xpedition has, I believe, completely performed its
object, and averted all danger for the present from that quarter.
The corps will now be broken up. In that event, Nugent has been
thought of to go to the West Indies with the command of a brigade,
and the local rank of Brigadier-General. I have taken it for
granted that this will be a thing agreeable to him, and have
therefore promoted it as far as I could, because it gives him the
opportunities of showing himself both in service and in command. If
you see it in the same light, perhaps, you would prefer throwing
out the idea to him before it is formally proposed to him, as he
might have difficulty in declining any proposal of service, even if
for any reason that I do not foresee this destination was not
agreeable to him.

I rejoice to think that your King's guard is almost over, which I
imagine must have been a troublesome business enough.

God bless you, my dearest brother.

The straw was now beginning to move in the direction of Ireland. Mr.
Ponsonby and his friends made no concealment of the expectations they
founded upon the advent of Lord Fitzwilliam; and reports were creeping
out, that with the change of men would come an entire change of
measures.

LORD GRENVILLE TO THE MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM.

Dropmore, Sept. 27th, 1794.
MY DEAREST BROTHER,

I received your letter here yesterday, and write this because what
you say on two material points of the public situation of affairs,
impels me to it, though I well know how impossible it is within the
compass of a letter to discuss such questions, or even to state the
mere grounds of the considerations on which they depend. I see so
much all around us of the gloomiest colour, that I am on that
account, perhaps, more sensible to the manner in which you seem to
view our situation. I cannot, however, be much surprised at the
confidence which you seem to feel as to the possibility of our
seeing the storm break all round us, and remaining untouched by it,
because such appears to be the prevailing sentiment here, as well
as in every other part of Europe: every country, and almost every
individual, seeming to reason and to act in the hope of such an
exception being made in their favour during the general ruin which
they see impending over others. I am, however, not