use to Party, they were
extolled, and his imperfections forgot. He was invited to take a
share in Government by the people who think, or have pretended to
think, him a disgrace to the peerage.

I am sorry for it, but Lord Carm(arthen)(200) has in all this made
but a miserable figure. I am sorry, from wishing well towards him,
that I had not been apprised of this. I could have assured him of
what even the best of his own party would think of his Motion, after
it was made. I know that Lord Cambden(201) was strongly in his
private opinion against it. [The] Lord Chancellor(202) spoke out I
hear; his speech was admirable, en tous points; and upon the whole,
I believe Lord Sackville to have been infinitely more served than
hurt by this proceeding.

I saw on Brooks's table a letter directed to you from Hare, so I
hope that it was to give you an account of these things, partial or
impartial. I have no doubt but his account will be an amusing one. I
left him in his semicircular nitch at the Pharo table, improving his
fortune every deal. I wish Monsieur Mercier would come here and
write a Tableau de Londres as he has that of Paris, and that he
would take for his work some anecdotes with which I could furnish
him.

It is thought that we shall be run hard in the House to-morrow. And
so we shall, but we shall not be beat, as Charles gives out, and
does not believe. I suppose our majority will be about twenty.
Absentees in the last Question on both sides will now appear. I hope
that Government will send two Yeomen of the Guard to carry the Fish
down in his blankets, for he pretends to have the gout. He should be
deposited sur son maniveau, and be fairly asked his opinion, and
forced to give it, one way or the other, en pleine assemble, for at
present it is only we who can tell s'il est chair ou poisson. . . .

(199) Of Queensberry.

(200) See note (82).

(201) Charles Pratt, Earl Camden (1713-1794). Lord Chancellor in
1766; the friend of Pitt (Lord Chatham).

(202) Thurlow.

(1782, Feb. 19?) Tuesday night, 8 o'clock.--I saw Lord R. Spencer
and Lord Ossory to-day, who tell me that they suppose that we shall
carry the Question by ten, if the Question is put; but it is
imagined rather by them that the Ministers will give it up. Ellis
has added another footman to his chariot, and is a Minister in form,
and fact, and pomp, and everything. Lady Ossory is just come to
town. Lord Clarendon has wrote a copy of verses upon Lord