all on one side, and the
commoner Lord L---- urges him with a Catholic measure on the other,
I should not be surprised that he took that opportunity of
withdrawing himself from the turmoil, and of leaving _champ libre_
to the commoner Lord L----, who may feel more confidence than is
reasonable, that he should find himself strong enough to take the
whole Government upon his own shoulders--a speculation which,
however flattering to his ambition, seems hardly within his reach
to carry through, the general opinion being certainly much less
favourable to him than to the present First Lord. Perhaps, however,
the K---- is tired of his old Ministers, and is ready enough to
take to their opposers, provided he can do so with at least the
appearance of making it his own act, instead of his submitting to
undisguised compulsion; but if he puts away his present servants,
he places himself as unconditionally now at the discretion of
Opposition, as he would have been if he had surrendered to them at
the beginning of the session. Perhaps female influence may have
contributed to this new view as a new measure; and undoubtedly it
is a most marked demonstration, that the three _first_ subject
dinners after the accession should be found in the three leading
houses of Opposition. The probability, however, is that it is an
over-refinement to give consistency or premeditation to that which
may be only the unrestrained irritation of the moment.

Yours most affectionately,

T. G.

LORD GRENVILLE TO THE MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM.

Dropmore, May 16, 1821.

Certainly, your description of the discussion for and against the
proposed relief to the Catholics is not encouraging, any more than
the prospect which the papers seem to hold out of the rejection of
the Grampound Bill by the majority of the Cabinet, in contradiction
to Lord Liverpool's support. The King's demonstrations of renewed
intercourse with the great peers of opposition must also, in such a
moment, be a source of weakness, as well as of personal vexation.

In this state of things, I do not wonder that both parts of the
Government should be unwilling to stir this Catholic question again
in any shape; and I certainly see no such benefit likely to arise
from doing so in the mode of partial relief, as to induce the
friends of conciliatio