Buckingham House purchased by the Queen 159 Seclusion of the King and Queen _ib._ CHAPTER XI. 1762. May 12th. Debate in the House of Commons on a Vote of Credit and the Support of Portugal 161 May 26th. The Duke of Newcastle’s resignation 168 Lord Bute is declared First Lord of the Treasury 171 Sir Francis Dashwood, Chancellor of the Exchequer _ib._ CHAPTER XII. 1762. Honours heaped on Lord Bute 176 Lord Halifax appointed to the Admiralty 177 First Appearance of “The North Briton” _ib._ Its excessive Audacity 178 Sketch of its Author, John Wilkes 179 Churchill, Wilkes’s Associate 180 Capture and Recapture of Newfoundland 183 The French Camp surprised by Prince Ferdinand _ib._ Propensity of the Court for Peace _ib._ The Empress Catherine 184 Horrible Conspiracy against Peter the Third 185 Catherine raised to the Throne 186 Murder of Peter 187 Effect of the Russian Revolution on the King of Prussia 188 CHAPTER XIII. 1762. August 12th. Birth of the Prince of Wales 190 Treasure of the Hermione _ib._ Conquest of the Havannah _ib._ Indifference of the Court on that event 191 Negotiations for Peace _ib._ Reception in France of the Duke of Bedford _ib._ Beckford elected Lord Mayor 193 Duel between Lord Talbot and Wilkes 194 Disgust at the Union of Bute and Fox 195 Purchase of a Majority to approve the Peace 199 CHAPTER XIV. 1762. Nov. 8th. Preliminaries of Peace with France and Spain 204 Embassy to the Court of Spain offered to Lord Sandwich 205 Insult to the Duke of Cumberland _ib._ Resignation of Lords Ashburnham and Kinnoul 206 Lord Lincoln’s Ingratitude to the Duke of Newcastle 207 The Duke of York obliged to go to Italy 209 Attempt to propitiate Walpole 211 CHAPTER XV. 1762. Conference between the Duke of Cumberland and Mr. Pitt 219