for the public good; that you were willing so to do, but it was not approved of; that without you, there was not safety to the public, &c., &c.; and said, that although he had held one of the first offices in the state, which, for the reasons given by him, he had quitted, yet were you to give your assistance, and to become a part of any administration to be formed with your concurrence, he should with pleasure take up the spade and the pick-axe, and dig in the trenches, and should be proud to hold any office whatever with you. I am, from good authority, assured, this was the substance of his Grace's speech, which I dare say you will not be displeased with my communicating to you. (1) I am,

Your faithful and obedient servant,

T. NUTHALL.

(1) The deranged condition of the ministry, at the beginning of June, is thus depicted by Lord Chesterfield: — “What account shall I give you of ministerial affairs here? I protest I do not know. It is a total dislocation and derangement; consequently a total inefficiency. When the Duke of Grafton quitted the seals, he gave that very reason for it, in a speech in the House of Lords: he declared, that he had no objection to the persons or to the measures of the present ministers; but that he thought they wanted strength and efficiency to carry on proper measures with success, and that he knew but one man' (meaning, as you may easily suppose, Mr. Pitt) who could give them that strength and solidity; that under this person, he should be willing to serve in any capacity, not only as a general officer, but as a pioneer, and would take up a spade and mattock. To tell you the speculations, the reasonings, and the conjectures even of the best-informed public, upon the present wonderful situation of affairs, would take up more time than I can afford."

MR. PITT TO THOMAS NUTHALL, ESQ.

DEAR NUTHAll,

Burton Pynsent, June 1, 1766.

You will not wonder that I begin first with your last letter, namely, your supplement of eleven at night; for though I am buried deep in Somersetshire, I am not dead; consequently not insensible to the things you tell me. I am, indeed, most proud of the honour the Duke of Grafton has done me. The testimony is genuine, not the result of cabal; and dignity and spirit of character meeting with high rank, add every flattering circumstance to the favourable suffrage with which his Grace has been pleased to distinguish his humble servant.

Now for Hayes, and its truly respectable possessor. I beg my most cordial compliments to him, and am happy to hear he finds pleasure and satisfaction in his purchase. (') The deeds will come safe by the Taunton flying machine, directed for me at Burton Pynsent. Enclosed is the history of the said flying machine. (2)

I left Bath somewhat abruptly, on account of a troublesome cough, brought upon me by an incautious use of the waters; but the air of this hill

(1) Mr. Pitt had recently disposed of Hayes to his friend, Mr. Thomas Walpole.

(2) It is stated, in "Toulmin's History of Taunton," that this flying machine "did not finish its journey in less than four days." It is now accomplished in fifteen hours.

and

my horse have quite set me up again. Believe me always, with truth and affection, dear Nuthall, Most faithfully yours, &c.,

W. PITT.

MR. PITT TO THOMAS NUTHALL, ESQ.

DEAR NUTHALL.

Burton Pynsent, June 17, 1766.

The flying machine, which sets out from Taunton to-morrow, carries the deeds relating to Hayes, all executed; which I hope will come safe to your hands *

I rejoice, my dear Nuthall, at the good order your vigour has established in Enfield Chase, and at the fair hopes of timber for future navies; or at least for some pretty purposes or other. After saving the woods of that lawless wild, what is too hard for you? Go on and prosper; and believe me ever, Very affectionately yours,

WILLIAM PItt.

THOMAS NUTHALL, ESQ. TO MR. PITT.

SIR,

London, June 21, 1766.

I HAVE the favour of your letter of the 17th***. I perceive you can suppose the oak timber of Enfield Chase to be applied to other purposes,

besides the building of the noble bulwarks of this kingdom, ships of war. The truth is, it has not been fit for those uses yet, but I hope I shall leave behind me innumerable proofs, that with care and common honesty in office, the fleets of this land. may be supplied from the King's forests and chases only. I had rather this should be written on my monument, than any one compliment that can be given to the last peace.

I am, Sir, with great respect,

your faithful and obedient servant,

T. NUTHALL. (1)

(1) On the back of this letter, there is the following memorandum, in the hand-writing of Mr. Nuthall's son: "On Mr. Nuthall's being appointed ranger of Enfield Chase, it was proposed by him to reserve all the oak timber growing there, for the use of the British navy, and annually to plant fifty thousand young oaks in quincunxes, or ground plantations, prepared so as in time to have covered all Enfield Chase with a nursery of oaks, solely for the purpose of ship-building, and yearly to cut down the timber then growing, as it was judged good and fit for naval purposes the bark, limbs, and cuttings to be entirely applied to, or for, the sole purpose and profit of government. This scheme of national benefit and profit was ultimately done away, by the decease of Mr. Nuthall in March, 1775; subsequently to which year, the Chase was sold in lots, and inclosed, whereby the proposed plan was annihilated, and the certain supply of timber for the navy lost. In 1765 and 1766 a notorious lawless gang of deer-stealers and timberstealers infested all Enfield Chase, and set the ranger and his keepers at defiance: many conflicts ensued many lives were lost; but ultimately they were ousted, and the ringleader — made a game-keeper!"

LORD CARDROSS (1) TO MR. PITT.

Walcot, near Bath, June 19, 1766.

ACCEPT, my dear Sir, from a friend who has the most unfeigned affection and respect for you, these few lines; in return for which, all I ask is to have the honour of a card from yourself or Lady Chatham, to inform me how your most valuable health has been since you left Bath. My dear father has been greatly indisposed of late, and is at present confined to his bed by a fever. His brother-inlaw, Sir James Steuart (2), has been with him, - an

(1) David Stewart Erskine, afterwards eleventh earl of Buchan. In the following November, the Earl of Chatham appointed him secretary to Sir James Gray*, our ambassador to the court of Madrid; but, though duly gazetted, he declined to proceed, because Sir James was a person of inferior rank. For a discussion of the principle, which took place between Dr. Johnson and Sir Alexander Macdonald, see Boswell, vol. iii. p. 211. ed. 1835. On the death of his father, which took place in the following year, he retired to Scotland, and devoted his life to the cultivation of literature, and the encouragement of literary men. His principal works were, an Essay on the Lives and Writings of Fletcher of Saltoun and the poet Thomson, and a Life of Napier of Merchiston. He died at Dryburgh Abbey in 1829, at the age of eighty-seven; and was succeeded by his nephew, Henry David, the present earl, eldest son of the witty and accomplished Henry Erskine.

(2) Sir James Steuart of Coltness was the son of Sir James Steuart, solicitor-general for Scotland, under Queen Anne and George the First. In early life he made the tour of the Con

* Horace Walpole states, in a letter to Sir Horace Mann, that Sir James's father was at first a box-keeper, and then a footman to James the Second.