aw, the Grenvilles, and the party of Lord Rockingham.
On the question of the Middlesex Election these parties were agreed. But
on many other important questions they differed widely; and they were,
in truth, not less hostile to each other than to the court. The
Grenvilles had, during several years, annoyed the Rockinghams with a
succession of acrimonious pamphlets. It was long before the Rockinghams
could be induced to retaliate. But an ill-natured tract, written under
Grenville's direction, and entitled a State of the Nation, was too much
for their patience. Burke undertook to defend and avenge his friends,
and executed the task with admirable skill and vigor. On every point he
was victorious, and nowhere more completely victorious than when he
joined issue on those dry and minute questions of statistical and
financial detail in which the main strength of Grenville lay. The
official drudge, even on his own chosen ground, was utterly unable to
maintain the fight against the great orator and philosopher. When
Chatham reappeared, Grenville was still writhing with the recent shame
and smart of this well-merited chastisement. Cordial cooperation between
the two sections of the opposition was impossible. Nor could Chatham
easily connect himself with either. His feelings, in spite of many
affronts given and received, drew him towards the Grenvilles. For he had
strong domestic affections; and his nature, which, though haughty, was
by no means obdurate, had been softened by affliction. But from his
kinsmen he was separated by a wide difference of opinion on the question
of colonial taxation. A reconciliation, however, took place. He visited
Stowe; he shook hands with George Grenville; and the Whig freeholders of
Buckinghamshire, at their public dinners, drank many bumpers to the
union of the three brothers.

In opinions, Chatham was much nearer to the Rockinghams than to his own
relatives. But between him and the Rockinghams there was a gulf not
easily to be passed. He had deeply injured them, and in injuring them
had deeply injured his country. When the balance was trembling between
them and the Court, he had thrown the whole weight of his genius, of his
renown, of his popularity, into the scale of misgovernment. It must be
added, that many eminent members of the party still retained a bitter
recollection of the asperity and disdain with which they had been
treated by him at the time when he assumed the direction of affairs. It