my mother, and recommended by letter Colonel Barré to succeed me as member for Wycombe, where the principal people were very well disposed to accept my recommendation, and I considered the election secure, when I was surprised to hear of an underhand opposition from Mr. Willes, the son of the Chief Justice. It was a long time before I could find out his inducement, who encouraged him, or on what grounds he went. At last, to my utter astonishment, I found Lord Melcombe at the bottom of the whole. I had been in habits of intimacy with him, which naturally resulted from being both of us devoted to Lord Bute. My indignation knew no bounds.[1] All the world was of my side. The contest was very unequal between a young man just coming into the world and an old one just going out of it. I determined never to open my lips to him. However, soon after being to walk at the coronation, the order of the procession put first Lord Lyttleton and me together, but Lady Lyttleton quickly staring her husband out of countenance, from whom she had been separated some time, Lord Melcombe succeeded to his place. As we were to walk two and two I thought it stupid to pass so many hours together without speaking. I broke my resolution, and as he was more than ready on his part, we conversed very freely during the whole day. In the warmth and openness of my temper I could not help asking him what could possibly tempt him to try to raise an opposition against me at Wycombe. He made the same answer as he did to Lord Bute, 'that he conceived I was too young to trouble my head about such things.' I told him that 'it was that which provoked me the most of anything, for he knew the contrary most intimately well.' 'Well,' said he, 'when did you ever know anybody get out of a great scrape but by a great lye.' After this it was impossible to formaliser avec lui and I lived afterwards upon very familiar terms with him to the
- ↑ "It has been asserted to Lord Shelburne that your Lordship attempted to supply his vacancy in Wycombe without his knowledge. There is not a man in the kingdom for whom I entertain a warmer friendship, and whose character, spirit and talents I have a higher opinion of. Therefore you must not be surprised if the least surmise of this nature puts me in a flurry." The Earl of Bute to Lord Melcombe, June 15th, 1761, in the Eyre-Matcham Papers. Hist. MSS. Commission Reports (various collections), vi. 49.
