great deal of the same discourse that passed in the morning, but calm. Rigby reasoned a great deal; we talked upon his brother, Lord Digby, and other requests, but he seems determined now to keep the Office, doubts or pretends to doubt whether he shall go to the House of Lords; I told him Lord Bute never harboured a thought of his keeping Paymasters' when he retired, and that the opinion you gave was to make his other requests come with better grace, and what you thought a right one. I am sorry he does not prove our opinion founded. I am sure it was his, and wish from my soul for his sake it had continued so. Adieu, my dear Lord, I am sure I have acted consistently both with friendship, gratitude, and good sense, so I only wish you may think so too."[1]
To this letter Shelburne replied:
"Upon the maturest reflection I can see nothing in your conduct or mine, which can furnish Mr. Fox with a just pretence of being offended; as to the rest I know the world enough not to be surprised at anything, and I know myself not to be afraid for anything that can happen, at least as to Mr. Fox. I feel very much for your situation, which I should not do if I did not feel it the most justifiable in the world. Charles Townshend never was a greater enemy to himself than Mr. Fox appears to be on this occasion. What says Rigby? But, in all events, believe me to be as much and sensibly obliged to you as I am capable of."[2]
Calcraft, not to be discouraged, now made one more attempt to move Fox from his design of keeping the Pay Office. "It hurts me to the soul," he writes, "to see the comparison you draw between C. Townshend and the other too well founded. With respect to me, don't have anxious thoughts, for as I have told Mr. Fox this morning, I am sure he will in a few months be convinced of our friendship, and wished he had confided in it. We have had much discourse to-day. He was cool but positive. I was unalterable in my opinion too, but I find he is
