have waited all this
day for the certainty of a courier, and I am now promised that
one shall be dispatched immediately. I was in the country when I
received from Mr. Fox an express with the news of Lord
Rockingham's death, and an earnest entreaty to come to town;
which I did, and found him anxious for the future arrangements.
I told him, in the course of our conversation, that I held
myself engaged to support the measures of the body of the Whigs,
and deprecated any precipitate resolution, unless there was
reason to imagine that _measures_ would be changed. He told me
that a meeting had been held of the four friends of Lord
Rockingham; viz., the Duke of Richmond, Lord J. Cavendish,
Keppell and himself; that they had agreed to submit the Duke of
Portland's name to the King, for the Treasury, but with little
hopes of success; that he had writ to other great peers, &c., to
come to town, and wished for their opinions; that he took it for
granted that Lord Shelburne would insist upon the Treasury, and
that the King would support him in that claim; that his idea was
to quit immediately, but that others differed upon this, but
that he was to see Lord Shelburne, and should then know more.
This interview took place, and the first account I had of it was
from Lord Shelburne, who came to me in the House of Lords and
desired to tell it to me. He stated general willingness to
accommodate, and a fixed determination at all events to adhere
to every measure of reform which had been proposed, and to
facilitate Cabinet arrangements as far as could be hoped from
him; that it was natural that the Treasury should be an object
to him, that he knew no reason why he was always to forego, and
stated the indisposition of the King's mind to any other person
at the head of that board. This was attended with every
expression of civility to me, and an earnest wish that I would
not decline employment, but would engage in the King's service.
To this I made the answer which you can so easily conceive, and
told him very fairly my intention to act with the great body of
the Whigs; I proceeded to state the inconceivable difficulties
attending our situation, the necessity of union, and the certain
consequences of a breach between himself and the other great
features of the Ministry.

I can hardly give y