general, and even the gentlemen themselves, could not expect that their pretensions should give me the exclusion.” The duke remarked that “the ease and cheapness of the election of Weymouth had surprised him, that they had nothing like it;” and Bubb considered again “that there were few who could give his Majesty six members for nothing.” Newcastle then took the stout future Baron Melcombe in his arms and kissed him twice (!) “with strong assurance of affection and service;” moreover, notes of all Bubb had said were written out for the king’s pleasure. A week later, Dodington sets down, “Dined at Lord Barrington’s, and found that, notwithstanding the fine conversation of last Thursday, all the employments are given away.” Nevertheless, he valorously went to work to try and return two members for Bridgwater, though rather against his inclinations; unfortunately, although the doings of each day are set down, the details of the election have been abbreviated by the editor of the diary, Henry Wyndham. “1754. April 8th. Arrived at Eastbury. “11. Dr. Sharpe and I set out from Eastbury at four o’clock in the morning for Bridgwater, where, as I expected, I found things very disagreeably framed. “12. Lord Egmont came, with trumpets, noise, etc. “13. He and we walked the town: we found nothing unexpected as far as we went. “14, 15, 16. Spent in the infamous and disagreeable compliance with the low habits of venal wretches. “17. Came on the election, which I lost by the injustice of the Returning Officer. The numbers were--for Lord Egmont 119, for Mr. Balch 114, for me 105. Of my good votes 15 were rejected: 8 bad votes for Lord Egmont were received. “18. Left Bridgwater for ever. Arrived at Eastbury in the evening.” Altogether Dodington places his expenses at £2500, later on at £3400, and finally, when the king had thrown him over, at nearly £4000 spent in this affair. According to an accepted political axiom, what a man buys he may sell; Pelham admitted to Dodington that he possessed “a good deal of marketable ware (parliamentary interest), and that if I would empower him to offer it all to the king, without conditions, he would he answerable to bring the affair to a good account.” In this instance the vendor sold himself for “just nothing at all,” as is shown in the diary. The king disliked Bubb as the adviser of his son, whom he hated. “April 26. I went to the Duke of Newcastle’s. Received with much seeming affection: thanks for Weymouth, where I had succeeded; sorrow for Bridgwater, where I had not. * * * * *