p suddenly. I asked
what then he wished me to do. He told me to wait upon the
Chancellor. I objected that the question was not a legal one,
but wholly political. I urged the consequences of delay. Still,
however, I could get no answer from him, but only that I must go
to the Chancellor; and at last he grew so impatient as to leave
the room while I was talking, and to tell Townshend that he
might find him in his (Lord Shelburne's) office. The whole
conversation did not last above four or five minutes at the
utmost. I turned to Townshend, and asked him if he thought it
possible that the Government of Ireland could go on in this
manner. He pressed me to go to the Chancellor, and said that he
could tell me, _en ami_, that I should do more good there in
three minutes than I could do elsewhere in as many hours.

By the way, I must say here, that by some inaccuracy I must have
explained myself very ill to you about Townshend, who seems to
me to have acted the most friendly and honest part towards you
in the course of the whole business, and who has sacrificed his
time to me for an hour or an hour and a half for several days;
while during the fortnight I have now been here, I have not seen
Lord Shelburne for twenty minutes in the whole.

I have been very particular in detailing the above conversation
to you, because I think it opens two things of infinite
importance to your personal comfort and your personal honour. I
think it extremely plain that the object of Lord Shelburne is to
gain time, and that let me press ever so eagerly, _which I shall
not fail to do_, still I am not to expect any final answer till
the negotiation is settled, and the peace, which they evidently
look upon as certain, is secured and announced. What effect
these delays may have in Ireland, and what appearance this state
of uncertainty must bear to those who know the proposal you have
made, you are best able to judge, but I know enough of it to be
very much alarmed. But the second consideration affects me much
more, as I think it affects your honour, and my own as involved
with it. What I mean is this: I threw out to you in my former
letters that Lord Shelburne appears to me much more disposed to
narrow than to extend the rights and concessions yielded to
Ireland by Great Britain. I think when you compare th