is too fair to be neglected. If I were therefore to advise
you, it would be to write to the King, stating that nothing
could be further from your intention than the throwing any
embarrassment in his way at a moment when, on the contrary, you
would rather wish to do everything in your power, &c., &c. This
would lead naturally to the first part of your letter, about the
manner of your having accepted the Government of Ireland. You
might then say, that the letter of resignation was written on
the idea of the probability of those men being called to His
Majesty's counsels who had, &c., &c. That under such a
Government you could not have flattered yourself with the hopes
of being useful to His Majesty, for the reasons assigned, &c.,
&c., which I think it is impossible for you to detail better
than they are there stated, except in the single instance of the
mentioning of names, with no very flattering comment, which I
would (if I might be allowed to do it) deprecate in the
strongest manner, for reasons very sufficiently obvious. You
might then, I should think, go on to say, that in obedience to
His Majesty's gracious dispositions, you would continue to hold
your situation till something is settled; in the hopes, however,
if it ended in such a Government as you could not serve under
consistently with your character, or the system of your
Administration, you might then be permitted, &c., &c.

In this manner I should hope that you would lose nothing, except
a little time--not very important to you--by the non-delivery of
your letter.

The Duke of Portland had a meeting last night, to which were
summoned all Fox's people, and all the country gentlemen who had
formerly acted with them. The Duke stated to them what had
passed, and told them that the whole had broken off upon the
King's insisting upon the Chancellor and Lord Stormont. This is
pretty curious, at the moment that the King was stating to Lord
North that such a reason could not be assigned with truth. The
Duke said, however, that Lord North was then with the King, and
therefore hoped that nothing might be done till they heard the
result. This was applied to Lord Surrey, who had expressed an
intention of moving an address.

What passed between the King and Lord North, I have told you
above, as it was stated to me. It