My dear friend:  I told you in my last, that you should hear from me again, as soon as I had anything more to write; and now I have too much to write, therefore will refer you to the “Gazette,” and the office letters, for all that has been done; and advise you to suspend your opinion, as I do, about all that is to be done.  Many more changes are talked of, but so idly, and variously, that I give credit to none of them.  There has been pretty clean sweeping already; and I do not remember, in my time, to have seen so much at once, as an entire new Board of Treasury, and two new Secretaries of State, ‘cum multis aliis’, etc.

Here is a new political arch almost built, but of materials of so different a nature, and without a key-stone, that it does not, in my opinion, indicate either strength or duration.  It will certainly require repairs, and a key-stone next winter; and that key-stone will, and must necessarily be, Mr. Pitt.  It is true he might have been that keystone now; and would have accepted it, but not without Lord Temple’s consent, and Lord Temple positively refused.  There was evidently some trick in this, but what is past my conjecturing.  ‘Davus sum, non OEdipus’.

There is a manifest interregnum in the Treasury; for I do suppose that Lord Rockingham and Mr. Dowdeswell will not think proper to be very active.  General Conway, who is your Secretary, has certainly parts at least equal to his business, to which, I dare say, he will apply.  The same may be said, I believe, of the Duke of Grafton; and indeed there is no magic requisite for the executive part of those employments.  The ministerial part is another thing; they must scramble with their fellow-servants, for power and favor, as well as they can.  Foreign affairs are not so much as mentioned, and, I verily believe, not thought of.  But surely some counterbalance would be necessary to the Family compact; and, if not soon contracted, will be too late.  God bless you!

LETTER CCLXXVIII

Blackheath, August 17, 1765

My dear friend:  You are now two letters in my debt; and I fear the gout has been the cause of your contracting that debt.  When you are not able to write yourself, let your Secretary send me two or three lines to acquaint me how you are.

You have now seen by the London “Gazette,” what changes have really been made at court; but, at the same time, I believe you have seen that there must be more, before a Ministry can be settled; what those will be, God knows.  Were I to conjecture, I should say that the whole will centre, before it is long, in Mr. Pitt and Co., the present being an heterogeneous jumble of youth and caducity, which cannot be efficient.

Charles Townshend calls the present a Lutestring Ministry; fit only for the summer.  The next session will be not only a warm, but a violent one, as you will easily judge; if you look over the names of the ins and of the outs.