had conversed enough with him to be perfectly apprized of his inclination to promote the King's service, and had no other motive for being reserved with him upon the particular plan, but out of deference to your Lordship, who had determined to see him, and therefore I chose, whenever an opportunity offered, only to second what you, my Lord, were to mention in the first instance, that I might convince Mr. Flood I would never take any lead, but only meant to pursue your ideas. I have the honour to be, my Lord,

Your Lordship's most obliged, faithful,

and most devoted humble servant,

BRISTOL.

Bristol has had a letter from Lord Chatham, with an account of an interview with him and Mr. Flood, in which the latter had in the handsomest manner declared that he would support Lord Bristol's government; in consequence of which he was to be the first man provided for.' My answer was, that in the manner the story was told, I did not give credit to it; that I thought it very likely that Flood might have seen Lord Chatham; that he might, in the course of conversation, have said that his influence in the administration made him hope for such measures as a man of principle might support, and that upon this probability the report was founded: but that I knew my friend too well to believe that he had made any declaration without conditions and proper reservation: that I wished, for the sake of my country, that it might be true that he had so declared himself, as I was very sure that if he had done so, it must have been upon such conditions as would be highly advantageous to the public, the interest of which I was thoroughly convinced he would always prefer to his own. I think we have a great deal to hope, and nothing to fear: by-the-by, I do not think it amiss that it should be supposed here that we both intend to come into parliament." - Lord Charlemont to Mr. Flood, Jan. 13.

THE DUKE OF GRAFTON TO THE EARL OF CHATHAM.

Grosvenor Square, January 21, 1767.

MY DEAR LORD,

I WILL. not attempt to express to your Lordship the real concern I felt on receiving the note from you, that brought the news of your being confined at the Bath with a severe fit of the gout. Indeed, my Lord, the distress it brings on all concerned in the affairs of the public is the greatest; and nothing but your absence can again give hopes to desponding factions, that an opening is made for any possibility of their success. How the great business of all will be affected by it I will not be the oracle of dismal conjectures; but it grieves me also on that head, that when the world was daily more impressed with the conviction of the no-right of the Company, your hand should be wanted just to conclude the whole; which I am confident will come in their intended proposal, dwindled from what it would have been if you had been in London. had been in London. I have not the smallest idea of the substance of such proposal, having had but once any sort of communication with any of those gentry since I last wrote to your Lordship. That one instance was in a visit from Mr. Rous; who, with very strong professions of meaning largely for the nation, I could still perceive was too much in dread of the general court for me to expect much from that mode of terminating the affair. Without any advice to him, I told him frankly that a

proposal from the directors, under what was and must be, the expectations of the King's servants, and which were the greatest, could only be received by them as a delusion, an offer for the sake of saying that one was made; and I left him to think what the landowners of this country, charged with a four shilling land tax, would urge their constituents to pursue, when they saw it decided, which every man in his senses must see would be the case, that the Company was enjoying that which was the property of the state, and that was sufficient to redeem them from the whole of that burdensome charge. If it was to be settled with this gentleman alone, I should have but little doubts of its success; but when I consider the others who must join in it, and some even in their treasury committee itself, I confess that I cannot be sanguine from that quarter.

The enclosed copy of a note will show your Lordship that I have obeyed your commands in regard to his Majesty; and I flatter myself as you meant I should.

Your Lordship must have observed a peevish cast in some of our late councils; the bad effects of which your presence can only prevent. Little as I wish to engage you to take one disagreeable step, yet must I profess that it is my opinion that without you we shall see great confusion arise here. (') What I can do in the mean time I will

(1) "I have no news to send you," writes Lord Chesterfield to his son, on the 13th of February; "for every thing seems

heartily exert, provided I have your advice to

proceed upon.

Give me leave to conclude by

assuring you, that no one is with truer zeal and

respect than myself, my dear Lord,

Your most obedient and

humble servant,

GRAFTON.

[Enclosure.]

THE KING TO THE DUKE OF GRAFTON.

Queen's House, January 17, 1767.

DUKE OF GRAFTON,

I AM greatly mortified that Lord Chatham is prevented by a severe fit of the gout from coming to town at a time when his assistance would have been of so much consequence. I desire you will let him know how sincerely I feel also for what his mind, as well as body, suffers at this time. I am too thoroughly convinced that you agree with me in the caution that must be used, that the East India affair be not whittled to a mere nothing, that I need not, on this untoward event, recommend any additional circumspection to you.

GEORGE R.

suspended, both in the court and in the parliament, till Lord Chatham's return from the Bath, where he has been laid up this month, by a severe fit of the gout; but, at present, he has the sole apparent power. In what little business has hitherto been done in the House of Commons, Charles Townshend has given himself more ministerial airs than Lord Chatham will, I believe, approve of."

THE EARL OF BRISTOL TO THE EARL OF CHATHAM.

MY LORD,

St. James's Square, January 24, 1767.

I HAVE the sincere satisfaction of acquainting your Lordship that the King, who appeared yesterday at the levee, is much better. His Majesty did me the honour to inquire very particularly of me concerning your Lordship, and I only waited for that favourable opportunity of showing his Majesty the letter I had received, written by Lady Chatham, where your Lordship had expressed yourself in such a manner with regard to our amiable royal master as could not but be acceptable to the King to see how you thought of his Majesty when you wrote about him to your friend.

The King kept me a long time and talked very much about your Lordship, and in such a manner as I ardently wish you could have heard each syllable of the conversation, and concluded the whole by honouring me with his royal commands to tell your Lordship, that he heard with concern the severe attack you had of the gout, which was so circumstantially confirmed to me, that his Majesty recommended to your Lordship to think of nothing at present but your own health, and not to disquiet yourself about your confinement at that distance; that the King wishes you to drive away from your mind all solicitude but about your