s twelve Apostles.

Sawbridge had attacked the present Administration for their intended
folly of taking up four other persons besides Mr. Eyre upon
the news of that plot, that made so much noise for a day or
two at the opening of Parliament; and said that some person in
Administration had very wisely objected to it, because instead
of having the Wilkes, there would immediately be five.

To which Lord North answered by saying, though he might believe a
Buckingham House Junto might do a great deal, yet he had so much
respect for Mr. Wilkes, as not to imagine that they could easily
make another person at (all?) similar to him; that he had seen the
difficulty of such an undertaking by observing, that gentlemen who
made it the whole object and study of their lives to resemble him,
had failed in the attempt. He ended by quoting--Non cuivis homini
contingit, etc.; some of the Treasury prompted him--Ex quovis ligno
non fit Mercurius.

We divided twice that day, besides having a third Question. The
order of the day was first put, then the previous Question, and the
main one. So that Wilkes and his party divided with us upon the
previous Question. Lord North upon this desired, while the minority
was in the Lobby, that gentlemen would stay for the main Question,
as we should not have some of the present majority with us. Upon the
whole, I never saw a Question in Parliament treated with so little
respect.

Now I ought, according to the course of proceedings, give you some
account of Hartley's; but as he has printed his speech, I will not
take that out of his hands, which he has so much more right to. He
spoke for above two hours. Good God! I shudder even now at the
thoughts of it. No one can have a complete idea of a boar (sic) who
has not been in Parliament.

Thus you have seen an epitome of what we have been about; what we
are to do, you are more likely to know than I, having a direct
avenue to the Cabinet; but I believe it is scarcely in their power
to say what we are to do. Whether we are to send Russians, or
French, or what nation the troops are to be of, I cannot guess. They
say Russians cannot go on account of the ice in the Baltic; and then
if they could, they say the French and Spaniards would not let them.
We are playing tres gros jeu, and in every way a losing game.

As for conquering America, without foreign troops, it is entirely
impossible; and I think it pretty near a certainty that the Rebels
will be in po