hurt man. I have so studied him on this point, that I assure you my opinion is truly, that business suffers from the ascendant which this disappointment works on his mind, and I beg to submit it seriously to your Lordship's consideration. with sentiments of esteem and respect, Your Lordship's most obedient I am, humble servant, GRAFTON. THE EARL OF BRISTOL TO THE EARL OF CHATHAM. MY LORD, St. James's Square, October 9, 1766. LAST night I received a letter from my Lord President, who mentioned having acquainted your Lordship with the purport of it; and as I concluded from thence he had your approbation, I made no scruple of complying with his request, to recommend Mr. Serjeant Malone (1) to be a judge of the common pleas, whenever Mr. Marshall desired to retire. I am cautious of binding myself by any engagements, excepting where I think it would be (1) Brother of the celebrated Anthony Malone, one of the most eminent lawyers, orators, and statesmen, that Ireland ever produced; and father of Edmond Malone, the distinguished dramatic critic and commentator. He was called to the English bar in 1730, where he practised for some years, and in 1740 removed to the Irish bar. Shortly after the date of this letter he was appointed one of the judges of the court of common pleas in Ireland; which situation he held till his death in 1774. acceptable to your Lordship, for me to oblige those who are connected with you. It is so strongly reported here, that the Bishop of Derry (') cannot live long, that I will not delay asking your Lordship's advice what to do, in case of that vacancy on the bench, and to assure you, at the same time, that I will strictly obey whatever you recommend, either to propose my brother for the bishoprick of Derry, as there is an instance of Dr. Rundle's (2) being made so by Sir Robert Walpole at once, or to remove some other bishop to that see, and to give Mr. Frederick Hervey (3) an inferior bishoprick. I am so confident, my dear Lord, that you will direct your friend to what is (1) Dr. William Barnard. Notwithstanding this "strong report," the bishop lived till January 1768; when he was succeeded by the hon. and rev. Frederick Hervey, afterwards fourth earl of Bristol. (2) Dr. Thomas Rundle was promoted to the see of Derry in 1734-5. He had been recommended to that of Gloucester by lord chancellor Talbot, but the appointment was strenuously opposed by bishop Gibson, from a notion of the doctor's being a Deist. An elegant compliment is paid to this prelate in Lord Lyttelton's Persian Letters. "If the visible mark of your religion," says his lordship, "be meekness, or charity, or justice, or temperance, or piety, all these are most conspicuous in the doctor." Swift also, in a letter to Pope, bears testimony to his virtues. "His only fault," he says, is, "that he drinks no wine, and I drink nothing else:" to which Pope replies, "I am glad you think of Dr. Rundle as I do: he will be a friend and benefactor to your unfriended, unbenefitted nation; he will be a friend to the human race wherever he goes." (3) Mr. Frederick Hervey was at this time one of the King's chaplains in ordinary, and a principal clerk of the privy seal. right, that I shall not determine any thing without your Lordship's opinion. I have the honour to be, with the most respectful as well as most affectionate attachment, my Lord, Your Lordship's most obliged, and most faithful humble servant, BRISTOL. THE EARL OF SHELBURNE TO THE EARL OF MY LORD, CHATHAM. Hill Street, Saturday, October 11, 1766. I HAD the honour to communicate your Lordship's letter to the King, having first shown it, as you desired, and I have his Majesty's commands to acquaint your Lordship, that he so entirely meets your idea, that he had intended himself to have proposed it. I have by his commands written to the Lord Chancellor to acquaint him of it, and to desire his sentiments upon immediately issuing a commission accordingly. General Conway and I, by the King's permission, mentioned the going to Spain to Lord Huntingdon, in the manner proposed by your Lordship; but he desired to decline it, on account of his health not agreeing with that climate. I should be remiss if I omitted to add, that his Majesty was pleased to make the most gracious inquiries after your Lord ship's health. I have the honour to be, with many good wishes for it, your Lordship's Most obliged and devoted servant, THE EARL OF CHATHAM TO THE EARL OF SHELBURNE. [In the handwriting of his Secretary.] Bath, Sunday, October 12th, 1766. LORD CHATHAM, who has still the regret not to be able to acknowledge with his own hand the honour of Lord Shelburne's very obliging letter by Ardouin, begs leave to assure his Lordship by this note of his respectful compliments, and presumes, through Lord Shelburne's goodness, to lay himself with all duty at the King's feet, and most humbly to express his grief at being so long deprived of the honour of attending the royal presence, to receive his Majesty's most gracious orders. In the mean time, it is the greatest consolation to learn, that his Majesty has deigned to honour with his gracious approbation the ideas he ventured most humbly to submit to his Majesty. He wants words to express, how deeply he is penetrated with the King's goodness in condescending to think of the health of his Majesty's most dutifully devoted servant. Lord Chatham is extremely sorry that the embassy to Spain still remains unsettled. Sir James Gray would undoubtedly execute the commission with very sufficient ability; if, therefore, he is willing to go, it seems most advisable, upon the whole, to think of him for that embassy, if it be his Majesty's pleasure. Nor, indeed, can this important matter admit of further delay. If, in the settling this mission, circumstances should allow of it, Lord Chatham would be happy, could he be permitted to recommend the secretary to the embassy; which he has extremely at heart to obtain for Lord Cardross. (') He is a young nobleman of great talents, learning, and accomplishments, and son of the Earl of Buchan, an (1) David Stewart Erskine. In the following year, he succeeded his father as Earl of Buchan; see Vol. II. p. 426. Though duly gazetted, Lord Cardross declined to proceed with Sir James Gray to Madrid, on the score of his being a person of inferior rank. Boswell relates, that in discussing the question with Sir Archibald Macdonald, Dr. Johnson observed, that perhaps in point of interest the young lord did wrong, but in point of dignity he did well. Sir Alexander insisted that he was wrong, and said that Lord Chatham intended it as an advantageous thing to him. "Why, Sir," said Johnson, "Lord Chatham might think it an advantageous thing for him to make him a vintner, and get him all the Portugal trade; but he would have demeaned himself strangely, had he accepted of such a situation: Sir, had he gone secretary while his inferior was ambassador, he would have been a traitor to his rank and family." Upon this Mr. Croker neatly observes: "If this principle were to be admitted, the young nobility would be excluded from all the professions; for the superiors in the profession would frequently be their inferiors in personal rank. Would Johnson have dissuaded Lord Cardross from entering on |