MY DEAR LORD,

Mr. Pitt to Earl Temple.

Saville Street,

Tuesday, July 22, 1783,

past 9.

I am extremely obliged to you for your letter, and truly happy in the confirmation you give me of the sentiments I entertained. Nothing has passed at Lord Thurlow's to-day. We had company at dinner, and though I have stayed pretty late, he showed no disposition to find an opportunity for private conversation, and of course I did not endeavour to force it. All he threw out in table-talk looked as if he was eager for a change (of which indeed there can be no doubt), and therefore I imagine his seeking no further explanation at present may proceed from his not having been able yet to report our last conversation and have an answer. If anything serious is intended, he will contrive to resume the subject before he goes abroad, of which he still talks, but loosely. Be it as it may, I am completely satisfied with the ground we are upon, feeling that I agree with your Lordship in every particular. I see no difficulty, if anything further passes, in stating, what is most true, the disadvantage of any considerable delay if the King means to press a change at all before the meeting of Parliament. I may possibly be able to give your Lordship more information before long, for I think Lord Thurlow cannot go without some further explanation. I am, with the greatest truth and esteem, Ever faithfully yours,

W. PITT.

MY DEAR LORD,

Mr. Pitt to Earl Temple.

Burton Pynsent,

Wednesday, August 27, 1783.

The party at Stowe has on every account too many attractions, not to make me truly desirous of fulfilling the engagement you are so good as to remind me of. If I am a little doubtful whether I can be quite as punctual as I wish, it is from a scheme which I have some time had in view, and which I think I may possibly not soon find another opportunity of executing. I wish during an idle interval to employ a few weeks in France, merely for the purpose of being a little more used to the sound of French, and I think, till some time in October, I may absent myself from England without any inconvenience, especially as I shall never be out of reach of a very few days' journey. I hope to be back about the time that my brother and Lord Sydney propose themselves the pleasure of being with you; but in such a case one cannot precisely answer for a day. I believe I shall be in town this day sennight, and shall stay there two or three days before I set out. If your Lordship should have any commands for me, will you have the goodness to direct the letter to Lord Sydney's, in Albemarle Street?

I have no news since I saw you, and the season of the year makes the prospect more certain till winter. I am extremely glad of the account you give me of the person you had an opportunity of seeing. Another person of the same lineage (about whom we had much conversation) is returned from France, as I hear, in very

good general disposition, but I have neither seen him nor heard anything of his particular wishes. If my time would easily allow it, I would certainly endeavour to have the pleasure of seeing you at Stowe before 1 cross the water. Should you have anything which you think of consequence to say, and which cannot be conveyed by letter, I will certainly do it yet, though I wish to delay my departure as little as possible.

My mother and all the party here desire me to present their most affectionate compliments, to which allow me to ald mine, as well as theirs, to Lady Temple, and to assure you that I am, with the utmost truth, Your most faithful and affectionate,

W. PITT.

MY DEAR LORD,

Mr. Pitt to Earl Temple.

Wednesday, Sept. 10, 1783. I had intended to write by Mr. Froggatt, who, I understood, was to set out to Stowe this morning, but wishing not to close my letter till I have been at the Levee, I shall leave it to be sent by the stage. I have been very much disappointed in not meeting your brother, with whom I was anxious to have had some conversation, and to have learnt more particularly your ideas before I proceed on my tour. I was unfortunately detained in the country till after he had left town, and the interval is so short that I have not a day to spare conveniently. I am very well satisfied in my own mind that no material event can now take place before

D

the meeting of Parliament. The conclusion of the Treaty' certainly removes a great obstacle; but if the King's intentions had depended on that contingency, they would, I am persuaded, have been notified to us before. Lord Thurlow's absence, who is not yet expected, is another strong circumstance, and indeed the period of the year has itself now rendered a change almost impracticable.

I am still inclined to believe, from the circumstances and the little I have picked up since I saw your Lordship (which is merely from casual expressions of Lord Hood, who, as you know, has been very much at Windsor), that the King does not like to hazard dismissing the present Ministry till he has found some ostensible ground of complaint, or till he sees the disposition of Parliament next Session; and there is probably also some view, as we have for some time supposed, to the terms on which new arrangements would be formed. This will make the opening of the Session of infinite importance and delicacy. I shall certainly be in England time enough to concert fully with your Lordship whatever may then appear right. It seems to me essential that we should attempt nothing in Parliament but upon the strongest ground. If the delay of the definitive Treaty, and the inconvenience of so long a suspense, has produced no adequate good, and the Treaty of Commerce continues unsettled (of neither of which I have learnt any particulars), they

1 Definitive Treaty of Peace | at Versailles on the 3rd of Sepwith France and America, signed tember.

will have nothing to boast in their negotiations; and the same domestic system of protecting abuses in office, and in the administration of public money, will, I doubt not, continue. If it does, the field is open. I conclude they can find no means of fortifying themselves further, if the King continues firm in the refusal of peerages, on which I think almost everything depends. I mean to return by about the 20th of October. If you should have the goodness to write to me in the meantime, in case anything arises, a letter sent to Hayes will be forwarded to me.

I am just returned from St. James's, where nothing passed very particular. The King was gracious as usual, and he inquired as to the time of my stay, in a manner which I rather thought significant. I have wearied your Lordship with a long letter. I shall look forward with impatience to the pleasure of seeing you at Stowe, which, if you give me leave, I shall make the first place after my return.

I am ever, my dear Lord,

Yours faithfully and affectionately,

I am setting out immediately.'

W. PITT.

On this day, accordingly, Mr. | Eliot; and he landed again at Pitt set out for France in company | Dover on the 24th of October. with Mr. Wilberforce and Mr.