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not refolved to reject all ideas of negotiation with Lord Bute." Now, if Lord Mountftuart means by this, that Lord Chatham would not, from any perfonal objection to Lord Bute, have refused to liften to fuch propofals as might be perfectly confiftent with his honour and his principles, and which he might have accepted with the profpect of being ferviceable to his country, merely because they came through his Lordship, Lord Mountftuart can deduce from this nothing that in any way affects the prefent queftion. If, on the other hand, he means that Lord Chat ham had not refolved to reject a negotiation of any other defcription, or that there was any time when he would not have rejected every idea of acting with Lord Bute in adminiftration, this opinion is utterly without foundation, and no argument has been produced in fupport of it.

The expreffions which Lord Mountftuart quotes from my father's note are thefe: that "Lord Chatham heard with particular fatisfaction the favourable fentiments of bis fubject on the noble Lord with whom Sir James Wright had talked, and that zeal, duty, and obedience, might outlive hope" (even under the impending ruin of the kingdom). Now, what does the firft of thefe expreffions amount to, but that Lord Chatham heard, with much fatisfaction, thofe high expreffions of approbation, and explicit offers of concurrence, from one who was generally thought (no matter how truly) to have fo much influence in the government of this country,' which were conveyed in Sir James Wright's first letter, with the exprofs defire that they might be

communicated through Dr. Addington to Lord Chatham?-And what is the meaning of the fecond expreffion, but that Lord Chatham, however defperate he thought the fituation of public affairs, would ftill perform the du ties of a good fubject, in endeavouring to prevent, if poffible, the final ruin of the kingdom? It is impoffible, therefore, to argue from either of thefe expreffions, which were written in anfwer to Sir James Wright, that my father either courted a negociation with Lord Bute, or was willing to act with his Lordship in adminiftration; unless it can be pretended, that the profeffions of zeal, duty, and obedience, are to be referred to Lord Bute. Let it also be remembered, that the very meffage from which Lord Mountftuart has quoted the expreffions above recited, contains in it the declaration of Lord Chatham's opinion, "That, if any thing can prevent the confummation of public ruin, it can only be new Counfels and new Counsellors, without further loss of time; a REAL CHANGE, from fincere conviction of past errors, and not a mere palliation, which must prove fruitless;" which words were confidered by Sir James Wright, and (as appears from Sir James's letter of February 7th) were confidered by Lord Bute himself, as including his Lordship as well as the miniftry.

Lord Mountftuart next attempts to fhew, "That Lord Chatham, at the beginning of the present year, was looking out for a negotiation with Lord Bute." It is not very clear what exactly is meant by that expreffion. I cannot imagine Lord Mountftuart to have intended to [R] 2

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imply that Lord Chatham expected a negotiation would be begun on the part of Lord Bute; becaufe that would feem as if Lord Mountftuart admitted that there was ground for fuch an expectation. But, if he intended by this expreffion to convey, that Lord Chatham was difpofed to court a negotiation with the Earl of Bute, I must take the liberty to affert, that the circumftance he refers to is no proof of fuch a pofition. The affair mentioned by Lord Mountftuart, in which Mr. Dagge was concerned, was reported to Lord Chatham by his nephew, Mr. Thomas Pitt (who is at prefent out of England) and it is from him that Lord Mountftuart muft have received the account he alludes to. His Lordship has not thought proper to lay that paper before the public, and therefore I need not enlarge upon the fubject; but I am confident Mr. Pitt cannot have afferted any thing which has the molt remote tendency to prove that Lord Chatham was at any time looking out for a negotiation with Lord Bute. The only reafon alledged by Lord Mountftuart for thinking that he was, amounts to no more than this: That Lord Bute did fpeak refpetfully of Lord Chatham to Mr. Dagge, and did declare his opinion, that Lord Chatham's fervices must of courfe be called for in the prefent crifis. That Mr. Dagge did communicate this to Lord Chatham's nephew, Mr. Thomas Pittthat he did go to Hayes in order to report this to Lord Chathamand that Lord Chatham did in confequence imagine, that it was meant by Lord Bute to be communicated to him. On this I do not think it neceffary to make any observation. I muft, however, add,

that those who received an account of this affair from my father's own mouth, know, that he was fo far from welcoming thefe unauthorized advances, with the view of improving them into farther negotiation, that he expreffed, in the strongest terms, his diflike to fuch a mode of application.

Lord Mountftuart obferves, that Lord Chatham's declaration to Dr. Addington, "That it was impossi ble for him to ferve the public with either Lord Bute or Lord North," is no proof that Lord Bute offered to ferve the public in a miniftry with Lord Chatham. It was never intended as a proof of that matter; but merely as an evidence of Lord Chatham's refolution not to act in adminiftration with Lord Bute. To that point Dr. Addington's evidence is conclufive; for, however other parts of his narrative may be contradicted by Sir James Wright, it is impoflible for Sir James to dif pute his account of the conversation between Lord Chatham and the Doctor, at Hayes. There are, however, other perfons, befides Doctor Addington, to whom Lord Chatham has made the strongest declarations to the fame purpose; and the more his conduct is canvaf fed, the more proofs will appear of this unalterable refolution.

I must now add a few words with regard to the extract of Lord Bute's letter to my mother, which is quoted by Lord Mountftuart. Lord Bute mentions, "That Sir James Wright communicated to him the very flattering language in which Sir James declared Lord Chatham expreffed himself concerning Lord Bute." I am very far from queftioning that Sir James Wright expreffed himfelf in the manner ftated

by

by Lord Bute; but I must observe, that Sir James does not pretend to have heard that Lord Chatham held fuch language from any other perfon than from Dr. Addington; and whoever will take the trouble to recur to the Doctor's Narrative, will there find that the Doctor, in the beginning of this transaction, declared to Sir James Wright, that, to the beft of his remembrance, Lord Chatham had never once named Lord Bute to him.

Lord Bute, in another part of his letter, fays, "That he was extremely furprised with a converfation Sir James faid Dr. Addington wifhed to be reported to him. It was in fubftance, Lord Chatham's opi. nion of the alarming condition we were in, and the neceffary measures to be immediately taken upon it." Lord Bute cannot poffibly here refer to any thing, except to the Paper, No. 2, which is printed in the Authentic Account. The opinion contained in that paper of the neceffary measures to be taken, is only in general terms, that "if any thing can prevent the confummation of public ruin, it can only be new Counfels and new Counsellors," &c. and this communication did not proceed fpontaneously from my father, but was in anfwer to Sir James Wright's letter of February 2, which was by his defire communicated to Lord Chatham.

The latter part of Lord Mountftuart's letter relates to Lord Chatham's expreffion, "That Lord Bute bad brought the King and Kingdom to ruin." What reafon Lord Chatham had at that time, for thinking that Lord Bute influenced the meafures of Government, it would be prefumption in me to examine; nor is it for me to enquire whether he

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R. Addington (fays he) has been long and intimately connected with Sir James Wright; Sir James had known him from his youth; confidered him as the friend of his bofom, with whom he has ever, on all fubjects, communicated as freely as with another self. Dr. Addington was phyfician to Sir James; and therefore faw him frequently in thofe moments in which a man is leaft upon his guard; under that character, in which a man is moft apt to confide. Little credit, it is conceived, can be due to the Narrative of fuch a man, so circumftanced, if, on examining that Narrative, it fhall appear that he has divulged-it is harfh, but it must be added-that he has mifreprefented a confidential intercourfe; which, if not private friendship, yet, profeffional delicacy, fhould have been kept from the ear of babbling Curiofity.

"Before the reader turns to the Narrative, yet another trait of the good Doctor's character must be pointed out to him. Dr. Addington's abilities as a physician are acknowledged: on the fubject of his pro

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feffion,

feffion, no man more learned or more pertinent. But that is rarely the fubject of his choice. His darling theme is Politicks. Though the whole liftening College fhould hang on what he spoke, it would give him little pleafure; his joy, his pride, are to dictate on the subject of Politicks.

"This remark is not made with a view of throwing any ridicule on the Doctor, but only with a view of fetting him right in a little point of Chronology; for, at the very outfet of the narrative, his memory fails him. Long before the beginning of the year 1778, had the Doctor converfed with Sir James

Wright of Lord Bute and Lord Chatham. He may remember that Sir James had a long fit of illness, which commenced more than a year before the æra from which the Doctor fets out; that during that ill

nefs his vifits to Sir James were

frequent, almoft daily; that in all thefe vifits, equally attentive to the conftitution of his country, as to the conftitution of his patient, he recurred to his darling topic, Politicks; that the hero of his theme was Lord Chatham; that the burthen of his fong were, the diftreffes of the nation. Let him recollect, and he will furely remember, that at this period, twelve months before the time which, for want of recollection, he fo confidently fixes to be the first Time Sir James Wright talked with him refpecting Lord Bute and Lord Chatham,' he

frequently gave it as his own opinion, at least, that Lord Chatham had no unfavourable opinion of Lord Bute, but conceived him to

be an honeft man, to wish well to his country, to be a man endowed with many private virtues.

"Was it, then, fo very wonderful that, in the beginning of the year 1778, Sir James Wright should talk with Dr. Addington refpecting 'Lord Bute and Lord Chatham, when Lord Bute and Lord Chatham had been the conftant fubject of the Doctor's converfations with Sir James Wright, at vifits fo frequently repeated, continued to fuch a length during the course of the year 1777? Would it have been very wonderful, if, knowing how familiarly the Doctor was received by Lord Chatham; if, observing how frequently he introduced his opinion of the point of view in which Lord Bute was regarded by Lord Chatham; if, remarking the zeal with which he always entered on 'the fubject, Sir James had been led to conclude, that the Doctor, under his own name, was delivering the opinion, was fpeaking from the inftructions of his patron? That his patron was not averfe to a negotiation, but had fent forth his trufty Achates to found the land, left, peradventure, his pride (the friends of Lord Chatham will allow that he poffeffed at least a decent pride) might be hurt by a refufal? Would it have been very wonderful, if, under that idea, Sir James has communicated to Lord Bute-not expofed to the publick-the purport of fuch converfation?

"But the fact is, Sir James had He confidered the no fuch idea. frequency of the Doctor's visits; he confidered the length of his vifits as the pure effects of a warm

*The Doctor's political vifits-for fuch they were, as much as medicinal visits—frequently exceeded two hours. No doubt his other patients may boaft of the fame attenSir James has not now the vanity to fuppofe that he has been difiing wished.

tion.

and

and difinterested friendship; he confidered the introduction of political fubjects as kindly meant to beguile the tedium of a long and painful illness. He faw in the Doctor, or he thought he faw, a fkilful phyfician and an affectionate friend. Withing for nothing further, he looked for nothing further. It was a very worthy, a very refpectable, friend, who had been prefent at moft of the converfations which preceded, and at all thofe which fucceeded, the æra from which the Doctor chooses to fet out, who first fuggefted to Sir James, that the frequent enquiries of the Doctor about the return of Sir James to town in the beginning of 1778; that his frequent vifits, when he was returned, indicated fomething more than the attention which an eminent physician has the leifure, or the most intimate friend has the inclination, to fhew. That friend it was, who, comparing this frequency of vifits with the conftant recourfe to the fame topic of converfation, firft fuggefted, that it was meant, and wifhed, that the purport of these converfations fhould be communicated to Lord Bute.

"Here, then, is the origin of the tranfaction, which the author of the Authentic Account is willing to call-and yet, it seems, afhamed to call a negotiation;' and which, whatever it may be called, began on the fecond, and terminated (on the part of Sir James) on the feventh, of February,

"True, indeed, it is, that Dr. Addington, in his very curious Nar

rative*, talks of various conver fations which preceded the epoch of various converfations which paffed in the month of January.

"Of these various converfations one extract deferves the reader's particular attention.

"The great object, which the Doctor attributes to Sir James, was to fave this country from ruin. The only means which the Doctor fuppofes Sir James to have difcovered of faving it was, that Lord Chatham fhould be brought into adminiftration by Lord Bute. And the reafon why he thought this to be the only means was, that he had remarked, they were the two men whom the King hated moft.”

"It is with reluctance Sir James even quotes this paffage. The name of his fovereign is too dear, too facred, to have been voluntarily introduced: he never fo far forgot his duty as to speak fo irreverently of his King. If he has quoted this paffage, it is only to expofe the palpable inconfiftency of the Narrative. Is it poffible that Sir James could pretend to have been authorised by Lord Bute to commiffion Dr. Addington, or that Sir James could wish to engage Dr. Addington, to negotiate with the Earl of Chatham about the terms of acting with the Earl of Bute in adminiftration, at the very moment when he reprefented the Earl of Bute to be in the predicament in which he is here made to represent him?

"What idea mult the reader form of the understanding of Dr. Addington, if he could have ac

Narrative, folio 536. The Compiler of the Authentic Account is the inventor of a new kind of arrangement: in his compilation, the Narrative forms the Appendix ; and the vouchers introduced to fupport the Narrative, form the body of the work. There are occafions where obfcurity is better than order.

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