MY DEAR BROTHER,
I saw Mr. Pitt on Sat.u.r.day evening, and explained your wishes to him. He has undertaken to mention the subject to the King on _Thursday_ (as he does not return to town till Wednesday evening), and to second it with all the eloquence of which he is possessed.
He expressed himself with real friendship and zeal upon the subject; though, I am sorry to say, he appears to entertain the same apprehensions with myself as to the result. I am, however, persuaded that this opinion will not lessen his exertions for a more favourable answer, if it can be obtained. He thought it better to mention to the King, at the same time, the idea respecting the Duke of Grafton; though he seems to think it doubtful whether the Post-office will afford the means of that arrangement.
We have no news from France; the express, which generally comes on Sunday, not being yet arrived.
The insurrection has broke out in Austrian Flanders; but in a manner which seems little likely to be successful. Our accounts from thence are, however, very imperfect.
Ever most affectionately yours, W. W. G.
MR. W. W. GRENVILLE TO THE MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM.
St. James"s Square, Nov. 6th, 1789.
MY DEAR BROTHER,
The drawing-room was so very late yesterday, that it was impossible for Pitt to go into the closet afterwards, as it was not over till past five, and the King had to go back to Windsor. This being the case, we have agreed that, in order to prevent any further delay, Pitt shall write to the King upon the subject, stating all the arguments upon it, and at the same time reserving a ground for speaking to the King upon it at the next levee, if it should be necessary. I own I am by no means sorry that the circ.u.mstance of the lateness of the drawing-room, has given a plea for having recourse to this mode, as I have always observed it to succeed best with the King. There are many things which can be much more strongly put in a letter than in conversation with him, especially on any subject on which he is unwilling to converse; and all the points of this particular business may be more forcibly urged by being collected and stated with a reference to each other, in a manner which the King"s desultory way of speaking makes almost impossible. I am persuaded, therefore, that whatever the chance is of success in this business, it is greater in this mode; especially as Pitt will still have to mention it to him on Wednesday, if his written answer is not favourable.
I would write to you oftener, or desire Bernard to do it when I cannot, on the French and Flemish news, but that I really find the papers are every morning just as good intelligencers as I could be.
They will even tell you all that I can about the Duke of Orleans"
mission, which is evidently only a pretence for leaving Paris, as he has not even affected to talk to the King, or his Ministers, about any business, except to ask, in general terms, what is thought of the state of the Low Countries? to which you may suppose the answer would be quite as general, even supposing that we had anything more particular to say, which we have not.
What the motive was for his leaving Paris, I know no more than by the general report which circulates there as well as here, of his having been detected in plans against the small remains of the King"s authority.
Ever most affectionately yours, W. W. G.
MR. W. W. GRENVILLE TO THE MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM.
St. James"s Square, Nov. 7th, 1789.
MY DEAR BROTHER,
I am persuaded it is unnecessary for me to say how sincerely sorry I am to be obliged to acquaint you that the King"s answer to Pitt"s letter of yesterday is such as to give, I am afraid, very little hope indeed of success in the business to which it relates. The King says, however, in it, that in compliance with Pitt"s request he defers giving a final answer till he sees him on Wednesday, so that we cannot consider the subject as closed till then; but I fairly own to you that I think there is now very little ground for expecting a favourable result. The King does not enter into the subject at all in his answer, but only refers to what has formerly pa.s.sed upon it.
I heartily wish that I was the channel of more pleasing intelligence, and this the more, because though I certainly do not see this point exactly in the light in which you seemed to consider it when we conversed upon it, yet the success of it would have afforded me real satisfaction, independent even of the gratification of your wishes.
Believe me ever, my dear brother, Most affectionately yours, W. W. G.
MR. W. W. GRENVILLE TO THE MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM.
St. James"s Square, Nov. 9th, 1789.
MY DEAR BROTHER,
I received this morning your letter, acquainting me with your determination, in the event of the King"s answer on Wednesday being such as there is certainly every reason to believe it will be. You announce this as a determination in some measure taken in your own mind, and on which you do not appear to wish for my advice; and there are perhaps too many circ.u.mstances which must make such a step painful to me, to allow me to be a competent adviser on such a subject. I must therefore confine myself to expressing my very great and sincere concern both in the cause and the effect.
Your letter does not express whether any and what part of it should be communicated to Pitt. Perhaps you will think it right that he should have some previous knowledge of your resolution, if such it is, before he sees the King, but this is a point of infinitely too much delicacy for me to take upon myself to decide; and I also confess that the task of communicating it would be to my feelings so extremely painful, that I should be particularly desirous to avoid it.
I have only to add my strong sense of the kindness of your expressions and wishes towards me. I hope I have deserved your affection, I am sure I have endeavoured to do so; and this business, unhappy as it is, would be a thousand times more so to me, if I could think it possible. I trust in G.o.d that it is not so, that any event of it could produce the smallest diminution of that mutual affection and confidence which has now so long subsisted between us, and to which I have felt, and shall ever feel, that I owe more than to any other circ.u.mstance of my life. In these sentiments,
Believe me ever, my dear brother, Most truly and affectionately yours, W. W. G.
MR. W. W. GRENVILLE TO THE MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM.
St. James"s Square, Nov. 12th, 1789.
MY DEAR BROTHER,
As I understand from Pitt that he means to write to you to-day in answer to your letter, I have nothing to add to the account which he will give you of the unfavourable result of his conversation of yesterday. He mentioned to me an idea which he had of contriving to see you if possible before you took the step of resigning the Lieutenancy of the county. Perhaps if he comes down to Stowe for that purpose, it would be more agreeable to you that I should accompany him, and in that case I would certainly contrive to do so. Otherwise, I feel that you are already so fully in possession of all that I think and feel on this painful subject, that I could not wish to give you the labour of a journey to Missenden for the purpose of a conversation, which could only be a repet.i.tion of what I have already said and written. I have turned the whole question over and over again in my mind, and the result is the same with what I have already stated to you, and is founded on the same feeling: that though the object is a natural one for you to have looked to, I cannot think that the King"s refusal does, in any manner, call upon you for that line of conduct which you can be disposed to adopt only in the belief that you _are_ called upon so to do. It is unnecessary for me to enlarge again on the grounds of this opinion; but in stating it, I give you my sincere and honest sentiments, freed, as far as I can free them, from the bias which they are necessarily liable to, on account of the painful impression which is made on my mind by the idea of the smallest difference in our political line.
I cannot conclude this letter without again expressing to you the heartfelt satisfaction which I derive, under these circ.u.mstances, from the sense which you entertain and express of my sincere and zealous affection.
Ever yours, W. W. G.
MR. W. W. GRENVILLE TO THE MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM.
St. James"s Square, Nov. 28th, 1789.
MY DEAR BROTHER,
I have just received your letter. Things remain hitherto on the same footing, with every appearance of doing well. All depends, however, on the ultimate arrangement of the point referred. I own I am inclined to hope better things than you seem to do. Real friendship and connection is, I agree with you, not to be hoped for; but if public appearances are preserved, and public support effectually, even though not cordially, given, all is obtained that is in any degree necessary for public objects; and the present disposition does, as far as I can judge, go the whole length of what I have now stated. It is by no means a difficult or new situation for people to act together in public business without the bond of private connection and friendship. It is indeed very rare, I believe; and what I consider as a most singular and peculiar happiness, that the contrary should exist to the degree to which it does, and it would, I am afraid, be much too sanguine to entertain hopes that this should be extended to the case now in question. I will not fail to let you know as soon as anything occurs on the main point.
There is every appearance that the Flemish revolution is complete.
Trautsmansdorf and the patriots are running a race for Luxemburg, where the former means to wait for succours. There are not fifteen thousand troops in the provinces, and there are above forty thousand of the patriots already armed, and the whole country with them. They collect the revenues of the country, on which they maintain their army. They flatter themselves that, allowing for the necessary requisitions for pa.s.sage, &c., no effectual force can be brought to act against them till the spring; and the style of the Emperor"s concessions, as well as the mode of making them, looks as if he was of the same opinion.
Ever most affectionately yours, W. W. G.
It was some compensation to Mr. Grenville that, in his official capacity as Secretary of State, he had the satisfaction of conveying to Lord Buckingham His Majesty"s entire approval of the line of conduct his Lordship had pursued in Ireland. After expressing His Majesty"s concern at the state of Lord Buckingham"s health, which rendered him unable any longer to serve His Majesty in the situation of Lord-Lieutenant, the letter signifies the royal approbation of his Lordship"s attachment and zeal in the discharge of the important duties of his station; adding, "and, particularly, I have His Majesty"s express direction to acquaint your Lordship with the satisfaction which His Majesty has felt from your attention to maintain the honour and dignity of his Crown, and to preserve the const.i.tutional connection between his two kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland, under the interesting circ.u.mstances which were occasioned by His Majesty"s late indisposition."
Feeling the delicacy of the position in which he was placed by his relationship to Lord Buckingham, in having to convey this gracious message, Mr. Grenville submitted a draught of the letter to His Majesty for his approval, before it was forwarded. Upon this draught His Majesty made the subjoined minute:
Windsor, October 17th, 1789. Eighteen minutes past Ten o"clock.
The draught of an answer to the Marquis of Buckingham"s letter of resignation meets entirely with my sentiments. If I thought any alteration necessary, it would be by more explicitly stating the allusion to his very commendable conduct, during my late calamitous illness, which would render the approbation in effect more marked.
G. R.
A retirement thus graced and dignified by the special approbation of the Sovereign, left nothing for Lord Buckingham to regret in the scene of party conflict he had quitted. It was an exchange from turmoil to peace, rendered still more acceptable to him by the expressions of regard and attachment it drew from some of the most distinguished men of his time.
Well might Lord Fife congratulate him, in one of the numerous letters addressed to him at this period, on the difference he would find between Stowe and the Castle of Dublin.
1790.
MR. GRENVILLE"S ELEVATION TO THE PEERAGE.
The events of this year on the continent of Europe offer a striking contrast to the repose of England. While the wise and steadfast policy of Mr. Pitt had secured to this country the blessings of peace, now rapidly expanding into a condition of almost unexampled prosperity, France was undergoing the throes of that desolating Revolution which brought the Sovereign to the scaffold, and laid the train of those disasters which finally expelled the Bourbons from the throne. There are few traces of those disturbing circ.u.mstances in the correspondence of Lord Buckingham and his brother, which, in consequence of the frequent opportunities they now enjoyed of personal intercourse, had become scanty, and, so far as public affairs were concerned, unimportant.