thers: the Fish was unspeakably mortified to find that his
cook was not a man of so great celebrity as he had imagined, and
gave his first dinner yesterday with a determination to condemn the
cook's performance, whether good or bad. I am very ill qualified to
tell you the scandalous history of fine ladies, not having been at
one assembly this winter. . . .

Lord Salisbury sacrifices his whole time and fortune to
Hertfordshire popularity, and six years hence may perhaps reap the
reward of his labours by bringing in a Member for the county, after
an expensive contest. . . .

Lord Morpeth looks remarkably well: I hope George's fondness will
not spoil him, for he is the prettiest boy I ever saw.

(189) See letter of Feb. 19, 1782: "Young Pitt has formed a society
of young Ministers, . . ." and note (204).

(190) See letter of Feb. 19, 1782 below: "Weltie's Club is going to
give a masquerade . . ." and note (203).

CHAPTER 5. 1782. THE FALL OF LORD NORTH.

Fox's political principles--The fifth Duke of Bedford--A little
dinner--A debate in the Commons--The attack on Lord George Germaine
--Beckford--An evening at Brooks's--Pitt and his friends--Possible
changes in the Cabinet--Faro at White's--A story of the Duke of
Richmond--An address to the King--A levee--Play and politics at
Brooks's--Government and the Opposition--Selwyn and his offices--The
position of the King--Fears of change of administration--The King's
objections to Fox--Probable debates--Political prospects--Debates
and divisions--The fate of the King's friends--Illness of Lord
Morpeth--Annoyance of Selwyn at the state of affairs--Fox and
Selwyn--Fall of Lord North--A new Ministry--Official changes--Fox
and Carlisle--Carlisle's position--Morpeth and Mie Mie.

"The year 1782 is memorable for the fall of Lord
North. It was more than the end of a Ministry, to a great extent it
was the end of the system of personal government by the sovereign."
"The King," wrote Selwyn, on March 27th, "will have no more personal
friends, as Lord Hertford says; there will be no opposition to that
in this new Government, what a cipher his Majesty will be you may
guess." Selwyn had no great respect for the King, and not much
liking for his minister, Lord North. "I see him in no light, but
that of a Minister, and in that I see him full of defects, and of
all men I ever yet sate down to dinner with the most disagreeable.
But he is so, in part from a scholastic, puritanical