many years one of the most unpopular men in England. The severity with
which he had treated the rebels after the battle of Culloden had gained
for him the name of the Butcher. His attempts to introduce into the army
of England, then in a most disorderly state, the rigorous discipline of
Potsdam had excited still stronger disgust. Nothing was too bad to be
believed of him. Many honest people were so absurd as to fancy that, if
he were left Regent during the minority of his nephews, there would be
another smothering in the Tower. These feelings, however, had passed
away. The Duke had been living, during some years, in retirement. The
English, full of animosity against the Scots, now blamed his Royal
Highness only for having left so many Camerons and Macphersons to be
made gaugers and custom-house officers. He was, therefore, at present a
favorite with his countrymen, and especially with the inhabitants of
London.

He had little reason to love the King, and had shown clearly, though not
obtrusively, his dislike of the system which had lately been pursued.
But he had high and almost romantic notions of the duty which, as a
prince of the blood, he owed to the head of his house. He determined to
extricate his nephew from bondage, and to effect a reconciliation
between the Whig party and the throne, on terms honorable to both.

In this mind he set off for Hayes, and was admitted to Pitt's sickroom;
for Pitt would not leave his chamber, and would not communicate with any
messenger of inferior dignity. And now began a long series of errors on
the part of the illustrious statesman,--errors which involved his
country in difficulties and distresses more serious even than those from
which his genius had formerly rescued her. His language was haughty,
unreasonable, almost unintelligible. The only thing which could be
discerned, through a cloud of vague and not very gracious phrases, was
that he would not at that moment take office. The truth, we believe, was
this. Lord Temple, who was Pitt's evil genius, had just formed a new
scheme of politics. Hatred of Bute and of the Princess had, it should
seem, taken entire possession of Temple's soul. He had quarrelled with
his brother George, because George had been connected with Bute and the
Princess. Now that George appeared to be the enemy of Bute and of the
Princess, Temple was eager to bring about a general family
reconciliation. The three brothers, as Temple, Grenville, and Pitt were