life. He was honoured with a vote of thanks from the honourable house; and his services were recompensed by a pension of L.3000 per

annum.

Tow

From the moment of the king's accession, the earl of Bute had become an object of jealousy, and his conduct was vigilantly scrutinized. This nobleman had been much about the person of the prince before his elevation to the throne, and the attachment of his royal master to him was no secret. A general expectation prevailed, that he was soon to obtain a place in the ministry, and a variety of efforts were adopted to inflame the public mind against him. The people were taught to believe that every unpopular act was the result of his advice. paying the interest of the large sum voted for the supplies of the year, a tax of three shillings each barrel had been levied on beer: this was imputed to lord Bute; and the mob vented their indignation by a riot at one of the country theatres! But, notwithstanding these efforts, the king, on the resignation of lord Holdernesse, appointed Lord Bute secretary of state. He also dismissed Mr Legge from the office of Chancellor of the Exchequer, and gave the seals to lord Barrington. Matters were not yet ripe for the removal of Mr Pitt, and the duke of Newcastle; and though the changes that had taken place were not much relished by the former, yet as this able and successful minister was allowed to conduct the war in his own way, he did not think himself justified in relinquishing his office.

The war still continued to be waged under his happy auspices.

Negociations for peace, which had been unsuccessfully attempted at the close of the year 1759, were renewed in the first year of the reign of George III. and with more probability of success. The courts of Petersburgh, Vienna, France, Sweden, and Poland, agreed jointly and severally to offer proposals towards a negociation. France was the principal and prime mover; for, as it was her inordinate ambition that made the war so general, so it was her wealth which chiefly supported it. But that nation had so severely suffered by the war, that the people earnestly wished for peace; and Louis XV. in concurrence with his allies, proposed that a congress should be held at Augsburg for carrying it into effect. But though this congress did not take place, a negociation between France and England was formally opened between Mons. Bussy in London, and Mr Stanley in Paris, and was continued during the whole spring and summer of the year 1761, though apparently with little sincerity on either side. Things were not yet ripe for a general pacification, and a particular treaty could not be concluded between the two powers, without sacrifices of interest and fidelity which neither of them was willing to make. But it will be proper to notice the more immediate cause of the failure of this famous negociation.

While the French and English ministers were engaged in the mutual interchange of papers, a

note was delivered by M. Bussy, which, though pacific in itself, was accompanied by a private memorial, of such a nature as abruptly to put a period to the negociation. It contained a proposal that Spain should be a party to the pending treaty, upon the ground of satisfaction being due to her from this country for certain captures on the Spanish flag, for infringements supposed to be made by England upon the Spanish settlements in America, and for an obsolete claim of a right to fish upon the coast of Newfoundland. Whatever truth or justice there might be in these claims, yet the time and manner of preferring them seemed to indicate such a leaning to the cause of France, and were so unprecedented in the annals of diplomacy, that the English ministry refused to listen to them for a moment. The spirit of Pitt instantly took fire at the indignity: he penetrated at one glance the designs of Spain; and declared in council that a war with Spain was inevitable. Mr Stanley was ordered to quit Paris; and the leading negociation was thus broken up. Orders were sent to the earl of Bristol, the British ambassador at the court of Madrid, to remonstrate with energy and firmness on the daring interposition of Spain in a negociation pending between France and England, and to demand a declaration of her intentions; at the same time instructing him how to arrange other matters connected with this mysterious affair.

The answer of the Spanish minister was not much calculated to calm the irritated mind of

the English secretary, to whom the intentions of Spain were by no means equivocal. It was not merely from observing what had taken place during the negociation that Mr Pitt was convinced of the hostile intentions of Spain; for he had obtained private information of a treaty, which had been recently entered into between the courts of Versailles and Madrid, since well known by the name of the Family Compact, but of which the other members of the cabinet were then ignorant. He accordingly declared in council, that England ought to consider the evasions of the Spanish court as a refusal of satisfaction, and that refusal as a declaration of war;-that prudence dictated the propriety of securing to ourselves the first blow-that, if any war could provide its own resources, it must be a war with Spain that her supplies lay at a great distance, and might be easily intercepted by those who were masters of the sea-that her American Plate-fleet, on which she had great dependence, was not yet arrived; and that the capture of it would at once strengthen our hands and disable hers. Such a bold but necessary step, he added, would be a lesson to his Catholic Majesty, and to all Europe, of the danger there was in presuming to dictate in the affairs of Great Britain.

This bold and dignified counsel, which soared beyond the comprehension of ordinary minds, appeared altogether extravagant to the majority of the council; and his proposal was seconded by none of the members but lord Temple. The

reasonings by which they opposed him he regarded as the timid counsels of short-sighted policy, or the captious objections of narrow-minded and selfish politicians, envious of his fame, and indifferent to their country's welfare. Giving full scope to his pride and patriotism, he then warmly exclaimed, "This is the time for humbling the whole house of Bourbon: and if the glorious opportunity is let slip, we shall in vain look for another. Their united power, if suffered to gather strength, will baffle our most vigorous efforts, and possibly plunge us in a gulf of ruin. We must not allow them a moment to breathe: self-preservation bids us crush them, before they can combine or recollect themselves."

It is impossible not to be struck with the decision of character which alone could dictate this advice. Mr Pitt in the same council declared, that if he could not carry so salutary a measure, he would no longer continue to sit at that board. "I was called to the administration of public affairs," said he, "by the voice of the people, to whom I have always considered myself as accountable for my conduct; and therefore cannot remain in a situation which makes me responsible for measures I am no longer allowed to guide." Lord Granville, the president of the council, coolly replied, "The gentleman I find is determined to leave us; and I cannot say I am sorry for it, as he would otherwise have compelled us to leave him; for if he is determined to assume solely the right of advising his Majesty, and di