make up his mind to it,
I must envy him his insensibility. But I think that if he had one
atom of it, and heard a hundredth part of what I hear from those who
are forcing themselves into his councils, he would lose his Crown,
and his life too, rather than submit to it. It is better certainly
to be kicked out of the world than kicked as long as you live [in]
it, whatever his Grace may think. But the Duke intended to insult,
and not to be obliged to apologise.

A peace, I find, of some sort is negotiating with Mr. Adams.(213)
Lord Cov(entry) dropped hints of a great deal which he knew of this
matter, but could not reveal. No credit seemed to be given yesterday
at dinner, either to his intelligence or credit with the new people,
and he had a very dissatisfied look. Two of the Bedchamber are to be
left, Lord Ailesford and the Duke of Queensberry, but the Duke's
other place will be annihilated.

The Duke of R(ichmond) affects to say that he will take nothing, and
when this is repeated there is a laugh, thinking how suddenly his
Grace is changed, for lately he took anything, and what no man
living would have taken but himself; he has met with more of this at
Chichester. His pride must have suffered of late immensely. Lord
Huntingdon dined with us yesterday, and we had the whole story en
detail, from the beginning to the end. Mr. Bates pines in his
confinement for a sight of the papers; it will not be long, I
daresay, before his resentment is gratified.

It is certainly a great consolation to me, in this trouble and
public disgrace to the King, and private distress to myself and to
you, that you stand, as you do, upon such high ground in point of
reputation; not a mouth is open against you, not a person but is
ready to say, that no one ever executed a great office so becomingly
or so judiciously as you have done. But I am afraid not of your
conduct, but of your decline, and therefore wish for a timely
retreat if possible. That others may repent of it, is true, but a
good man and one who meant the good of his country only would never
wish to have Administration pass out of your hands into those of
such a calf as they now talk of.(214) But things must have their
course; they are grievous to me, but not unlooked for.

If I had had any conception that this storm would have come so soon,
I could have supported it with less embarrassment; but I must now
bear up against it, as well as I can, and so must you, for si tout
sera pe