wishes of Mr. Pitt,[1] and Mr. Grenville put in his place with regard to the House of Commons, where Mr. Fox had hitherto been supposed to have a considerable weight, and that after the very strong professions he had conveyed thro' me to your Lordship, without paying any regard or attention to him. He should be very glad of some mark of the King's attention, before he submitted to this, independent of any other view, to show the world that the Pay Office was not a sufficient reason for his submitting to everything that could arrive. Your Lordship had been so good as to promise him a particular favour within the year. None appeared to him so easy as to grant this a little sooner upon this occasion, but still if that does not suit your Lordship, and you will send to him, and tell him that the necessities of the Administration make the one necessary, as well as make the other inconvenient at this time, tho' you are still desirous of Mr. Fox's friendship, your Lordship may have as much of it as you please. And he will be ready to be of any use to you with the same sincerity as before, when he finds that your Lordship, on the one hand, does not suppose him so very interested as he suspected you did; and on the other, does not scruple to avow that regard for him with that degree of confidence (which is far from unbounded in his idea) which he thinks his professions of regard deserve, and which brings it pretty nearly to what your Lordship concluded with. All that I have to ask, my Lord, therefore is not to expose my want of art, for I really have very little, and very little concealment with your Lordship, perhaps too little in dealing with you as a Minister, and in ticklish times. Do not therefore make me fail in being the means of uniting two persons, whom I have long since endeavoured for both their interests (and am persuaded every day will show it more and more) to cement and make connected. Mr. Fox puts off his going to Windsor, to wait on you. You will be so good therefore to send to him when you choose, and I have only to beg that you will take up the conversation upon the footing of this letter, as I took up the
- ↑ The allusion is again to the peerage conferred on Lady Hester Pitt.
