cied that the men, whose cause he said he had efpoused, would not dare to treat him with indifference. He therefore wished to dictate what atonement should be made him for his past sufferings, or rather, on what terms the restoration of fo much virtue and ability was to be purchased by his country. He demanded a general pardon; five thousand pounds in cash, in lieu of a fine from lord HALIFAX, the late fecretary of state; and a pension on the Irish establishment. Such prefumption met with the contempt it deserved; and Mr. WILKES, finding that he could not at that time reverse his outlawry by error or by appearance, returned into exile with the mortifying reflection that his own unparalleled infolence had defeated the purpose of his journey.

It does not form a neceffary part of our propofed narrative to trace minutely every other step taken by the marquis of RockINGHAM and his confidential secretary during their short continuance in office. Mr. BURKE himself will furnish us with the best account of that nobleman's administration; and we cannot believe that the beauty of the piece will fuffer from the invidious. infinuations of the writer's enemies, that he was then compofing his own panegyric; and that the marquis was only a dark lanthorn, occafionally enlightened by the fplendor of his fecretary's. genius. Did a juft perception of Mr. BURKE's talents, and a becoming reliance on his counfels, in any fort imply that the marquis was incapable of judging and deciding for himself? Those who knew him will readily bear teftimony, that his mind was as clear and comprehenfive as his manners were mild and unaffuming; and whatever may be thought of his half measures refpecting America, as Mr. PITT called them, he certainly deserved fome praise for the abolition of obnoxious duties, for the removal of various clogs on the colonial trade, for the conclusion of a commercial

H 2

mercial treaty with Ruffia, and for the fatisfactory fettlement of the Canada bills. But thefe fmaller claims to esteem could not fupply the want of experience in the more important concerns of the ftate. The duke of GRAFTON, one of the fecretaries, feeling the inftability of his colleagues, refigned about the middle of May, and did not fneak from the avowal of his reasons for so doing. He publicly declared in the houfe of lords, "that he had no objection to the perfons, or to the measures of the ministers he had recently left; but that he thought they wanted ftrength and efficacy to carry on proper measures with fuccefs; and that he knew but one man, [meaning Mr. PITT] who could give them that strength and folidity: that, under him, he should be willing to ferve in any capacity, not only as a general officer, but as a pioneer, and would take up a spade and a mattock.” Though the place he had just vacated was immediately filled by the duke of RICHMOND, yet his retreat at that juncture was generally looked upon as a strong symptom of the probable difmiffion of his late affociates. They did not maintain their ground long after the prorogation of parliament on the fixth of June. Their fall is faid to have been accelerated by the following circumstance.

After the repeal of the stamp-act, which the marquis and his friends looked upon as the only method of conciliating the affections of the refractory colonies, they took into confideration the state of Canada, for which province no complete fyftem of government had yet been formed. They conceived it neceffary to supply this defect; and Mr. BURKE having drawn the outlines of a plan, preparatory to a bill for that purpose, the sketch was fubmitted to the earl of NORTHINGTON, then lord chancellor. He had never been very cordially their friend, and was now,

perhaps,

perhaps, glad of a favorable opportunity of expreffing his dislike. He condemned the whole fcheme in the moft unqualified terms. of disapprobation: he even went to the king, and complained to his majesty of the unfitness of his minifters, adding, "that they could not go on, and that Mr. PITT must be sent for." In confequence of these very plain affertions, the chancellor was commiffioned to confer with Mr. PITT on the subject of a new arrangement.

As Mr. PITT's refufal of former offers had folely arisen from his not being permitted to fill all the departments of the state with whom he pleased, that objection was now removed by the chancellor's affuring him, "that the king had. no terms to propofe;" and the fame affurance was afterwards confirmed to him by the king himself, to whom he was introduced at Richmond, on the twelfth of July. Lord TEMPLE, Mr. PITT's brother-inlaw, who was then at Stowe, being fent for by his majesty's order, came to town with all poffible dispatch; and having first paid his respects to the king, waited next upon Mr. PITT, to affist him in forming the arrangements. As the account of their conference, which was communicated by lord TEMPLE to Mr. COTES, and foon after published, places Mr. PITT's character, principles, and ruling paffion, in the strongest light, no apology need be made for inferting here a piece of fuch interefting and authentic infor

mation.

On the morning after lord TEMPLE had feen the king, he "received a very affectionate letter from Mr. PITT, then at North End, Hampstead, defiring to fee his lordship there, as his health would not permit him to come to town. His lordship went; and Mr. PITT acquainted him, that his majefty had been graciously pleased to fend for him to form an administration; and

as he thought his lordship indifpenfible, he defired his majesty to fend for him, and put him at the head of the treasury; and that he himself would take the poft of privy feal. Mr. PITT then produced a lift of feveral perfons which he faid he had fixed upon to go in with his lordship, and which, he added, was not to be altered. Lord TEMPLE faid, that he had had the honour of a conference with his majesty at Richmond the evening before, and that he did not understand, from what paffed between them, that Mr.PITT was to be abfolute mafter, and to form every part of the administration: if he had, he should not have given himself the trouble of coming to Mr. PITT upon that fubject, being determined to come in upon an equality with Mr. PITT, in cafe he was to occupy the most responsible place under government: and as Mr. PITT had chofen only a fide-place, without any responsibility annext to it, he should infift on fome of his friends being in the cabinet-offices with him, and in whom he could confide; which he thought Mr. PITT could have no objection to, as he must be sensible he could not come in with honour, unless he had fuch nomination; nor did he defire, but that Mr. PITT should have his share of the nomination of his friends. And his lordship added, that he made a facrifice of his brother, Mr. GEORGE GRENVILLE, who, notwithstanding his being entirely out of place, and excluded from all connection with the intended system, would nevertheless give him (lord TEMPLE) all the assistance and fupport in his power: that it was an idea to conciliate all parties, which was the ground that had made Mr. PITT's former adminiftration fo refpectable and glorious, and to form on the folid basis of union an able and refponfible administration, to brace the relaxed finews of government, retrieve the honour of the crown, and pursue the permanent intereft of the public: but that if

Mr.

Mr. PITT infifted upon a fuperior dictation, and did not chufe to join in a plan defigned for the restoration of that union, which at no time was ever so neceffary, he defired the conference might be broke off, and that Mr. PITT would give himself no farther trouble about him, for that he would not submit to the proposed conditions.

Mr. PITT, however, infifted upon continuing the conference; and asked, who those persons were whom his lordship intended for fome of the cabinet employments? His lordship answered, that one in particular was a noble lord of an approved character, and known abilities, who had last year refused the very office now offered to him, (lord TEMPLE) though pressed to it in the strongest manner by the duke of CUMBERLAND and the duke of NEWCASTLE; and who being their common friend, he did not doubt Mr. PITT himself had in contemplation. This worthy and refpectable perfon was lord LYTTLETON. At the conclufion of this fentence, Mr. PITT faid, "good God! how can you compare him to the duke of GRAFTON, lord SHELBURNE, and Mr. CONWAY? Befides," continued he, "I have taken the privy seal, and he cannot have that." Lord TEMPLE then mentioned the post of lord prefident; upon which Mr. Pitt faid, that could not be, for he had engaged the presidency; "but," fays he, "lord LYTTLETON may have a penfion :" to which lord TEMPLE immediately answered, that would never do; nor would he ftain the bud of his administration with an accumulation of penfions. It is true, Mr. PITT vouchfafed to permit lord TEMPLE to nominate his own board; but at the fame time infifted, that if two perfons of that board (T. TOWNSHEND and G. ONSLOW, Efqrs.) were turned out, they should have a compensation, i. e. penfions.

"Mr. PITT next afked, what perfon his lordship had in his thoughts for fecretary of state? His lordship answered, lord GOWER,