leaving him a ground to complain of him. He said he was not conscious that the country had, or that he had anything to reproach himself with, except that he had suffered himself to be persuaded by the late Duke of Cumberland to quarrel with Mr. Grenville; that Grenville had shown him the plan of measures which he justified, but that he thought it was wrong; that upon some explanation it appeared to be made up, but that in a month or two after Mr. Grenville thought fit to leave him; that he found the Duke of Cumberland had indeed deceived him or himself in thinking he could make up an administration with Mr. Pitt, who he found would have nothing to do with the Duke of Cumberland. The Duke then introduced Lord Rockingham, &c., who never appeared to him to have a decided opinion about things. They sent Lord Shelburne that now is to Bath to get at Mr. Pitt's opinion about repealing the Stamp Act, meaning to do whatever he should advise, but he would give up no opinion;[1] that Lord North represented to him that the Rockinghams were too foolish to go on with and recommended a change; that he observed to Lord North there would be nothing left but himself and Lord Egmont, and that unless they would undertake it he must send to Mr. Pitt."[2]
The First Lord of the Treasury had come to the same conclusion as the King.
On the day after the debate he wrote to his Royal Master that it was clear the Administration would be shook to the greatest degree if no further attempt was made to get Mr. Pitt to take a cordial part, as "the events of the preceding day had shown his amazing powers and influence whenever he took part in debate."[3] At the same time the despondent Prime Minister—conscious in all probability of the contempt which Pitt felt for him—
- ↑ See, too, Newcastle to Rockingham, January 3rd, 1766, in the Memoirs of the Marquis of Rockingham, i. 269. Pitt was justified in refusing to advise the Ministers, but it is impossible to acquit him of disingenuous conduct when immediately after he spoke of himself as "unconsulted."
- ↑ This conversation between George III. and Lord Ashburton took place in 1783, and is recorded in connection with the events of that year. See Vol. II. p. 318.
- ↑ Memoirs of the Marquis of Rockingham, i. 271.
