^{page 63 note 1} The House of Commons met at 4·15. Lord North rose at once to say that His Majesty's Ministry “were no more.” Lord North tendered his resignation on the 19th, but it was not accepted. On the 20th, after the levèe, Lord North had an interview with the King of three hours, after which he told “several persons” “the game is up.” The King had agreed to all Lord Rockingham's propositions except the reform of the household. Lord North apparently came straight from the King to the House. Walpole (Journal, vol. ii. p. 521) says that the King parted with him rudely without thanking him, “Remember, my lord, that it is you who desert me, not I you.”

On March 21 the King sent for Lord Shelburne. His account of it is (Life, vol. iii. p. 131), “The King proposed to me to take the administration with the Chancellor, Lord Gower, Lord Weymouth, Lord Camden, the Duke of Grafton, Lord Rockingham, &c. if the latter would agree to state their pretensions of what they meant by a broad bottom for. the King's consideration. I declined this as utterly impracticable. The other features of this conversation were, the state of his health, his agitation of mind; his determination to do anything rather than risk an act of meanness; the cruel usage of all the powers of Europe ; the bad opinion of Lord Rockingham's understanding; his horror of C. Fox; his preference of me compared with the rest of the opposition; that it was unbecoming to speak to many; that the general wish was for a broad bottom. The King after this sent for Lord Gower. On Sunday 24, Lord Shelburne communicated with Rockingham, who replied at 6 p.m. stipulating for the same conditions which he had mentioned to the Chancellor, and sending a sketch of the Ministry similar to the one given by Lord Carmarthen in its main outlines. Lord Shelburne replied giving his approval at 8-30 the same evening.

^{page 64 note 1} Not since the interview described above. On Saturday 23, the Chancellor told Shelburne that the King would not see Lord Rockingham. Shelburne replied that he could not act with the Rockingham party. The King agreed to negociate with Rockingham through Shelburne, which gave rise to Shelbume's letter to which Rockingham's of Sunday evening is a reply. Lord Shelburne saw the King again. In consequence of this interview Thurlow remained Lord Chancellor, Denning was created Lord Ashburton. Pitt was to have had high office, but Rockingham objected. He refused the Vice-Treasurership of Ireland, The arrangements were probably concluded on Monday 25th.

^{page 65 note 1} Dunning and Pitt.

^{page 66 note 1} John Egerton, since 1771.

^{page 66 note 2} Afterwards William IV., then aged 17.

^{page 67 note 1} Could this be William Pitt ?

^{page 67 note 2} “The Duke of Richmond replied with some heat, charging the learned lord on the woolsack with opposing indiscriminately every measure of regulation or improvement which was laid before the House. The Lord Chancellor complained of the asperity with which he had been treated by the noble duke, and said that he thought it a peculiar hardship that his manner, that of a plain man who studied nothing but to convey his sentiments clearly and intelligibly, should be imputed to him as if arising from motives of indiscriminate opposition or to intentional rudeness.”—(Parl. Hist. xxii. 1386.)

^{page 67 note 3} Lord Bulkeley was made an English peer in 1784.

^{page 67 note 4} This motion was made on May 7. The division was 161 against 141. Thomas Pitt spoke strongly against the motion.

^{page 69 note 1} Dunning.

^{page 71 note 1} The grounds of Pox's resignation are now known; it proceeded from fundamental differences of opinion with Shelburne. Fox was in favour of the unaonditional independence of America; Shelburne was against it. The general conduct of foreign affairs was in Fox's department as Secretary; that of American affairs was in Shelburne's; both worked to negociate the treaty. Shelburne sent Mr. Oswald to Paris, who communicated with Franklin, while Shelburne did not also communicate to his colleagues what he heard from Franklin. Fox sent Greville to treat with Vergennes. After Rocking ham's death Fox would hare been willing to have served with Shelburne under a neutral person like the Duke of Portland, or with Lord John Cavendish as brother Secretary. The King however determined to give the Treasury to Shelburne, “who had declined it in favour of Rockingham” on a previous occasion. Upon this Fox resigned. He writes to Greville, July 5,1782: “I am sure my staying would have been a means of deceiving the public and betraying my party ; and there are things not to be done for the sake of any supposed temporary good.” Col. Fitzpatrick said of his resignation (Life of C. J. Fox, by Lord J. Kussell, p. 329), “All persons who have any understanding and no office are of opinion that Charles has done right. All persons who have little understanding are frightened; and all persons who have offices, with some very brilliant exceptions, think he has been hasty.” Lord Carmarthen was not one of the brilliant exceptions.

^{page 74 note 1} The Duke of Portland.

^{page 75 note 1} The Duke of Leeds died March 23rd, 1789.

^{page 76 note 1} The Hon. James Murray was Governor of Minorca when it was besieged by the Spaniards under the Due de Crillon. The Duke tried to bribe him to surrender the fortress, but he indignantly refused. The court-martial was promoted by Sir William Draper. Walpolesays (Letters, viii. 326): “The sentence was a strange one, yet I imagine calculated to prevent very desperate consequences between a madman and a very hot-headed one. Of twenty-nine charges they pronounced twenty-seven trifling; and on the two others, that seem not very grave, reprimanded Murray, and then ordered the accuser and accused to make mutual apologies to each other. Draper, though the greater Bedlamite, obeyed. Murray would not utter all that was enjoined, and was put under arrest.”

^{page 76 note 2} The first Earl, born 1734, died 1783.

^{page 77 note 1} He had succeeded his father the great admiral in October, 1781.

^{page 77 note 2} The House did not meet between December 19 and January 22.

^{page 77 note 3} Queen Charlotte was born May 14. Her birthday was generally kept on January 18.

^{page 78 note 1} The numbers were 72 against 59. There were in the House at one time of the day 145 peers, a greater number than had been known on any question during the reign. The numbers in the Commons were 208 to 224. Ministers in a minority oi 16. The line taken by the Opposition was not so much against the peace as against Ministers. North in the Lords and Fox and Sheridan in the Commons were equally bitter.

^{page 79 note 1} February 21. The division was 207 to 190. Pitt made a magnificent speech; and during it he said of Fox, “he has declared, with that sort of consistency that marks his conduct, ‘Because he is prevented from prosecuting the noble lord in the blue ribbon to the satisfaction of public justice he will heartily embrace him as his friend,’ so readily does lie reconcile extremes and lore the man whom he wishes to persecute; with the same spirit, so I suppose, he will cherish this peace too, because he abhors it.” A good account of the formation of the Coalition is to be found in Fitzmaurice's Life of Lord Shelburne, iii. 339 foil. The Coalition was formed in the afternoon of February 14.

^{page 79 note 2} Shelburne resigned the next day. He persuaded the King to send for Pitt, who however refused to take office, as he was not certain of a majority in Parliament, The King used every argument, but to no purpose.