the House
of Commons. Among the frequenters of St. James's Street the first
thought was how would their own political fortunes be affected.
Fox's declaration that an end had come to a political system was
received with incredulity. To Selwyn it was a time at once of
annoyance and interest. He feared for his sinecure offices; he had,
as has been already pointed out, grown accustomed, like many others,
to the Administration of the King and Lord North. He had no personal
liking for the fallen Minister, and he had watched the career of Fox
from boyhood with mingled admiration and disgust. He could not
realise him as a Minister.

(1782,) March 6, Wednesday morning.--I told you, in my letter of
Monday, that I should Write to you yesterday, and so I should have
done, if there had anything come to my knowledge more than what you
see in all the public papers, and which must be of equal date with
my letter.

What conversation I have with the people at Brooks's or White's upon
these matters is really not worth putting down. Those who are out,
and wanting the places of those who are in, either for themselves or
for their friends, talk a language which has much more of phrensy in
it than common sense, which, in the most rational and the best
tempered, seems as much out of sight, as the spirit of the
Constitution itself.

You will laugh at my mentioning that, because you will not conceive
that I understand it; perhaps I do not, but I perfectly remember how
(I) have heard and read it described to be, and it is as different
from what our present Patriots or Whigs represent it, as the
Government of the Grand Senior (Signer).

Poor Fitz(willia)m, whom I really love on many accounts, held me in
conversation last night, his brother only being present. I do not
know if he was in earnest, but I suppose that he was. He had worked
himself up to commiserate the state of this country, nay, that of
the King himself, [so] that I expected every instant that his heart
would have burst; but to speak more to my passions, he lamented, in
the terms the most attendrissants, your situation, and how much your
pride, and feelings of every kind, must be hurt, and that for no
estate upon earth he would be in your perilous state.

I begged for a little light, and to know if there was a possibility
of salvation in any position in which our affairs could be placed.
He asked me then with the utmost impetuosity, what objection I had
to Lord Rockfingham(2