King, whose conduct still caused intense anxiety or annoyance.[682]
Scarcely a day passed without a lapse into incoherence or violence.
Moreover, his conversation often showed a lack of discrimination, being
the same to the Queen, the physicians, or the servants. He made the most
capricious changes, turning off the Queen's favourite coachman, and
making grooms footmen, and footmen grooms, to the distraction of the
household. On assuming office, Pitt consulted the royal physicians and
received a reply, dated Queen's Palace, 16th May 1804, stating that the
King was equal to the discharge of important business, but must avoid
long conferences or any deviation from his usual habits, quiet being
essential. Thereupon Pitt and Lord Eldon wrote to the King urging this
prudent course. They frequently visited Buckingham House, where five
physicians were in almost constant attendance, a state of things viewed
with alarm by patriots and with eager hope by the Foxites and their
hangers on.[683]

Unfortunately George could not compose himself to rest. Such is the
tenor of hasty notes sent to Pitt by Villiers, now high in favour at Kew
and Windsor. They describe the King's fussy intervention in household
affairs, his orders for sudden and expensive changes in the palaces, his
substitution of German for English servants, his frequent visits to the
stables unaccompanied by the equerry, his irritability on the most
trifling occasions, and, alternating with this undignified bustle, fits
of somnolence which at times overtook him even on horseback. Then, too,
there were quarrels with the Queen, whose conduct, said Villiers, was
such as to aggravate these troubles and check the course of recovery.
Indeed, the King's violent headaches seemed to Dr. Milman to presage an
attack of apoplexy. At all times he showed a marked preference for the
company of servants and workmen, declaring the higher officials to be
"Court nuisances." Villiers therefore begged Pitt to request an
interview with the King, now at Kew, for he took no notice of letters.
On Midsummer day Villiers suggested means for assuring the veto of the
physicians on the projected visit to Weymouth, in view of the
extravagance and inconvenience of the plans to which it gave rise.

Among them was the collection of a large military force in Dorset,
George being convinced that the French would land there rather than in
Kent or Essex. Fortunately, the Duke of York dissuaded him from a step