not yield to name the Princess, though the Chancellor declared her of the Royal Family.(809) This droll personage is exactly what Woodward would be, if there was such a farce as Trappolin Chancellor.  You will want a key to all this, but who has a key to chaos?  After puzzling on for two hours how to adjust these motions, while the spectators stood laughing around, Lord Folkestone rose, and said, why not say now and usually?  They adopted this amendment at once, and then rejected the Duke of Richmond’s motion, but ordered the judges to attend next day on the questions of naturalization.

Now comes the marvellous transaction, and I defy Mr. Hume, an historian as he is, to parallel it.  The judges had decided for the Queen’s capability, when Lord Halifax rose, by the King’s permission, desired to have the bill recommitted, and then moved the Duke of Richmond’s own words, with the single omission of the Princess Dowager’s name, and thus she alone is rendered incapable of the Regency—­and stigmatized by act of parliament!  The astonishment of the world is not to be described.  Lord Bute’s friends are thunderstruck.  The Duke of Bedford almost danced about the House for joy.  Comments there are, various; and some palliate it, by saying it was done at the Princess’s desire; but the most inquisitive say, the King was taken by surprise, that Lord Halifax proposed the amendment to him, and hurried with it to the House of Lords, before it could be recalled; and they even surmise that he did not observe to the King the omission of his mother’s name.  Be that as it may, open war seems to be declared between the court and the administration, and men are gazing to see which side will be victorious.

To-morrow the bill comes to us, and Mr. Pitt, too, violent against the whole bill, unless this wonderful event has altered his tone.- For my part I shall not be surprised, if he affects to be in astonishment at missing “a great and most respectable man!"(810) This is the sum total—­but what a sum total!  It is the worst of North Britons published by act of parliament!

I took the liberty, in my last, of telling you what I heard about your going to Ireland.  It was from one you know very well, and one I thought well informed, or I should not have mentioned it.  Positive as the information was, I find nothing to confirm it.  On the contrary, Lord Harcourt(811) seems the most probable, if any thing is probable at this strange juncture.  You will scarce believe me when I tell you, what I know is true, that the Bedfords pressed strongly for Lord Weymouth—­Yes, for Lord Weymouth.  Is any thing extraordinary in them?