every shadow of power and dignity, is no object to me now of mirth;
so, as I cannot help it, or approve it, and shall get nothing by a
dispute with such people, I am determined to act for my own part
--what I think is becoming me to do--to resign all ideas of
pecuniary advantage, if I cannot have them upon the terms I like,
and wait for better times.

The P(rince) of W(ales) supped the night before last at Lord
Derby's; there were as I am told no less than six courses; the women
were Lady Payne, Lady Jersey, perhaps Lady Mellbourne; I have not as
yet been informed of particulars. He stayed there till six, and
then, I hear, carried Charles home in his coach. He canvassed in the
last Question against his father. Lord Mellbourne stayed away at his
instigation. In this he has acted contrary to his engagements. He
says that he purchased his seat at Luggershall.(220) It is a
falsehood. If he did, he has not paid the money he ought for it; but
both Lord N(orth) and Robinson have acted in this, towards me, in
the most scandalous manner in the world, and I will inform the
K(ing) of it myself by an audience, if I can find no other means of
doing it.

I warned Lord North over and over again of this supercherie. I knew
his intention, and he was so weak as to neglect the means of pinning
this fitz scrivener, [this] fitz coachman, this fitz cook to his
word, and putting it in his power to use me in this manner, as if he
had bought of me a seat in Parliament, which no man living ever yet
did, but the King himself.

Lord Gower told me last night, that it might be a week before it was
possible to guess in the least how things would [be] settled; he
believed that the King would not send for you from Ireland, unless
you chose it. I think, and so I told him, that that was more than
the King himself could answer for.

I am now confident they would give it to the Duke of Devonshire if
he would accept it; he will not, and the Duke of Portland, that
jolt-headed calf, certainly will.(221) I wish to have nothing but
Buckinghams and Portlands for their subalternate ministers as long
as they are at Court, and then their damned Administration will be
over in six months, and they sunk into the herd of the people, and
the contempt which they deserve from any man of sobriety and
character.

Rigby and Lord G(ower) werd in another room in close conference a
great while. The negotiation has been carried on, but at present
broke off, between the