agreement, and Sir Richard Cox* has made himself both useful and acceptable to those who were most averse to the thought of his coming amongst them.

In a letter some weeks since to Mr. Rigby, I begged the favour of him to recommend Mr. Lyons † from me to your Grace, for a seat at the new Barrack Board, which I did unknown to Mr. Lyons, nor have I yet acquainted him with my having done it; but I was, in truth, very desirous that some softening favour should fall upon that hot and parched ground which he inhabits, although his own temper, which is exceedingly gentle, does not come within that description.

If your Grace sees expediency in that measure, I shall receive it as a very strong instance of your Grace's attention to me, and it will indeed be a sensible relief to me in my private relation there; besides that I really believe it would count to as much profit as any one favour your Grace can bestow. But as your Grace's goodness to Mr. Cunningham ‡ encourages me to name him again to your Grace, I must entreat you to look upon him on this occasion as the person for whose success and fortunes I am the most, and in the first instance, concerned, and that any favour conferred by your Grace upon him

* Sir Richard Cox, Bart., member for the borough of Cloghniketty. He was placed in office by the Duke of Bedford in contravention of the usual practice of appointing to the Revenue Board the English only.

† Henry Lyons, Esq., member for King's county, appointed one of the commissioners of barracks.

Robert Cunningham, Esq., member for the borough of Tulsk; appointed one of the commissioners of barracks.

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will be the most sensible and most pleasing return I can possibly receive from your Grace for a faithful discharge of my duty in your service. I may also on some future occasion be so bold as to name to your Grace some persons in my own profession for advancement, whose merits and characters will, I am sure, when they are known to your Grace, very much assist my recommendation of them. I beg your Grace to consider me as most entirely attached to your service, which at present it is plainly my interest as much as it is my duty to be; but if I should live to see that particular obligation which now binds me to you cease, (which I hope, however, will subsist many years,) it is my earnest wish, and shall be my constant endeavour, to acquire and to preserve some share in your Grace's esteem, and (if I might aim so high) in your friendship; and to show your Grace that it is with a just sense of what is due to your private virtues, at least as much as to your public station, that I have the honour of being, with the utmost respect, duty, and attachment, my Lord,

GEORGE ARMAGH.

May I take this occasion of presenting my humble and most respectful compliments to my Lady

Duchess.

DUKE OF BEDFORD TO THE DUKE OF NEWCASTLE.

(Private.)

Woburn Abbey, July 29. 1758.

Your Grace in your private letter of the 21st instant has, by making it a personal favour to yourself, put it quite out of my inclination to make use of any arguments, or to state the difficulties which it occurs to me may result from the moving his Majesty to create Lord Braco an earl of Ireland. My desire to oblige your Grace is so great, even upon the recommendation of those very men who will not condescend to make their requests for a favour in my own department to me personally, that I cannot hesitate a moment to assure you that I will, in conjunction with your Grace, use my utmost endeavours with the King to consent to the creating Lord Braco an earl of Ireland, though those who have applied to your Grace for it have no more claim to my favour than the young gentleman, Mr. Duff, in whose behalf this request is made. Your Grace will, I hope, likewise give me leave to inform you that, upon the creation of the two last earls, I have received complaints from those who think themselves at least equally entitled with them to that honour, and also wish to have their pretensions laid at a proper time before his Majesty. However I will say no more upon this subject for the cause mentioned in the beginning of this letter of your Grace so immediately interesting yourself in it; but will, upon my next

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1758. having the honour of seeing you, be ready to receive your directions for the carrying it into execution.

DUKE OF BEDFORD TO THE LORD PRIMATE OF

IRELAND.

Woburn Abbey, August 7. 1758.

I am now to acknowledge the receipt of your Grace's very obliging letter of the 25th of last month, which came to my hands on the 2d instant. I am very glad to find by it that affairs on your side the water still continue to go smoothly, and that you think the plan upon which I have proceeded, and which I am determined to pursue with the most religious impartiality, likely to produce those good effects I promised myself from it. I hope I need not again assure your Grace that neither yourself nor Mr. Ponsonby shall ever have reason to complain of me. The Earl of Besborough, soon after his father's death, wrote to me about the government of the county of Kilkenny, to which, though I had received a prior application, I gave a most favourable answer; and I suppose before this time, as I have heard nothing from the Lords Justices, their Excellencies have appointed him to the government of that county, which is what I should have done had I been present in Ireland.

There will come to the Lords Justices by this mail his Majesty's letter for putting Prince Fer

dinand of Brunswick Wolfenbuttel on your establishment for a pension during life of 2000l. per annum. That your Grace may see all that has passed upon this subject, though it is not for public inspection, and is only meant for the Lords Justices' private information, I herewith transmit to your Grace copies of my letter of the 30th of June last to the Duke of Newcastle, his Grace's letter to me of the 21st of July, and my answer to it of the 29th of the same month. I think it highly proper that your Grace and the government should be fully informed of this transaction, though it should by no means be made public.

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LORD PRIMATE OF IRELAND TO THE DUKE OF

BEDFORD.

Leixlip, August 15. 1758.

I had the honour of receiving by the last mail your Grace's letter of the 7th, with copies enclosed of the letters which had passed between your Grace and the Duke of Newcastle relative to his Majesty's grant to Prince Ferdinand; for which mark of your Grace's attention and confidence I return my sincerest thanks. I shall, as soon as I have an opportunity, make the entire communication of them to the Lords Justices; and shall from time to time impart the general substance of them to other persons in such manner as I think