e allowed to make the
experiment, in which he was confident they would fail.

MR. W. W. GRENVILLE TO LORD TEMPLE.

Pall Mall, March 28th, 1783.

Half-past Seven, P.M.

My dear Brother,

I am just returned from the Queen's House, where the King sent
for me about two hours ago. When I came into the room, he began
the conversation by saying, that although his time was so much
occupied in the present hour, he had wished to see me, in order
to express how much he had felt upon reading your letter to him;
that he had never been more pleased than he had been by that; so
much matter in so little space--the whole state of our present
situation so justly seen, and so accurately described--in short,
he was at a loss to say which appeared to him in the strongest
light, the affection which had dictated that letter, or the
ability with which it was drawn up.

He expatiated a good deal more on this, and then went on to say,
that he was fully convinced that your not having been here at
this moment was a very unfortunate circumstance, for that you
would have stood forth to assist him. I said I was certain that
nothing would have made you so happy as the possibility of being
of any service to His Majesty in the present crisis. He answered
that he fully believed it, and that the idea had occurred to him
this morning of sending for me, to know what I thought of it in
the present moment, as there was not time for a communication
with you. I told him that there was one very considerable
difficulty which struck me upon it--"the distance--besides that,
Sire, the finding any person for the House of Commons, where it
is most likely that the great push will be made."

This seemed to strike him. He mentioned his having sent
yesterday again to Tom Pitt, to endeavour to persuade him to
stand forward, and his having declined it. He then went a good
deal into T. Pitt's character, speaking very highly of his good
sense and integrity, but expressing his doubts whether his
health would ever allow him to take any active part; that,
however, he had received this satisfaction from his conversation
with him, that he had the pleasure of seeing that he approved of
the conduct which he had held. He mentioned his having shown him
the material letters which had passed, and then took them out of
a d