Memoirs of the Reign of King George the Third, Volume 1 (of 4)Walpole, Horace
History
Memoirs of the Reign of King George the Third, Volume 1 (of 4)
Walpole, Horace
Great Britain -- History -- 1760-1789; Great Britain -- History -- George III, 1760-1820
In truth, nothing could be more offensive than Lord Temple’s conduct,
whether considered in a public or private light. Opposition to his
factious views seemed to let him loose from all ties, all restraint
of principles. Of the truth of this assertion he, at the time I am
describing, gave a convincing proof. His brother George was at that
moment the object of his jealousy and resentment. He had, however, been
prevailed upon by his family, or rather by considerations of family,
to suffer Mr. Grenville to be rechosen for Buckingham; but on this
sole condition, that Mr. Grenville should give up a paper formerly
received from him. When Dr. Lyttelton, Bishop of Carlisle,[362] who had
negotiated this treaty, gave him the paper, he said, after reading it,
“It is true, I am bound in honour and by promise to make a firm entail
of my estate,--I will; but it shall be on my brother James.”[363] The
case was this: it had been discovered during the life of their uncle,
the late Lord Cobham, that he had made a flaw in the settlement of
his estate. A meeting of his nephews was held in the presence of his
sister,[364] and their mother, the late Lady Temple. She said, “My son
Richard is ill with my brother; if we tell my brother of this flaw, he
may make a new settlement, and give his fortune from my eldest son.”
George Grenville consented to keep the secret, provided his brother
gave him the most solemn promise in writing to resettle the estate
when he should come to it. Insensible to such a tie, and filled with
rancour, he had the mortification of seeing that very brother preserved
in power merely to his exclusion.
Other persons preferred on the new settlement were Lord Egmont to the
head of the Admiralty, and Lord Hyde to be joint-Postmaster.
CHAPTER XXI.
Secret power of Lord Bute.--His rupture with Pitt.--The late
Prince of Wales’s character of Bute.--Extraordinary Anecdote.--
Mr. Legge’s imprudent Manœuvre.--Unanimous attempt to destroy
Wilkes.--Governor Johnstone.--General Wall.--The Comte de
Guerchy.--His character.--Madame de Guerchy.--The Duke de
Nivernois, and the Chevalier d’Eon.--Death of Augustus the
Third, of Saxony.--The Pope invites the Duke of York to Rome.--
Humiliation of the helpless Line of Stuart.--Charles Yorke resigns
the Attorney-Generalship.--Trimming conduct of the Yorke Family.--
Unfavourable Commencement of the new Lord-Lieutenant’s power in
Ireland.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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