had first endeavoured to persuade Pitt to suffer the Treasury to
devolve upon him, and that at one time he had entertained the
most flattering hopes of success; but being disappointed in
this, he had tried the Cabinet all round, but none had the
spirit to stand forth. He had then sent to Lord North (after
a week's delay to try other arrangements, particularly one in
which the H. C. and the seals of the Secretary of State had
been offered to and pressed upon Ths. Pitt), to know whether
he was open to negotiation, or prevented by this coalition; that
when, in consequence of this message, he saw him, he had at
first tried whether he would accept the Treasury; because, much
as he disliked them both, if he was to choose, he must certainly
prefer Lord North to Fox. When Lord North declined this, he
proposed that an arrangement should be made, leaving the
Treasury open to some person of neither party, to be named by
him afterwards; that Lord North left him with this proposal, but
the next day told him that Mr. Fox insisted upon the Treasury
for the Duke of Portland. After some time, he consented to this
point also, and then desired that Lord North would bring him a
written arrangement, that he might be enabled to see the whole,
and form his judgment upon all the dismissals and appointments
which were intended. After two days more, he had sent for Lord
North, who had told him that he had no such arrangement to bring
him, for that difficulties had arisen between them; that Fox
insisted upon removing the Chancellor, in order that the Seals
might be put into commission. To this the King objected very
strongly, as he had expressed his desire that the arrangement
might be made upon a broad basis; and that nothing could be more
different from such an idea than the dismissal of the
Chancellor, without having any person to substitute in his room.
Lord North then said that another difficulty had arisen. He had
named Lord Stormont for the Secretaryship of State; but this had
been objected to; and Lord Stormont had refused to accept of any
other situation. The King again asked him whether, this being
the case, he would undertake it separately. This was declined.

Yesterday evening, at five, Lord North was again at the Queen's
House, when the King told him that he desired it might be
understo