having been defeated in the several clauses that | vines who his Majesty thought would best were before the Committee yesterday. become the episcopal or any other ecclesiastical dignity. The King writes on appointing one clergyman to the Mastership of the Temple, and another to a Crown living:

'Queen's House, Feb. 1st, 1771.

'But he cannot be surprised at the real sorrow occasioned by seeing he persists in the idea that his health will not long permit him to remain in his present situation. If I had the powers of oratory of Demosthenes, or the pen of an Addison, I could not say more on the subject than what I can convey in the follow'LORD NORTH, I have learnt from Lord ing few lines: that I am conscious, if Lord North will resolve with spirit to continue in Talbot that the Mr. Watts who is recommendhis present employment, that with the assisted by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the ance of a new Parliament I shall be able to Bishop of London for the pulpit at the Temple keep the present constitution of this country is the person I imagined; he is one of my chapin its pristine lustre; that there is no means of lains, a man of great abilities, and, from my letting Lord North retire from taking the lead knowledge of him, an excellent preacher; I in the House of Commons that will not prob- therefore consent to his appointment, which ably end in evil; therefore till I see things you will direct to be prepared.' (Vol. i. pp. 54, change to a more favourable appearance I 55.) shall not think myself at liberty to consent to Lord North's request. He must be the judge whether he can therefore honorably desert me, when infalable [sic] mischief must ensue.' (Vol. ii. p. 321.)

In almost the very last letter addressed to Lord North as Prime Minister, the King thus unbosoms himself respecting the demands of Lord North's successor:

'Queen's House, March 27th, 1782.

LORD NORTH, - At last the fatal day has come which the misfortunes of the times and the sudden change of sentiments of the House of Commons have drove me to of changing the Ministry, and a more general removal of other persons than I believe ever was known before. I have to the last fought for individuals, but the number I have saved, except my Bedchamber, is incredibly few. You would hardly believe that even the Duke of Montagu was strongly run at, but I declared that I would sooner let confusion follow than part with the governor of my sons and so unexceptionable a man: at last I have succeeded so that he and Ld. Ashburnham remain. The effusion of my sorrows has made me say more than I had intended, but I ever did and ever shall look on you as a friend, as well as a faithful servant.' (Vol. ii. p. 420.)

It is clear that, though the King took an interest in the details of all public business and all official promotion, there was no one subject in which he felt so great an interest as in the dispensation of ecclesiastical preferment. We know with what intensity of purpose, at a later period of his life he fought against Pitt for the appointment to the Primacy, and won battle by promoting Bishop Manners Sut ton, in preference to his Minister's nominee, Bishop Tomline. In these volumes we see the same solicitude on behalf of those diLIVING AGE. VOL. VI. 210.

the

'Queen's House, March 4th, 1771. 53 min. pt. 5 p.m.

'LORD NORTH, Mr. Scott chusing to decline the living of Worplesden, I very readily consent to Mr. Fountayne's obtaining it, and Simondsburn in Northumberland; you will that the former may wait for the living of therefore direct the warrant to be preferred [sic]. (Vol. i. pp. 60, 61.)

The following, on an Oxford professorship, might be well remembered in days. when other claims than those founded on. special aptitude for the office are allowed. to have weight:

'Queen's House, March 10th, 1771.

'LORD NORTH, Your account of Admiral: Pye having yesterday carried the election at Rochester by so great a majority gives me much pleasure. I have also received your acknowledgment of the note I sent you, desiring. you to consult the Chancellor of Oxford as to. the properest person for the vacant Professorship, because I think those offices, having been instituted for promoting learning in the Uni versities, ought not to be given by favour, but according to merit.' (Vol. i. p. 63.)

The following bear upon promotions on. and to the Bench:

'Queen's House, November 29th, 1774. 26 min. pt. 6 p.m.

LORD NORTHI, I learnt from the chancellor at the House of Lords this day that a clergyman quitted Bath on Sunday morning to solicit him for a living vacated by the death of this I rather think is rather premature; but the Bishop of Worcester on Saturday night; having since heard it pretty positively asserted that accounts are arrived this day from that place assuring he is dead). I trust if true you

'Windsor, April 30th, 1781.

will have heard it, in which case I desire you will who did harder work, and liked it better, acquaint the Bishop of Lichfield with his being than George III. It is possible enough promoted to the See of Worcester, and Dr. that, as a lad under the leading strings of Hurd to that of Lichfield; the Bishop of the Princess Dowager and Mr. Stone, he Bangor is, I believe, now certainly dead, which will occasion a promotion that will certainly may have lounged and sauntered, because open a small bishoprick for the Dean of Can he had little to do except lounge and saunterbury, who, having good preferments, can be ter. No literary habits had been cultivated contented with any that may be conferred on in him, as we perceive by his marvellous him.' (Vol. i. p. 218.) spelling (which, however, was not a bit worse than that of many a fashionable gentleman and lady of his time), and probably all literary amusement was withheld from It is not probable that the good Bishop of him. No object of interest was presented to Winchester will live many hours: Lord North attract his attention and employ his time. will therefore, as soon as he hears of his death, His example shows how erroneous it is acquaint the Bishop of Worcester of my ap to judge the character of the future pointing him to the See of Winchester, and the Bishop of Litchfield to that of Worcester. man from the accidental habits of the Lord Hertford has already my directions to We are convinced that many a notify the Bishop of Litchfield as Clerk of the youth has been judged as harshly as Closet the moment he shall find that the pre- Prince George, because, having nothing to sent possessor is no more. As to the various occupy his mind or inspire him with energy, translations that this may occasion, I desire Ld. he appeared listless, indifferent, and lazy. North will consult the Archbishop of Canter- In the case of George III., his preceptors bury. I owne I think Dr. Horne ought to be were greatly to blame for not having the new Bishop; Dr. Graham ought to wait for either Bristol, Landaff, or Carlisle. If he strengthened and expanded a mind, naturcan be told that he will have the first of those ally quick, shrewd, and eager, by a discithree that become vacant, he cannot fail of pline which would have corrected both his resting contented.' (Vol. ii. p. 368.) prejudices and his obstinacy. Despite this neglect, circumstances increased the native shrewdness and developed the latent energy of his disposition.

The royal solicitude for the great school which flourished under the protection of Royalty is evinced by the following let

LORD NORTH, I have this instant received your letter. You will recollect that, when I told you that I thought the Provost of Eton was likely to die, I desired you would, whenever that happened, recollect that I wished it might be given to the man whose literary tallents might make the appointment respectable. cannot fairly look on Dr. Dampier as exactly answering that character; besides, for a young man, he is greatly preferred. I would much rather give him a deanery than put him where the person pitched upon ought either to have years or avowed tallents; sure it would be very

hard on Dr. Roberts.

I shall therefore only consent to Dr. Davies for the vacant Cannonry [sic] of Windsor, and leave the rest open till you have reconsidered it, for Eton should not be bestowed by favour, but by merit.' (Vol. ii. pp. 394, 395.)

These citations prove that the indolence which had been imputed to the young son of Frederic Prince of Wales was corrected in later years by the conscientiousness of the King and the responsibilities of his position. In no station of life, perhaps, throughout his dominions, was there a man

boy.

We now turn to those letters which exhibit in the strongest light the King's resolute opinions on the most important events of Lord North's Administration, viz. the conflict with the City arising out of the dispute with Wilkes, and the conduct of curious retrospect in modern English histhe American War. There is no more tory than that of London in the early part of George III.'s reign as compared with the London of the present day. In those days the great merchants and bankers lived within a stone's throw of the Exchange which had witnessed the origin of their fortunes. They did not dream of using the City only as a place of business to be visited for five or six hours in the daytime, and then abandoned for a West-end mansion or a suburban villa. All the energy, spirit, and independence which characterised the commercial leaders of the Metropolis were concentrated within the sound of Bow Bells. The Court of Aldermen, instead of recruiting its ranks from the retail dealers and tradesmen of Cornhill and Cheapside, enlisted into the Corporation merchants like Beckford who had property in the West Indies or country gentlemen like Wilkes. Such a class of men, combining opulence with intelligence and power, was

predisposed to very liberal views in politics. whole House, except Alderman Sawbridge, AlIt regarded itself as deprived of its just derman Oliver, and Sir Joseph Mawbey, joined political influence. Some few of its mem- in condemning the conduct of the Lord Mayor, bers had bought boroughs; but, as a class, and in asserting the privilege of the House, which, if not in an exemplary manner supportit was not powerful in Parliament, was ed on this occasion, must annihilate [sic] the powerless in the counties, and was, of House of Commons, and thus put an end to the course, insignificant at Court: its Liberal- most excellent form of Government which has ism, therefore, was extreme. The City was been established in this kingdom. Go on with for the first twenty years of George III.'s resolution, and this affair will be happily conreign the focus of opposition to the Court, cluded. It occurs to me that the mode of conand teemed with resentful remonstrances ducting the Lord Mayor ought to be well conon occasions which strange as it may sidered, that no rescue may ensue. Might not sound to modern ears - provoked courtly the conducting him by water be the most priaddresses from Manchester and Birming-vate manner?" (Vol. i. p. 65.) ham. "It is impossible," writes the King (Letter 311)," to draw up a more dutiful and affectionate address than the one from the town of Manchester, which really gives me pleasure as it comes unsolicited. On the unfortunate dispute in which the House of Commons became entangled with the City about the arrest of one of its servants the King wrote thus warmly :

'Queen's House, March 17th, 1771.

'LORD NORTH, Though I sent Lord Hillsborough to you with my opinion, that, as the Lord Mayor has presumed to set the privilege of the House of Commons of ordering printers to be brought to the bar at nought, and even to issue a warrant for committing the Messenger to the Compter for executing the duty of his office, the authority of the House of Commons is totally annihilated if it is not in an exempla ry manner supported to-morrow by instantly committing the Lord Mayor and Alderman Oliver to the Tower; as to Wilkes, he is below the notice of the House.' (Vol. i. p. 64.)

These protracted debates must have been very wearisome to the royal mind, which, doubtless, regarded such an effusion of words as a grave impediment to business, and saw its own way clearer. But even while his indignation at the insolence of the Lord Mayor made him impatient of any delay in punishing him, the King showed by the following letter that he had taken the full measure of another and more conspicuous agitator than Brass Crosby:

'Queen's House, March 20th, 1771. 55 min. pt. 9 a. m.

'LORD NORTH, I am sorry the business of committing the Lord Mayor could not be concluded last night, for every delay in a breach of privilege of so enormous a kind seems to indicate to the bystander a less attachment in the House of Commons to its own authority than every well-wisher can desire; besides, whatever time is given to the Lord Mayor is in reality allowing consultation and plans of disturbance to the factious. I owne I could have wished that Wilkes had not been ordered before the House, for he must be in a jail the next term if not given new life by some punishment inflicted on him, which will bring him 'You know very well I was averse to med-new supplies; and I do not doubt he will hold dling with the printers, but now there is no retracting; the honour of the Commons must be supported.' (Vol. i. p. 64.)

At the same time the following paragraph shows the very sensible view the King had taken of the origin of the quarrel : ·

Again, when the question of ordering the Lord Mayor to attend in his place next night had given rise to one of the most acrimonious debates of the Session, and had been carried by the friends of privilege, the King shows how earnest his own feelings were in the following letter: —

Queen's House, March 19th, 1771.
'3 min. pt. 9 a. m.

"LORD NORTH, -The conduct of the majority seems to have been of that firm and dig nified kind which becomes those that are on right ground. I am not surprized that the

such a language that will oblige some notice to be taken of him.' (Vol. i. p. 66.)

The Speaker, be it remembered, had thrice ordered Wilkes to attend; and Wilkes had thrice refused to attend except in his own place as a Member. This contumacy the House, warned by past experience, was too wise to visit with punishment, and ultimately allowed the order to drop. This, as the King justly surmised, must have been a sad disappointment to Wilkes.

We now proceed to cite those letters and paragraphs which illustrate the King's sanguine obstinacy in continuing the struggle with the American Colonies. This corre spondence abounds with them. The first letter which we shall quote was written

after the reception of the news that the peo- | nent of Europe; again, he would bring the ple of Boston had boarded the teaships of Americans to terms by casting them off as felthe East India Company in the harbour, low-subjects, and not suffering even a boat to had flung overboard their contents to the go in or out of their harbours. Out of Boston value of 18,000l., and had tarred and feath- his power was at an end.' ered several adherents of the Government:

The next letter was written on a proposal made by General Gage that the Penal Acts against the Colonists should be repeal-i. ed. Mr. Donne quotes the following passage from Bancroft which testifies to the multiplicity of the General's difficulties and his expedients: