sort of connexion with the present administration.
I know not why I should trouble your lordship
with this important information. That Lord Mans-
field is not connected with the present ministry,
we all know ; that he should speak favourably of
your lordship is no miracle. If, indeed, he spoke
3 Lord chief justice of the king's bench.
150 CORRESPONDENCE OF THE
of the necessity of giving your system and your
party the lead in affairs, then, indeed, he would
say something to the purpose ; and what I should
think well worth sending an express an hundred
and sixty miles to acquaint you with. I must,
however, do his grace the justice to say, that he
spoke of your lordship with great affection, told
me, that he had acquitted himself, and with good
prospect of success, of all the commissions you had
given him ; and that he wished to devolve upon
your lordship all the consequence, credit, and in-
fluence that he had in the world. Rigby and
I had joined in a request for bringing a friend
in Ireland into parliament, with which he very
obligingly complied ; but as they got to compli-
menting each other on the wonderful good that
must have arisen, if their ideas had been followed
in the negotiation of last summer, I am afraid
I said somewhat a little brusque, for which I am
sorry. However, it was not a great deal ; and I
am to see him to-morrow, and will smooth down
the feathers. Besides, the first letter from your
lordship will set all to rights again. I \dsh it may
be early and kind ; for, to say the truth, he is
exerting himself, and told me he had attended to
Maidstone. I think him rather lower than when
I saw him before. Lady Rockingham tells me the
duchess is very ill.
Of Gregory I have heard not much. Lord
RIGHT HON. EDMUND BURKE. 151
Winchelsea says that things look promising. I
have nothing further to trouble you with. We
wait with impatience to hear about York.
I am, with the truest affection and attachment,
My dear lord,
Your ever obliged and obedient servant,
EDM. BURKE.
My Lady Rockingham desires that I may not
smooth down the feathers, because it was but a
very gentle breeze, that could hardly discompose
them. Her ladyship thinks, too, that by the duke
mentioning nothing about the duchess's health,
it can hardly be so bad as she suspected. Mr.
Frankland, Mrs. Pelham's father, is dead.
EDMUND BURKE, ESQ., TO RICHARD SHACKLETON.
Gregories, near Beaconsfield, May 1, 1768.
MY DEAR SHACKLETON,
I thank you heartily for your letter, and even for
the reproaches which it contains. They are, when
of that kind, very sure, and not the most un-
pleasing, indications of a real affection. Indeed,
my neglect of writing is by no means justifiable,
and does not stand well in my own opinion ; but
I am sorry to say it, I have never been quite
correct and finished in my style of life ; and I fear
152 CORRESPONDENCE OF THE
I never shall. However, if I keep the principal
parts tolerably right, I shall, I hope, meet pardon,
if not something more, from such friends as it is
the great blessing of my life to have had, in every
stage of it. As to the neglects of one who is but
too much my brother, I have nothing to say for
him. He may write himself, if he pleases ; and
he has nothing to prevent him but too much idle-
ness, which I have observed fills up a man's time
much more completely, and leaves him less his
own master, than any sort of employment what-
soever.
I am much obliged to Mr. Beauchamp for his
kind opinion of me, and to your partial repre-
sentations as the cause of it. I am willing to do
my best to forward Dr. Dunkin's subscription.
You may easily believe that your wishing well to
it, will be sufficient to engage my endeavours (as
far as they can go) without any further induce-
ment. But Dunkin deserved some rank among the
poets of our time and country ; and I agree with
you in thinking his son an ingenious and worthy
man. I cannot, I fear, do a great deal. I am
always ready to subscribe myself, and, perhaps, in
general, too ready to put forward subscriptions,
which weakens my interest when I want to use it
on some extraordinary occasions. I don't say this
as in the least declining the business you recom-
mended, for I will certainly do all I can.
RIGHT HON. EDMUND BURKE. 153
I know your kindness makes you wish, now and
then, to hear of my situation. As to myself, 1
am, by the very singular kindness of some friends,
in a way very agreeable to me. Again elected on
the same interest 4 , I have made a push, with all
I could collect of my own, and the aid of my
friends, to cast a little root in this country. I have
purchased a house, with an estate of about six
hundred acres of land, in Buckinghamshire, twenty-
four miles from London, where I now am 5 . It is
4 In the parliament which met on the 10th May, 1768,
Mr. Burke was again returned for Wendover, through the
interest of Lord Verney.
* This place, called Gregories in the more ancient deeds,
and Gregories or Butler's Court in some of later date, con-
tinued from this time in the family of Burke, until the death
of his widow, in 1812. It is situated about a mile from
Beaconsfield, a market and post town in Buckinghamshire,
twenty-three miles from London. Upon his first residing
there, Burke dated his letters from Gregories, but soon after,
probably to avoid the necessity of giving the name of the post
town, in addition to that of the house, he dated from Beacons-
field; and continued to do so to the end of his life, but
latterly spelling it Beconsfield. A considerable portion of the
estate was wood-land, and there was a detached farm ; but, sur-
rounding the house, which was large and handsome, there was a
considerable extent of arable and pasture land, which Burke
delighted to cultivate, seeking in that occupation the most
agreeable relaxation from the toils and vexations of politics.
Some of his letters to the celebrated agriculturist, Arthur
154 CORRESPONDENCE OF THE
a place exceedingly pleasant ; and I propose (God
willing) to become a farmer in good earnest. You,
who are classical, will not be displeased to hear
that it was formerly the seat of Waller the poet,
whose house, or part of it, makes at present the
farm-house within an hundred yards of me. When
Young, given in this collection, show with what earnestness
Burke entered into the details of his farm. The proximity of
this place to London rendered it the easy resort of the most dis-
tinguished characters of the time, who sought Burke's society
or advice. Here, also, he received with the greatest hos-
pitality and attention, the numerous foreigners who desired his
acquaintance. It was his greatest pleasure to accompany
these strangers to the most beautiful places of this beautiful
country, and especially to Windsor, which he had great pride
in showing, as a residence worthy of British kings. When
the French revolution drove a large portion of the nobility and
clergy of France to England, Burke's house received many of
the most distinguished, during any length of time they chose
to remain ; and for some, he procured lodgings in the town of
Beaconsfield, requesting them to use his table as their own.
Some years after her husband's death, Mrs. Burke sold the
estate to Mr. Dupre, of Wilton Park, near Beaconsfield ;
reserving the occupation of the house, gardens, and some of
the grass land of Gregories, for her life. On her death, in
1812, this portion of the property came into Mr. Dupre's
hands. He let the house soon after to Mr. Jones, a clergyman,
who kept a school there. On the 23rd of April, 1813, it was
burned to the ground. The land is now laid out in farms,
and hardly a trace remains, by which the residence of Burke
can be distinguished.
RIGHT HON. EDMUND BURKE. 155
you take a journey to England, you are obliged,
by tenure, to come and pay due homage to the
capital seat of your once favourite poet.
I am glad to find my venerable old friend, your
father, still preserves his health, and the even
tenor of his mind. At her age, no friend could
have hoped for your mother any thing but the
Euthanasia ; and in such circumstances, it must
have been a great comfort to you that she had it
so perfectly.
Mrs. Burke preserves an affectionate and grate-
ful memory of Mrs. Shackleton's kindness to her
when she was in Ireland, and joins us all in the
heartiest salutations to you both.
Adieu, my dear friend, and believe me
most sincerely yours,
E. BURKE.
DAVID GARRICK, ESQ. 6 , TO EDMUND BURKE, ESQ.
Hampton, June 17, 1768.
MY DEAR FRIEND,
If you had a house in the fens of Lincolnshire, or
on the swamps of Essex, where you were obliged
to drink brandy by way of small beer, to keep the
6 The celebrated actor, with whom Burke had long been on
intimate terms.
156 CORRESPONDENCE OF THE
ague out of your bones, I should long to be with
you ; but hearing what a sweet place you have,
with every thing right about you, I am with twins
till I am well delivered at Gregories ; but I reserve
you for a bonne douche, my good friend, and will
certainly not touch your mutton and poultry till I
have revelled at Mistley 7 . I have not a day to
spare till I set out for the paymaster's. I propose
going to town on Monday, not to return till that
annual visit is paid. I am told my righteous
neighbour is very much disturbed in mind at
Rigby's promotion. Gregories, and the pay-office,
are too much for his digestion, and it is hard to
say which of the two masters of those two places
he hates the most.
You may depend upon seeing my mahogany
countenance at my return. Madam will rejoice
with me to pay her respects to Mrs. Burke, and
we will be as happy as the day is long ; and then
some small wit shall be exercised, to draw you
and yours to our sweet little (I am mad about
it) enchanting place. I thank our dear brother
Richard for his writing a few lines to me in your
letter. I don't know so sweet a youth, nor one
to whom I have more cordial attachment, in spite
of his infidelity.
7 Mistley Hall, in Essex, the seat of the Right Hon. Rd.
Rigby, who was remarkable for keeping a good table. He
had just been appointed paymaster of the forces.
RIGHT HON. EDMUND BURKE. 157
Pray give me a line directed to my house,
Covent Garden, in a post or two, and let me
know when you go into Yorkshire; or, rather,
when I shall be sure to find you all at Gregories.
I endeavoured to get clear of Mistley this year,
but I have sent you the answer. Return it to
me in the note you'll send by Saturday's post.
Most affectionately yours,
My dear Burke,
D. GARRICK.
P.S. Mr. Tommy Townshend, your friend, I
hear is wofully angry at Rigby's preferment. I
dined lately with Lord H x: we had great
talk about your quondam friend, and mine. He
knows him to the marrow of him. How will the
malignant spirit (I can't read the name you give
him in your letter) determine to do with him-
self in the Northampton election ? Poor Lady
Hinchinbroke will be soon dead she is in a deep
consumption. Adieu !
158 CORRESPONDENCE OF THE
EDMUND BURKE, ESQ., TO THE MARQUIS OF
ROCKINGHAM.
Gregories, July 18, 1768.
MY DEAR LORD,
I intended to have written by the Duke of Port-
land 8 , who was so kind as to spend a part of a
day with us, but I am afraid I shall not be able to
avail myself of the opportunity. Some company
came upon me after his grace's departure, who
have taken up my time, so that I fear he will be
set out for the north, before I can send this to
him. Indeed, I have little worth your hearing to
communicate. Such accounts as I picked up
8 William Henry, third Duke of Portland, whose distin-
guished friendship Mr. Burke had the happiness to obtain at
an early period of his public life, and to preserve to his
last hour, and which he returned with feelings of the
highest respect and affection. The vicinity of Beaconsfield to
Bulstrode, where the duke generally passed a considerable
part of the year, led to the frequent intercourse of their
families, and established a cordial attachment between the
several members of both. His grace was appointed lord
chamberlain in the Rockingham administration of 1765, and
lord lieutenant of Ireland in that of 1782. On the death of the
marquis he was considered the leader of the whig party. In
1794, his grace joined Mr. Pitt's administration, with other
whig noblemen and gentlemen, and received the seals of the
home department. He became first lord of the treasury in
1807, and died in 1809.
RIGHT HON. EDMUND BURKE. 159
when I was last in town, will rather serve as an
excuse for my troubling your lordship, than at all
contribute to your information concerning the pre-
sent posture of things. Lord Shelburne still con-
tinues in administration, though as adverse and
as much disliked as ever ! . The minister for
Turin is not yet declared. I hear it said, and I
believe with truth, that his majesty declined
having any thing to do with the decision of this
business, but recommended them to settle it
among themselves, as well as they could. This
does not seem to be much out of character ; nor
is it, I think, the most favourable symptom in the
world to the power of the Duke of Grafton, who
continues, as I hear, his old complaints of his
situation, and his genuine desire of holding it
as long as he can. At the same time, Lord Shel-
burne gets loose too. I know that Lord Camden 2 ,
1 William Petty, second Earl of Shelburne, and first Mar-
quis of Lansdowne. He entered into political life in 1761,
and was for a short time, in 1763, at the head of the board of
trade. His lordship subsequently filled different important
offices of the government, and was at this time, July, 1768,
one of the principal secretaries of state, but resigned the
October following. The nomination of a minister to Turin,
referred to in this letter, was regularly in Lord Shelburne's
department, but was disputed by the Duke of Grafton, who
succeeded in appointing Mr. Lynch to that court in September
of this year.
2 At this time lord chancellor, to which office he was ap-
160 CORRESPONDENCE OF THE
who adhered to him in these late divisions, has
given him up, and gone over to the Duke of
Grafton. The Bedfords are horridly frightened at
all this, for fear of seeing the table they had so
well covered, and at which they sat down with so
good an appetite, kicked down in the scuffle.
They advised that things should not be brought to
extremities. They find things not ripe, at pre-
sent, for bringing in Grenville ; and that any
capital remove just now, would only betray their
weakness in the closet and in the nation. Will.
Burke met Dr. Hay : they had a great deal
of very serious conversation, not to say earnest
and eager, on the part of the doctor. I mention
it, rather to show the disposition of that faction,
and the tone of their politics, than because I am
sure it was meant as an opening to any future ne-
gotiation. Hay expressed a great desire of seeing
you in government, upon proper terms, with the
Bedfords ; lamented the exclusive and prescriptive
spirit of your party, which he feared would make
such an union difficult ; and said, that if it were
not your own fault, it would be extremely easy to
form a strong and permanent system. George
Grenville was mentioned as a very proper matter
of consideration, but he did not insist over much
on that point ; did not know why it should be an
pointed on the formation of Lord Chatham's administration, in
July, 1766.
RIGHT HON. EDMUND BURKE. 161
indispensable condition that your lordship should
be at the head of the treasury ; and why some
other great situation, with a fair proportion of
power, might not answer the purpose as well ;
that if Grenville was particularly exceptionable,
another middle person might have the treasury:
who was that middle person ? They had him in
their eye, but would not name him before they
knew that the general proposition would be ac-
cepted. He spoke of the ministry as a strange
incoherent composition, that certainly would not
stand. This he considered as a matter beyond
dispute. On W. Burke's relating this conversa-
tion to me, I fancy their middle man to be the
same they had in their thoughts this time twelve-
month Lord Gower 4 , for they spoke much the
same language, however ill the epithet of middle-
man agreed with their idea. But on talking with
Fitzherbert, on a certain rap of the knuckles
which the Butes had given to the Bedfords, he
said he wondered at it, because he knew that
their style was to talk very civilly of the Butes,
and even to go so far as to name the Duke of
Northumberland 5 as a proper person for the
4 One of the Duke of Bedford's party, who had joined the
Chatham andGrafton administration in the last year, 1767 ; being
appointed president of the council, which office he still held.
5 Hugh, first Duke of Northumberland ; having been raised
to the dukedom at the recommendation of Lord Chatham
VOL. I. M
162 CORRESPONDENCE OF THE
treasury, in case of the Duke of Grafton going
out. This seems, if true, to let in a little light
upon Hay's system. Will. Burke told him, that
he did not conceive what man they could name
so worthy as your lordship, of the joint confidence
of parties, who had never been known to deceive
any party or any individual, or who to conduct
government better, from the confidence which the
whole mercantile interest had in you ; besides the
large and respectable following of individuals.
The junction they seemed to wish, he said, had
been in their own power last year, but that they
were too hungry to accept it; that it would,
among others, have brought them this advantage,
it would have acquired them a little character.
The truth is, the Bedfords will never act any part,
either fair or amicable, with your lordship or your
friends, until they see you in a situation to give
the law to them ; and all attempts towards it, be-
fore that time, will be not only useless but dan-
gerous. I have plagued you a good deal with
political chat, which you have, so far as it is
authentic, probably received already in a much
better manner. * * *
* * *******
We have had incessant rains. My clover is
and the Duke of Grafton, in 1766. His grace had been
lord lieutenant of Ireland, as Earl of Northumberland, in
1763.
RIGHT HON. EDMUND BURKE. 163
got in, in a tolerable manner, but at a heavy
expense. About fourteen or fifteen acres of na-
tural grass are down already, under a deluge of
rain. The farmers here apprehend a poor harvest,
as the corn has suffered a good deal whilst in the
flower. I have just got an account from my
friend in Ireland, that the bull will be exceed-
ingly acceptable. At the same time that I return
my thanks for him, I must entreat your lordship
to order him to be sent to Mr. Felix Doran, a
merchant and a friend at Liverpool, who will
transmit him to Dublin.
Your lordship will be so good as to present my
respects to Lady Rockinghain ; and to believe me,
with the most sincere attachment,
My dear lord,
Your most affectionate and obedient
humble servant,
EDM. BURKE.
LORD CHARLEMONT 6 , TO EDMUND BURKE, ESQ.
Dublin, May 19, 1769.
IT cannot be necessary that I should endeavour to
explain to my dear Burke, how very much his
6 James, fourth Viscount, and first Earl of Charlemont, an
Irish nobleman, well known for his patriotism and many vir-
tues, and for the part he took when in command of the Irish
M 2
164 CORRESPONDENCE OF THE
letter has obliged me. Your goodness in finding
time, at a period of so much hurry and business,
to give an absent friend the pleasure of hearing
from you, and the satisfaction of being thoroughly
informed in an event of so interesting a nature,
deserves more thanks than I have leisure to ex-
press, or you to receive. Had you barely per-
formed your promise, by sending me the numbers
alone, I ought to have been entirely satisfied ; but
you are too well acquainted with the duties of
friendship, not to be sensible that a bare perform-
ance between friends is scarcely sufficient ; and of
this I was so well apprised, and so thoroughly
persuaded, that, however unreasonable it may ap-
pear, I had the assurance to expect from you no-
volunteers, in 1780, and during the critical struggle for the
legislative independence of Ireland. Mr. Burke had made his
lordship's acquaintance, at least as early as the year 1759, as
his connexion with Mr. Gerard Hamilton, about that time, is
said to have had its origin in Lord Charlemont's introduction.
The event to which his lordship alludes in this letter, is the
division in the house of commons on the 8th of May, 1769,
upon a petition of the freeholders of Middlesex against the
resolution of the house directing the name of Mr. Wilkes to
be struck out of the return for Middlesex, and that of Colonel
Luttrell to be inserted. The resolution was confirmed by a
majority of 221 against 152. The minority was considered so
large as to merit celebration at a great dinner at the Thatched-
House Tavern the ensuing day, got up for the purpose of pro-
moting union between the several parties then in opposition
to government.
RIGHT HON. EDMUND BURKE. 165
thing less than the full information which you sent
me. Your subsequent meeting appears to me a
matter of the greatest importance ; and though I
must rejoice in some consequences which will pro-
bably attend it, yet I will candidly confess that I
would rather those good consequences were pro-
duced from any other cause, than from an union
which appears to me unnatural, and of which I
can never cordially approve. You are well ac-
quainted with my antipathies perhaps you may
call them prejudices ; but, be that as it may, I do
not think that I should have eat my mutton at the
Thatched House with so good an appetite as usual,
though the society was increased by the addition
of the hero of the Observations 7 . I do, however,
believe that this accession is, in one sense, of the
highest importance, and will rest persuaded that
the manners of my friends are such as to be proof
against evil communications.
Matters here are in a situation whimsical enough,
and what the event will be it is not easy to guess.
The arrival of our plenipotentiary 8 , who is expected
7 Mr. George Grenville, between whose party and that of Lord
Rockingham, a junction was thought to be in contemplation.
Mr. Grenville was the author of a pamphlet entitled " The
Present State of the Nation," to which Burke replied in his
well-known " Observations."
8 Sir George Macartney, who succeeded Lord F. Caven-
dish as secretary to Lord Townshend.
166 CORRESPONDENCE OF THE
in the beginning of June, will probably throw some
light on our hitherto obscure politics. If he should
come armed with delegated thunder, to hurl down
aut At/to aut Rhodopen, he had better take care lest
he should be crushed in their fall ; unless, which,
on the other hand, is not impossible, our moun-
tains should happen to produce a mouse. Pa-
triotism, the only plant to which sunshine is always
destructive, is likely to flourish, and to spread far
and wide under the gloom of ministerial frowns.
Yet how very little is its duration to be depended
upon, since we may be certain that the very first
gleam of court sunshine will destroy and kill it to
the very roots ! But to quit figures, in which I
fear that I make but a bad figure, you are well
acquainted with the characters of those men, who
are likely to be our new patriots ; and can easily
conceive that an association with such converts, is
not extremely desirable to those whose principles
are of a more fixed and permanent nature. You
are now, I suppose, settled in your delightful
summer's retreat, where you are enjoying the re-
laxation which you have earned and purchased,
perhaps not too dearly, by your constant and dis-
agreeable application during last winter. The
noxious steams of St. Stephen's are changed for
the pure air of Gregories. Oratory yields to table-
talk, and a bad pun now takes place of all other
figures of speech. In short, you are as happy as
RIGHT HON. EDMUND BURKE. 107
ease can make you after hard labour ; but not a
whit more happy than you are sincerely wished to
be by, my dear Burke,
Your most faithful and affectionate
humble servant,
CHARLEMONT.
Present my very best respects to Mrs. Burke,
and my affectionate compliments to Will, and to
Dick. Remember me also warmly to my dear
Lord Rockingham, for whom I have, and ever
shall have, the most sincere and warm attachment
and friendship. My most respectful compliments