mont, which if the Duke of Bedford accepts President cannot be. But excuse my mentioning it, because I do so to justify my making a point of having equal access to the King with the other Ministers, and I should not do that if I did not believe it in my conscience to His Majesty's advantage as well as to that of the whole system, till occasion come of his fulfilling your Lordship's very kind advice to him upon my subject."[1]
To this letter Bute replied:
"Can you doubt at present my affection to you, and yet I almost fear some of the lazy people round you will make you waver in that essential point, as I am too frank in my nature to express an idea to you I don't think. What you hint at of opening the situation I shall be required to see you in, would begin the scenes of jealousy that I wish earnestly to prevent, and be productive of no good. I am sure of what I say; but suffer me to speak plainly. When you declined accepting the Board of Trade one morning Oswald was with me, I understood it from a noble wish to leave as large a field for arrangement as possible, but on reflecting on what you said last night, and on your letter now before me, I think it seems more from not having it in your power to support your friends directly with the King, which indeed cannot be at present. Calcraft and all around you suggest these ideas. I know this from yourself. But, my dear Lord, how contradictory is this to the plan taken, how impossible for me to bring about, and how sure a nest-egg of ministerial discord at our first setting out. Shall I desire you not to listen to interested men; they live without you, and estimate their own consideration by yours. I fear my reasoning will be weak in your eyes, and yet if you enter into Government, secretly displeased at the want of something you have not, you will not, and cannot act with the cordiality necessary at this critical minute. I had the Secretaries with me to-day, and laid the foundation in their Minds of real confidence with you. Halifax was fuller than the other in his declarations, both very proper, and they will both send to you. (I
- ↑ Shelburne to Bute, March 28th, 1763.
