<p><SPAN name="link2H_4_0277" id="link2H_4_0277"></SPAN></p>
<h2> LETTER CCLXXVI </h2>
<h3> BLACKHEATH, July 2, 1765 </h3>
<p>MY DEAR FRIEND: I have this moment received your letter of the 22d past;
and I delayed answering your former in daily, or rather hourly expectation
of informing you of the birth of a new Ministry; but in vain; for, after a
thousand conferences, all things remain still in the state which I
described to you in my last. Lord S. has, I believe, given you a pretty
true account of the present state of things; but my Lord is much mistaken,
I am persuaded, when he says that THE KING HAS THOUGHT PROPER TO
RE-ESTABLISH HIS OLD SERVANTS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF HIS AFFAIRS; for he
shows them all the public dislike possible; and, at his levee, hardly
speaks to any of them; but speaks by the hour to anybody else.
Conferences, in the meantime, go on, of which it is easy to guess the main
subject, but impossible, for me at least, to know the particulars; but
this I will venture to prophesy, that the whole will soon centre in Mr.
Pitt.</p>
<p>You seem not to know the character of the Queen: here it is. She is a good
woman, a good wife, a tender mother; and an unmeddling Queen. The King
loves her as a woman; but, I verily believe, has never yet spoke one word
to her about business. I have now told you all that I know of these
affairs; which, I believe, is as much as anybody else knows, who is not in
the secret. In the meantime, you easily guess that surmises, conjectures,
and reports are infinite; and if, as they say, truth is but one, one
million at least of these reports must be false; for they differ
exceedingly.</p>
<p>You have lost an honest servant by the death of poor Louis; I would advise
you to take a clever young Saxon in his room, of whose character you may
get authentic testimonies, instead of sending for one to France, whose
character you can only know from far.</p>
<p>When I hear more, I will write more; till when, God bless you!</p>
<p><SPAN name="link2H_4_0278" id="link2H_4_0278"></SPAN></p>
<h2> LETTER CCLXXVII </h2>
<h3> BLACKHEATH, July 15, 1765 </h3>
<p>MY DEAR FRIEND: I told you in my last, that you should hear from me again,
as soon as I had anything more to write; and now I have too much to write,
therefore will refer you to the "Gazette," and the office letters, for all
that has been done; and advise you to suspend your opinion, as I do, about
all that is to be done. Many more changes are talked of, but so idly, and
variously, that I give credit to none of them. There has been pretty clean
sweeping already; and I do not remember, in my time, to have seen so much
at once, as an entire new Board of Treasury, and two new Secretaries of
State, 'cum multis aliis', etc.</p>
<p>Here is a new political arch almost built, but of materials of so
different a nature, and without a key-stone, that it does not, in my
opinion, indicate either strength or duration. It will certainly require
repairs, and a key-stone next winter; and that key-stone will, and must
necessarily be, Mr. Pitt. It is true he might have been that keystone now;
and would have accepted it, but not without Lord Temple's consent, and
Lord Temple positively refused. There was evidently some trick in this,
but what is past my conjecturing. 'Davus sum, non OEdipus'.</p>
<p>There is a manifest interregnum in the Treasury; for I do suppose that
Lord Rockingham and Mr. Dowdeswell will not think proper to be very
active. General Conway, who is your Secretary, has certainly parts at
least equal to his business, to which, I dare say, he will apply. The same
may be said, I believe, of the Duke of Grafton; and indeed there is no
magic requisite for the executive part of those employments. The
ministerial part is another thing; they must scramble with their
fellow-servants, for power and favor, as well as they can. Foreign affairs
are not so much as mentioned, and, I verily believe, not thought of. But
surely some counterbalance would be necessary to the Family compact; and,
if not soon contracted, will be too late. God bless you!</p>
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