p of the Navy and the
Solicitor-Generalship were respectively filled by Mr. Dundas, afterwards
Viscount Melville, and Mr. Pepper Arden, afterwards Lord Alvanley.

MR. FOX TO MR. THOMAS GRENVILLE.

Dear Grenville,

I am exceedingly obliged to you for your kind letter; and
indeed, if political transactions put one out of humour with
_many_, they make one love the _few_ who do act and think right
so much better that it is some compensation. I understand a
messenger is just going, by whom I send this letter; he will
bring you others, from whence you will learn that your brother
is going Lord-Lieutenant to Ireland. If you go with him as
Secretary, I hope you will be so good as to endeavour to serve
my friend Dickson, who by this change has for the third time
missed a Bishopric.

I called upon your brother yesterday, and left with him the
letters that passed between you and me, explaining that it was
at your desire that I did so. I was very glad to have your
authority for this step, for to tell you the truth, I was very
much inclined to take it even of my own when it was supposed he
was to be my successor; now that he knows the whole of the
narration, if he still chooses (as I fear he will) to go into
this den of thieves neither you nor I have anything to answer
for. If this transaction had been withheld from him, he might
have had reason to complain of me, but much more of you. I have
not heard from him since he has been _au fait_. His expressions,
both to me personally and to the party, were so kind, that I am
far from considering him as lost; but whether he is or not, and
whatever part your situation may make it right for you to take
in politics, I shall always depend upon your friendship and
kindness to me as perfectly unalterable; and I do assure you
that this consideration is one of the things that most
contributes to keep up my spirits in this very trying situation.

Yours affectionately,
C. J. Fox.
Grafton Street, July 13th, 1782.

Lord Temple entered upon the Government of Ireland at a crisis of
serious agitation. A short time before, under the Duke of Portland's
Administration, a Bill had passed the Imperial Parliament, recognizing
in full and in the most explicit manner the sole and exclusive right of
the Parliament of Ireland to make laws for Ireland--establishing and
af