The Generals have made their report to the King, but nothing is yet done in consequence of it. Delay in proceedings of government, especially of this kind, is weak; and if they do not determine something soon, it will be the second part of Mr. Byng's story, and the city will drive them to be more violent than they would choose to be. Mr. Waldegrave has ordered me to enclose you a copy of their report. The whole inquiry is too long; but as every thing relating to their censure is still kept a secret here, he hopes your Grace will have the goodness to show it only where you think proper. He flatters himself if your Grace had been an inquirer you could have given no other opinion; not that it justifies the framers of the expedition, or makes that appear more practicable: the grounds they seem to have gone upon were surely too light, and the executers of it did not take care to throw the blame of the failure of it where it ought to have been. Poor Sir J. M., I am afraid, will suffer. Conway has not made the defence that was expected from so able a man, and Fs has been very firm, and acted like a terrible man in his defence from first to last.* There is a Mons. d'Arcé come from Mr. Mitchell, but he * "The Duke of Marlborough, Lord George Sackville, and General Waldegrave have held a public inquest, with the fairness of which people are satisfied. You may easily imagine that, with all my satisfaction in Mr. Conway's behaviour, I am very VOL. II. X unhappy about him he is still 1757. 1757. brings nothing more than we knew before. The King of Prussia had great luck to have so great a panic seize the French troops just before the action, as it has added much to its being so complete a victory; he is returned to Silesia, and there is certainly no convention of any kind between him and the French. Our master is in a fine scrape if he has ordered his to be broke; for his troops are almost starved, and in so weakly a condition they can hardly act before spring. And I hear the French have threatened if they do break it they will give no quarter, and reduce Hanover and Cassel to ashes, which in my opinion they deserve; for it is certainly not honourable after the convention. Our Parliament meets the 1st: in what disposition I cannot tell; but except what passes about the expedition, I fancy it will be peace. Lord Anson is very angry the court of inquiry has been so severe upon the sea, and says Sir E. H. will defend himself in Parliament. Mr. W. answered him, that he thought, considering their conduct, they had showed them a great deal too much lenity, for in his opinion they had behaved much worse than the land officers. There will be great parties arise about this, and I don't doubt many will condemn the General for the hardness of the censure, but in the main I think it is approved of. Sir Robert Wilmot sends me word I must not trespass any longer on your Grace's time, for the messenger is going very soon. What a melancholy place is this town without friends! and I hate the thoughts of not passing my Christmas at Woburn. Pray tell the Duchess the height of Lady Coventry's ambition at present is to play at quadrille, at which she plays four hours a day to be worthy of your parties at your return: she says she likes it immensely, and prefers it to all other diversions. They report that Lady L. Ker is to marry Sir Charles Bingham. Lady Ancram has never mentioned it in her letters, so that I doubt of it. I am glad upon Ninette's account that you like the son. I saw Podo the other day, who is, indeed, very happy with your goodness to him. I must trouble you to make our love to all friends in the Castle. Now, my dear Duke of Bedford, show the same partiality to me in this letter as you did in every other respect, and overlook all faults, and believe me, &c. BETTINA. 1757. EARL GRANVILLE TO THE DUKE OF BEDFORD. My Lord, Arlington Street, November 27. 1757. Your Grace will receive from Mr. Pitt's office despatch the sense of the King's servants who were at the meeting on your letter, in which you state the several connections in Ireland which do give at present, as they have formerly, so much disquiet to their lord-lieutenants; all which, however, may be surmounted by much less talents and 1757. ability than your Grace has, as I know by experience was my own case in that government. When I went there first, there never was worse humours stirring than at that time, nor more unnatural conjunctions of persons, hating one another, and yet agreeing in insulting the Government; nor more specious pretensions of grievances: and yet, as I would not be put in a passion, nor give them handles, they grew ashamed of themselves and content, so we forgot every thing of both sides; and I held two sessions afterwards with ease, which I make no doubt will happen to your Grace with more honour to yourself and utility to his Majesty's affairs, both at home and abroad, than withdrawing yourself in disgust at the perverseness of such persons, who now are thoughtless enough to ruin themselves, which I think it your duty and honour to prevent, the reflection on which hereafter will give you honour and pleasure. Thus much is in relation to what you say as to leaving the government at present. As to the other part, of your calling for support to punish now the undutiful and impertinent, give me leave to say that his Majesty has all the inclination and resolution to support you; but that it his opinion, at present, that you should try all conciliatory ways, which from my own experience I think will succeed, especially now the money bill is transmitted to you. I should not have troubled your Grace with this confidential letter, had not the King himself told me to-day that he wished I would write on this service to you, which I do, not as a minister, but as a real friend, who has rowed in the same galley which you are now in, and by patience brought it safe into port, notwithstanding the mutiny in the crew for a while, who at last all owned that I had served them usefully. Your Grace, who has infinitely more materials of all sorts than I ever could pretend to, cannot fail of doing the King and your country great service in this particular. I shall not trouble your Grace any further at present, having a very great inflammation in my eyes, which makes writing very uneasy to me. I am, my dear Lord, &c. GRANVILLE. 1757. DUKE OF BEDFORD TO THE EARL OF My Lord, CLANRICARDE. Dublin Castle, November 29. 1757. I am honoured with your Lordship's letter of the 23rd of last month, in relation to Mr. Talbot, about which affair Lord Castlecomer and Mr. Dickinson have likewise spoke to me in your Lordship's name. You must be sensible that I could not, without the highest injustice to every ensign on the Irish establishment, recommend one so young as Mr. Talbot to his Majesty for a lieutenancy; so that I must beg your Lordship to excuse me in this particular. |