.

Whitehall, Feb. 13th, 1789.
MY DEAR BROTHER,

We have no news here, except of the favourable accounts of the
King's situation, which are every hour more and more confirmed. All
our present anxiety is, to keep down the too sanguine expectations
of our friends, in order to prevent their being too much damped by
any check, which Willis considers as an event by no means unlikely,
and not such as in any degree to diminish his confidence in the
King's recovery. From the general turn of people's conversation
here, it seems by no means certain that the Prince will take any
step for dismissing the present Government, if the King continues
to mend. It would, indeed, be a measure so grossly indecent to turn
out the King's servants at the eve of his recovery, that it would
be too strong even for those counsels by which His Royal Highness
has hitherto been actuated. But there is another consideration
which will possibly have still more weight, namely, that the
acceptance of office under such circumstances would put his friends
to considerable inconvenience and expense, such as to be by no
means worth incurring, if they are to hold them for so very short
a period as the King's present situation appears to indicate. This
mode of reasoning is of itself sufficiently obvious, and I
understand that the Prince has held a language which corresponds
with it, since so great an alteration has taken place.

Under these circumstances, you must see that the letter which you
sent me is clearly inapplicable to the present situation. If,
contrary to our present expectation, the Prince should dismiss us
all immediately, I will lose no time in sending that letter; but if
not, it seems to be the wish of all your friends that you should
remain where you are for some little time, in order that you may
not have the appearance of being driven away either by the event
which has happened, or by the violence of the abuse thrown out
against you. I see and acknowledge the difficulties of such a
situation, and lament that you should in any case be subject to
them, but you must, on the other hand, consider that these
difficulties do not of themselves, unaccompanied by other
circumstances, afford a reason for withdrawing yourself from them.
I am far from being desirous, for ma