November 'ISfL — I received a long note 
 from Mr. Perceval, desiring my opinion on the mode 
 of proceeding to-morrow, and stating the course he 
 thought the Opposition Avoiild propose. His intention 
 is to present the report of the examination of the phy- 
 sicians, and then to propose another adjournment for a 
 fortnight, which I entirely approved of, as consonant 
 to the spirit of the precedent in 1788, though not to 
 the letter of it, 
 
 I was present at the examination of the physicians 
 before the Council. The attendance very full, both of 
 members on the side of Government and of Opposi- 
 tion. Those examined were Dr. Keynolds, Sir Henry 
 Halford, Dr. Heberden, and Dr. Willis. The im- 
 pression on my mind was, that there was no doubt 
 entertained by any one of them of the King's recovery ; 
 but neither of them could speak as to any probable
 
 too DIARIES AND CORRESPONDKNCE OF 
 
 time. Dr. Reynolds and Dr. llebLrdcn were the most 
 sanj^uiiR' ; l)iit all agreed entirely that it" his Majesty 
 should recover, his understanding would be as perfect 
 as it ever was. 
 
 Thursday, Xovembcr 'l\)fli. — Attended the Privy 
 Council again, when Dr. Haillie was examined, who 
 could not leave the King yesterday when all the other 
 physicians were from Windsor. He concurred in the 
 opinion of those who were examined yesterday, 
 especially as to the perfect sanity of the King's mind, 
 if he should recover. 
 
 I was afterwards at a j)rivate meeting at Mr. Per- 
 ceval's, at three o'clock, when the proposal he suggested 
 to me yesterday was unanimously concurred in. 
 
 In the House of Commons the measure was accord- 
 ingly proposed by Mr. Piictval, and carried by a 
 majority of two to one. Mr. Ponsonby then moved 
 that a committee should be appointed to examine the 
 physicians during the fortnight's recess, whicli was 
 negatived two ti) one. Tlin House then adjourned to 
 the 13th of December. 
 
 Satiirdai/, Drcemhrr \st. — 1 lift London for Cuti- 
 nclls, very imperfectly recovered from the gout, where 
 I arrived the next dav. 
 
 Tuesday, December \th. — Received a letter from 
 Lord Bathurst, that the private accounts from Windsor 
 were encouraging ; the principal reliance of the phy- 
 sicians, and the circumstance which appears to them 
 the most favourable is, the long interval of quiet 
 There continue, however, strong syiuptoms of dis 
 order, but his Majesty corrects himself frequently.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 461 
 
 and almost always allows otliers to correct him on 
 these occasions. He is fully aware of what is going 
 on, and observed, two days ago, that Mr. Perceval 
 must have had some difficulty in carrying the second 
 adjournment, considering the length of time his dis- 
 order had lasted. 
 
 Tuesday, Becemher Will. — A letter from Lord 
 Bathurst, of the 10th, stating that Mr. Perceval was 
 very anxious I should not go up for the meeting on 
 the 13th, as a few days more in the country might 
 give me strength to attend Parhamentary duty, as well 
 as other matters. 
 
 Says he was at Windsor the day before (the 9th), 
 and wished he could give me a favourable impression 
 of the case : much would depend upon the manner in 
 which the King will recover /)-o;m the relapse. 
 
 Wednesday, Becemher Vdth. — I returned to London 
 with considerable weakness remaining from the gout, 
 and attended at a meeting at Mr. Perceval's, when he 
 opened his intention of proceeding in the House to- 
 morrow, according to the precedent of 1788, by pro- 
 posing the three resolutions then adopted for providing 
 for a Regency ; but did not name the restrictions he 
 meant to propose on the Regent. 
 
 Friday, Becemher %\st. — In the bulletin to-day 
 the account was good ; but the private statement was 
 still more encouraging. The expression is, that the 
 King is very considerably better, and his pulse is 
 reduced to its ordinary state. 
 
 1 had a return of the gout, so strong as to compel me 
 to go home at 10 o'clock. The House sat till near 12.
 
 402 DIAKIKS AND CORKKSl'UN D1:M.1: Of 
 
 Sdturdai/, December 22^/. — ^Tlic account from 
 \\'iiitlsor to-day not favoiiral)le. The King was going 
 on extremely well till noon yesterday, when without 
 any obvious cause he had a violent tit of passion, 
 which left him under great agitation and irritation 
 until late in the evening. He passed the night (piietly, 
 but appeared to-day irascible ; in other respects the 
 same as yesterday. 
 
 Wc may perhaps flatter ourselves that this is the 
 state of a fiian whose mind i>? recovering, and that 
 vpon the whole the symptoms are, therefore, not un- 
 favourable. 
 
 M(j/i(lai/, December 24///. — By the private account 
 of la^t night nothing favourable is to be expected ; 
 but there does not yet appear any danger of a 
 relapse. 
 
 The bulletin was unfavourable, for it gave a very 
 unpromising account. The King was alarmingly ill 
 last night. 
 
 Tuesdni/, December 2bth. — Lord l^athurst told me, 
 the King's attack was a very severe one ; enough to 
 give hope to some persons I need not name, and who 
 hastened to Windsor on the occasion. 1 think we 
 may flatter ourselves that the alarm has passed over, 
 at least for the present. 
 
 Wechiesdai/, December 26///. — No alteration in the 
 King. 
 
 TJmrsday, December 21th. — No material alteration 
 in the King's health. 
 
 The resolution sent up from the House of Com- 
 mons to the House of Lords for providing for the
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 46^5 
 
 exercise of the Royal Authority was debated in the 
 House at great length. Lord Grenville, whose speech 
 in the House of Commons, lately printed, had been ex- 
 tensively circulated, was not present ; neither were his 
 brothers-in-law, Lord Fortcscue, and Lord Braybrooke. 
 His other brother-in-law. Lord Carysfort, was present 
 and voted against the resolution, so did all the Princes 
 of the Blood Royal ; who had, before the agitation of 
 the question in the House of Commons, written a letter 
 subscribed by every one of them, to Mr. Perceval, 
 declaring it to be their unanimous opinion, that the 
 Prince of Wales should be requested by address to 
 accept the Regency without any restrictions. The 
 offence and disgust which this occasioned, to the 
 country gentlemen in particular, was beyond anything 
 I ever remember. Many spoke to me of it in teniis 
 of the strongest disapprobation mixed with great resent- 
 ment, — which I most sincerely endeavoured to soften 
 and abate, from a principle immovably fixed in my 
 mind, that every man in the country who holds a station 
 in it above the very lowest, has an interest, which he 
 should neve;r lose sight of, in preserving respect for the 
 royal family, in every branch of it. This observation 
 was met in a very particular instance, by another, that 
 this sort of conduct would disable the Princes from 
 any influence to do mischief! One that offered no 
 consolation to my mind. 
 
 Tuesday, January U'/.— On the question for the 
 amendment in the debate on the restrictions upon the 
 Regent, which was that such portion only of the house- 
 hold should be in the control of her Majesty as may
 
 tOl DIARIES AND COR KESPONUEN( K Ol' 
 
 l)e deemed necessaiv for liis Majesty's royal dignity, 
 the numbers were — 
 
 226 for it. 
 213 against it. 
 
 13 for the ameudmeut. 
 
 On this question, Mr. Caiinini^ and liis fricntls Mr. 
 Wilhiiforce, Mr. Bankcs, and some country pjentlemen 
 usually su])|)ortinj:f Ministers, were in the majority — 
 Sir James Mordaunt, .Mr. Du^dalc, Mr. Lethljridcfe, 
 and Mr. Brandlinij. 
 
 Lord lluntinuticld, Mr Miles, l\'ter Andrews, 
 and General I'orter, went over; and Lord Hertford's 
 friends as before — Lord Casllereaf^h also in the 
 majority. 
 
 Lord Porchester gave notice that he should to- 
 morrow divide the House on the report of the 
 resolutions. 
 
 WedncHdntj, Jmn/nn/ 2'2(/. — On bringing uj) the 
 report of the resolutions, .Mr. Perceval moved an 
 amendment respecting the care of the King's person 
 being committed to the Queen, to restore it to the 
 shape in which he moved it in the committee, in 
 order to give the Queen the power over the whole 
 household ; on which he was in a majority. 
 
 For ^fr. Perqeval's amendment . . 217 
 Against it j 1 4 
 
 3. 
 
 Several members had paired. 
 
 TJiursdaii, January 3r/. — The resolutions were de- 
 livered to the Lords at a conference bv Lord Clive.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 465 
 
 Friday, January ^th. — The resolutions were de- 
 bated ill the Lords with great heat. 
 
 The Marquis of Laiisdown moved an amendment 
 similar to the one moved in the Commons by Lord 
 Porchester, to leave out of the first resolution the 
 words, " subject to such resolutions," &c., which after 
 a long and warm debate was carried : — 
 
 Contents 105 
 
 Non-contents 102 
 
 . ^ Majority for the amendment . :3, 
 
 In the majority were Lord Grenville and his friends ; 
 the Earl of Chichester, Postmaster- General ; and his 
 brother the Bishop of Exeter ; the Bishop of Oxford, 
 Moss ; and Bishop of Rochester, King. The Duke of 
 Rutland, Lord Chatham, and the Bishop of Lincoln, 
 purposely stayed away. Lord Alvanley went over at 
 the instance of the Duke of York. 
 
 Proxies were refused on the House being resumed. 
 
 102 against them 
 99 for them 
 
 An amendment was moved in the Committee to 
 leave out the permission for making naval and military 
 men Peers on their distinguishing themselves, by Lord 
 Liverpool, and carried ; and the question for restric- 
 tion of creating Peers generally was carried by the 
 aid of Lord Grenville and his friends. Strange in- 
 consistency ! ! His Lordship stated that he trusted 
 it would be for six months only : — to cover his 
 
 VOL. H. 11 II
 
 '1()() DIARIES AND COURKSPONDKNCK OF 
 
 Lordship's ival inconsistency this (lucstion was 
 carried : — 
 
 106 for 
 1CH1 ugttinst 
 
 G. 
 
 And on Lord Liverpool's motion to phiec the wliolc 
 of the househoUl under the Queen's control, the inuii- 
 bers were — 
 
 <J7 for 
 1 10 agiiiiiMt 
 
 i:j majority ngninst it. 
 
 In the House of Commons, this (lay, Mr. iVreeval 
 niovL'il a resolution niandatory on the Treasury and 
 Exchequer to i.ssue money for the Army, Navy, and 
 Ordnance, without the usiial authorities of the Privy 
 Seal and Si<?n Manual. The necessity for which arose 
 from Lord rirrnvillc, as auditor, having; refused to 
 direct the tellers to make the issues without the usual 
 and regular autliority under the Privy Seal and Sign 
 Manual. I'o which ohji-ction he was led by the opi. 
 nion of the Attonn.'y and Solicitor General, contrary 
 to the plain and express words of the Loan Act and 
 the Appropriation xVct ; insisting, as they stated, that 
 these wt)r(l.s had been invariably used in all similar 
 Acts, and that the invariable practice had been to issue 
 only under the King's authority. After a debate of 
 some length, the resolution was agreed to without a 
 division. The Opposition were temperate, but pressed 
 upon Ministers that they should have taken the re- 
 sponsibility upon themselves instead of coming to
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 4'67 
 
 Parliament, by the Chancellor putting the Great Seal 
 to the instrument, which he might have done under 
 the provisions of the Act of the 8th and 9th of King 
 William for regulating the Exchequer. The Chan- 
 cellor justified himself to his colleagues for not doing 
 so, by saying there was no instance of the Great Seal 
 having been so used ; which is true. But it is equally 
 true that the necessity for it never before arose ; for, 
 in 1788-9, there were sufficient credits for all the 
 public services till after the recovery of the King in 
 March, 1789. The reluctance on the part of lawyers 
 to take responsibility upon themselves, which 1 have 
 frequently observed in the course of thirty years' expe- 
 rience, was strongly marked in this instance. The 
 Crown lawyers might at least have stated the precise 
 w^ords of the two Acts and the force of them, and 
 observed upon the practice being against them. 
 Let it be noticed that these are Acts of the last ses- 
 sio7i, not, therefore, antecedent to the practice ! In 
 the debate, I desired these gentlemen to tell us, 
 whether, if the Lords of the Treasury, Auditors of the 
 Exchequer, &c., had issued the money under the 
 authority of these words, they thought their Lordships 
 and the officers could have been proceeded against 
 criminally for having so done ? To which the Crown 
 lawyers gave no answer. 
 
 Sunday/, January Q>th. — The accounts of the King's 
 health have been uniformly favourable during the 
 whole of this week ; not stating amendment, but quiet, 
 and frequently sleep. On comparing them with those 
 from the 1st of February to the 9th of the same 
 
 H H 2
 
 168 DIARIES AND COIlKlvSFONDENCK OF 
 
 month, in 17S9, they are ns nearly siinihir as 
 possible ; after whicli last-mentioned day in that 
 year, an anundnient in tlic Kinj^'s health ajjju'ars 
 to have taken place gradnally, — whicli atiords Some 
 gronnd for hope now. And the ))rivate information 
 from A\'indst)r, din-in^ the whole of this week, tends 
 very nnieh the same wav. 
 
 Tuvxdtiji, JatuKtrji t>(li. — Lord Bathnrst sat a long 
 time with mc. 'riic aeeonnt he yrave of the Kiiiir 
 tended very mnch to raise my expectation of recovery. 
 'J'he physicians think him inneh better than he was 
 ten days ago, and wonld last Snnday have prononnccd 
 him in a state of amendment, but from an ap|)rehen- 
 sion of being harassed with examinations. I lis Majesty 
 is quiet, and on all points, (wa-pl hro^ is rational ; but 
 on those his impression does not vary. One is, that he 
 is Elector of Hanover; the otlur- was not mentioned 
 to me. it has been thought also, rather an unfavour- 
 able symj)tom, that he had not spoken of public 
 affairs, or of the (iueen lately ; but this morning he 
 did converse about the (iuet n, which has revived the 
 hopes of the medical gentlemen. His bodily health 
 has improved so much that in that respect he is 
 nearly well. A paroxysm is expected in a very few 
 days, less violent than the last, and from which the 
 King will recover sooner than from that ; after 
 which, all the physicians think he will go on progres- 
 sively, till he gets entirely well. Dr. Willis expresses 
 himself perfectly confident of complete recovery. 
 
 Lord Greuville was with the Prince of Wales on 
 Sunday last for three hours ; and it is clearly under-
 
 THE KIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 469 
 
 stood that his Royal Highness is to change the 
 Administration as soon as he shall be invested with 
 the Regency. Lord Moira, indeed, stated that dis- 
 tinctly yesterday to Lord Liverpool ; observing at 
 the same time, that he would not have done so if 
 Mr. Perceval had not fettered him with restrictions. 
 Lord Grey, who has been in Northumberland during 
 the whole of these discussions, is expected imme- 
 diately, and until he arrives nothing is to be decided 
 respecting the political arrangements. It is conjectured 
 that Lord Grenville is inclined to a junction with Mr. 
 Canning ; which will not be practicable if Mr. Whit- 
 bread has anything to do with the formation of 
 the new Administration. Lord Grenville's friends, 
 however, hope that Lord Grey will give up Mr. Whit- 
 bread, and that the taking in Mr. Canning will be 
 practicable. In thg meantime, that gentleman is well 
 at Melburne House, through the connexion of Mr. 
 Huskisson with that family. 
 
 Mr. Perceval has determined not to resign ; which 
 I do not regret, as there is a certainty of our being 
 turned out. I should otherwise most deeply lament 
 our going on in a miserable way, dwindling daily, 
 with the Regent })rivately against us. But as we 
 are to be set free, it is nuich better the removal should 
 be with the Regent than with ourselves. 
 
 The new Ministers will dissolve the Parliament at 
 the end of March, if the King should not recover in 
 the interval ;— fearhig to wait till the natural end of the 
 session, lest that delay should admit of a recovery 
 before they dissolved.
 
 J.70 i)i\im:s AND coiuiEsi'DNDKNci.: f)r 
 
 Friday, Januari/ 11///. — Mr. Sheridan, by nut dis- 
 cluiniing any intention not to oppose the measure 
 for })utting the Great Seal lo a coniiuission for holding 
 the Parliament, afforded an ojjportunity for adjourning 
 to Monday, instead of till to-morrow ; hy whieh two 
 days are gained towards the recovery of the King. 
 
 Sdfurdai/, Janttan/ 12///. — The bulletin to-day less 
 favourable, " His Majesty is not ((uite so well this 
 morning as he has been for some days past." But as 
 a paro.xysm was exj)eeted this week by all the physi- 
 cians, t/iis alteration for the worse should not occasion 
 despondency. 
 
 Sundu/f, Janiian/ 13///. — Tlie rej)ort of the pliysi- 
 cians to-day, " His Majesty has had a good night, 
 and is better to-day." 
 
 T/nirsdai/, Januarij \l(/i. — Lord Hathurst was at 
 A\ indsor, and with theCiueen and physicians for nearly 
 three hours. He tells me the real condition of his 
 Majesty is, that he has been for son^e days in a state 
 of (juiet ; that the alteration of Saturday last was not 
 a paroxysm, but a .sligiit nturn of irritation. The 
 opinion of the physicians is more than ever contidcnt 
 of recoverv, but still uncertain as to time. Dr. 
 Willis has not the slightest apj)rehcnsiou of another 
 paroxysm now ; he thinks that oitt of all pro/jaU/Hy, 
 and speaks of it with as nmch certainty as he can on 
 (tnylhin(j dependcnf on Ihc .slate of ant/ complainl. The 
 unanimous opinion also of the })hysicians is, that a 
 state of some irritation umst precede recovery, but 
 that recovery is as certain as anything can be. 
 
 The King, on the subjects on which he docs talk,
 
 THE EIGHT HON. GEOllGE ROSE. 4^71 
 
 reasons very rationally. He had great curiosity about 
 the Duke of Qaeensbury's will, desii'ing to be in- 
 formed of all the particulars of it as accurately as 
 possible, and remarking on each legacy with the most 
 perfect judgment. 
 
 Lord Grey was with the Prince of Wales on the 
 15th, and agreed to accept the situation of Yirst 
 Lord of the Treasury, on the express condition 
 that his Koyal Highness should engage to consult 
 only /d.s Minisfers, excluding thereby Lord Moira 
 and Mr. Sheridan, even from thai time, before he 
 assumed the Regency. Lord Grenville to be Presi- 
 dent of the Council, giving up the Treasury from 
 necessity, having rendered his holding that situation 
 difhcult, if not impracticable, from the line he took 
 in making the difficulty to obey the orders of the 
 Treasury, as Auditor of the Exchequer, on the late 
 occasion, when there was a pressing demand for 
 money for the army, navy, and ordnance, from the 
 want of a Privy Seal in one instance, and of a King's 
 warrant in another; — without which the Exchequer, 
 it was stated, would not issue the money. 
 
 Of these hard conditions made wdth the Prince, 
 his intended Ministers speak without reserve, which 
 seems to be unnecessary and somewhat indelicate ; for 
 although it might be fit, and perhaps indispensable, 
 to impose, there could be no use in publishing them. 
 It is understood that his Royal Highness had com- 
 mitted himself to make Lord Erskine, Chancellor ; and 
 to put Lord St. Vincent at the head of the Admiralty ; 
 which, of course, must be afloat now. It is not
 
 472 T)I.\IITK<S AM) COllKKSl'ONDKNCi: OF 
 
 unlikely, however, but that Lord Grey may l)e disposed 
 to acquiesce in the appoiutinent of Lord St. Vincent. 
 No furtlier arrangement is as yet spoken of tor the 
 offices, except a loose conversation for Mr. Whitbread 
 to be Secretary-at-War, and in the Cabinet. Nothinj^ 
 seems to be known respecting Mr. Cainiing being 
 admitted into the new .Vdmiiiistration ; but the preva- 
 lent opinion is that Mr. Whitbread will, on no con- 
 sideration, listen to a junction with him. And amongst 
 the hiwyers the impression is, that Sir Samuel Uomilly 
 will liavc no connexion with the new Government if 
 Mr. Canning is to form a part of it. 
 
 It liMs been suggested as possil)le that Lord 
 Manners may be sent for from Ireland, to have the 
 Great Seal. 
 
 JU' this reliiKjuishment of the Treasury on the 
 part of Lord (Jrenville, rendered necessary by liis 
 conduct in opposing, as Auditor, the issue of the 
 money for [)ublic services, he is properly reicardcd. 
 For, after all, tliis is a sacriticc he hnils himself com- 
 pelled to make from public opinion, much more than 
 from any real or solid objection to the offices of First 
 Lord of the Treasury and Auditor bciuK held bv the 
 same person. 
 
 Throughout the whole of the debate — not, indeed, 
 ui this instance only, but in eveiy stage of the Regency 
 business, from the first introduction of it — Mr. Per- 
 ceval has conducted liimself with a degree of talent, 
 manliness, temper, and perseverance equal to any- 
 thing I ever witnessed in Parliament, except that in 
 eloquence he fell somewhat short of Mr. Pitt and
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 473 
 
 Mr. Fox ; but, upon the whole, combiniug all jjoints, 
 I am bound to acknowledge that I think Mr. Pitt, if 
 he had been living, could hardly have produced mere 
 complete efiect. Mr. Perceval's ability and his con- 
 duct, in all respects, have forced from his enemies an 
 applause and approbation hardly ever bestowed by 
 political adversaries ; and I am very much mistaken 
 if the Regent will not find it necessary to resort to 
 him for protection against his intended Ministers 
 before two years elapse. I think I have given a 
 long period. 
 
 Friday, Januarij ISf/i. — The King walked out yes- 
 terday upon the terrace, for an hour, for the first time. 
 On former occasions, his first going out led to a 
 good deal of irritation, and it was supposed that the 
 same effect would have been produced in this instance ; 
 but fortmiately he had a tolerable rest at night, and 
 was this morning as well as he has been for some 
 days ; which leads to a continuation of the hopes 
 entertained. 
 
 The Committee went through the Regency Bill 
 to-day without any division on the names of the 
 Queen's Council, as was expected, or upon the clause 
 respecting the provisions for the resumption of the 
 King's authority eventually, without a division on any 
 of them ; but several amendments were proposed 
 
 Every point has, therefore, been carried in the pro- 
 gress of the Bill by Ministers, although they were in a 
 minority on one of the pi-ovisions, even after a j)revious 
 resolution for the measure was discussed. 
 
 JFeducsda//, Jaiuinrii 22d — On f^nndav last 1 lie
 
 17 1 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE (JF 
 
 King was in a state of some irritation during a part ol' 
 the tlay ; but from that time he has been rather in an 
 improving way, witliout the sHghtest return of excite- 
 ment. 
 
 Fridai/, Januani 'Ihth. — The Hegency l>ill in a 
 committee in tlie House of Lords to-dav ; and llic 
 clause for vesting the houseliohl in the Uueen tlirown 
 out upon a division — lOS to UG. Of course no proxies 
 were used in the committee. 
 
 Safurdai/ JdNiianf '2.(Sf/i. — Tlie Cliancellor and Mr. 
 Perceval saw the King this forenoon for an hour and a 
 (juarter, during the whole of which time he talked 
 with them in the most collected manner, anil spoke of 
 the Princess Amelia with great feeling, but with perfect 
 composure. 
 
 \\\\{\i seems most extraordinary is, that his Majesty 
 is restored to a degree of sight. lie lot)ked at Mr. 
 Perceval, and said he ftaw his eyes and nose, but could 
 not (Jislint/t/iif/i his features sutliciently to know it was 
 him ; but, turning to the Chancellor, and l(X)king in 
 his face, observed that it was larger, and that he 
 should have known him. 
 
 For these last eight or ten days the reports of the in- 
 tended arrangements, as proposed, for forming the new 
 Government, have fluctuated very much. The only 
 certain allotment of otRces seems to be : Lord Grenville 
 at the Head of the Treasur}', contrary to the determi- 
 nation of last week against his receiving it, on account 
 of the audit orship. He has either grown more bold, or 
 his friends have conceded to him. Lord Grev to l)e 
 Foreign Secretary of State, and Mr. Ticrnev to be Chan-
 
 THE KIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 475 
 
 cellor of the Exchequer. Conjectured that Lord Erskine 
 woidd be Chancellor ; Lord Moira to go to Ireland. 
 Mr. Ponsonby, Lord Lansdown, Lord Holland, Lord 
 Lauderdale, and Mr. Whitbread, Cabinet offices. No 
 overture to Mr. Canning ; but a disposition shown to 
 Lord Sidmouth : and an offer to Mr. Huskisson to be 
 Secretary of the Treasury, which he declined, as below 
 his pretensions, or from an adherence to Mr. Canning. 
 Mr. Abercrombie and Mr. Freeinantle to be Secre- 
 taries to the Treasury. Sir Samuel Romilly spoken of 
 by some to be Attorney-General, by others Assistant- 
 Master of the Rolls — a new office. 
 
 Sunday, January 21 th. —I dined to-day with Lord 
 Camden, who had been at Windsor, and had a long 
 conversation with the physicians who are in attendance 
 on his Majesty. They are still entirely confdent of 
 ultimate recovery, but uncertain as to the period. 
 They acknowledge, however, disappointment at the 
 interview with the Chancellor and ]\Ir. Perceval not 
 having produced the effect they expected, as it had not 
 awakened his ^lajesty's attention to public affairs in a 
 more animated manner than before that interview took 
 place ; at least, not in a degree worthy of notice. The 
 Chancellor and Mr. Perceval tried repeatedly to bring 
 the King to talk of public matters ; but, as often as 
 they did so, his Majesty turned the conversation with 
 much dexterity, without appearing to avoid such sub- 
 jects. 
 
 Monday, January 2%lh. — The report of the Regency 
 Bill, in the House of Lords, was made to-day, when 
 the clause respecting tiie household, which was kft
 
 no DIARIES AND CORIIKSPONDENCK OF 
 
 out of it ill the comniitttr, was restored on ii division. 
 For restoring it — 
 
 Present 88 84 
 
 Proxies . . r,l 38 
 
 Majority for the clause in favour of Ministers 17. 
 
 Ill two of the divisions tin- Dukes of York aud 
 Cambridge diviilcd with Ministers. 
 
 irci/ni'sdai/, Janiiarf/ 3()///. — Mr. I\rceval was with 
 the King again, yesterday, for more than an hour, and 
 found a crrtain improvement in him from Satnrdav 
 hist. His Majesty talked freely of pubHc matters, and 
 witli just reflections on them. He was (jiiite aware of 
 the probable dilfienlty of getting money out of the 
 Exchefpier for the services of the army, navy, &c. ; and 
 asked if any resistance had been made to that. On 
 being told there had, he desired to know from what 
 tpiarter it had arisen. On being told, " from Lord 
 (irenville," he made no reply ; but bowed his head 
 in a manner conveying that it did not surprise him. 
 Mr. Perceval, in the course of the conversation, stated 
 to his Majesty the stage of the Regency Rill, and the 
 principal occurrences during the progress of it. 
 
 T/iin-ftdai/, Januarij Zlst. — The Regencv Hill was 
 this day read a third time with the amendments from 
 the Lords, ami passed. 
 
 iMr. Perceval, on Tuesday last, wrote to the Prince 
 of Wales to acquaint him that there is money in the 
 Exchequer to meet all the demands for various services 
 till the end of February ; and that, if the Honse of 
 Commons shall be in a state to proceed to business on
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 477 
 
 the 12tli, there will be sufficient time for the neces- 
 sary stages to be gone through for making a further 
 provision of money by the end of the month. To wliich 
 communication Mr. Perceval this afternoon received 
 an answer, saying that his Royal Highness learned 
 with sm'prise and concern, that so short an interval 
 would be allowed him to settle great and important 
 matters, as the period between the Regency Bill receiv- 
 ing the Royal assent (probably the 5th) and the 12th. 
 Friday, Fehruary Xst. — The Chancellor and Lord 
 Liverpool were with the King yesterday for about an 
 hour. His Majesty more hurried in his manner than 
 when Mr. Perceval was with him on T'uesday, but no 
 derangement nor delusion His agitation was attri- 
 buted to the latter having opened to him some public 
 matters, going forward beyond the mere detail of 
 business ; but after the hurry subsided (which betrayed 
 itself only in passing from one subject to another) his 
 Majesty was very collected, and showed an anxiety to 
 know how persons had behaved on the questions in 
 Parliament : about Avhich the two Lords satisfied him 
 as to those who had acted steadily, but avoided men- 
 tioning others who had pursued a different line of 
 conduct. He then inquired whether it was the inten- 
 tion of the Prince of Wales to change the Govern- 
 ment, to which the Chancellor answered affirmatively, 
 according to the best information that Ministers could 
 obtain ; on which his Majesty said he would bring 
 his present servants back, but desired to have time, 
 requesting that he might not be brought forward too 
 soon.
 
 17S DIARIES AND COURESrONDF.NCi: OF 
 
 It seems to be decided to-diiy, that there is n fixed 
 deteniiinatioii in liis Koval lliirhiiess to change the 
 Ministers immediately after the Regency l^ill >liall 
 pass. 
 
 Sr/ /!//•(/(///, Fehnuirji '2//. — Mr. Coutts Trotter called 
 on me this morninj:, liaving just h-lt liord Moira, 
 who tohl liim he was going Lord-Lientennnt to Ire- 
 land, which seems to render the removal of Ministers 
 certain. Notwithstanding which, Mr. Hroiigham told 
 Mr. Arhuthnot, last night, tliat the Ministers certainly 
 wonid not he changed immediately; and Mr. Perry, 
 of the Morniny Chronicle, repeatetl confidently the 
 same to-day. 
 
 in the afternoon, it was generally known and ascer- 
 tained that the Prince of Wales, last night, sent a 
 message to Lord Grenville, hy .Mr. Adams, his Chan- 
 cellor, to commnnicate to him the determination \\v. 
 had taken not to change his father's Ministers in the 
 state of his Majesty's health, so promising for re- 
 covery; assnring him CLord Grenville), at the same 
 time, of his confidence being entirely with him. 
 Lord (irey, and his other friends. Which messag«' 
 was received with external marks of respect and satis- 
 faction, but in reality with little content. 
 
 Sundd//, Fehrufirt/ Sd. — The friends of Lord Gren- 
 ville were going about the whole of this iUy, express- 
 ing in unqualified terms their strong disappn^bation 
 of the conduct of the Regent ; complaining bitterly 
 of not having had earlier information of his change 
 of sentiments, the inconvenience of which they must 
 have felt to a considerable extent, from many of
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 479 
 
 their party having discovered that they were to have 
 been left out of the intended arrangement. Sir Arthur 
 Pigott and Sir Samuel Romilly were to have been put 
 aside from political situations. Mr. Sheridan, who 
 would take nothing out of the Cabinet, was positively 
 refused admission to it. Others were spoken of with 
 much uncertainty. 
 
 This change in the Prince's intentions was brought 
 about by a letter from the Queen to him, suggesting 
 the serious ill consequences that might attend a 
 change of his father's Ministers, by retarding his 
 recovery, and eventually endangering his life ; which 
 his Royal Highness answered very dutifully, and 
 acted as has been stated. 
 
 Mondaij, February/ A^ih. — Yesterday, Lord Grenville 
 and Lord Grey were with the Prince of Wales for 
 more than an hour. They deny having attempted to 
 shake his determination respecting the not turning 
 out his father's Ministers, and say they advised his 
 Royal Highness to give liis confidence to Mr. Perce- 
 val, as he meant to keep him in the Govermnent ; 
 which {inler alia) is taking a ground to justify their 
 opposing his measures. 
 
 - Lord Hertford told Lord Camden to-day, that the 
 Prince had never entertained a thought of removing 
 the Ministers, if the prospect of his father's recovery 
 should be a flattering one when the Act of Regency 
 should be complete ; and liad only called upon Lord 
 Grenville and Lord Grey to be prepared with an 
 arrangement for an Administration, in the event of 
 his thinking it proper to make the change in his
 
 180 DIARIES AND CORRESPON DENCK OF 
 
 Councils. lUit SO lute as this evening, Mr. Perceval 
 has received no intimation of his lioyal llighness's 
 intention to ntaiu him in his situation. The tirst 
 overture to Lord (jrcnvillf, it seem.-^, was through 
 Lord Buckingham, who otlcred to senil his l)rother to 
 his Roval Hiirhness, who attended him accordinf^lv, 
 and at his instance prepared an answer for his Royal 
 1 1 ighness to the communication from Mr. Perceval of 
 what was intended as to the restrictions to be pro- 
 posed on the Regent. In which answer his Royal 
 Highness made some important alterations, that gave 
 great otlence to Lord Grenville, who grew extremely 
 sulky upon the occasion ; but peace was made with 
 him bv the intervention of Lord Holland, to whom 
 his Royal Highness applied personally for the attain- 
 ment of the object. 
 
 A conference was this dav had with the Lords on the 
 commission for putting the (jreat Seal to the consent 
 to the Regency Act. After which, there was some 
 discussion upon it in the committee of the whole 
 House upon the state of the nation ; in the course of 
 which the Speaker made a most argimientative and 
 constitutional speech, stating, in substance, that he 
 had observed a strict silence during the whole of the 
 discussion of the several questions which had arisen 
 in the course of the business, thinking it right never 
 to mix in any debate upon points partaking of party 
 interests and feelings ; but having heard [)ositions laid 
 down by gentlemen (Mr. Ponsonby, ^h'. Eliot, and 
 Sir Thomas Turton) attacking the principle on which 
 the two Houses had proceeded ; and thinking, as he
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 481 
 
 did, that the measures which had been adopted in 
 carrying into effect the appointment of a Regent by 
 bill instead of by address, was the only safe and con- 
 stitutional mode ; he felt it his indispensable duty, in 
 the situation he filled in the House, to state his 
 opinions distinctly, and his reasons in support of 
 those, which he did most ably. 
 
 Tuesday, February "bth. — The Chancellor went to 
 Windsor to see his Majesty, in order to satisfy him- 
 self that he was not well enough to make it unfit for 
 his Lordship to put the great seal to the commission 
 for giving the royal assent to the Regency Bill ; and 
 found the King so well (though not recovered) as 
 somewhat to embarrass the noble Lord. He however 
 returned, and sealed the commission ; after which the- 
 bill received the royal assent. 
 
 Wednesday, February Qth. — This day I attended a 
 Privy Council at Carlton House, at which the Regent 
 took the oaths, in the presence of all the Privy Coun- 
 sellors who were there, ninety-two in nundoer ; after 
 which every one of them kissed his Royal llighness's 
 hand, as tliey went up to him. Nothing was said 
 to auy one, except a few words in two or three 
 instances. 
 
 " Thursday, February 1th. — The bulletin this day was 
 the first in which "recovery" was mentioned. The 
 words were, " His Majesty seems to be making gra- 
 dual progress towards recovery." 
 
 Friday, February 8M.— The statement from Wind- 
 sor to-day was, " His Majesty continues to make gra- 
 dual progress towards recovery." 
 
 VOL. II. I ^
 
 182 DIARIES AND COIlRESrONDENCK OF 
 
 The Regent gave aiulicnce to nil the Ministers this 
 d.'iy. To .Mr. Perceval he was most cordial, as was 
 stated to nie hy Mr. Arhuthnot, for 1 did not sec 
 himself; hut Lord Welie-sK-y came to tell me he had 
 proposed my son to his Royal llii^dmess as Ambassador 
 Extraordinary and .Minister Plenipotentiary to Con- 
 stantinople, which he had ac(piiesced in very gra- 
 cionslv. Tliis communication I received j^ratefullv, 
 cxpressiuLT, however, great douhts whetlier my son 
 could accept, t'(»r reasons not necessary to detail 
 here. Put I told his L()rd.^hip that ho should have 
 an answer in two or three days, he having allf)wed 
 my son to talk on the subject with .Mr. Arhuthnot, 
 who had been there. 
 
 Lord Wellcsley said nothing could exceed the grace 
 and condescension of his Koval liii^luuss, nor the 
 pleasant manner in which he transacted business with 
 him durinjj an hour. His Roval Iliuhness mentioned 
 the vacancies of a liluc, a Green, and a Red Riband, 
 and said he shoidd reserve them all, to lay at his 
 father's feet on his recovery ; but that if his Lordship 
 had any one in the diplomatic line to recommend for 
 the Red Riband, he would join in his recommendation 
 to the Kinnr for it. 
 
 The Mission to Naples is to be joined to the situa- 
 tion of Commander-in-Chief in Sicily ; otherwise my 
 son would have intinitely preferred that to Constanti- 
 nople, though inferior both in rank and profit. 
 
 Safi/rdaj/, Fehruari/ ^fli. — The Queen and the 
 Princess Auijusta saw the Kiiisr vcsterdav, and his 
 Majesty has shown no agitation in consequence of
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 183 
 
 that visit ; and it is understood the Duke of York is 
 to see him this day. 
 
 The bulletin is, " that his Majesty is quite as well 
 as he has been during the two last days." 
 
 The Regent has given notice that he shall hold 
 his first levee next Tuesday ; and that he shall give 
 audiences to his Ministers on Thursdays. 
 
 I have heard from one channel that his Royal 
 Highness, in forbearing to change the Administra- 
 tion, acted upon the advice of Lady Hertford and 
 Mrs. Fitzherbert ; and, through another channel, that 
 Mrs. Fitzherbert was sent for to London, and that the 
 Prince was some hours with her. After which she told 
 a person who talks freely with her, that she was not 
 at liberty to state any particular, but " that some 
 people would meet with a disappointment they were 
 not in the least aware of;" alluding to the Opposition. 
 
 I I -2
 
 iSlt DIARIES AND CORHESVONDENCi: OF 
 
 CHAPTER XIIT. 
 
 1810—1818. 
 
 CORRFSrONDEXCE BETWEEN MR. ROSE, ME. PERCEVAL, LORD WELLESLEY, 
 LORD DATHUItST, LORD MELVILLE, LORD WAL.>-IXOHAM, LOUD LIVER- 
 POOL, SIR W. GRANT, AND LORD C.\STLEREAGH— DEATH OK MR. ROHE 
 AT CDFFNELL8, IN 1818. 
 
 The letters of tliis year (IS 10) sliow how imicli 
 some of the luatliiig men of tliat day valued the opinion 
 of Mr. Rose. Lord Hathinst thought it of siittieient 
 imj)ortanee to suspend a decision of the Cabinet; 
 and Lord .\Ldmesbury related iiow he liad sought 
 him out to discuss a rpiestion during tlic Adding- 
 ton Administration, which produced this remark from 
 Mr. l^itt to himself: "What you hinted to Rose set 
 him, and he set me, on thinking; and, on dispassion- 
 ate consideration, we agreed you were quite right. I 
 am now decided to stav." And a little while after he 
 writes: — "G.Rose was with me; he talked very 
 well, and much t(j the purpose." Lord Eldon was in 
 great despair, when he heard that Mr. Rose and liis 
 friends were about to join Canning in his secession. 
 He writes to Lady Eldon, September ISOi) : — 
 " Shocked as I am to say it, George Rose has de- 
 clared his attachment to Cannincr. Iluskisson has
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 485 
 
 done the same ; also Charles Long and Sturges 
 Bourne. As these are the four men of business, it 
 appeared to us, last night, that without junction 
 the King must be sacrificed." 
 
 But of these four, two soon repented, and remained. 
 Rose was one of them, and appears to liave been 
 rather sore that Bourne did not follow the same 
 course, since it was to him that he owed his scat in 
 Parhament. Feeling this to be the case, Bourne 
 offered to resign his seat. This led to an expla- 
 nation. Mr. Rose's answers have not been pre- 
 served; but it appears that he sent his notes of the 
 Canning correspondence, which Mr. Bourne returned 
 in September, with his comments upon them, in 
 which he admits the blamable ambition of his leader. 
 
 It will be seen that Lord Mai mesbury, in his letter, 
 bewailed the loss of Mr. Pitt, — though it was no longer 
 a recent loss, — -because the Government of that day 
 was too mild, in his opinion, to encounter the vigo- 
 rous virulence of the Opposition. J\Ir. Perceval, 
 indeed, had not splendid talents to bear him up under 
 the onerous task which now devolved upou him, of 
 conducting the debates in the House of Connnons 
 almost alone for the Cabinet ; but yet he won golden 
 opinions from all parties as an amiable and con- 
 scientious Minister ; and three evidences of this are 
 disclosed in the correspondence. 
 
 1. When Mr. Rose heard that a place in the Customs 
 at Southampton, which, relying on his right to the
 
 480 DIAKIKS AND COUllKSl'ON DKNCK OF 
 
 patronage in his own nciglibourliood, he liail promised 
 to a friend, liad been given to the Kyders, lie warmly 
 remonstrated ni^ainst the sHj'ht whieh was thus cast 
 upon his just })retensi{)ns. Mr. IV'rceval immediately 
 apologized tor his inattention, and promised to jyer- 
 suadc the Kyders to kt him withdraw IVum his en- 
 gagement to them. Mr. Kooe, tlK)Ugh full of vexa- 
 tion, declined an ofl'i-r wliieh would oti'end pirsons 
 of so nmeh importance to the Administration ; hut 
 Perceval insisted upon it, and found something else for 
 the man j)atronised hy them. 
 
 2. \\ Inn the house of Goldsmidt was in dang( r of 
 heing declared bankrupt, and it w as proposed to issue 
 an Extent, to save the Cnnvn from loss, I'erceval, un- 
 willing to contribute to the ruin of so many private 
 families, preferred to take upon himself the [)ei*sonal 
 responsibility of getting the liank to assist the totter- 
 ing tirm, which, if the measure liad failed of success, 
 would have been attended with very serious conse- 
 (piences to himself. 
 
 3. Mr. Chinnery had exposed himself to so much 
 animadversion for extravagance in his expenditure, 
 that his integrity as a j)ublic officer was suspected ; 
 and ^Ir. Rose thought it necessiiry to caution him, in 
 the following letter : — 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 " I should not act fairly or kindly towards you, 
 if I were to conceal from vou that I have heard
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOllGE HOSE. 187 
 
 observations frequently made respecting the expense 
 at which you have for a long time been living, and 
 that inferences are drawn therefrom of an unpleasant 
 nature. On the conduct of those who are in no 
 public trusts, neither well-meaning nor impertinent 
 persons have anything to do ; but it is otherwise 
 when parties whose conduct is connnented on are en- 
 trusted with the care or expenditure of public money. 
 You well know that this was a subject of consider- 
 able anxiety to me before I left the Treasury. In 
 truth, it has never ceased to be so ; but the conunents 
 upon the extent of expense you must be unavoidably 
 incurring are become so unqualified and general, as 
 to compel me, most reluctantly, to depart from that 
 silence which I have long observed about it. It w^as 
 my intention to have had a quiet and full conver- 
 sation with you upon it, previously to my leaving 
 London ; but, finding you are absent, I have no 
 choice as to the mode of communication. Under a 
 perfect conviction that the reports to which I have 
 alluded must have reached Mr. Perceval, I thought 
 beyond comparison the best course would be, to enter 
 on the subject with him myself; which, indeed, I 
 should have felt it a duty to do, in any event. I 
 have, therefore, requested him to talk to you upon it, 
 in order to afford you an o})portunity of satisfying 
 him that there is no ground of alarm respecting the 
 trust reposed in you ; and I Avill not conceal from 
 you that I have advised him, if you should fail to do 
 so, to withdraw the public money from your custody ; 
 M'hich I am sure, if he should find himself comi)elled
 
 488 DIAUIES AND COKUKSI'ONIJKXCK OF 
 
 to do, he would (111 in a iiiauniT the least |)aiiiriil 
 to you. Ill doing this, 1 ihink, as I have already 
 said, I am aciing kindly towanls you, as well as with 
 a proper regard to puhlie opinion. Vou will dt) me 
 the justiee to admit thai 1 always treated you with 
 marked kindness; and that when 1 found myscU' 
 rompelled to remonstrate with vou ahout vour stvle 
 of living, 1 did it with reluetanei, from what appeared 
 to me to he a strong duty. If Mr Perceval shoidd 
 not send for vou, 1 entreat that von niav see him, 
 and tell Inm your desire to do so in consecpicncc 
 of an intimation from me. He will then, I am very 
 certain, listen to you with kind attention ; and I wish 
 from my heart vou may satisfy him that you are not 
 m the course of expenditure whieii nuiy render it 
 unsafe to contiiuie to place public monies in your 
 hands. Let me know the result after you have 
 seen him." 
 
 [In consecjuence of this notice, Mr. Perceval seems 
 to have had an interview with Mr C'hinnerv, and to 
 have inspected very minutely all iiis accounts, and 
 had satisfied himself that, as a public accountant, he 
 had been guilty of no malversation. It is not neces- 
 sary to go into all the particulars of this investi- 
 ijjation : it is enough that he cainc to the conclusion 
 that " on the general face of the accounts, as far as 
 the documents go, nothing can well be fairer, more 
 creditable to an accountant, or less calcidatcd to 
 create any reasonable apprehension or suspicion "
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 489 
 
 The correspondence of this year closes Avith n 
 mixture of good and evil — the last illness of the 
 King, the appointment of the Regent, and the retreat 
 of the French army from Portugal, which was the 
 turning point of Napoleon's fortunes, and the com- 
 mencement of his reverses. — Ed.] 
 
 Mr. Perceval to Mr. Rose. 
 
 "Ealing, Monday Evening, Sept. 20, 1810. 
 
 " Dear Rose, 
 
 ^~ " After many delays and interruptions, both 
 from occupation and from indolence, I hope at last 
 to furnish you with a general view of the result of my 
 inquiries into Mr. Chinnery's accounts. 
 
 " I have already told you that I think the view 
 which Mr. Chinnery has given me is satisfactory ; and 
 that I am under no apprehension of the public being- 
 exposed to any risk from the amount of the balances 
 in his hands. The first statement, indeed, which 
 I had from him satisfied me on this point. 
 
 " Upon the general face of his accounts, as far as 
 the documents go, Jiothing can, I think, well be fairer, 
 more creditable to an accountant, or less likely to 
 excite any reasonable apprehension or suspicion. 
 
 " Knowing the attention wJiich the Commissioners 
 for Audit pay to the balances in the accountant's 
 hands, 1 confess this report is perfectly satisfactory to 
 my mind, to the extent of showing that there is 
 nothing unfavourable in the least degree to Mr. Chin- 
 nery in the state of his accounts, and no improper 
 accumulation of balance in his hands.
 
 490 DIARIES ANB CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 " Having thus satisfied inysclf on the tairntss ot" liis 
 account as a public accountant, I confess I do not 
 think that I have any right to (|uariel with him for 
 anything in his style of livini;, which may ni)[)ear to 
 me or others perhaps too expensive for the situation 
 which he holds, or to trv him with anv ''reat minute- 
 ncss as to the source from wlu'ncc lie has derived his 
 pecuniary means of supporting such expense. On 
 this point, however, he has voluntarily told me that 
 lie has for many years been living with very exact 
 economy, without a house in town, and at an expense 
 greatly within his income. That he has derived from 
 the friendship of some very old connexions formed at 
 school, means of pecuniary resource and of increasing 
 his fortune, which were independent of his ollicial 
 situation. 
 
 " My conceru with his affairs, certainly, is only upon 
 public grounds, and 1 do not think I have any right 
 to interfere further than to satisfy myself that the 
 public is safe. 
 
 " With regard to the situation of the balance in 
 Mr. Chinnery's hands, though lie has satisfied me 
 that its present custody is quite safe, and within the 
 reach of an immediate call, yet I confess I am not 
 quite satisfied with the nature of that custody, as it 
 rests upon private security. And although not only 
 ^Ir. Chinnery but myself are perfectly satisfied that 
 bis personal scciu'ity is at jjresent quite safe, yet there 
 is no being sure of anybody in these times. I have, 
 therefore, desired that the fresh issues shall be vested 
 in ExcluMpier Bills, and so kept till called for. lie
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEOKGE HOSE. 491 
 
 promised mc that should he the case, and has assured 
 ine that it has been done, and 1 confess I have a 
 perfect reUance on his word that it is so. But I do not 
 mean, and it is not fitting, that the pubhc security 
 should rest on his or on any man's word. I have, there- 
 fore, determined to establish some regulation which may 
 make the public quite safe on this point. My present 
 idea is to adopt the following regulation, or something 
 to the same effect, viz. that, taking an estimate of the 
 largest amount of balance, wliicli the agent has in his 
 hands at any period of the year, to require him to 
 give security to that amount ; and that the Treasury 
 shall not at any time issue to him a larger sum than 
 that which, together with the existing balance shall 
 amount to the sum for which security has been given, 
 without requiring a proportionate increase of that 
 security. 
 
 " I am very sorry for both our sakes to have been 
 obliged to have troubled you with such a detail at 
 such a length, but your friendly anxiety on this 
 subject required it of me, and I hope you will excuse 
 my not having given it you before. I do not in the 
 least degree regret my own trouble in it, as it has 
 brought under my consideration a very inq)ortant 
 subject, which, if placed before me in Parliament 
 by some political adversary, when I was unapprised 
 of the state of it, miglit have been attended with 
 great inconvenience. One excuse that I have for my 
 delay is, that out of delicacy to Mr. Chinnery, I have 
 not thought it fair to put this letter into the hands of 
 a secretary to copy.
 
 \'\)2 DIAIUKS AND rOKHKf^rONDKNfK OF 
 
 " I rctunu-d tVoin Nortliainptonshiro on Monday 
 last. Mrs. V. and I sliall liope to sec you here in the 
 course of the next week. I hope you will take a bed. 
 We shall l)e in town Tuesday and Wednesday, and if 
 you could come to us on Thursday, or any follow- 
 ing day that you can appoint — perhaps Saturday, 
 and stay till Mondiy, — vou will make us very 
 
 glad. 
 
 ' I am, dear Kosi-, 
 
 '■ Voiu's very truly. 
 
 " Sp. Pku( r.y.M.." 
 
 [And yet, after all this kindness, Mr. IV-rceval 
 foiuid ]iim>elf the victim of Mr. Chinncry's cunnino:. 
 The accounts had hien cooked (to use a modern 
 phrase), so as to dcceiye him, and in a yiar or two 
 after, he owned to Mr. Rose the imposition that had 
 been practised upon him. — Eu.] 
 
 Mu. PERCEyAL TO Mu. UobE. 
 
 " My dear Rose, 
 
 " I have to accpiaint you that all your fears 
 respecting Chinnery are realized, lie deceived me 
 most terribly in 1810, and he is in arrear beyond 
 even your conception. I have put the aftair into the 
 hands of the Solicitor of the Treasury, and have 
 directed him to be removed from his situation at the 
 Treasury and all his agencies. You at least have
 
 THE RIGHT .HON. GEORGE ROSE. i93 
 
 the satisfaction of feeling that you did all you 
 
 could. j\Iy confidence certainly has been imposed 
 
 upon, 
 
 " Yours most truly, 
 
 " Sp. Perceval. 
 
 "Downing Street, March 10th, 1812. 
 
 " Do not mention this melancholy subject till I see 
 you." 
 
 Mu. Perceval to Mr. Rose, on ike Kinys illness. 
 
 [Private and conjidential?\ 
 
 " My dear Rose, 
 
 " Thinking that you would wish to know, as 
 accurately as I can tell you, the course hitended 
 to be pursued to-morrow, I trouble you with this 
 line to say, that if the examination should close as 
 favourably as it ])roniises, my intention is to present 
 the Report; to move that it be read, and then to 
 move an adjournment for a fortnight. The course 
 which we may expect the Opposition to take will be, 
 to move that the Report be printed, and that the 
 further consideration of it be deferred to iMonday, 
 and on Monday to ap[)oint a Conunittee to examine 
 the physicians ; and they will have the advantage of 
 the letter of the precedent of 1 788 in their favom*; 
 but as to the spirit, unless the House should be of 
 opinion that we should immediately proceed to supply 
 the deficiency, T apprehend the spirit of that prece- 
 dent docs not apply. At that time tlie general 
 feeling was against the probability of recovery, 
 and there was no trace of any amendment begun.
 
 V,)\ DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 Now it is in evidence that consitlcial)lc' anuMuIinent liiis 
 taken place, and tliere is the most conficK'iit Iiojh- of 
 recovery. Tlie cases, therefore, are qnite dithnrit, at 
 least so it seems to me, to wliich tlie prineiplf of the 
 precedent of 17SS was applied, and is now to he 
 applied. 
 
 '■ If anything occnrs to yon npon this, 1 shonld be 
 triad of a line from yon ; hut if von sec it in the same 
 point of view, yon need not tronhle yonrself to write. 
 1 shall have a mectinix of House of Connnons' frit-nds 
 at three o'clock to-morrow, and shall he glad to see 
 yon amongst them, nidess yon lind it better to spare 
 yonrself. 
 
 " I am, mv dear Rose, 
 
 " Yonrs most trnly, 
 
 " Sp. Perceval. 
 
 " Downiug street, Nov. 2sth, ISIO." 
 
 [At the end of this year (1^11) Mr, Rose's Diary 
 discloses to ns the remarkable negotiations coimectcd 
 with the financial arrangements of the Regency. They 
 arc chieHv remarkable on accoimt of the broad light 
 which they throw npon the faithlessness of the Prince, 
 and the gigantic statnre of his egotism : for thongli 
 Charles Fox was the Gamaliel at whose feet he 
 learned the strictest doctrines of Whig ethics, and 
 thongh he was familiar with tho cant of spnrions 
 liberality, which pinnies itself npon taking muler its 
 wing popular licence in the name of liberty and re- 
 sistance to oppression, whether real or imaginary, and
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 495 
 
 repugnance to raising taxes from the subject for the 
 benefit of rulers, — he nevertheless thought, that to 
 him everything else must give way ; rights, princi- 
 ples, consistency, the peace of the nation, and the 
 dignity of Parliament. For he contended that the 
 country was responsible for his debts, whatever they 
 might be, and in whatever way they w^ere incurred. 
 He saw no shame in the discovery that he had en- 
 couraged his two next brothers, the Duke of York 
 and the Duke of Clarence, to imitate his own extra- 
 vagance, by becoming security for sums lent to them, 
 to a very great amount, though he was habitually 
 living far beyond his income, because his debts were 
 sure to be paid by Parliament ; and all the engage- 
 ments which he entered into, to practise more economy 
 and pay his debts, like Samson's withies, had no power 
 to bind him, because his creditors would, as a matter 
 of course, receive their money from the nation. It is 
 a great blessing, and perhaps one not sufficiently ap- 
 preciated, to mark the contrast between the occupants 
 of the throne at that time and at this. 
 
 But as the greater part of the Diary consists of com- 
 munications between Mr. Adam on the part of the 
 Prince,and Mr. Perceval on the part of the Government, 
 on the subject of the allowances claimed from Parlia- 
 ment by the former, for the Royal family as well as for 
 himself ; the perpetual recurrence of figures discussed, 
 contested and altered, would be too wearisome, and it 
 will be sufficient to extract the most important passages
 
 4)96 DlAlllES AND COKKKSPONUKNCK OF 
 
 on till' subject alivady indicated. I'o tlic j)r()|)(isal 
 l)ol(li} put forth \)\ till! Prince's IVicnds that Parliament 
 should pay his debts, the answer of tiie Cal)inet was 
 thus — "That it was the clear, decided, and unanin.ous 
 opinion of Mr. Perce\al and all his collea<^ues, most re- 
 luctantlv and unwillini^lv adoijti-d, that to brintr these 
 debts before Parliament for the purpose of dis('liar|j;in<^ 
 them, by whatever gradual instalments, out of money 
 to be raised on the people for tjiat purpose, would be 
 most inconsistent with the true interests of iiis Royal 
 Highness himself. That it was also the unanimous 
 opinion of all, that the idea of founding or strengthen- 
 ing any claim u[)on the public for the discharge of 
 these debts, by any reference to the former demands 
 on account of the Huehy of Cornwall, after the manner 
 in which the determination to abandon the suit for 
 that demand was received in Parliament, would not 
 be consistent with what appeared to Ix tla; plain 
 meaning of that transaction; ami that his Royal 
 Highness could not be properly advised to distin- 
 guish between that abandonment of the suit and an 
 absolute abandonment of the claim." 
 
 On the following day a paper was delivered to Mr. 
 Perceval, in wliich it was stated, that his Royal High- 
 ness considered the claims and arrears which he was 
 bound to discharge, as staiiding not in the unfavour- 
 able light in which Mr. Perceval placed them ; a^ his 
 Royal Highness considered all his creditors entitled 
 to the protection of Parliament, on tin- .sou/ulr.sf priit-
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 497 
 
 ciples of equity and fair dealiny. But Mr. Perceval 
 was not a man to curry favour with the Prince by 
 doing that Avhich was morally and politically wrong. 
 
 Two days afterwards, on the 12th of December, 
 his reply was sent; in which he showed, from the 
 speeches of the Prince's own friends in 1803, the 
 engagement which he had made to withdraw his 
 claims to the arrears of the Duchy of Cornwall, and 
 the pledges that he had given for the payment and 
 liquidation of his debts at that time. Mr. Perceval 
 then strongly urged the extravagance of the proposition 
 (though not in these exact words) of the creditors 
 having a claim, on the principles of equity and fair 
 dealing, and making Parliament responsible for the 
 debts. "Further, he stated plainly that " an attempt 
 to persuade Parliament to that vrould be a gross breach 
 of duty in him, and as great a one as he could com- 
 mit towards the Prince. He was convinced that any 
 reference to what passed in ParUament in 1803 
 woidd make a very different impression from what 
 his Royal Highness seemed to think, and that it 
 would have the very worst effect upon his Royal 
 Highness's estimation in the country, if he were to 
 be advised to act as if he thought Parliament had 
 any oblif^ation whatever to provide for the protection 
 of his creditors," 
 
 The letters belonging to this year are few and un- 
 important ; but as we are accompanying Mr. Rose in 
 his passage through his official life, it would be unjust 
 
 VOL. II. K K
 
 198 DIARIES AND COURKSVONDENCK OF 
 
 to him to omit two instances in whicli his influfncc 
 upon our foreign and domestic policy was gratefully 
 acknowledged by those wliom it concerned. The 
 Portnn;uese Ambassador, the Chevalier de Souza, 
 offered him his most sincere and warm thanks fi)r 
 the part he took in a liberal nioditiration of an article 
 ill the treaty concerning ships of foreign construction. 
 It was a favour hi^'hlv valued, ami more in conformitv 
 with modern views than with those which were usually 
 entertained bv statesmen of that day. 
 
 But while Mr. Rose was not unwilling to favour 
 foreign trade, he took a more lively interest in its 
 prosperity at home. The Spitaltlelds weavers were 
 anxious to express the gratitude which they and their 
 fellow-workmen felt for his attention to their concerns, 
 and his readiness to redress tluir grievances. " We 
 trust," say they, " we are deeply sensible of the very 
 many obligations we are under to you, Sir, for the 
 unmerited kindnesses you have so long shown for the 
 welfare of our trade, and we cannot but look back 
 with peculiar pleasure, when troubles have threatened 
 to overwhelm our trade, to beholding in you a friend 
 and father to the poor weaver." 
 
 Before the close of the year, the inconvenience of 
 heads of departments acting upon their own respon- 
 sibility in important matters without conununication 
 with their colleagues, is curiously exemplitied by the 
 too quick resolvedness of Lord Wellesley. In answer 
 to a remonstrance from ^Ir. Rose, who strongly
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 499 
 
 objected to tlie appointment recently made of Com- 
 missioners, who were to mediate between Spain 
 and her revolted colonies, the following explanation 
 is given by Lord Bathurst : " Very early in the revolt, 
 a wish was expressed on the part of the revolters, 
 that we should act as mediators, which was for 
 many reasons not complied with. Om* making the 
 offer immediately would have been considered by 
 the Spanish Government as giving encouragement. 
 During the course of last autumn and the beginning 
 of the spring, the jealousy of the Spanish Government 
 towards us very much increased, and we had some 
 reason to apprehend that the measures which were in 
 contemplation to act vigorously against the colonies, 
 would be attended by so violent an attack upon our 
 trade as would occasion the danger of a rupture: 
 The French party in Cadiz were very active in this 
 business, and we had at the same time reason to 
 believe, that the alarm at the success of the insurgents 
 was such, that an offer of our mediation would be 
 accepted; that at all events we should probably by 
 that be enabled to suspend active hostilities between 
 the two parties, which would gain time. Under this 
 persuasion the offer was made. It had been well 
 received ; but since that, the declaration of the Spanish 
 Government, to which you referred, has been made, 
 and we have had reason to doubt whether our Com- 
 missioners will be received in America, and to believe 
 that our proposition will be considered as unfavour- 
 
 K K 2
 
 500 Dl.VlUKS AND COUlltSPONDr.NCE OF 
 
 ably intended towards the insurgents. Tlie utmost 
 that will happen, therefore, is that we shall he exposed 
 to some little mortitication in having appointed Com- 
 missioners without being able to send them. Under 
 these circumstances, it might perhaps have been better 
 not to have made the actual appointuu-nt until some 
 answer was receiveil from America. And I confess 
 1 was surprised, when I read the appointment in the 
 newspaper on my arriving in London. Upon intjuiry, 
 1 found most of my colleagues had read it with eijual 
 surprise, and (to speak most confidentially) not one of 
 them knew of it, except Lord Wellesley of course, 
 above a day or two before the ap[)ointmont appeared. 
 The true reason a^ the hurrv was, I believe, an im- 
 patience to provide for Mr. Sydenham : but the alleged 
 reason is that the Duke of Infantado presses it. 
 
 Lord Wellesley had exercised absolute power so 
 long in India that he had no great taste fur consul- 
 tation with others in the Cal)inet ; but if it be true, 
 that the Spanish noble's importunities drew him into 
 that humiliating position, it will account in some 
 degree for the vexation and discontent with our 
 Peninsular allies which he manifests in the following 
 letter. — Ed.] 
 
 Lord Wellesley to Mr. Rose. 
 [Private.] 
 
 "Dorking, Nov. 7th, 1811 
 
 " Mr DEAR Sir, 
 
 " I return the draft which you have been so kind 
 as to send to me, with a few suggestions in the margin.
 
 THE TIIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 501 
 
 " The conduct of Portugal, or rather of the 
 Portuguese Government, is a good exercise of political 
 patience for a young minister. I have been engaged 
 in one continued squabble with that Government 
 and our other dear ally of Spain since I have held the 
 seals ; and if any statesman can point out to me the 
 means of inducing either to attend to reason, truth, or 
 justice, I shall be much obliged to him. 
 " Always, my dear sir, 
 
 " Yours most truly and sincerely, 
 
 " Wellesley." 
 
 [This was an important year (1812) in the quiet tenor 
 of Mr. Rose's life, for in the course of it he resigned his 
 offices, his motives for which are not explained. It 
 was certainly not on account of ill health, for that he 
 distinctly disclaims ; either it was the prospect of Lord 
 Sidmoutli's admission into the Cabinet, whose conduct 
 to Mr. Pitt he had never forgiven ; or it must have 
 been some dissatisfaction with the mode in which 
 the Government was administered by Mr. Perceval, 
 who, though expressing very strongly in reference to 
 his resignation, his respect for Mr. Rose personally, 
 yet evidently designs to draw a distinction between his 
 personal and his political character. Still the whole 
 letter is full of the most delicate attention to his feelings, 
 and of a desire to avoid anything that might hurt them. 
 But after the assassination of that most amiable and 
 intrepid minister in the course of the year, Mr. Rose
 
 502 DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 resumed his post as Treasurer of the Navy, possiljly 
 witli the view of carrying into execution tliose refurins 
 with respect to prize-money, al)()Ut wliieli lie hail ex- 
 pressed liis anxii'ty to Mr. I'ereeval ; hut tlicre is 
 ueither (Uary nor correspondence to throw any hj^dit 
 upon the subject. — Ed.] 
 
 Mr. 1\.usi; tu Mr. I'kkceval. 
 
 " Dkar I^krceval. 
 
 " I avoided saying anything to you ahout an 
 intention of resigning tlie Tnasurersliip of thr Navy, 
 while a douht remained respecting the contiiuiance of 
 tlie Administration in ollice. Hut as there no U>nger 
 exists any, 1 shall esteem it a favour if, in tlie arrange- 
 ments about to be made, you will propose to his 
 Royal Highness the Prince Urgent a successor to me 
 in that situation and at tlic l^»ard of Trade." 
 
 [Lord Hathm'st, as a eommon friend, was chosen to 
 be the medium of those explanations which the occa- 
 sion might require. — Ed.] 
 
 Lord Batucrst to .Mr. Rose. 
 
 (( T)u . T, "Rosv " ^''^rtman Square, March 8th, 1812, 
 
 " I have received a long letter from Perceval on 
 the subject of your proposed resignation, niul I think 
 it the shortest way to send it to you. It will put you 
 in fuller possession of his sentiments and feelings on 
 tlie subject ; although there is one part in which 
 I think he has misunderstood me. When I first
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 603 
 
 suggested to him the possibiUty of his losing your 
 assistance, he expressed his hope that you had at 
 least no intention to resign immediately, as that might 
 have embarrassed the Government, and begged I would 
 prevail upon you, if you had such an idea, to defer 
 it. But he seems to have forgot, or possibly not 
 thought it necessary to add, that I then told him I was 
 sure you would do nothing to create embarrassment ; 
 and that if the state of your health should induce you 
 finally to come to such a resolution, you would be 
 easily induced to suspend the execution of your 
 intention. 
 
 " His observation on the subject of the prize-money 
 business is not material. 
 
 " I shall be obliged to you to return me the letter. 
 
 " I am, yoiu's ever, 
 
 " Bathurst." 
 
 Mr. Perceval to Lord Bathurst. 
 {Enclosed in the foregoing?} 
 
 " Downing Street, March 8th, 1812, 
 
 *' My dear Lord, 
 
 " I return your memorandum of the result of the 
 conversations which have passed between you. Rose 
 and myself, on the subject of his resignation of the 
 office of Treasurer of the Navy. It contains nothing 
 but what I understand to be the fair result of those 
 conversations, except so far as relates to a note of 
 Rose's respecting some future arrangement of the 
 interests of Greenwich Hospital in prize-money, of 
 which proposed arrangement I do not recollect to have
 
 501 DIARIES AND CORIlESrOXDEXCE OF 
 
 heard hoforc, and wliicli T do not sufticicntly nndcr- 
 stnnd, on the first stntcnient of it, to feci confident tliat 
 it onght to 1)0 adoj)ted. l^iit altliough your menio- 
 randum contains nothing wo/v than what is the fair 
 result of those conversations, vet it omits n>ueh which 
 I think is necessary to give them their true character; 
 nt least, it woidd be very unsatisfactory to my feelings 
 if that memorandum were, without anvthiuK more, to 
 remain as a ncord or history of tlie conversations 
 tluuiselvcs. I hope, therefore, you will have no objec- 
 tion to engraft into your memorandum the circum- 
 stances out of which the conversations arose. For 
 with my sincere regard and respect for Rose pc^rxonuUy, 
 with the sense I entertain of personal obligations to 
 him for the manner in which he has assisted me ever 
 since I have been in my present situation, and with 
 the feeling I have of the gnat value of his public and 
 olHcial services, I should be extremely sorry that 
 ill a pajMT which I am to sanction, as containing a 
 true account of his resignation, it should be left in 
 doubt with whom the idea of that resignation 
 orirjinatcd. I am snre when yon consider, not onlv 
 his claims npon mc personally, but his claims upon 
 every friend of Mr. Pitt, arising out of his long 
 attached, confidential, and useful services to Mr. Pitt, 
 von will easily enter into my feelings, which make me 
 most anxious to have it remembered that the idea of 
 his resignation did not originate with me ; that his 
 desire to resign, founded on the apprehension of the 
 effect upon his health of continual labour and fatigue 
 in the public service, was communicated from you to
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 505 
 
 me, and that I had begged you to parry, at least for 
 the time, the execution of his purpose of resignation ; 
 as at that time it appeared to me that it would be 
 attended with considerable inconvenience to the 
 Government; although, at no very remote period, I 
 certainly felt that his office, as he was himself desirous 
 of leaving it, might open to me the means of fornung 
 an arrangement beneficial to the public service. 
 
 " Under these circumstances, when the consideration 
 arose of making an arrangement to admit Lord Sid- 
 mouth and some of his friends into the Government ; — 
 which arrangement, but for Rose's proposal, only ap- 
 peared to me practicable through the retirement of 
 Ryder, I certainly felt that I was not only at liberty, but 
 that I was contributing to Rose's own purposes, which 
 you had communicated by message from him to me, 
 when I opened the discussion with himself as to the mode 
 and time of his retirement, and the convenience which 
 would result to me from it. When, however, I found 
 from you that you collected from his report of my 
 conversation with him, that he was indeed perfectly 
 ready, in compliance with what he found to be con- 
 venient for my arrangements, most good-humouredly, 
 to retire immediately, yet that he would, but for the 
 consideration of that convenience, have preferred 
 waiting to the end of the session ; the same feeling 
 which would have prevented me from entertaining the 
 idea of my originating the proposal of his resignation, 
 did not suffer me to hesitate a moment in re- 
 linquishing the notion of that resignation being 
 immediate, and of determining to postpone the period
 
 50(3 DIARIKS AND CORllESPONUENCE OF 
 
 for executing tliat part of the arrangement wliich was 
 to depend on liis olliee, till tlie time when Rose's own 
 deliberate view of the suhjeet would render his retire- 
 ment pcrfeetly agreeal)le to himself. 
 
 " If, in eonse(iuenec of these renwirks, you will 
 insert into your memorandum a rejjresentation of thi; 
 cireumstanees out of whieh the eonversation referred 
 to originated, 1 ean have no objirtion to the statement 
 itself. 1 am sorry to give you this trouble, but 1 am 
 sure it would disapj)oint your object in recording any 
 part of the transaction if your statement dt)es not 
 include the parts so essential to my justification, not 
 in proposing (as might appear to iiave been the case 
 from your paper as it now stands) ])nt in aecejjting 
 Rose's resignation. 
 
 " If you should wish to show this letter to Rose, as 
 accounting for any alteration you may have to make 
 in your memorandum, 1 cannot have the least objec- 
 tion to his seeing it. 
 
 " I am, my dear Lord, yours most truly, 
 
 "(Signed) S. Perceval. 
 
 " In reading: over this letter, I think I ought to add 
 that I was certainly desirous of avoiding, if I could, 
 the necessity of accepting Ryder's ofler of resignation 
 to accommodate mv arrangements ; but what I wish 
 to be remembered is, that I liad not contemplated the 
 idea of avoiding tliat necessity by means of Ro.'^e's 
 office, till his offer to resign it, on personal considera- 
 tions of his own, had appeared to open the way to so 
 doing, without any interference with his wishes ; but,
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 507 
 
 on the contrary, by a compliance with them. And I 
 am sure you will do me the justice to recollect, and to 
 record in your paper, that, although what I understood 
 from you was only that Rose wished to postpone the 
 execution of his purpose of resigning till the end of 
 the session, or about that time, yet I distinctly stated 
 to you, that if, from finding his health improved, or 
 from any other cause, he wished to rehnquish the idea of 
 resigning altogether, I was so far from having any idea 
 of taking him at his first word, and of catching at 
 his offer, that I was determined not to accept his 
 resignation at all, unless, upon his deliberate review of 
 the subject, he continued still to desire, for his own 
 sake, that it should take place. 
 
 " He may think it strange that I have not men- 
 tioned the subject to him since our first conversation. 
 I wish, therefore, you would tell him that I avoided 
 talking to him upon it purposely, because I thought 
 he would naturally feel himself much more at ease in 
 explaining himself fully through you than in a direct 
 communication with me." 
 
 Mr. Rose to Lord Bathdrst. 
 
 "Old Palace Yard, March 8th, 1812. 
 
 " My dear Lord, 
 
 " I found your letter, including Mr. Perceval's, 
 on my table when I came home from a late ride at 
 six o'clock, and had not time even to read the letter 
 attentively before I dressed for dinner. On the best 
 consideration that I can give it this evening, I have 
 reason to regret that anything should have induced
 
 508 DIARIES AND CORUKSI'ONDKNCE OF 
 
 you to propose a incinoranduiii being made on tlie 
 subject of my resinriiation. I expressed tliat to you 
 yesterday, and it i.s my anxious rrtpiest to you now, 
 that the one you pre])ared may l)e burnt, as al)so- 
 hitelv useU'ss. I shall write to Mr. Perceval, to state 
 to him my wish to resign in an umjualified manner, 
 to put hiiii perfectly at ease, as to liis having sug- 
 gested it, which he never conveyed the remott st idea 
 of previously to the communication from nu^ through 
 you. The determination certainly origimitcd with 
 myself; with which, however, the state of my health, 
 as I admitted to you, had not nuich to do ; that having 
 been niucli improved within tlh- last few months. 
 1 think, from Mr. rcrceval's statement, ho iiHi.st have 
 mismiderstood you with respect to mv preferring to 
 defer my resignation to the end of the session, as 
 I had no wish to protract it, unless that should 
 be desirable to him ; which misconception you seem 
 to be aware <»f. If I could have accomplished the 
 object I alliuled to respecting naval j)rize-m()ney, 
 I should have liked to liave remained two or three 
 months lat»r ; but ditlicidties have since appeared to 
 me to be in the way of that, and I am desirous to be 
 set at liberty whenever it shall be convenient for 
 ]\Ir. Perceval to make his arrangements ; not meaning, 
 nevertheless, to urge him to that inconveniently. 
 
 " I aiu, &c. 
 
 " I have written tliis letter in much haste, thinking 
 an early explanation due to Mr. Perceval ; but I can- 
 not close it without adding how deeply T feel your
 
 THE RIGHT HON, GEORGE ROSE. 509 
 
 kindness towards me respecting what has passed 
 relative to my retiring, of which I shall retain a lasting 
 remembrance." 
 
 [The death of Mr. Perceval left his Government a 
 headless corpse, wherefore the Prince Regent gave 
 full authority to Lord Wellesley to form a new Ad- 
 ministration as best he might ; a task which he under- 
 took earnestly and with much disinterestedness : for 
 he required no office for himself, if that was the only 
 obstacle. And first, he proposed certain terras to the 
 now defunct Cabinet, which they rejected unanimously, 
 as contrary to their principles, though they were so 
 vaguely worded as might entrap many a conscience. 
 After this repulse Lord Wellesley betook himself to the 
 Whigs, and they seemed to have a very reasonable 
 prospect of returning once more to power ; but their 
 arbitrary temper, which insisted on interfering with 
 many of the household appointments, and their aversion 
 to coalesce wdth any whom they could not hold in sub- 
 jection, defeated every attempt. The Prince, there- 
 fore, had no option but to reanimate the late Cabinet 
 unconditionally, and to rely upon the support of the 
 country, which was disgusted by the haughty ambi- 
 tion of the Whigs. It was on this occasion that 
 Sheridan observed, they had built up a wall to knock 
 out their own brains against it. Lord Bathurst com- 
 municated a short summary of the negotiations to 
 Mr. Rose in the following letter. — Ed.]
 
 mo diaries and coutiespondenck of 
 Lord Bathiiist to Mk. IIosk. 
 
 " Portiuan Square, May 21th. 
 
 " Dear Rose, 
 
 " Caiiniiipj called upon hovd Liverpool, l)y desire 
 of Lord Wellesley, to know if he, or any of tiic present 
 Administration were inclined to belong to the Admi- 
 nistration now formiiiL;? The basis of this new Ad- 
 ministration was stated to l)c, the taking into serious 
 and immediate consideration the Catholic claims, in 
 order to conic to a final and satisfactory arrangement 
 of them ; and to prosecute the war in the Peninsula 
 with the 6r.sf means of the country. You will observe 
 that each of these principh-s are conveniently lav in 
 the expression. The answer which we gave last night, 
 was, that all of us thought we were bound to decline, 
 csj)ecially after recent events, to accept the proposal 
 of belonging to an Administration to be formed Ij^ 
 Lord irrlh'slry. 
 
 " Canning informed Lord Liverpool, that Tjord 
 Wellesley had made a similar proposal to Lord Moira, 
 and Lord Grey. There is, 1 understand, no conclu- 
 sion. I believe that Lord Wellesley has also seen 
 Lord Grenvillc. I should have added, that, in the 
 proposal made by Canning to Lord Livcrpo(^l, and in 
 that made to Lords Grey and Moira, it is stated that 
 with respect to offices, there is none claimed by Lord 
 Wellesley. I think the Opposition will take him at 
 his word. 
 
 " You are at full liberty to mention the whole of 
 this. " Y''ours, ever sincerely, 
 
 " Bathcrst."
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 51I 
 
 [The following letters between the First Lord of 
 the Admiralty and the Paymaster of the Navy reflect 
 so much credit upon them, not so much in their 
 private capacity as in the light of servants of the 
 Crown responsible to public opinion, that they alone 
 would justify the publication of this correspondence ; 
 because they show (of which English jealousy of 
 power is apt to be incredulous), that as much atten- 
 tion was paid (at least under a Conservative Admini- 
 stration) to the claims of the poorer and most power- 
 less members of the community, as to those w4io 
 enjoyed the greatest share of wealth and influence. — 
 Ed.] 
 
 Lord Melville to Mr. Rose. 
 [Private.^ 
 
 "Admiralty, 15tli Sept. 1814. 
 
 " Dear Rose, 
 
 " I do not trouble you with the inclosed from 
 any special consideration of the particular case, but, 
 as a specimen for your information of a considerable 
 and increased number which I have of late received. 
 The circumstance may be accidental, and I have 
 little doubt that the several instances may be satis- 
 factorily accounted for ; but though this is undoubt- 
 edly the case in some of them, on their own showing, 
 yet there are many where the parties appear to have 
 done all that was required of them and to have been 
 left afterwards in ignorance (notwithstanding re- 
 peated applications) of the causes which prevented 
 their recovering what they conceived to be their dne.
 
 512 DL\RIES ANU CUKULSI'ONDENCE OF 
 
 In an otlicc like yours, — in the business and corre- 
 spondence of which the meanest cottager in the king- 
 dom, and a multitude of them, may be personally in- 
 terested, — I know too well your general sentiments on 
 such matters not to be persuaded that you will agree 
 with me in thinking it fit aiul proper, even at some 
 moderate expense to the pid)lic, that satisfaction 
 should, if possible, be given to those classes of the 
 people, and that they should he nuide to feel that 
 their concerns are not neglected. I have no dou])t 
 that rrn/ neglect does not occur ; but it is very 
 desirable that there should not even be the appear- 
 ance of it. 
 
 " I have nothing further to add, except to apo- 
 logize for this intrusion ; but I thought it right to 
 state the matter for your information. On your return 
 to town, you will probably examine into the subject, 
 witli a view to ascertain whether in the inferior 
 branches of the Pay OtHce, which have the charge of 
 that correspondence, the business is conducted to 
 your own satisfaction. 
 
 " BeUeve me always yours most truly, 
 
 " Melville." 
 
 Mk. Rose to Lord Melville. 
 
 "Cuffnells, Sept. 18th, lbl4. 
 
 " My dear Lord, 
 
 " I receive your letter of the 15th, which did not 
 reach ine till yesterday (as I am quite sure it was meant) 
 as a mark of personal kindness and attention to me ; but 
 haviug assured you of that, with the most perfect sin-
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 513 
 
 cerity, I feel it indispensably necessary, in my own 
 vindication, to state to you the indefatigable pains I 
 have incessantly taken from almost the first day of my 
 entering on my office to give the fullest possible satis- 
 faction to the seamen in his Majesty's service, and to 
 the relations of those who have died in it. 
 
 " Very soon after my appointment to the Treasurer- 
 ship I sent to every parochial clergyman in England, 
 Scotland, and Ireland, to the number of 15,000 or 
 16,000, complete information of the steps necessary 
 to be taken by any of their parishioners who might 
 have, or who might suppose they had, claims to wages 
 or prize-money, due for the services of themselves or 
 of deceased relatives. 
 
 " I then gave the most positive orders, accompanied 
 by strong assurances of my severe displeasure if they 
 should not be complied with, for insuring early answers 
 to all applications; and finding these ineffectual, from 
 not knowing on whom individually to fix blame, wiiere 
 there was an appearance of neglect,! divided the alphabet 
 amongst the clerks in the inspection brand), assigning 
 to each certain letters in it, that I might know with 
 whom the responsibility rested, who should not perform 
 his duty. That has been followed up by mulcts (which 
 perhaps I had no right to impose) and reprimands. At 
 one time I had the whole branch into my room, and stated 
 to them, in the most impressive terms I could find 
 language to express myself in, my fixed determination 
 to dismiss the first person against whom a well-founded 
 complaint should be made; on which I had remon- 
 strances for having disgraced the branch. 
 
 VOL. II. L L
 
 oil DIAIUES ANlJ CUKilLSPUNDENCJi OF 
 
 "I can say, with coufiilcnce, that there is not a 
 man in existence who feels a more lively anxiety to 
 do what is retiuired of him in any department, than I 
 do to give the most entire satisfaction to the otticers 
 and seamen in the navy, in order to which 1 have not 
 confined mvsclf to official orders and regulations, but 
 have given up a very large portion of my time at 
 home for the attainment of that ohjcct. Not a letter 
 is addressed to me, either to Palace Yard or here — of 
 which there are hundreds in a year— that is not answered 
 by myself, in my own writing ; and when personal 
 applications are made at either, which are numerous, 
 the parties never go from my door without my 
 seeinu: them, and verv seldom without money ; in many 
 instances sufficient to carry them home when they have 
 unnecessarily come from a distance. My servants 
 have general orders, never, under any ])ressure of 
 business, to refuse admittance to seamen or their rela- 
 tives ; or, indeed, to any poor incpiiring j)erson. I 
 have, sometimes, picked up stragglers in the country 
 and maintained them till I could ascertain whether I 
 could be useful to them, either in getting them prize- 
 money or obtaining admission for them into Greenwich 
 Hospital, of which the Secretary, but more especially 
 the Clerk of the Cherpie of the Royal Hospital, can 
 atl'ord ample testimony. In short, officially and pri- 
 vately, I have left nothing undone that I thought could 
 contribute to the advantage or the protection of the 
 seamen ; and 1 am not without a hope that justice is 
 done to me by every officer in the navy with whom I 
 have had correspondence. T have, by the aid of a law
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 515 
 
 I brought in, punished frauds of every description 
 practised upon the seamen, even in cases where only 
 larger prices have been exacted than ought to have 
 been for articles sold to them. 
 
 " I will make no invidious comparison wdth what has 
 been done in former Trcasurerships to satisfy those 
 who have irresistible claims on the person holding my 
 office ; and I should think it contemptibly ostentatious 
 to refer gratuitously to my own exertions. It is purely 
 to persuade your Lordship, if I can, that I have per- 
 formed my duty most zealously and conscientiously. I 
 know your partiality to me leads you to think I have 
 not intentionally neglected anything on the subject of 
 your letter, but I am desirous of convincing you that 
 all that is possible has been done, unless the appoint- 
 ment of a clerk to be at the elbow of the Paymaster to 
 assist him, overloaded as he is with his business, can 
 be found useful. You are aware that a measure is 
 now in progress, with the approbation of your Board, 
 for giving satisfactory information to persons in Ire- 
 land, and to prevent their ever having the trouble, 
 or being put to the expense, of repairing to London for 
 it, which will be attended with a saving to myself, as 
 well as advantage to them. With a view to assisting 
 them, I had become a member of a new institution for 
 the relief of the poor Irish. 
 
 " The cases which have been sent from the Admiralty 
 have invariably been investigated under my own care, 
 and to the best of my recollection there was not one 
 where I found just ground for blame. In some in- 
 stances reports were made to their Lordships ; but 
 
 L L 2
 
 51 n DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE OF 
 
 latterly that was omitted, under an iinj)rc'ssi(jn that 
 reliance could be placed' on my attention. I shall, 
 however, not have the slightest objection to a special 
 report being made on each reference if that should be 
 desired. 
 
 " I know that complaints of neglect in my office 
 have been so frequent as to obtain some degree of 
 credit. I will, therefore, certainly transmit to your 
 Board all the proceedings I have had on the subject, 
 without any reference to your private letter ; and I wish 
 my doing so may lead to my receiving assistance from 
 any quarter, which I should be heartily thankful for. 
 I am under one ditliculty, no light one, which I fear 
 you caimot relieve me from. 
 
 " I have only to add, that if I could conceive it pos- 
 sible that my going to London would have a chance 
 of enabling me to devise further means for eti'ecting 
 the object 1 have so anxiously endeavoured to obtain, 
 I should think myself utterly unjustifiable if 1 were to 
 remain here eicrht-and-fortv hours. While here I am 
 far from being idle, for hardly a day passes in which 
 I am not in correspondence with the Paymaster, about 
 whom I have written you a separate letter of this 
 date." 
 
 The E.vri. of Walsingu.vm to Mr. Rose. 
 
 " Staines, Nov. 12tb, 1»14. 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 " Nothing can be more obliging than your letter 
 to me upon signing the address of the House of Lords,
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 517 
 
 or more friendly than the sentiments expressed by 
 yourself upon the occasion. 
 
 " What are the merits that would not be more than 
 amply rewarded by such an address? Indeed, I know 
 no instance where our indulgent masters have signified 
 their kind and flattering approbation in lessons which 
 should make a more deep impression upon a grateful 
 and feeling mind. 
 
 " The unanimity which I have always experienced 
 from the House, is indeed, as you say, not only con- 
 soling to myself, but most encouraging to my successor, 
 who, I am sure, will deserve and obtain the confidence 
 of the House. 
 
 " I am much obliged to you for your good wishes 
 respecting my health. 1 suffer nothing from pain 
 when I keep clear of gout ; bat I fear I cannot 
 expect to recover the use of my limbs. 
 
 " Believe me, my dear Sir, 
 
 " Most truly, yours, 
 
 " Walsingham." 
 
 1815, 181G, 1817. 
 
 [During these three years, Ur. Rose's activity was 
 subsiding into the grave. Still there were some 
 points of policy in the administration of our domes- 
 tic affairs which gave him so much disquietude, 
 that he thought it his duty to remonstrate. The 
 proposed alteration in the corn laws, and the question
 
 AlS hi VKIKS AM) ( OiUCl.si'ONDENCK OF 
 
 of partiiipj witli tlio |)r()[)«rty-tax, gasc imirli occupa- 
 tion to his thoughts ; and his remarks were thaiikl'uliy 
 acknowlcdgrd l)y liord Iii\erpool. On these two 
 topics he spoke in Parhanient, and printed Ids 
 speeches ; tVoni wliich it appears, tliat on tlie first of 
 them lie was on tlie poj)uhir side, not in the sense in 
 which it would now he understood . fne trade m 
 corn was a thing of winch nobody then dreamed. 
 Rut he was opposed to a very nnwist- attempt made 
 by the landowners to obtain extravagantly high 
 prices. The people of Southampton petitioned him 
 to oj)pose that project ; and as he considered himself 
 the locum Imom of his son, the rcpreM-ntative of that 
 l)orough, who was then our andmssador at ]J«rlin, he 
 readily consented to their wish. He hehl that the 
 grower of corn should be very cflfectually protected to 
 the extent of tlie price bein? high enough to insure 
 liis being able to pay a fair rent, and to have a 
 reasonable protit for himself; but when that should 
 be secured, the consumer should then have every 
 possible facility of supply at a price not exceeding 
 the protecting one. The same sentiments, which 
 in those days were very liberal, he rej)eale(l in a 
 letter to Mr. C'urwen, and concluded with a few 
 remarks upon a subject which is now exciting much 
 attention. 
 
 " I have long," he says, " thought ^ith you, that it 
 would be most desirable to ascertain the quantity of
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 519 
 
 provisions raised within the kingdom, but I have 
 never been able to devise any possible means of 
 attaining that object ; and I am perfectly aware that 
 the mode suggested by you is not a practicable one. 
 If there was in the clergy a more ready disposition to 
 be active in matters out of the immediate line of their 
 duty, than after repeated experience 1 have found in 
 part of them, there would still be a powerful difficulty 
 in the w^ay of your plan. I mean the utter hope- 
 lessness of the farmers giving to the clergy a true 
 account of the various articles of produce raised by 
 them, for reasons too obvious for me to enter into any 
 details." 
 
 Mr. Curwen's plan of turning the clergy into clerks 
 of the Treasury employed in collecting agricultural 
 statistics, and the rejection of that plan, not on 
 account of its impropriety, but its inefficiency, are 
 remarkable proofs of the disposition prevalent at that 
 time to view the clergy of the Established Church as 
 servants of the State, rather than as servants of a 
 hioher jMaster, and to exact secular services from 
 them inconsistent with their spiritual functions. And 
 in this case nothing could have been devised more 
 likely to engender suspicion and dislike towards 
 them in the minds of their agricultural parishioners. 
 On the other subject, Mr. Rose was not on the popular 
 side, for he was in favom* of the property-tax. He held, 
 what many still hold, that if it could be made less 
 vexatious on some points, it would be the fairest, the 
 cheapest, and the most productive of all taxes.
 
 520 DIAUIKS AND COUUESPONDKNCK OF 
 
 Writing on this subject tt) Lord Liverpool, he says : 
 — " I ciiii wish nothing more iirdently than tliat 1 
 may prove to be mistaken in tlie opinion I have 
 stated respecting the iiiipracticabihty of I'nuHng pro- 
 ductive taxes to an amount ecpial to one half of tliat 
 on property. I will oidy say now that 1 could not 
 have thought myself justified in expressing that to 
 you \vithout having previously considered most de- 
 Hberatciy every article of consumption su])ject to 
 duties of excise and customs, and also the other 
 sources of revenue; to some of wliich large ailditions 
 nuiy certaiidy be made. Li the event of these proving 
 moni vexatious ti) individuals than the property-tax, 
 they may be truly told tliey liave made their choice. 
 My apprehension is that the present revenue, even in 
 the assessed taxes least of all liable to evasion, may 
 be injured to a wry great amount by increase." 
 Jjord Liverjiool's answer to this remonstrance, shows 
 how the cool judgment of the veteran Secretary to 
 the Treasury, who had devoted his life to questions 
 of tinancc, failed to move those who bore the resj)on- 
 sibility of confronting the ignorant impatience of 
 taxation in Parliament, and were constrained to act 
 contrary to their own judgment by a force superior to 
 their own — the force of public opinion. — Ed.] 
 
 Loud Liverpool to >rK. Rosk. 
 
 "My DE.\R Sir, "Fife House, id Feb. 1815. 
 
 " I am much oblijjed to vou for vour letter, 
 which I received yesterday. I will fairly own to you
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 521 
 
 that I believe it will be the deterininatioii of Govern- 
 ment not to press the renewal of the property-tax. 
 In the present state of the public mind on that 
 question, I very much doubt whether it could be 
 carried with any modifications. But I am quite con- 
 fident that there woidd be no end of the difficulties in 
 which we should involve ourselves by any attempt, 
 under present circumstances, to modify this tax ; and 
 that it is far better to get rid of it altogether, and to 
 look to it as a resource hereafter, in case an exigency 
 should arise which might render it desirable to resort to 
 it, than to attempt to new model it at present, with all 
 the prejudice which unfortunately exists against it. 
 If we could have preserved it as it now stands for 
 one year, at ten per cent., or for three or four years 
 at five per cent., it would have been a great relief to 
 our financial system. 
 
 " I am, with great truth, my dear Sir, 
 
 " Yours very faithfully, 
 
 " Liverpool." 
 
 [The following extract of a humourous letter from 
 Sir William Grant must not be omitted, written after 
 the thanks of the House of Commons had been voted 
 to him for the distinguished ability with which he 
 had discharged his office, and when the English of 
 every grade in society were flocking over to Paris, 
 after the peace of 1815. — Ed.]
 
 52*J DIAIUES AND CORKtSPONDENCl!: OF 
 
 Sir William Gkant to Mr. Kosk. 
 
 "Lomlon, IGth Nov. 1815. 
 
 " My dkar Sir, 
 
 " The thanks of the House came upon nic very 
 niucli l)y surprise, and I have not yet ceased inarvel- 
 \\n<^ how T, ulio ouf^lit naturally to have heen the 
 thankr/-, should have to sustain the eharacter of the 
 tiiankd'^'. However, if to have experienced a {^rcat 
 deal of liospitality, and carried away a great deal of 
 health, ho merits, mine an- certainly considerable ; 
 and if thanks be due to such desert, I >hall be always 
 very well disposed to earn and receive them. 
 
 " In the legal world I find little that is new, unless 
 it mav be so reckoned that three or four of our 
 .Masters in Chancerv have l)een at l*aris. .Ii kvll says 
 that when the Duke of \\ ellington discovered them, 
 he took them for anti([ues stolen from England, and 
 insisted on having them cased uj), and sent back at 
 the time of the general emballa(j/e. This accounts for 
 the concern the English troops took in the business. 
 
 Chambre, it is said, is about to retire. Heath, 
 now eighty-four, says that some years hence lie shall 
 probably do the same. 
 
 " I remain, my dear Sir, most truly yours, 
 
 " W. Grant." 
 
 [On the 1 3th of January, ISIS, Mr. Rose died at 
 Cuffnellj, HI the seventy-fourth year of his age ; and
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 523 
 
 his death was notified by Lord Castlereagh to his son 
 at Berhn, in the following very kind and considerate 
 letter. — Ed.] 
 
 Lord Castlereagh to Sir George Rose. 
 
 " My dear Sir, "London, 16th Jan. 1818. 
 
 " Although the advanced age at which your 
 father had arrived, and the visible shock which his 
 health had sustained in the course of last year, must 
 have prepared your mind for the melancholy event of 
 which the present messenger will be the bearer, yet 
 I know how deeply you will feel the loss of a father 
 whom you valued so much. It must be no small 
 consolation to you, however, to know that you will 
 not have to grieve alone, but that the public generally, 
 and many, many friends, amongst whom I beg very 
 sincerely to be ranked, will long continue to regard 
 his loss. 
 
 " The letters which I transmit from Cuffnells will 
 no doubt convey to you all the particulars of your 
 father's last moments, and as I am sure your imme- 
 diate presence in England must be necessary, both for 
 the relief of your personal feelings and for the arrange- 
 ment of your family affairs, I lose no time in despatch- 
 ing a messenger to apprize you of this much to be 
 lamented event, and to convey to you the necessary 
 authority for coming to England, leaving the mission 
 in Mr. Douglas's charge. 
 
 " With a very cordial participation in the affliction
 
 521 DIARIKS AND CORRESPONDENCE OP 
 
 which vou will uxpcriiiici', hilievc iiic, inv dear Sir 
 with sincere regard, 
 
 " Ever most faitlifnlly v^^Hra, 
 
 " CASTLEREAfWI." 
 
 [Having now followed Mr. Koso from his cradle tn 
 his tonil), through the scanty memorials whicli lie lias 
 hit heliind, kt us mix for a hrief sj)ace with the 
 mourners who regretted the loss of the useful and 
 distinguished character who had just passed away 
 from the stage of life. 1 1 is contemporaries were the 
 best judges of Ins \alue, and they liave added their 
 testimony to that of the iiigh-minded statesman which 
 has just been given. A writer in the Hampshire 
 newsj)aper of that year speaks of him in these terms — 
 " As an old and respected inhabitant of this county, we 
 are called to speak of him as a private man. The lists 
 of subscribers to the patriotic and charitable institu- 
 tions of the county are the best proofs of his benevo- 
 lence, which prompted him to be always ready to 
 contribute to them ; and his unostcntiUious and 
 unobtrusive interference wherever he could be useful 
 proved the urbanity of his manners and the sincerity of 
 his feelings. His whole life was active, laborious, and 
 useful, and his death will be greatlv felt and regretted. 
 In his will he left lOs. to every man attending divine 
 service either at Lvndhurst or at Christ Church on 
 
 m 
 
 the Sunday after his funeral, who was poor enough to
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 525 
 
 accept of it. We must not omit the high satisfaction 
 with which he declares that his children never gave 
 him an hour's pain." Another writer portrays his cha- 
 racter most correctly. " It was he who first conceived 
 the idea of putting down smuggling, and improving 
 the income of the state by decreasing the amount of 
 duties exacted at the Custom House. . . . His love 
 of order, his attention to details, his regularity and 
 sober habits extended from the Treasury to the Long- 
 room ; and all the public boards were kept on the 
 alert by his vigilance and industry. ... As a man 
 of business he was indefatigable, being both early and 
 late at his desk, and consequently an invaluable 
 acquisition to any Administration. While other mem- 
 bers of the Cabinet retired to enjoy their pleasures, 
 he withdrew to his office, where he arranged and pre- 
 pared everything for the succeeding days. No man 
 of his time was more intimately acquainted with the 
 trade and manufactures of this country, the assistance 
 which they wanted from the state, or the resources 
 which might be derived from them in return. As a 
 Member of Parliament he proved highly serviceable to 
 the public on a variety of occasions. In him the new 
 and excellent system of Savings' Banks found an 
 active friend and patron ; he placed the property of 
 Friendly Societies under the protection of the laws ; 
 he produced an enumeration of the inhabitants of the 
 island, and thus demonstrated the immense increase 
 of our population. ... As a writer he did not aim
 
 i')'2() DIARIKS AND COKJIKSIMJNDENCK OF 
 
 at l)eing decant or refititcl ; but on the other liaiul. 
 he was accurate and able, althougli somewhat vohiini- 
 nous. . . . On the subjects of revenue, commerce, 
 and finance, he was a decickd optimist. No gloomy 
 predictions are to be found in any uf his numerous 
 pamphlets. ... In the worst of times he was 
 accustomed to felicitate the nation on the flourishing 
 situation of our commerce and tinances. Nor was he 
 ever at a loss to reply to those who constantlv 
 augured disnuiy, ruin, and destruction from long and 
 expensive wars. His speeches, like his writings, 
 although somewhat ditline, were aj)pro|M*iatc and 
 pcculiiu' to himself; they were unadorned with any 
 tropes or similes; he never afi'ected the hulicrous or 
 satirical ; he never exhibited the sallies of a lively 
 imagiiuition ; he never daz/.led his auditors by any 
 sudden and unexpected burst of elo(iuence. But if 
 cold, he was correct ; if monotonous, deep ; and if 
 sometimes prolix, he was generally clear, unem- 
 barrassed, and comprehensible. Thus, while many of 
 his orations smelt of the lamp, and were the sole j)ro- 
 duce of otticial intercourse and calculation, they at 
 least displayed great accuracy and correctness, and aa 
 they were usually supported by whole columns of 
 ti^ures, it was no easv matter to overcome his calcu- 
 lations, or set his arithmetic at detiance." ' 
 
 It will no doubt occur to every serious reader, 
 that eulogy is sadly imperfect in which all mention of 
 
 ' Gentleman's Magazine for 1811). p. 529.
 
 THE RIGHT HON. GEORGE ROSE. 527 
 
 religion is omitted. Mr. Rose was not disposed to 
 make a parade of his Christianity any more than of 
 his charity ; but there is much incidental evidence, 
 not only that he observed the ordinances of religion 
 himself, but that he was anxious to impart the know- 
 ledge of it to others. He took an active part in the 
 formation of the Westminster Auxiliary Bible Society, 
 and was enrolled amongst the vice-presidents of the 
 Hampshire Bible Society, in virtue of which office he 
 presided at the formation of a Branch Society at 
 Southampton. 
 
 THE END. 
 
 H. Cr.AY, PRINTER, BREAD STREET HILL.
 
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