was extremely pleased with the perusal, and has directed me to enquire, Sir, of you, what title you would choose, and what names you would wish inserted in the grant; his Majesty having already given directions to the Duke of Newcastle concerning it.

I, with the utmost sincerity, congratulate you, Sir, and Lady Hester, on this eminent mark of his Majesty's regard and approbation, and am, Sir, with great respect,

Your most obedient
humble servant,

BUTE.

THE BISHOP OF GLOUCESTER (1) TO MR. PITT.

HONOURED SIR,

Prior Park, October 8, 1761.

IF, in a general distress, it be permitted to proclaim one's joy for the accumulated glory of a

(1) In December, 1759, Dr. Warburton, through the interest of Mr. Allen with Mr. Pitt, was elected to the see of Gloucester. "In the common estimation," says Dr. Hurd, in his memoir of the bishop, "this was a preferment suitable to his merit. Mr. Pitt himself gloried in it, as what did honour to his administration. I remember to have seen a letter of his, in which he said, that nothing of a private nature, since he had been in office, had given him so much pleasure as his bringing Dr. Warburton upon the bench.' This virtuous self-gratulation became the minister, and others may be of his mind; but I have sometimes doubted with myself, whether the proper scene of abilities like his be not a private station, where only great writers have the leisure to do great things." In the course of

particular, your just resentment of ingratitude would afford me abundant occasion. The envy of base men which your amazing services have so inflamed, the glory which now accompanies your declining further service will inflame the more. All that I mean by this trouble, which needs your pardon, is only to profess my most inviolable attachment to your person and interests, in all stations, and in every way it may be acceptably expressed; having the honour to be, Sir,

Your most obliged and

most devoted servant,

W. GLOUCEster.

his conversation with Lord Monboddo, in 1773, on the decrease of learning, Dr. Johnson made the following remarks:"Learning has decreased in England, because learning will not do so much for a man as formerly. There are other ways of getting preferment. Few bishops are now made for their learning to be a bishop, a man must be learned in a learned age, factious in a factious age, but always of eminence. Warburton is an exception; though his learning alone did not raise him. He was first an antagonist to Pope, and helped Theobald to publish his Shakespeare; but, seeing Pope the rising man, when Crousaz attacked his Essay on Man, Warburton defended it: this brought him acquainted with Pope, and he gained his friendship: Pope introduced him to Allen, Allen married him to his niece; so, by Allen's interest and his own, he was made a bishop: but then his learning was the sine quâ non: he knew how to make the most of it, but I do not find by any dishonest means: he is a great man, has great knowledge, great power of mind; hardly any man brings greater variety of learning to bear upon his point." See Boswell's Johnson,

vol. iv. p. 79. ed. 1835.

LORD FEVERSHAM (1) TO MR. PITT.

Barford, October 10, 1761.

I KNOW not whether I am to congratulate you, or condole with myself and country, upon the event which has so lately and unexpectedly happened, -your having no longer the seals. I can hardly believe it, because I cannot see what this poor country can do in this critical situation, without the head and the heart that have conducted it to this point, when we only seemed to want a wise and happy ending of all we ought to desire- a peace founded upon justice and equity; which, indeed, I thought you had in your hands, as a reward of all the anxious cares and disagreeable oppositions which you have met with.

I cannot be suspected of flattery, from the very distant communications we have ever had. I have honoured the disinterested manner with which you have carried on the King's affairs; which has made me do every thing in my power to support the plans you adopted. As a private man, I do lament the distractions with which divided councils, in the infancy of his Majesty's reign, may cloud the future

(1) Anthony Duncombe, nephew of Sir Charles Duncombe, banker, of London. On coming of age, he was chosen member of parliament for Salisbury, and afterwards for Downton; and, in 1747, was raised to the peerage, by the title of Baron Feversham. By his third wife, Anne, daughter of Sir Thomas Hales, he had a daughter, the mother of the present Earl of Radnor. On his lordship's death in 1763, the barony became extinct.

glory and happiness of a prince, whose heart seems bent only upon doing right; and which nothing can prevent, if those about him do not bias the rectitude of his own good dispositions, to answer the private views of particular individuals.

Long may you enjoy all the blessings domestic happiness can give; which overbalances every other the world, with all its glory, can bestow. These are the sincere wishes of him who has the honour to be, with great esteem and attachment, Sir,

Your most obedient and
most humble servant,

FEVERSHAM.

MR. PITT TO PRINCE FERDINAND OF BRUNSWICK.

MONSEIGNEUR,

Hayes, ce 13 Octobre, 1761.

Il n'y a que le suffrage que votre Altesse Sérénissime a daigné m'accorder, qui puisse me servir d'excuse si, comme particulier, j'ose la détourner un moment pour lui rendre compte d'un événement qui m'est personnel.

Une différence de sentimens rélativement à l'Espagne, où tout le reste du conseil s'est trouvé d'un avis contraire, à l'exception de milord Temple, au mien('), m'a mis dans le cas, ou de demeurer

(1) Lord Chesterfield, in a letter of the 21st of November, says: "I have now good reason to believe that Spain will

responsable envers le public des mesures que je ne dirigeois pas, ou d'implorer le Roi de vouloir bien m'accorder la permission de me démettre de la charge de sécretaire d'état. Sa Majesté a non seulement daigné écouter ma très-humble prière, avec la clémence et la bénignité qui se deployent si heureusement dans ce jeune monarque, mais sa Majesté a bien voulu, de son gracieux mouvement, me combler ensuite de graces et de bienfaits infiniment au dessus de tout ce que mon zèle pour la gloire de sa couronne ait jamais pu mériter.

Devenu particulier, je ne cesserai qu'avec la vie de prendre le plus vif intérêt à la gloire de votre Altesse Sérénissime, et à la prospérité d'une maison, à laquelle la Grande Bretagne, ainsi que l'Europe, sera éternellement redevable.

Je n'ai pas manqué de mettre sous les yeux du Roi la lettre dont V. A. S. m'a honoré relativement à un moyen admirable de renforcer l'armée sous vos ordres, de son propre fond, ainsi que celle où V. A. S. a bien voulu faire justice au caractère d'un officier, dont elle a eu lieu de reconnoître le mérite.

Je suis, &c.

W. PITT.

declare war to us; that is, that it will very soon, if it has not already, avowedly assist France, in case the war continues. This will be a great triumph to Mr. Pitt, and fully justify his plan of beginning with Spain first, and having the first blow, which is often half the battle." In the following month, the ambassadors quitted London and Madrid; and war was declared on the 4th of January, 1762.