rawer, and gave them me to read, consisting of four. One from
the Duke of Portland, desiring to see the King. The King's note
to Lord North, desiring to see the arrangement; and Lord North's
answer, enclosing a letter to him from the Duke of Portland,
both declining to give in the list.

While I was reading these letters he went over with me a great
variety of topics, chiefly the same as in the two former
conversations, and very particularly upon the characters of Lord
North and Fox, whom I think he described very justly, though
certainly not in the most flattering colours. The first, he
said, was a man composed entirely of negative qualities, and
actuated, in every instance, by a desire of present ease at the
risk of any future difficulty. This he instanced in the American
war, and in the riots of 1780, of which he gave me a very long
detail. As to Fox, he allowed that he was a man of parts,
quickness, and great eloquence; but that he wanted application,
and consequently the fundamental knowledge necessary for
business, and above all, was totally destitute of discretion and
sound judgment. He paid many compliments to William Pitt, to
Jemmy, to the Major-General, to myself, and above all, to you,
which language, I know, he has within these few days held most
universally, which has probably given rise to the second report
of your being sent for.

In more than one instance, he made use of expressions which, if
they did not absolutely declare his resolution at all hazards
not to send again for the Duke of Portland, at least, have very
strongly impressed me with that idea. In this I may be mistaken,
but I own I so understood him; although I am utterly at a loss
to form any conjecture of what he is looking forward to.

After he had gone through a very long detail of this sort, he
dismissed me, saying, that he would certainly write to you,
through me, in a day or two; and, in the meantime, desiring that
you would understand how much he had been satisfied with you,
and how happy he should have been if you could have helped him.

You see this does not amount to an offer; and the reason is, I
think, sufficiently plain why the offer was not made: namely,
that he had been staggered at what, I fear, is an insurmountable
difficulty, with respect to the lead of the House of Commons. W