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William Fitzmaurice—Birth in Dublin and early education—Thomas Fitzmaurice, Earl of Kerry, and his wife, Anne, daughter of Sir William Petty—Their younger son, John Fitzmnurice, succeeds to the Shelburne estates and title—Mary Fitzmaurice of Gallane, Lady Shelburne—Description of the Court of Lixnaw—Lady Arabella Denny—Dr. Hort, Bishop of Kilmore—Christ Church, Oxford, and the Westminster set—Outbreak of the Seven Years' War—Condition of parties at the time—Method of government since the Revolution of 1688—Sketches of the principal political characters from the death of Queen Anne—Sir Robert Walpole and Pulteney—Rivalry of Lord Carteret and the Pelhams—Predominance of the Duke of Newcastle—The Duke of Cumberland, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and the Court—Mr. Pitt and Mr. Henry Fox—The Earl of Bute—The causes of the Seven Years' War—Formation of the Second Ministry of the Duke of Newcastle—Character of Mr. Pitt and of Lord Mansfield and the other members of the Ministry—Resolve to enter the army—General Wolfe—Expeditions to the coast of France—Lord George Sackville—Further reflections on the causes of the war |
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Military service in France and Germany—Battle of Minden—Shelburne elected member for High Wycombe and appointed aide-de-camp to the King—Death of his father—He becomes Earl of Shelburne and goes to the Upper House—Connection with Henry Fox—Joins the party opposed to the further continuance of the war—Lord Bute employs him as political intermediary with Henry Fox—History of these negotiations—Friendship with Colonel Isaac Barré—Barré's election for High Wycombe—Shelburne's first speech in the House of Lords—Controversy with Bubb-Dodington, Lord Melcombe—Barré attacks Pitt—Resignations of Pitt and Newcastle—Bute becomes Prime Minister—Negotiations for peace in Paris—Character of the Earl of Bute—Lady Caroline Fox made a peeress—Further negotiations with Henry |
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