egency, whig ladies wore regency caps and ribbons, and a list of new
ministers was drawn up. The conduct of the prince and the Duke of York
caused much scandal. Stories of the ill-treatment of the king while in
the prince's charge may be dismissed as unfounded; it is alleged that
the prince made sport of his father's ravings, it is certain that his
associates did so, and that he and his brother behaved with brutal
callousness and openly indulged in riotous merry-making during the
king's illness.[219] Before the resolutions could be made law it was
thought that a formal opening of parliament was necessary in order to
invest it with legislative capacity, and this was effected on February 3
by a commission under the great seal. Pitt then brought in the regency
bill, and while it was before the commons, agreed that all restriction
should terminate in three years if the king remained ill so long. The
bill passed the commons after warm debate, and had reached the committee
stage in the lords when, on the 19th, the king was declared to be
convalescent. His recovery progressed steadily, and on March 10 he
announced to parliament, through commissioners, his complete restoration
to health. Both on that night, and on April 23, when he returned thanks
in St. Paul's, there were great rejoicings, for his illness enshrined
him in the hearts of his people. The skill and temper which Pitt
exhibited throughout the long crisis strengthened his position in
parliament and his place in the esteem of the public, and from that time
more cordial relations were established between him and the king, who
warmly acknowledged his obligations to him. Though he was fortunate in
the king's timely recovery, he owed much also to Fox's bad management.
The hasty assertion of the prince's rights and the delays interposed in
the proceedings in the commons put off the settlement of the regency
until it was no longer needed, while the attack on the authority of
parliament on behalf of the prince's prerogative and the reckless
attempt of Fox and his party to displace a ministry which had the
confidence of the nation, in order to obtain office for themselves,
brought general censure upon them and added to Pitt's popularity.

In Ireland the parliament met in 1789 when the regency question was
still before the English parliament. Buckingham, who as Earl Temple was
lord-lieutenant in 1782-83, had succeeded Rutland in 1787. He hoped that
the Irish would adopt the Eng