1757. humour, and such sort of leading questions; but our Betty has not lived at court so long without knowing who is to be trusted. But now comes the compliment of all; for his Majesty told the Princess that woman has had three children, and yet she looks like a virgin. The Princess, in charity to Lady Yarmouth, should make her a present of her own deafness. To be sure the making Johnny a General is a deeplaid plot, and he will be immediately ordered, not to America,—that is not far enough, for his Majesty cannot have done before he comes back again such a step as that; but we shall pick a fresh quarrel with somebody in the Antipodes, to send the General far enough out of the way. Now I have had my laugh at Lady Betty, I wish I could indulge the same passion at Mr. Fox and his family; but he himself is, I think, a great deal out of order: he keeps his room with a bad cold and disorder in his bowels, and looks sadly; but his youngest boy is, I fear, dying, which affects both him and Lady Caroline excessively. I met Lord Hillsborough with them last night, who told me his last letters from the North of Ireland bring most dismal accounts of the want of provisions; the frost is more intense there than ever was known in that country, and famine is almost at their door. I told him the sum of money your Grace had got from the King for a bounty, and that it should be despatched with all imaginable haste to Dublin. It shall certainly be prepared against next Board-day at the Treasury.

Nothing, I understand, is yet decided about Mr. Byng's fate. Lord Gower told me the Duke was very earnest to know your Grace's opinion: his Lordship had gone so far as to tell him he conjectured you were on the merciful side of the question.* I added to my Lord Gower, I believed from your conversation that your Grace inclined that way. His Royal Highness himself is against his suffering; a thing that will never be believed if he is put to death. Lord Gower told me it was under consideration if the King had it not in his power to alter his punishment for pains and penalties. I should think he has not; but the King may keep him alive a prisoner by frequent reprieves, or by Lady Caroline Fox's thought, which I do not think a bad one, if it be practicable, which is, to order him for execution, but connive at his escape. The reports about the court martial are various and infinite, and I think it meets with general disapprobation: there are some go so far as to say the sentence is illegal. Should

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that be the case, it does not acquit Byng, for the sentence is final; it only arraigns the court martial.

Admiral Boscawen is gone to Portsmouth to-day to hasten the transports, &c. for the expedition. It has alarmed the whole town, who, I suppose, think he is gone to shoot Mr. Byng himself. I saw Mr. Sharpe to-day at court. He tells me Mr. Quick stands sheriff for Devonshire, and will not be postponed; and moreover, that for the counties of Bedford and Devon he shall never listen but to your Grace, and so he told Lord Sandys.

MR. RIGBY TO THE DUKE OF BEDFORD.

Leicester Fields, February 7. 1757.

I think myself most obliged to yourself and your secretay for your letter to-day: had it brought me a better account of your state of health, and a nearer prospect of seeing you, I had been quite happy. That my conduct has satisfied your Grace, gives me most infinite pleasure; that it may always do so, shall be my chief study. The commissions the Duke of Devonshire carries to the King tomorrow to be signed. I sent a civil message to Mr. Pitt by Wood upon the subject. I had as civil an answer in writing, that he was not well enough to see the King, and chose his Grace to transact the business.

Charles Townshend to-day made a long declama

tion against Alderman Baker's contract for furnish-
ing the troops in America, and called for papers to
accuse the last Board of Treasury. Baker defended
himself exceedingly well by two short words,
"prove it."
it." Mr. Fox spoke better than almost I
ever heard him, and met with universal applause;
said, which I am sorry to say is very true, that
though much out of order, he came to the House
to-day upon the rumour of the long-expected and
long-wished-for inquiry being to come on; showed
the absurdity of Townshend's violent abuse before
he had convicted Baker, and the impropriety of
condemning at the time you move for papers to
show if there has been blame; pressed for a further
inquiry; and, with great decency towards the
present administration, showed no more inclination
towards the last than led to an exculpation of
measures he was himself joined in with them.

The House was up a little after five; and the matter ended in Lord Dupplin and Nugent joining with Townshend for his papers, and their moving for many more, to clear up the conduct of the Treasury. It looked upon the whole as if they had wherewith to clear themselves, and that Townshend is like to catch a Tartar in Alderman Baker, who is as shrewd a fellow as any in the world. In the House of Lords, Lord Mansfield moved your Lordships that Earl Ferrers, who has been beating, and burning, and shooting at his wife, may be, though a Peer, amenable to the justice of the Court of King's Bench; and their Lordships came

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to a resolution that a Peer must answer a Lord Chief Justice's warrant in a different manner from that which Lord Ferrers has hitherto done, which was by shooting at the officer who came to serve it upon him.

The sentence of the court martial is, by the King's command, referred, for the legality of it, to the Twelve Judges: a most extraordinary and unprecedented reference. I was told in the House of Commons they demurred upon giving their opinion. They may find that perhaps too difficult to avoid.

I have a great deal of Irish business to lay before your Grace; matters of lesser moment I will venture to reply to, taking the advice of the Duke of Devonshire and Sir Robert Wilmot according to precedents: nothing of consequence shall I presume to touch upon, till I have the satisfaction of seeing you. There is a case of compassion I should be glad I had your commands upon, if you don't come till the end of the week, as it don't admit of delay; and that is an order to pay up the arrears of the corps going to America, as it will put a little cash in the poor devils of officers' pockets, and enable some of them buy a bed and such things they may not be able to get without that assistance. And it is the same thing to the Government, though not to them, if that is paid now or half a year hence. Lady Betty has kept me so long at dinner, scolding at not seeing you to-night, as she says she expected, that I am afraid this will be too late for the post if I add any more, than that I am going to a ball at