Memoirs of the Reign of King George the Third, Volume 2 (of 4)Walpole, Horace
History
Memoirs of the Reign of King George the Third, Volume 2 (of 4)
Walpole, Horace
Great Britain -- History -- 1760-1789; Great Britain -- History -- George III, 1760-1820
The Chancellor, Lord Northington, disgusted with the dilatoriness and
irresolution of the Ministers; and seeing they would neither embrace
the Favourite, nor could do without him; and perceiving, too, that the
King was determined to suffer them on no other terms than compliance,
was alarmed for his own interest; and apprehending that if Mr. Pitt,
as was probable he would, became the Minister, Lord Camden would
expect the Seals, made a pretence of quarrelling with the Ministers,
complaining most untruly that he was not consulted nor summoned
on cases,[262] which had not only been submitted to him, but had
waited for him and suffered by his delay. All this, however, being
but negative, the Chancellor wished to have more positive merit, and
accordingly told the King (and possibly had his Majesty’s own orders
for telling him so) that this Ministry could not go on, and that his
Majesty must send for Mr. Pitt. Whether this meanness was officious,
or whether instilled into him, was not certainly known. The motion
was at least so acceptable that the Chancellor certainly opened a new
negotiation with Mr. Pitt. Lord Bute’s friends asserted solemnly that
this treaty, which was kept very secret, was known only to his Majesty,
and concluded without the least privity of the Favourite--a tale too
improbable to meet with the least credit.
As a signal of what was to ensue, on the 7th of July the Chancellor
went in to the King, and declared he would resign; a notification he
had not deigned to make to the Ministers, but which he took care they
should know, by declaring openly what he had done. When the Ministers
saw the King, he said coolly, “Then I must see what I can do.”[263]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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