all think themselves secure, and many talk with their own mouths, all by those of their relations and acquaintances, against your Lordship. Turn the tables, and you will immediately have thousands who will think the safety of themselves or their friends depends upon your Lordship, and will therefore be sincere and active friends. I have very little to do with this personally, but willing to take upon myself all the odium of the advice, as I am sure it is the only way to make the rest of His Majesty's reign or of your Administration easy. And I don't care how much I am hated if I can say to myself, I did His Majesty such honest and essential service."[1]
Bute needed no encouragement. "Party," he had said, "will be well explored, and everything the King detests gathered into one ostensible heap, and formed either to be destroyed by him, or by getting the better to lead him in chains. I see every prospect of the first event in the most flattering view, and nothing but despair and too late repentance hanging over the other."[2]
Much has been written on the subject of the political proscription of 1762. Considered in detail, it will be at once seen that a wide distinction should be drawn between the two classes of dismissals by which Bute and Fox at this period sought to strengthen their position. When, on the one hand, every one holding a business place was dismissed, a course was adopted which, though new indeed at the time, was one which became a precedent, and has since been gradually extended so as to include even those officials of the Court who happen to occupy seats in Parliament.[3] The evil effects of official members voting against the Government to which they belonged had been frequently and severely felt, and threatened, if tolerated any longer, to render government impossible. When, on the other hand, the Lord Lieutenants of counties were dismissed from their posts, not only was the practice new, but no real argument could be found to justify it, and though
