ferent ways of thinking and of acting, Claremont (1) could not be to me an object of confidence or expectation of a solid system for the public good, according to my notions of it; and as the authority I most wished to refer myself to, upon this subject, I have appealed to the conversation I had the honour to hold with the Duke of Grafton at Hayes. The exact and candid manner in which your Grace has given yourself the trouble to repeat the substance of that conversation, is the best proof I knew where I might securely appeal. I trust your Grace will think I am sufficiently direct upon a subject, where it would be very painful to me to be misunderstood, and especially to be conceived by any man, to entertain any sentiments of the Duke of Grafton, but those of sincere respect, esteem, and friendship. After this state of the affair, I must submit to your Grace's judgment, how far any explanation from me to Mr. Grenville would be necessary, or indeed proper, considering how often misapprehension, without intention, cannot but have had a share in this business; and especially that names are not mentioned in the intelligence.

Give me leave now, my dear Lord, to express how truly I feel the honour you do me in the continuation of your Grace's favourable sentiments and flattering wishes, upon the subject of one, who sees his zeal for the King and for the public rendered every hour more and more unavailing ;

(1) The Duke of Newcastle.

who despairs of being enabled to do any essential good, and would indeed be grieved to do hurt, as far as his lights carry him. Accept then, my Lord, the sincere wishes of a Somersetshire by-stander, that the course of affairs may be so fortunate and happy in your hands, as to make your Grace as full of ardour for business, as I am of disrelish for the political scene, for which I am on so many accounts so very unfit.

I have the honour to be, with the truest sentiments of esteem and respect,

Your Grace's most obedient,

and most humble servant,

W. PITT.

Inclosed I return Mr. Hopkins's letter to your

Grace.

THE DUKE OF GRAFTON TO MR. PITT.

Bond Street, September 16, 1765, at night.

DEAR SIR,

As I received the inclosed from Mr. Fraser, one of my secretaries, who had it from the hereditary Prince of Brunswick, with an express desire that it might be conveyed to you by the most secure method, I chose to send it by a messenger, as most suitable to the Prince who sent it, as well as to the person to whom it is directed.

Give me leave only to add, that I have made no

other use of the letter I was honoured with from you last, but to say to Mr. Hopkins, that he might declare from me, that there must be necessarily some misrepresentation of what had really passed between us at Hayes. I flatter myself that you will not disapprove of this step; which, considering the accusation against me, is but slight. I have the honour to be, with every sentiment of the most perfect esteem and respect, Dear Sir,

Your most obedient humble servant,

GRAFTON.

PRINCE CHARLES OF BRUNSWICK TO MR. PITT.

MONSIEUR,

Londres, ce 13e Septembre, 1765.

Je ne puis me dispenser de vous marquer notre arrivée en Angleterre; qui me fait un plaisir d'autant plus sensible, que je me flatte de jouir, durant ce séjour d'avantage qu'au dernier, de la satisfaction de vous voir, et de vous dire combien nous prenons d'intérêt à tout ce qui vous touche; que la nation Anglaise n'est pas la seule qui vous rend justice et qui vous admire, mais que le reste de l'Europe observe vos démarches depuis que vous avez quitté le ministère, avec ce même intérêt qu'elle le faisoit lors que vous décidiez du sort des états: ce qui prouve, que le vrai grand homme ne dépend jamais des événemens.

Il ne vous sera pas difficile, Monsieur, de juger quelles sont nos vœux quant à vous, dans la situation présente des affaires de ce pays-ci. Je saiserai le premier instant qui vous raprochera de Londres, pour vous rendre mes devoirs. Attendant ce moment avec l'empressement le plus vif, je ne désire rien d'avantage que de vous prouver, que c'est avec l'estime et la considération la plus distinguée, que j'ai l'honneur d'être, Monsieur, votre, &c.

CHARLES,

PRINCE HÉRÉditaire de BRUNSWIC. La Princesse, mon épouse, me charge de ses complimens pour vous.

MR. PITT TO THOMAS NUTHALL, ESQ. (1)

Burton Pynsent, September 15, 1765.

DEAR NUTHAll,

ENCLOSED I trouble you with a letter for Count Algarotti (2), which I beg the favour of you to put

(1) In the preceding July, Mr. Nuthall was appointed solicitor of the Treasury, by Lord Rockingham. In announcing the appointment to Mr. Pitt, he says, "I am very sensible, however widely removed you are at present from the great scene of action, that not my merits, but the friendship with which you have honoured me, has produced to me this promotion, and therefore I look up to you, as I always have done and always will do, as my great benefactor and patron; begging leave to add this assurance, that I shall be more ready to resign this office, than I was to accept it, whenever I shall see it necessary, for my support in it, to do any thing that I can even surmise to be repugnant to your generous and constitutional principles." (2) Count Bonomo Algarotti, brother and executor of FranSee p. 291.

ceso.

into Signor Zuccarelli's (1) own hand, desiring him, with a compliment from me, to forward it, under a proper direction, to Count Algarotti, and recommend particular care to him. I had written this letter to the Count, before I had received Zuccarelli's request on that head; which he might as well have spared, after leaving me in ignorance, for several months, that he was charged with a letter from the Count to me.

So much for Italy. As to this place, I have nothing to boast of the present state of the inhabitants. Lady Chatham has been attacked with a feverish complaint, but is, thank God, better. My accident (2) is attended with some return of gout, but not violent. I am, however, from the bruise, extremely lame, and reduced back again to the crutches I had got rid of. I make a shift, notwithstanding, to enjoy the fine weather, and a pleasing scene about me (3), in a one-horse chair,

(1) On the arrival of Signor Zuccarelli in England, he was entrusted, by the executors of Algarotti, to deliver to Mr. Pitt an antique cameo of the head of Hercules, &c., which the count had bequeathed to him; but being precluded, by Mr. Pitt's severe illness, from having a personal interview, he was desirous that a letter should be written to the executors, acknowledging the receipt of the bequest. This distinguished landscape painter, who was born at Florence in 1710, met with considerable encouragement in England and became a member of the Royal Academy. He afterwards returned with a competency to his native city, and died there in 1788.

(2) A fall from his horse.

(3) Of Burton-Pynsent, and the surrounding scenery, Collinson, in his History of Somerset, published in 1791, gives the following description: "The north side of the parish of