kissed hands yesterday, as one of the cabinet, Lord Halifax as secretary of state, and Mr. George Grenville as first lord of the admiralty. Mr. Fox's present state of health, it was given out, would not permit him to take the seals; and probably that will depend on the success he meets with, and the facility with which he shall be able to conduct and manage the House of Commons; who are now so low, as to have a leader put over them, in no ministerial office whatever, and consequently responsible for nothing, and ignorant of every thing he does not choose to know. My countryman, the right hon. Charles Townshend, was early yesterday morning sent for by the Earl of Bute, who opened to him this new system, and offered him the secretaryship of the plantations and board of trade; which he not only refused, but refused all connection and intercourse whatsoever with the new counsellor, and spoke out freely. He was afterwards three times in with the King, to whom he was more explicit, and said things that did not a little alarm. On his coming out of the closet, Mr. Fox met him, and gave him joy; he asked, for what? Mr. Fox replied, of your being secretary of state for the plantations: Mr. Townshend answered, "Don't believe that, Sir, till you hear it from me.” Mr. Fox has wonderfully blessed us. The best return would be temper and unanimity; but appearances are not favourable for the 25th of November." was struck, and said he was greatly astonished, for he had understood that this had been settled. I have this from a person to whom Mr. Townshend communicated all that passed, within an hour after it happened; with this addition, that the Duke of Devonshire, who is at Bath, was sent for on this occasion; but refused to come, without giving any reason whatsoever. Mr. Townshend thinks this system had not taken place, if somebody had not been at Windsor, and settled matters there. I hope Mr. Pitt and your ladyship will believe my news another time. The bearer is ordered not to wait; for I take it for granted your ladyship can give no reason why these things are so. I am, Madam, Your most obedient, and faithful servant, (1) On the 14th of October, Lord Halifax was gazetted as one of the principal secretaries of state, and, two days after, Mr. George Grenville as first lord of the admiralty. Horace Walpole thus announces the event to George Montagu, Lord Halifax's nephew and secretary : — "You will not make your fortune in the admiralty at least; your king's cousin is to cross over and figure-in with George Grenville; the latter takes the admiralty, Lord Halifax the seals - still, I believe, reserving Ireland for pocket-money; at least, no new viceroy is named. Mr. Fox undertakes the House of Commons. You see, Lord Bute totters; reduced to shift hands so often, it does not look like much stability. The campaign at Westminster will be warm. When Mr. Pitt can have such a mouthful as Lord Bute, Mr. Fox, and the peace, I do not think that three thousand a year will stop it."-On the 31st of October, the Duke of Devonshire resigned his office of lord chamberlain, Lord George Cavendish that of comptroller of the household, and Lord Bes THE BISHOP OF GLOUCESTER TO MR. PITT. HONOURED Sık, Prior Park, October, 24, 1762. A SHEET of the little Discourse (1) which you will now receive from the bookseller, has had the benefit of your correction, as you will find by the several passages relating to the abuses of literary and religious liberty, which are now altered and softened according to your more precise ideas. But, there was another part which I declined to submit to your inspection; as I could not, on such a subject, expect much equity even from your decision-I mean the little Advertisement, (2) borough that of one of the post-masters general. "The events of the last eight days," writes Walpole, on the 4th of November, "will make you stare. This day se'nnight the Duke of Devonshire came to town, was flatly refused an audience, and gave up his key. Yesterday Lord Rockingham resigned, and your cousin Manchester was named to the bed-chamber. The King, then in council, called for the book, and dashed out the Duke of Devonshire's name. If you like spirit, en voilà. Do you know, I am sorry for all this. I think the act too violent and too serious, and dipped in a deeper dye than I like in politics." (1) Intitled, "The Doctrine of Grace; or, the Office and Operation of the Holy Spirit, vindicated from the Insults of Infidelity and the Abuses of Fanaticism." (2) The following is the Advertisement here referred to:"While I was composing these sheets, to vindicate the honour of religion, it was given out, that I was writing in defence of a late minister of state. I have a Master above, and I have one below - I mean God, and the King. To them my services are bound; the most sacred of all private ties, are friendship and gratitude. The duties arising from these, though not altogether so extensive as the other, are subservient only to them. which you will find prefixed. As this was written for my own sake, my jealousy would not suffer me to submit to it another's will. The truth is, that amongst the several virtues, of which an honest - "With respect to the great Minister here understood, his vindication, had he wanted any, could come with proper dignity, only from himself: and he, though for the first time, would be here but a copier: I mean, of the example of that first of Romans*, who, being calumniated before the people by one Nævius, an obscure plebeian, when he came to make his defence, which happened to be on the anniversary of the battle of Zama, addressed the assembly in this manner : 'It was on this day, Romans, that I subdued your mighty rival for empire, the Carthaginian. Ill would it become the friends of Rome to waste such a day in wrangling and contention: we should now be returning thanks to the immortal gods for the signal protection they afforded us in that glorious conflict. Let us leave, then, this fellow with himself, and ascend together to the capitol, to offer to Jupiter the Deliverer; who, on all occasions as well as this, hath from my early youth vouchsafed to bestow upon me the growing power and the constant disposition to support the honour of the country: and let no god, auspicious to Rome, be left uninvoked, that the state in its distresses may never want such servants as I have still endeavoured to approve myself.' When he had said this, he stepped from the rostrum and left the forum empty; all the people followed him to the capitol. "That the people followed him is not surely the marvellous part of the story. The thing to be admired is, that a statesman should lead the people to prayers. This, indeed, is the last service a patriot-minister can render to his country: and I am well persuaded (so exactly does the example fit the occasion), that our illustrious Modern would have deemed it the crown of his labours to have animated his fellow-citizens with a spirit of true piety towards God, as successfully as he inflamed them with a spirit of zeal and fortitude for the King and constitution." * 'Scipio Africanus; who restored his country by carrying the war from Rome to Carthage." man may chance to be possessed, his gratitude is the most pretending: all the others are content when their owner has his due, in the pleasure which a self-conscious mind affords him. But this secret testimony is not enough for gratitude; which is restless and uneasy, till it be more publicly known for what it is. Whether, indeed, this quality in mine arises altogether from its purity, I might honestly make a doubt; for there are some characters so high, and consequently the favours they bestow are so flattering to our vanity, that the publishing of them has often more of that silly meanness in it, than of the generous pride of gratitude. However, let the motive which now urges mine, be of what complexion it will, I am sure to be a gainer by the world's knowing how much I am, and how much I profess myself to be, honoured Sir, Your most obliged and most faithful servant, W. GLOUCESTER. MR. PITT TO THE BISHOP OF GLOUCESTER. [From an imperfect draught in Mr. Pitt's hand-writing.] MY LORD, [October,, 1762.] A SEVERE cold, which much indisposed me, has prevented my sooner acknowledging the honour |