May 23.
My dear Lord,—I shall be in town a few hours after this letter, but I may not see you till you have had another opportunity which, by this letter, I do conjure you not to lose. You'll say, what shall I ask for? Ask for any place, Lord of the Bedchamber, or of the Treasury with a promise of being of the Plenipotentiaries at a Peace, either at Augsbourg or elsewhere. This will lead directly to what I suppose you aim at and perhaps soon. You'll never get it from that Trusteeship that you speak of; nor to say truth should you get it till you have got rid of such, to say no worse of them, puerile notions. I am not wiser than you, my Lord, but I am older. Don't think you have taken my advice if you get the promise without the place. It is in place that I long to see you; and it is the place-man, not the independent Lord, that can do his country good.
Tell me when I see you on Tuesday that you have a place, no matter what, and the promise above-mentioned. Lord Talbot may be in the right. I don't know him enough to say otherwise, but he is a great deal older than you are, and I don't know that he has such powers as I think I see in you, if you were once well broke in. Get your harness on immediately.
I have known Rigby these twenty years. He can feel an obligation, and when obliged may be entirely confided in. He has spirit, is ready, and will soon, if I don't mistake, be the most popular speaker in the House of Commons. I am heartily glad for Lord Bute's sake, that he will engage him. To serve Lord Bute I would come to town from the Land's End; but as it is, I am very sorry to leave this place,[1] which suits so very well both my mind and body. I have therefore thoughts of returning, Wednesday or Thursday, for four or five days to the ladies, who stay here till they hear whether I can or no. To your question, who, in the House of Commons, can be Chancellor of the Exchequer, I suppose
- ↑ Kingsgate.
