improper, I have mentioned to him the hearing so strongly pressed by my Lord Botetourt. The answer is (what you must have foreseen), that his state of health makes a hearing at present impossible, nor is it in his power to fix any given time for it. In this situation, he fears it cannot be for the King's service he should continue long to hold the privy seal. It will be proper (if you will be so good as to do it) to mention this to the Duke of Grafton and the Lord Chancellor; and may I beg you will be very precise in the words of the answer. Believe me ever, &c.,

H. CHATHAM.

THE DUKE OF GRAFTON TO THE EARL OF CHATHAM.

Grosvenor Square, January 21, 1768.

MY DEAR LORD,

MR. JAMES GRENVILLE having just left me, after having communicated a message from your Lord

ship, contained in an answer to a letter he had written without the knowledge of Lord Chancellor or of myself, it puts me under the necessity of troubling your Lordship with this letter. My first business must be to assure your Lordship, that the hopes and expectations of your return to the head of affairs were never of more importance to the King's service than at this moment; and consequently your holding the office you are in is of no

less necessity. I will next add to that you owe to his Majesty and the public, what right those who have remained in the King's service have to claim it from your Lordship, and particularly myself, who came and remained in my present office solely at your instigation, and who have gone through dif ficulties inexpressible, prompted to it by my zeal for the King's service, and thinking that it might be the means of furnishing again to your Lordship the opening of serving your King and country with the lustre you have done.

After having expressed the obligation (the word is not too strong) you are really under to us all, as well as the service that the King may and does expect from your Lordship's recovery, I would suggest to your Lordship an expedient, as natural as it has been usual, to remove the difficulty which the peculiar character of the noble lord who presses his grant seems to make necessary. For, on one hand, no persuasion has weight with him, and if threats were added, he is of a temper more likely to add it to his complaint, than to drop from thence his resolution; on the other, I dread alike the bankruptcy of the company he is engaged in; and when, if it should happen, as certainly as falsely, the illnatured clamour of the world will lay their ruin to the grant's having been delayed and not heard before the privy seal.

When the Bishop of Bristol was absent long, for the peace of Utrecht, there was a commission of clerks of the council, &c.to hold the privy seal, though

he enjoyed the title, and signed the treaty under the name and in full possession of his office. The same was done when the Duke of Bedford went to Paris; and I am confident, if the office was searched, twenty other precedents, if they were wanted, might be found.

Thus, my dear Lord, might this intricate matter be easily unravelled; the grant of this unreasonable Lord heard by the assessors these commissioners. would call in; the hope of the public of seeing your Lordship return to the head of affairs not disappointed; the only flattering side which has given me courage to surmount so many difficulties still assisting me to persevere; and lastly his Majesty continue to hope that he may be aided by your Lordship's counsels, certain to add glory to the King's reign and dignity to his government. These, my dear Lord, I may venture to assert, from the truest knowledge, are also his Majesty's wishes. They are too great for you to resist, considering from what different quarters they spring, unless your own judgment can suggest any more eligible expedient, and such an one as may be capable to answer these purposes. I have the honour to be, with the most sincere and perfect respect, my dear Lord,

P. S.

Your Lordship's most obedient

and faithful servant,

GRAFTON.

Since writing the above, I have had an

audience of his Majesty, who, on hearing the

purport of my letter, commands me to say that he intends to send your Lordship, in his own hand, the most gracious expressions of his entire concurrence in our sentiments. His Majesty farther added, that, notwithstanding the commission, your Lordship continued privy seal to all intents and purposes whatever.

LORD CAMDEN TO THE EARL OF CHATHAM.

Lincoln's Inn Fields, January 22, 1768.

MY DEAR LORD,

MR. JAMES GRENVILLE has communicated to me your Lordship's answer to his letter; which was written without the knowledge or privity either of the Duke of Grafton or myself; and this communication has made it necessary for me to give your Lordship this trouble, which I do most unwillingly.

It is impossible to describe how much we have been embarrassed by Lord Botetourt's unreasonable proceeding. He had an audience of the King on Sunday, and the Tuesday following gave notice to the Duke of Grafton that he should move the House of Lords next day; which was the first notice he gave the Duke of his intention, and without even waiting for the King's answer. Your Lordship may easily imagine how this rapid proceeding affected the Duke of Grafton and myself: we met that night, and wrote a letter to his Lord

ship to put off his motion for a few days; which was obtained with great difficulty. It is in vain to tell him that he is suing for a favour; that the delay hitherto has been trifling; that the House of Lords have no right to interfere; that if his company are in doubtful circumstances, the very mention will make them bankrupt. His answer to this and every thing else is, that he and his friends in that undertaking are upon the brink of ruin, and that neither private nor public considerations shall make him change his resolution.

In this state of things, my dear Lord, what is to be done? The motion must not be made for though it is easy enough to negative that, yet the clamour will remain; and if, indeed, the company is ruined, all the interested persons, and all the malignant enemies to your Lordship, will impute that calamity to this delay, and call it a denial of justice. Is there, my dear Lord, any expedient left but to put the seals into commission for this purpose? It has been done before in the Duke of Bedford's and the Bishop of Bristol's case, while they were abroad. This will answer every difficulty, and will neither displace nor dishonour your Lordship.

And whereas your Lordship fears that it cannot be for the King's service that you should continue long to hold the seals, give me leave to say, that I am persuaded the King's service cannot suffer so much from any domestic event as from your Lordship's resignation of them. Indeed, my dear Lord, the whole administration of government depends