I humbly beg leave to observe to your Grace, that you have it in your power to make the æra of your government, by a due encouragement of this scheme, more remarkable than that of any since the revolution, to endear your name to the present times, and hand it down beloved to posterity.

Nor think this, my Lord, a chimera of mine. I can assure your Grace, that one of the wisest and most beloved of your predecessors in the government of Ireland, I mean Lord Chesterfield, purposed to build the chief part of his present as well as future fame upon establishing only part of this plan. He publicly proposed it here; he made several declarations of his intentions to reduce it to practice on his next intended return to his government; and he has since more than once done me the honour to tell me, that had he returned, his settled resolution was to have brought with him a royal endowment of a thousand pounds a year, to lay the foundation of a school for oratory and the English language. Nor indeed was it possible for him to have thought of an expedient that would have rendered him more popular to the present, or which would make his name be remembered with more gratitude by future ages.

I beg your Grace to believe that I have no interested point in view in thus laying my thoughts upon this head before you. My chief motive is, that I look upon myself as much obliged to your Grace for the countenance and encouragement which you have been been pleased to show to the theatre

1758.

1758.

this winter. Gratitude makes me wish well to your Grace; I wish you to receive all the honours you deserve, I wish your return to this country for the sake of the country, and I wish you to enter it amidst the universal acclamations of all ranks of people.

I shall make no apology to your Grace for the length of this address, which I consider as a compliment. There are few men of rank or high station in this dissipated age, to whom I would write at all upon a serious subject, or if I did, I should certainly endeavour to bring my thoughts within the compass of six lines at most, in order to have a chance of being read. But your Grace's display of your talents in your legislative capacity, has long since convinced the world that your youth was spent in very different courses from those which have been pursued by most of the young nobility; and that you have very early in life both read and thought much upon the most serious subjects. This consideration it was which induced me to think that it would be no unentertaining employment to your Grace, at your leisure hours, to look into a book which treats upon education in a manner entirely new; and at the same time fills me with confidence that if it has the good fortune to meet with your approbation, it will at the same time be honoured with your encouragement.

I am, &c.

THOMAS SHERIDAN.

The following notes are taken from the Duke of Bedford's diary, and from "heads of business to be laid before the King."

"May 24th. As things are circumstanced business may be easily carried on the next sessions; but the leading people must have douceurs, a great many of which I must at a proper time lay before his Majesty, by these means he may do what he pleases with that country. The Princess of Hesse may have her pension of 50007.; but other things of the like nature must be given in Ireland. Pensions to the amount of above 5000l. per annum have been extinguished since my going to Ireland.

"The House of Commons of Ireland will ever, when there shall be such a vast redundancy of money in the treasury, as there was when the Duke of Devonshire took the Government, be fond of idly throwing away vast sums, as they did in the last and preceding sessions; this I hope to be able to prevent in the next.

"To propose the following persons to be made peers: :

"The Chancellor, if his Majesty shall please to make an augmentation of 500l. per annum to his salary, to be created a Baron."

"Sir Arthur Gore, a Viscount."

a Created Baron Bowes of Sudley of Castle Gore, in the

Clonlyon.

b Member of parliament for the borough Donegal, created Baron Saunders and Viscount

county of Mayo, and in 1762,
Earl of Arran, in the county of
Galway, on the recommendation
of the Earl of Kildare.

1758.

1758.

"Sir Maurice Crosbie, a Baron."

"John Lysaght Sen, a Baron."
"William Annesley, Esq., a Baron.R

"James Stopford, Esq., a Baron.

"Lord Viscount Castlecomer to be made an Earl.s "Lord Tullamore to be made an Earl.h

"Lady Athenry to be made a Countess.'

"Likewise Mr. Cole and Mr. Mason's' request to be made Barons.

"And Lord Rusborough to be made a Viscount."

"Persons proposed to be of the Privy Council. "Earl of Westmeath.

"The following persons to have pensions during pleasure, for the sums set against their respective

names:

Countess of Drogheda

Mrs. Gore and her daughters

Guy More, Esq.

John Blennerhassett, Esq.

James Hussey, Esq.

The Honourable Mrs. Walsingham

Honourable William Molesworth and Anne

his wife, in addition to their pension

200

100"

The recommendation for these peerages and pensions was accompanied with a memorandum indorsed, "This paper was laid before the King soon after my return from Ireland, May 1758."

"His Majesty having been pleased to signify his pleasure to the Duke of Bedford, lord-lieutenant of Ireland, that whenever the circumstances of affairs would permit it to be done without prejudice to his service, or discontent to his good subjects of that kingdom, that it be intended to grant a pension upon that establishment of 5000l. per annum to H. R. H. the Princess of Hesse Cassel, for her life, and the lives of the princes her children; the Duke

1758.