perfon from whom he derived his information, fignifying, that if Lord Chatham was appointed to Adminiftration, the hearty concurrence of his judgment and fincere wishes of fuccefs would follow that appointment. He avers, at the fame time, that he did not conceive a thought of propofing himfelf to his Lordfhip for any office, or of accepting any office with him, his own inclination having never prompted him, nor his ftate of health admitted him, to engage in public bufinefs, except on very few occafions in the Houfe of Lords, from the time of his quitting the Treafury in 1763; neither did he entertain an idea of fuggefting to Lord Chatham any arrangement of an Adminiftration, his wishes, and the communication of them through Sir James Wright, having folely regarded Lord Chatham. There is another paffage in your publication, which appears to me more material ftill with refpect to my father, than what I have already mentioned. This is the copy of the note from Lord Chatham in his own hand-writing to Dr. Addington, faying, "the next attempt he (Sir James Wright) makes to furprife friendly integrity with courtly infinuation, let him know that his great Patron and your Village Friend differ in this; one has brought the King and kingdom to ruin, the other would fincerely endeavour fave it."

Here is a ter under

ruined the King and kingdom.
Every reader will at once have
understood this imputation to be
founded on Lord Chatham's opi-
nion of Lord Bute's fecret influence
(as it is called), by which he has
been imagined to dictate or con-
troul the meafures of the cabinet
ever fince the Earl of Chatham
left it. Lord Bute has not been
ignorant of the long prevalence of
that error, having feen himfelf
moft injuriously treated in confe-
quence of it, for many years paft,
by writers of pamphlets, News-
paper effays, and political para-
graphs; all which he paffed over
in filent indignation and contempt;
but when he fees the fame cruel
miftake advanced and counte-
nanced by fuch an authority as
the Earl of Chatham, he thinks
he fhould be wanting to himself
if he did not encounter it with the
beft evidence that can be fuppofed
to lie within his reach.

There are but two perfons in the kingdom who are capable of knowing the negative of that opinion with abfolute certainty. One of them is of a rank too high to be appealed to, or even mentioned on this occafion; the other is himself. He does therefore authorize me to fay, that he declares, upon his folemn word of honour, he has not had the honour of waiting on his Majefty but at his levee or drawing-room, nor has he prefumed to offer an advice or opinion concerning the difpofition of offices, or the conduct of meafures, either diindirectly, by himself or from the time when ike of Cumberland was n the arrangement of a 21765 to the prefent,