Lady Chatham joins with me, in desiring to assure the Duchess of Newcastle of respectful compliments and sincere wishes for her Grace's speedy and entire recovery. I have been ailing some days, though not confined. The young tribe are infinitely honoured by your Grace's kind remembrance of them, and are all, thank God, well. I have the honour to remain, with perfect respect, yours &c., W. PITT. (') (1) In the following month, the office of master of the rolls was given to Sir Thomas Sewell, and Mr. Charles Yorke received a patent of precedency, by which he took place at the bar, next to the attorney-general. The several changes, at this time in agitation, are detailed in the following letter from the Right Hon. William Gerard Hamilton to Mr. Calcraft; being the first of the series referred to in the advertisement to the present volume. For a brief notice of Mr. Hamilton, who, from the extraordinary impression made by his first and almost only speech in parliament, obtained the appellation of Single Speech Hamilton, see vol. i., p. 126. He was, at this time, chancellor of the exchequer of Ireland. lest "THE RIGHT HON. WILLIAM GERARD HAMILTON TO JOHN CALCRAFT, ESQ. "St. James's Street, December 1, 1764. "DEAR CALCRAFT, "I WRITE to you, not because I have any thing to say, but you should suspect me of being, what you will never find me, inattentive to your commands. The appointment to the rolls, you knew before you left London. After all that had passed, it surprised every one exceedingly, and I am told no one more than Sewell himself, who had never applied for it, and who had no idea that he was in the contemplation of government, till the acceptance of the office was proposed to him by the chancellor and Lord Mansfield jointly. Many of his friends, however, wonder that he did not decline it, as he was in full business at the chancery bar, by which he was supposed to have made between three and four thousand pounds per THE REV. PAUL SHENTON TO MR. PITT. HONOURED SIR, Hartlipp, near Chatham. I AM a clergyman, and a sincere well-wisher to the glorious society in Albemarle-street, and to all annum, and as he takes the rolls without any additional salary, by which it is narrowed to a mere two thousand five hundred per annum ; his predecessor in that office* having constantly kept the leases under him filled up every year, so that none of them will expire for twenty-one years to come. I perceive it is the language of administration to commend highly Norton's behaviour, during the course of this transaction. They pretend to say, that he was so pliant as to offer to accommodate government in any way they pleased; that he did not wish for the rolls, but would accept of them, if they desired it; and that he was so prodigiously delicate, as to declare he could think of no addition that was personal, and to himself, but that before he submitted to take it, it must be annexed to the office. "Mr. Yorke's patent of precedency, by himself and his friends, is stated as a piece of very disinterested conduct; but is considered, by all the rest of the world in a very different light. His having a promise of being chancellor is asserted, and denied, exactly as people are differently affected to him; but the opinion of his being to succeed his brother as teller of the exchequer gains credit. Sandwich, it is said, is very tenacious as to the stewardship of Cambridge. I profess I have no idea of Norton's declining any offer of solid advantage, or of Sandwich's avidity in the pursuit of unprofitable and barren honour. I should suspect that he would make the same answer that Bell Boyle+ did, when it was proposed to him to be a privy-councillor, 'That he had determined never to accept of an honour, while Sir Thomas Clarke. Many years chancellor of the Irish exchequer. In 1756, he was created Earl of Shannon, and died in 1764. Mr. Pitt's friends and party. I have often had thoughts of making my wishes known to Mr. Pitt, but have hitherto been deterred by the fear and awe of approaching so great a name. I have at length broke through my natural timidity, and have ventured in this manner to let the glorious minority know, they have many friends in secret. My intention of intruding upon your time, is this. In my two parishes I can procure eight or nine votes; and in the neighbourhood I may venture to say I could procure twenty. I belong to a club of gentlemen, some of whom have votes, and all sincere partizans of Mr. Pitt. Our intention is to bring in at the election for the county some gentleman of your party; that is, the party of honour and virtue. If Mr. Wilkes returns to England by the time of the election, and if you would honour us so far as to send down that able statesman, I sincerely believe the county in general would elect him for his own and your sake. If it is incompatible with Mr. Wilkes's affairs to represent the there was a single guinea left in the treasury.' Mr. Yorke seemed to be so much ashamed of his new patent, that he did not come to kiss hands for it on Friday; which you know was a crowded day at court. Great attention paid by every one, on that day, to the Duke of Bedford! It is thought, that the move, as to Ireland, is still in agitation. This, I believe, is all the news of the day. I need not tell you, I am not so situated as to have any other information, nor do I wish it. Last summer has convinced me that the books are the true things to abide by. My full intention is to follow your example, to leave off business, and always to remain, my dear Calcraft, yours most unalterably, WILLIAM GERARD HAMILTON." county, I dare be bold to say, that the county will make choice of any one you will recommend. act. I have some thoughts of writing a pamphlet, to exhort the people of England to repeal the union This book I should be extremely glad of dedicating to lord chief justice Pratt; or, if I could have your permission of dedicating it to yourself, I should think myself superlatively happy. In this little pamphlet I have traced the union from the time that Edward the First conquered Scotland, and shall point out, honesto calamo, all the miseries and disgraces England has suffered, since she has been united to that barren province. I have nothing more to add, but to ask your pardon for this great freedom. I am, honourable Sir, Your most obedient most humble servant, MR. PITT TO THE REV. PAUL SHENTON. [From a draught in Lady Chatham's handwriting.] SIR, Hayes, December 8, 1764. HAVING received a letter signed with the name to which I direct this, I cannot defer a moment expressing my astonishment and concern, that one of your rank, a clergyman, could so misconceive of me, as to imagine that I countenanced libels, because I disapproved part of the methods of pro ceeding relating to them. Let me undeceive you, Sir, by telling you, that no well-wisher of mine, which you are so good as to say you are, can have led you into this error. I have ever abhorred such odious and dangerous writings; and in the late unhappy instance of the North Briton, no man concurred more heartily than I did, in condemning and branding so licentious and criminal a paper. Next, as to a pamphlet, which you say you have thoughts of writing, to exhort the people of England to repeal the act of union, and which you wish to dedicate to me, or to the great magistrate you mention; - know, Sir, that I revere the union, as the main foundation of the strength and security of this island; that it was the great object of our immortal deliverer, King William; that France may wish to dissolve it, but that all good Englishmen will ever maintain it inviolate. You will, I doubt not, accept, in good part, this free, but not un-useful admonition to misguided zeal; and if you really favour me with your good wishes, you will be glad to understand me aright. Be assured then, Sir, that I disdain and detest faction, as sincerely as I reverence and love the laws, rights, privileges, and honour of my country. I am, Sir, Your obedient humble servant, P.S. This letter to you may serve for all who, like you, are so widely mistaken concerning me. |