He was the fourth Prime Minister in seven years who fell by his own fault. Lord Bute was seized with a panic and ran away from his own victory. Grenville was undone by his insolence, by joining in the insult on the Princess, and by his persecution of Lord Bute and Mackenzie. Lord Rockingham’s incapacity overturned him; and now the Duke of Grafton, by a complication of passions and defect of system, destroyed a power that it had depended on himself to make as permanent as he could desire. It was pretended that his secret reason was the preference given by the Queen to Lord Waldegrave for her Master of Horse over the Duke’s friend, Lord Jersey. The Duke had not asked it for him, but was capable of resenting its not being offered, and as capable of being influenced by that little reason as by any of eminent magnitude.[48] He did not quit without signalizing his retreat by two pensions that were loudly censured. One was to his tool, the traitor Bradshaw, the reversion of Auditor of the Plantations, worth 1500_l._ a-year. The other a pension on Ireland of 1000_l._ for Dyson stamped with a royal breach of promise; the King having permitted the Duke of Northumberland to pass the regal word that no more pensions for a term of years should be granted on Ireland but on extraordinary occasions.[49] Dyson’s merits were not of that noisy kind that would bear to be detailed, and yet now ranked with those of Prince Ferdinand and Sir Edward Hawke, whose names had been cited by the Attorney-General as proper precedents for his Majesty’s munificence. CHAPTER III. State of Parties at Lord North’s Accession to the post of First Minister.--Victory of the Court Party.--Character of Lord North.--The other Ministers.--Debate in the House of Lords on the State of the Nation.--Quarrel between the Speaker and Sir William Meredith.--Debate in the Lords.--Lord Chatham attacks the Influence of the Court.--Repeal of American Duties.--Bold Conduct of the City Authorities.--Remonstrance Presented to the King.--Debate on the Civil List.--Lord Chatham attacks the Duke of Grafton.--Indirect Censure on the City Remonstrance in the House of Commons.--Loyal Address carried. 1770.