Letters to His Son 1766-71 | Page 7

affect your health, as
great cold does; for, with all these inundations, it has not been cold.
God bless you!

LETTER CCLXXXIX
BLACKHEATH, August 14, 1766.
MY DEAR FRIEND: I received yesterday your letter of the 30th past,
and I find by it that it crossed mine upon the road, where they had no
time to take notice of one another.
The newspapers have informed you, before now, of the changes
actually made; more will probably follow, but what, I am sure, I cannot
tell you; and I believe nobody can, not even those who are to make
them: they will, I suppose, be occasional, as people behave themselves.
The causes and consequences of Mr. Pitt's quarrel now appear in print,
in a pamphlet published by Lord T------; and in a refutation of it, not by
Mr. Pitt himself, I believe, but by some friend of his, and under his
sanction. The former is very scurrilous and scandalous, and betrays
private conversation. My Lord says, that in his last conference, he
thought he had as good a right to nominate the new Ministry as Mr. Pitt,

and consequently named Lord G-----, Lord L------, etc., for Cabinet
Council employments; which Mr. Pitt not consenting to, Lord T-----
broke up the conference, and in his wrath went to Stowe; where I
presume he may remain undisturbed a great while, since Mr. Pitt will
neither be willing nor able to send for him again. The pamphlet, on the
part of Mr. Pitt, gives an account of his whole political life; and, in that
respect, is tedious to those who were acquainted with it before; but, at
the latter end, there is an article that expresses such supreme contempt
of Lord T-----, and in so pretty a manner, that I suspect it to be Mr.
Pitt's own: you shall judge yourself, for I here transcribe the article:
"But this I will be bold to say, that had he (Lord T-----) not fastened
himself into Mr. Pitt's train, and acquired thereby such an interest in
that great man, he might have crept out of life with as little notice as he
crept in; and gone off with no other degree of credit, than that of adding
a single unit to the bills of mortality" I wish I could send you all the
pamphlets and half-sheets that swarm here upon this occasion; but that
is impossible; for every week would make a ship's cargo. It is certain,
that Mr. Pitt has, by his dignity of Earl, lost the greatest part of his
popularity, especially in the city; and I believe the Opposition will be
very strong, and perhaps prevail, next session, in the House of
Commons; there being now nobody there who can have the authority
and ascendant over them that Pitt had.
People tell me here, as young Harvey told you at Dresden, that I look
very well; but those are words of course, which everyone says to
everybody. So far is true, that I am better than at my age, and with my
broken constitution, I could have expected to be. God bless you!

LETTER CCXC
BLACKHEATH, September 12, 1766.
MY DEAR FRIEND: I have this moment received your letter of the
27th past. I was in hopes that your course of waters this year at Baden
would have given you a longer reprieve from your painful complaint. If
I do not mistake, you carried over with you some of Dr. Monsey's
powders. Have you taken any of them, and have they done you any
good? I know they did me a great deal. I, who pretend to some skill in
physic, advise a cool regimen, and cooling medicines.
I do not wonder, that you do wonder, at Lord C-----'s conduct. If he was

not outwitted into his peerage by Lord B----, his accepting it is utterly
inexplicable. The instruments he has chosen for the great office, I
believe, will never fit the same case. It was cruel to put such a boy as
Lord G--- over the head of old Ligonier; and if I had been the former, I
would have refused that commission, during the life of that honest and
brave old general. All this to quiet the Duke of R---- to a resignation,
and to make Lord B---- Lieutenant of Ireland, where, I will venture to
prophesy, that he will not do. Ligonier was much pressed to give up his
regiment of guards, but would by no means do it; and declared that the
King might break him if he pleased, but that he would certainly not
break himself.
I have no political events to inform you of; they will not be ripe till the
meeting of the parliament. Immediately upon the receipt of this letter,
write me one, to acquaint