my honour, as well as my duty to the King, will call me to give. I could heartily have wished to have had an opportunity of explaining to your Lordship many important subjects, and amongst them how much Sir Jeffrey Amherst misconstrued the intentions of his Majesty and of his servants towards him; but your Lordship's health depriving me of that satisfaction, I could only impart to Lady Chatham in general the earnest wish I shall ever have for your recovery, and that I have ever been and shall always remain, with the truest attachment, esteem, and respect, my Lord, Your Lordship's most obedient, faithful, and most humble servant, GRAFTON. P. S. Your Lordship will observe, that I must postpone the obedience I owe to your commands, in hopes of seeing that what I have said in this letter has had some weight with your Lordship. THE EARL OF CHATHAM TO THE DUKE OF GRAFTON. [From a draught in Lady Chatham's handwriting.] MY LORD, Hayes, Thursday, October 13, 1768. I AM truly sensible how real an honour your Grace does me in the wish you are so good as to mention with regard to the letter with which I took the liberty to trouble your Grace yesterday. It must ever be a great grief to me to be reduced to a necessity of doing any thing contrary to your Grace's wish; but, unfortunately, the necessity which compelled me to trouble your Grace upon this painful subject obliges me again to ask the same favour of your Grace, to lay at his Majesty's feet the most humble request contained in my letter of yesterday, Give me leave, my Lord, to renew to your Grace the sincere assurances that I shall ever retain with pleasure the fullest sense of all your Grace's goodness towards me. I am, with the highest respect and attachment, my Lord, Your Grace's, &c. &c. CHATHAM. THE DUKE OF GRAFTON TO THE EARL OF CHATHAM. MY LORD, Grosvenor Square, October 14, 1768. It was with the most real regret that I found myself obliged, by your Lordship's second letter, to lay your request before the King. The manner in which his Majesty received this unwelcome news better proved to me than I can describe to your Lordship the sense his Majesty has of the prejudice that this step of your Lordship's will bring to his affairs. Though every representation of mine has not availed, yet I must flatter myself that the King, whose sincere wish for your Lordship's return to conduct his affairs I have been a constant witness to, will be able to persuade, where, from this ground alone, he has so good a right. I have the honour to be, my Lord, with every sentiment of the most perfect esteem, honour, and respect, Your Lordship's most faithful and obedient humble servant, GRAFTON. THE EARL OF CHATHAM TO THE DUKE OF GRAFTON. [From a draught in Lady Chatham's handwriting.] Hayes, Friday, October 14, 1768. LORD CHATHAM presents his best compliments to the Duke of Grafton, and hopes his Grace will pardon his not answering the honour of his Grace's letter, having already made an effort greatly beyond his strength, in renewing with his own hand his humblest supplications to the King. THE KING TO THE EARL OF CHATHAM. Queen's House, October 14, 1768. LORD CHATHAM, THE Duke of Grafton communicated to me yesterday your desire of resigning the privy seal, on account of the continuation of your ill state of health. As you entered upon that employment in August 1766, at my own requisition, I think I have a right to insist on your remaining in my service; for I with pleasure look forward to the time of your recovery, when I may have your assistance in resisting the torrent of Factions this country so much labours under. This thought is the more frequent in my mind, as the Lord Chancellor and the Duke of Grafton take every opportunity to declare warmly to me their desire of seeing that therefore I again repeat it, you must not think of retiring, but of pursuing what may be most conducive to restore your health, and to my seeing you take a public share in my affairs. GEORGE R. THE EARL OF CHATHAM TO THE KING. [From a draught in the handwriting of Lady Chatham.] SIR, Hayes, Friday, October 14, 1768. PENETRATED with the high honour of your Majesty's gracious commands, my affliction is in. finite to be forced by absolute necessity from illness to lay myself again at your Majesty's feet for compassion. My health is so broken, that I feel all chance of recovery will be entirely precluded by my continuing longer to hold the privy seal, totally disabled as I still am, from assisting in your Majesty's councils. Under this load of unhappiness, I will not despair of your Majesty's pardon, while I supplicate again on my knees your Majesty's mercy, and most humbly implore your Majesty's royal permission to resign that high office. Should it please God to restore me to health, every moment of my life will be at your Majesty's devotion. In the mean time, the thought your Majesty deigns to express of my recovery is my best consolation. I am, Sir, with all submission and veneration, Your Majesty's most dutiful, &c. &c. &c. &c. CHATHAM. LORD CAMDEN TO THE COUNTESS OF CHATHAM. MADAM, Lincoln's Inn Fields, October 22, 1768. I FOUND your Ladyship's letter upon my table last Wednesday, upon my return from Bath ; whence I was summoned by an express upon Lord Chatham's resignation. |