APPENDIX. ACCOUNT OF THE RESIGNATION OF THE DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE, OCTOBER 28. 1762. BY LORD JOHN CAVENDISH. [Grafton MSS.] "As soon as my brother came to town he went to Court "and sent in one of the pages to desire an audience. The "page returned, and told him that the King would not see "him. He desired him to go again and inquire in whose "hands he should leave his Staff. The King sent back word "that he would send him his orders. Upon this he went im'mediately to Lord Egremont's, and desired him to take "the Staff and Key to the King as he wanted to go out of "town, and so left them in his Lordship's hands. Lord Bes"borough and George were to resign the next day." It also appears from the Grafton Memoirs that the King was offended with the Duke of Devonshire for having failed, notwithstanding a special summons, to attend a Council held on the Preliminaries of the Peace. With these accounts Lord Orford's very nearly agrees, (Memoirs, vol. i. p. 201.) MR. PITT TO THE COUNTESS STANHOPE. Hayes, July, 20. 1765. MADAM, I AM not the first who, under the impressions of a strong impulse, has attempted the impossible thing. I am now set down to try to write without a hand, for such my lameness continues to be, that I may almost as well be without one. The lively sense of Lady Stanhope's goodness to me makes it no strange thing that I should attempt a letter with my own pen, rather than employ any of the small secretaries who would be too proud and happy to undertake the work. The honour of your Ladyship's most obliging letter found me confined still to my room, and mostly to my bed; gout without end, and, to close all, an ague and fever, have disabled me from expressing some part of what I feel from the flattering marks of a friendship which makes me so justly proud. The letters marked as accompanying a pacquet came safe, but, alas, the various pamphlets which your Ladyship's goodness had destined for your invalid servant's comfort and recreation lost their way, nor have I been able ever to recover them; but the circumstance the most valuable could not be lost to me, the knowledge of your Ladyship's obliging intentions. I find my hand begins to admonish me how ridiculous a Secretary I should have proved upon the large scale, where I was so near engaging. All is now over as to me, and by a fatality I did not expect, I mean Lord Temple's refusing to take his share with me in the undertaking. We set out for Somersetshire to-morrow morning, where I propose to pass not a little of the rest of my days, if I find the place tolerable. Lady Chatham joins in every warm wish for the health and happiness of our respectable and kind friends at Geneva; may all things prosper with them as they and true virtue deserve! I have the honour to be, &c. &c. MR. HENRY GRENVILLE, AMBASSADOR IN TURKEY TO THE EARL OF HALIFAX. (Extract.) Constantinople, August 1. 1765. THINGS grow more and more serious in Georgia, but yet not enough to rouse the Grand Seignor from his present supineness, though his jealousy and suspicions of Russia increase every hour. The Porte has very lately demanded from the Russian Minister here explanation upon three questions, one after another. The first, what is the destination of those troops which are in march in Russia? This probably is nothing more than the camp forming in the neighbourhood of Petersburg. The second, what are these forts which the Muscovites are building at Cabarta, in Circassia? 1765. STANHOPE PAPERS. 351 The Russian Minister gave for answer that they were not forts, but lines drawn against the incursions of those independent Tartars which that country swarms with. And here I will tell your Lordship, by-the-by, that such is the ignorance of the Porte with respect to their own frontiers, that they secretly sent a person of confidence to me to be informed where that Cabarta is situated! They have since despatched an officer to Circassia to view and examine the works carrying on there, and to make a report of his observations. To the third question, what is that fort building by the Muscovites on the frontiers of Bessarabia, answer was made that is no fortress neither, but a lazaretto for the performance of quarantine. From hence one sees with how jealous and suspicious an eye the Porte views every proceeding of Russia, whose most innocent steps are construed into some bad design. MR. HENRY GRENVILLE TO MR. SECRETARY CONWAY. Constantinople, Sept. 2. 1765. THE spirit of sedition now reigning within the very walls of Constantinople, and the universal discontent among all ranks and orders of people there, may very well find sufficient employment for the Grand Seignor, and leave him no leisure to turn his thoughts to any other object. Anonymous bills are dispersed up and down in the Mosques demanding the heads of several persons in distinguished posts. The Grand Seignor has already sacrificed to them a great favourite of his, a Greek immensely rich, who has been hanged within these few days at his own door, and the Prince of Wallachia, a known creature of his, is just deposed. It is imagined that he of Moldavia will meet the same fate. THE KING TO GENERAL CONWAY. [Orig. Brit. Mus.] Dec. 6. 1765. LIEUT. GEN. CONWAY, THE inclosed is the Memorial I received from Mr. Pitt. It |