154
WILLIAM, EARL OF SHELBURNE
CH. III
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civility, &c. Civility and respect in the practice of the world are, it's humbly presumed, ever proportioned to the use or disuse the Person can be of. Those who are in a situation to do neither much good or harm, may depend on little civility or attention. | |
| "They will be ashamed of this and hate me the more for it. (5) | "(5) They may, but won't hurt you. They won't love you, if you retire. This is the best of reasons, if it would be the consequence of your going out. But that is the very point in question. |
| "For these reasons, and above all for my own ease, (6) suppose I go on Wednesday l next, without imparting my design even to Lord Bute, and tell the King that it is not convenient to me, and was neither my design, nor as I believe His Majesty's, that this session should end in my losing my place; but that as His Majesty had been led into a belief unwarranted by me that it was my desire, and had thought of arrangements in consequence of it, I could not think of ending a session by being inconvenient to him, which I begun with so very different a view. And therefore only desiring that he would appoint A. B. to carry on my Office till Midsummer, I begged leave to resign now and my successor would be as well satisfied with a nomination to take place then as on this day. | |
| "I should have a great deal of dissembled (7) praise and desire that I would stay, which I would take as if it was sincere, but persisting in my Resolution, to disobey His Majesty, go. I think he would forgive me that disobedience, and perhaps be so pleased with it as to let me go away, with appearance of obligation to me for what | "(6) (7) There will be no dissembling on your part, you mean no harm, nor will do any, unless forced to it. If none is meant or attempted against you, all is well, and you can, when you please, release them from their fears by going into the House of Lords. |
Wednesday, March 23rd.
