like zeal for your friend; whose impatience you are not quite a stranger to, any time these twenty years; and with which you have many times kept some tolerable pace. Pray send me word soon that my cause is over; won or lost, I do not prescribe! (1)

American evidence will have sweated the House finely; though the cool attendance will have mitigated the sultry hours of investigation. As to molasses, I have little to say: I think a penny best. As to Dominica, nothing is so clear you ought to attend to the very beneficial cotton-manufacture (2); but, for that very reason, you ought, in all policy, to supply the first material, cotton, yourselves, and not render the basis of such a lucrative manufacture dependant on France, or the first rupture. Nothing so demonstrated, as that our British possessions will, with proper regulations, supply all the cotton wanted, in twice nine months, and our own sugar colonies be saved from being sacrificed to a speculative project. I (1) The heirs at law of Sir William Pynsent disputed the validity of his will. After numerous delays, unhappily but too common in similar cases, the cause was argued before the master of the rolls, and, after three days' hearing, was decided in favour of Mr. Pitt, on the 27th of June.

(2) At the time Mr. Pitt was penning this letter, cotton, as an article of commerce, was scarcely known in this country; the entire value of all the cotton goods manufactured in Great Britain, at the accession of George the Third, being estimated to amount to only two hundred thousand pounds sterling a year. In 1782, the whole produce of the cotton manufacture did not exceed two millions sterling; while, in the year 1837, the quantity of the raw material imported into this country exceeded three hundred millions of pounds!

hope to hear this unsolid idea of a free port is quite rejected and exploded.

I find the waters do well enough, and hope to receive benefit by continuing to drink them. I count, however, the days here, longing to be at Pynsent, where I hope to see you somehow or other, when affairs of state permit you. Believe me always, dear Nuthall,

Most faithfully yours,

W. PITT.

THOMAS NUTHALL, ESQ. TO MR. PITT.

Thursday night, 11 o'clock. [May 29, 1766.]

SIR,

WHEN I wrote to you from Hayes this afternoon, I did not know what had happened in the House of Lords yesterday, on the reading of the windowtax bill. I am told the Duke of Grafton declared his reasons for his resignation; which were, not that the office was too fatiguing to him, but that he thought the administration wanted authority, dignity, and extension; that he accepted the office he had quitted, upon a generally received idea, that you, to whom the nation was more indebted than to any minister who had ever lived in it, and who had raised it to the pitch of glory it had lately enjoyed, would become a part of the administration,

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. (1) 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,