In what followed, I dare say the concern and indignation were reciprocally equal. I mean, for the abuses thrown out against us all, by the miserable scribblers on both sides. They would not take Mr. Allen's word, but reviled me in the foulest language, as instigating Mr. Allen to this offensive measure. Nay, in picture likewise (in the contrivance of which, one Collibee, a member of the corporation, a Jacobite, and, on that account, an old inveterate, and declared enemy of Mr. Allen, is supposed to have a hand), where the addressers of Bath are libelled in the vilest manner, your humble servant is brought in, in his episcopal habit, prompted by the Devil, to whisper in Mr. Allen's ear the word adequate. Murderers and traitors, by the forms of our law, are said to be instigated by the Devil; but this seems to be the first time that an address of loyalty to the throne was ever charged with that instigation.

I, for my part, am callous to these things; and amidst a long course of infinite abuse, for wellintended services in my profession, (in which not one injurious fact ever laid to my charge was true, nor one bad argument ever imputed to me was proved,) I thank God and my innocence, I never once lost a night's rest. But I suspect it is not altogether so well with good Mr. Allen; and in this thing only I am his superior. Yet, I believe, that which most concerned him was his ignorance, when he used the word adequate, that you, Sir, in a public assembly,

had employed the word inadequate, to characterise the peace. You will, Sir, with your usual goodness, pardon the length of this letter; and with your usual justice, allow me the honour to subscribe myself, honoured Sir,

Your most obliged

and ever faithful servant,

W. GLOUCESTER.

MR. PITT TO THE BISHOP OF GLOUCESTER.

[From an imperfect draught in Mr. Pitt's handwriting.]

MY LORD,

September 10, 1763.

In addition to many former marks of your Lordship's goodness to me, I am honoured with a fresh and very unmerited instance of your regard, in the favour of a letter of the 4th, from Prior Park. Your Lordship's condescension on so delicate a subject is indeed much too great, in taking the trouble to mention to me the motives which determined you to advise and draw up the address from the cathedral of Gloucester.

The high station, and still higher consideration, which your Lordship so deservedly holds in the world, together with the peculiar delicacy of the subject, must draw on me the charge of temerity, if I presumed to exercise my own judgment on the propriety of this step. I will only venture to

observe, my Lord, that it is singular, insomuch, that the cathedral of Gloucester, which certainly does not stand alone in true duty and wise zeal towards his Majesty, has however the fate not to be imitated by any other episcopal see in the kingdom, in this unaccustomed effusion of fervent gratulations on

the peace.

Your Lordship will please to observe, that the doubt I venture to suggest, in point of propriety, turns, not on the merits of the peace, concerning which no one is more able than your Lordship to judge, but rests singly on a general notion, which I imbibed early, and which reflection and experience have strengthened into a fixed opinion in my mind; and it is this, my Lord, that the purposes of the state will be as well served, and that Christianity, of which your Lordship justly observes war to be the opprobrium, will surely be served much better, when the clergy do not

(1)

THE BISHOP OF GLOUCESTER TO MR. PITT.

HONOURED SIR,

Prior Park, September 14, 1763.

IF the best thanks were equal in value to the best services, they would not be a sufficient return for the condescending marks of your goodness and regard for me, in your kind favour of the 10th.

(1) The remainder of this letter has, unfortunately, not been preserved.

VOL. II.

You, Sir, who never miss the fort or the foible of every circumstance in human affairs, have rightly and pleasantly put your finger on the weak one, in that impertinent address; that is to say, the undesigned singularity of it. This, as you truly observe, was its fate: the less indeed to be wondered at, since it has all along been the fate of its author, not his affectation, I will claim credit with you, to believe.

The thing itself is neither good nor bad; yet, I confess, singularity in civil matters wears a more ambiguous aspect than it does in religious; because, in the first we should, for peace' sake, generally go with the many; in the latter, we are obliged, for truth's sake, as generally to go with the few.

What then is to be done, but to mean well? I am sure, Sir, you expect no more of your friends. The best intentioned man, whether to religion or the state, may sometimes mistake their interests. He who with good intentions best understands them, commits the fewest errors; and it is for the honour of humanity, that such a man is most disposed to excuse the well meant mistakes of others. Your obliging letter, Sir, is an instance of this; and as my principal ambition, both as a churchman and of the profession of letters, is to have your approbation, I will not despair (with the constant provision of a good meaning), but that I shall always preserve it.

But I am running from the simple intention of my letter; which was only to make my best ac

knowledgments for your condescending favour of the 10th, and to profess how much I am, honoured Sir,

Your obliged and

faithfully devoted servant,

W. GLOUCESTER.

THE DUKE OF NEWCASTLE TO MR. PITT.

DEAR SIR,

Claremont, September 12, 1763.

I HAD the honour of your most obliging letter of the 8th, and am extremely sorry that I shall not be able to have the pleasure of waiting upon you at Hayes, in consequence of the Duchess of Newcastle's illness. I am the more concerned at this disappointment, as I had yesterday the honour of an unexpected visit from the Duke of Cumberland; which, indeed, was as much a visit to you as to me, I having told his royal highness, that I intended to go to Hayes some day this week.

His royal highness came purposely to let us know (for he desired particularly that I should communicate them to you) his ideas upon the new administration; which, though one part of it extremely surprised him, after what had passed, he did not think, in any part of it, formidable. His royal highness had not heard one single word from the person with whom he had lately had a great deal of discourse of a very different nature