CONTENTS
xvii
PAGE
Communication of Shelburne with Du Châtelet—Choiseul says, "Nous voilà à la guerre"—Opinion of Frederick the Great—Divisions between the war party and the peace party in the Cabinet—A weak compromise adopted—Mission of Captain Dunant—Mr. Stewart's report arrives—His account of Corsica—Hillsborough's circular letter to the Colonies causes a crisis—Shelburne resigns—Chatham also resigns—The policy hostile to conciliation with the Colonies is victorious—Attack on Shelburne in the Public Advertiser by "Correggio"—Malagrida—Discussion of his political position—Charges of insincerity—Growth of party feeling—A letter of Lady Rockingham—Adverse and favourable views of the character of Shelburne |
361 |
Lady Shelburne's diary—Middlesex election—Wilkes Riots and election scenes—Determination of the King to be rid of the Duke of Grafton—The King, the aristocracy, and the middle classes—Jenkinson and the party of the King's friends in the House of Commons—Repeal of Charles Townshend's taxes except the duty on tea—Return of Chatham to public life—The Opposition in both Houses tries to close up the ranks—Speeches of Barré—Resignation of Lord Camden and Dunning—Sudden death of Charles Yorke at the moment of receiving the Great Seal—Resignation of Grafton—Lord North becomes First Lord of the Treasury—The King victorious |
393 |
Reaction in favour of the King—"Losses, dissensions, profligacy, and folly"—Wilkes one of the causes of reaction—Burke publishes Thoughts on the Causes of the Present Discontents—Shelburne's encomium upon it in the House of Lords—Chatham less laudatory—Attacks on the American policy of the Government—Shelburne threatens that the Opposition may cease to attend in their places—Chatham's threat that he may become "a scarecrow of violence"—The Rockingham Whigs alarmed—Chatham describes them as the "gentle warblers of the grove"—Threatening aspect of foreign affairs—Correspondence of Shelburne and Chatham—Dissensions between the leaders of the Opposition—Death of George Grenville—Alderman Beckford and Lord Granby—Temple retires into the country—Wedderburn deserts the Opposition and accepts office—Mistaken tactics of the Opposition in both Houses—Continued gain of authority by Lord North—Death of Lady Shelburne—Lord Shelburne leaves England for a journey on the Continent |
408 |
Lord Shelburne and French society—Mademoiselle de l'Espinasse—Malesherbes—The Abbé Morellet—Reciprocal influence of France and England—The Economists Influence of Morellet and Hume on Shelburne in regard to |
