JOHN CALCRAFT, ESQ. TO THE EARL OF CHATHAM,

Sackville Street, Monday, January 8, 1770.

MR. CALCRAFT cannot omit returning his warmest thanks for the honour of Lord Chatham's letter. He has seen Lord Granby, who goes to the Chancellor's (by an appointment of Lord Granby's asking) this morning. His Lordship seems very properly disposed, and I hope Lord Chancellor will fix him to take his part to-day, if an opportunity arises in the course of the debate. Except the common invitation to hear the Speech read at Lord North's, he has had no correspondence with ministers.

Mr. Grenville sent word to the Thatched-house, that he would try to muster spirits to come down to parliament to-day, and words of amendment are to be moved.(1) The Thatched-house meeting was very well: eighty members present, twenty whereof fresh ones. The Cock-pit meeting was a very moderate one; one hundred and seventy-nine only. Mr. Calcraft ardently hopes Lord Chatham will not be the worse for the fatigue of this day.

(1) The Address was strongly opposed in the House of Commons; and an amendment, "That the House would take into consideration the causes of the unhappy discontents which prevailed in every part of his Majesty's dominions," was moved by Mr. Dowdeswell, but rejected by 254 against 138. Lord Granby supported the amendment; and stated, that he should always lament the vote he had given on a former occasion, as the greatest misfortune of his life.

Words cannot express the universal comfort his Lordship's appearance gives, or the hopes derived therefrom. Old Clive (1) dined at the Thatchedhouse, and went from thence to the Cock-pit.

EARL TEMPLE TO THE EARL OF CHATHAM.

Monday night, 8 o'clock. [January 15, 1770.]

MY DEAR LORD, I AM this instant Lord Granby is there. the Duke of Grafton are Granby, not to resign. of Grafton inflexible as for twenty-four hours. nestly wish, and so do I, that you may take the trouble of writing either to Lord Granby himself or to Calcraft, your opinion and warm desire that his Lordship may to-morrow morning go to the Queen's house, desire to see the King, and carry into execution what had been so much better done yesterday.

returned from Calcraft's. The King, it seems, and upon their knees to Lord He remained to the Duke to that, but has yielded Calcraft does most ear

Lord Roos is come up from the Duke of Rutland; who sends Lord Granby word that he has his fullest approbation, and that his conduct upon this occasion endears him more than ever to his father. The ministry live upon moments. Can you your

(1) Richard Clive, Esq., father of Lord Clive. He died in the following year.

self come to town to-morrow, to see and fix the Duke of Newcastle? Heaven and earth are in motion; but I am, most firmly and affectionately, Yours and yours, &c. &c.

TEMPLE.

THE EARL OF CHATHAM TO JOHN CALCRAFT, ESQ.

[In Lady Chatham's handwriting.]

MY DEAR SIR,

Hayes, Monday night, 10 o'clock. [January 15, 1770.]

I WRITE, without a hand, to tell you that my solicitude is extreme, and full of the most real pain, till I hear that the Marquis of Granby has carried into execution a resolution worthy of himself, and that will fix for ever the dignity of his future public life, and go farther than any other thing to awaken the King into a just sense of this perilous moment. I honour to veneration the unshaken determination of the Marquis's mind, but I own I grieve that generosity of nature has melted him enough to grant twenty-four hours' respite to a minister's entreaties; to be numbered with whom (though but for a day longer) may be essentially useful to him, but must be irksome, and may dangerous, in various constructions, to the Marquis, on whom every eye is fixed.

be

I feel how infinitely too much I presume on his

Lordship's indulgence to me, when I venture to request him, with the most earnest and faithful entreaties, not to suffer his noble nature to be led into the snares of delay, or give to his enemies (if he can have one) a handle to lessen the lustre of his proceeding, and ascribe (though unjustly) a reluctant hesitation to an act of the most manly and noble decision. Full as my heart is of the kingdom's extreme danger and of Lord Granby's true honour and dignity, I will, through you, venture to advise and almost to conjure his Lordship to cut at once the cobweb-pleas for time, urged by a hard-pressed minister, to whom moments may be safety. My most respectful and warmly affectionate advice therefore is, that Lord Granby should demand an audience at the Queen's house to-morrow, and then and there absolutely and finally resign the ordnance and the command of the army. Ever, my dear Sir,

Affectionately yours,

CHATHAM.

JOHN CALCRAFT, ESQ. TO THE EARL OF CHATHAM. Sackville Street, January 15, 1770.

MY DEAR LORD,

LORD GRANBY is this moment come in here, and by his Lordship's permission I take the opportunity of informing you, that at the most pressing request of the Duke of Grafton (after using every

argument to persuade against resignation), he has postponed waiting upon the King till Wednesday, when he remains determined to resign the army and ordnance. Lord Granby sends his most affectionate compliments to your Lordship, and hopes, with me, your gout is not worse. The Duke of Newcastle is in town, and will wait upon your Lordship when you come to Pall Mall. I always am, most unalterably and faithfully, yours,

J. CALCRAFT.

EARL TEMPLE TO THE COUNTESS OF CHATHAM.

January 16, 1770, near six.

MY DEAR LADY CHATHAM,

My friend (') has done his part, and quitted the bed-chamber. The letter from Calcraft will

speak for Lord Granby. Knowing he had not done the deed and was to dine with Calcraft, immediately upon the receipt of your letter, at my return from the House of Lords, I wrote to the latter such an epistle as he might show to his guest, asking what news I was to send to Hayes concerning his Lordship. The enclosed answer, meant for your Lord, and directed to me, I have this

(1) George William, sixth Earl of Coventry. His lordship had been lord of the bed-chamber to George the Second, and was continued in that office by the new monarch. He died in 1806, in his eighty-seventh year.