ncial needs, and distressed at the bewildering change in
European affairs, he broke down in health in September-October; and a
period of rest and change at Addington's seat at Woodley, near Reading,
was all too short for a complete recovery (18th October to 5th
November). Addington, describing this visit, remarked that Pitt had
become one of his family. Neither of them knew that a time of feud was
at hand.

At the close of the year Castlereagh came from Dublin to London to
confer with Ministers on legal and other details connected with the
proposal of Catholic Emancipation. By that time Loughborough's sharp
opposition to the measure was known at Dublin Castle, where Cornwallis
declared all resistance to the measure to be mere madness. The
Catholics, he reported, were quiet merely because they were confident of
success. Cooke, though once opposed to Catholic Emancipation, now
accepted it as a necessity.[577] Nevertheless in the King's view
Catholic Emancipation was wholly incompatible with his Coronation Oath
and with the Church Establishment in England. In the middle of December
the Chancellor drew up an able and very detailed Memorandum on the legal
aspects of the case. He even discoursed on the proselytizing zeal of
Romanists and the material causes of discontent in Ireland which the
Union would probably dispel. As Cooke remarked, the paper seemed
designed to close the question for ever.[578]

Pitt was equally determined to set the question at rest. He and
Castlereagh had confidence in the issue; and Cornwallis declared that if
Pitt were firm he would meet with no difficulty. Accordingly Pitt
inserted in the King's Speech for the ensuing session a passage
expressing confidence that Parliament would seek to improve the benefits
already secured by the Act of Union. The phrase was smooth enough to
leave the King's conscience unruffled, and on 23rd January he assented
to the Speech, requesting that no change be made.[579] But while Pitt
sapped the approaches to the citadel, Loughborough countermined him. On
what day and in what manner he informed the King of the proposed measure
of Catholic Emancipation is not clear. Possibly George scented mischief
in a short conversation with Spencer and Grenville about the middle of
January. But his brain was set on fire by something which he heard on
27th or 28th January. On the latter day (Wednesday), during the _levee_
at St. James's Palace, his behaviour betrayed unusual excitemen