Lord Chatham, who had exhibited fome flattering symptoms of recovery, relapfing into his former state of illness and imbecility, Mr. Charles Townshend renewed his intrigues with redoubled affiduity; and, highly resenting that his name was wholly omitted in the late projected arrangements, he refolved to devote himself entirely to the Court; by whom his advances were fo favorably or rather eagerly received, that the ultimate confequences of his plotting and perverfe politics might have proved very perplexing and pernicious, had not his death prematurely and unexpectedly intervened in the month of September 1767*. The term of this Minifter's public life was too fhort, and his fituation too fubordinate, to allow that full and free scope of action which is neceffary to the perfect development of a character. From what appears, his ambition, increafing with his increase

*During the fhort funfhine of Court favor which Mr. Townshend enjoyed, his Lady was created a Peerefs in her own right, by the title of Baronefs Greenwich. In allufion to the extraordinary degree of influence and authority poffeffed by Mr. Townshend at this period, when Lord Chatham advanced rapidly to the clofe of his minifterial career, a celebrated orator, Mr. Burke, in a fpeech fome years afterwards made in the House of Commons, thus expreffes himfelf:-" Even then, Sir, before this fplendid orb was entirely fet, and while the western horizon was in a blaze with his defcending glory, on the oppofite quarter of the heavens arose another luminary, and for his hour became lord of the afcendant.”

of

of honors, was much better fuftained by political ability, deftitute as that ability was of a clear and correct judgment, than his ability by political rectitude. He was fucceeded in his office of Chancellor of the Exchequer by Frederick Lord North, eldeft fon of the Earl of Guildford-a man as yet but little known to the public, but who foon rofe to great eminence in the State. Although his notions of government evidently appeared of the high and Tory caft, his temper was mild, equable, and pleasant. His abilities, though by no means of the first class, were far removed from contempt; his knowledge of business was extenfive, his integrity unimpeached; and, though indolent and unenterprifing by conftitution, he was occafionally capa-) ble of refolute and perfevering exertion. It must however be remarked, that a certain indiftin&tnefs and confufion of ideas unfortunately pervaded his general fyftem of thinking; and though he feemed habitually to aim at the thing which was right, and often made a confiderable approach towards it, he almost invariably stopped fhort of the true and genuine ftandard of political propriety. With the reputation of meaning well, therefore, he acquired the imputation of indecifion and inftability-and the general tenor of his administration must certainly be allowed to exhibit very few indications of energy, wisdom, or force of penetration. But the character of this nobleman will be beft appreciated

by pofterity, in contemplating that faithful por traiture of his actions and conduct, which it is the province of history to delineate.-Mr. Thomas Townshend fucceeded Lord North as Paymafter of the Forces; Mr. Jenkinson, Mr. Townshend, as a Lord of the Treasury. Lord Chatham, who had retired in fullen filence, oppreffed with illness and discontent, to his feat in Somersetshire, was no longer confulted, from caufes which require no additional explanation, either as to the arrangements actually made, or with respect to those which were ftill in view.

In the autumn of the prefent year 1767, died at Monaco in Italy, Edward Duke of York, Fakkeldest brother to the King-and on this account only entitled to hiftoric notice; his political character remaining as yet unknown, or known only from the unfavorable circumftance of his giving his vote in Parliament against the repeal of the Stamp Act. He is ufually reprefented as a Prince of pleafing manners, and comparative vivacity of genius; but of fuperficial attainments in knowledge, and very diffolute in his morals. He was of the naval profeffion, and had distinguished himfelf in the laft war, when very young, in the attack on Cherbourg, under Lord Howę, by his fpirit and gallantry. His affability and courage, conjoined with the common advantages of youth, had acquired him no inconfiderable degree of popula

rity amongst the vulgar, and the esteem of the wife he never fought.

The Earl of Northington, who had occupied, amid the fucceffive changes of five different Administrations, the high offices of Lord Keeper, Lord Chancellor, and Lord Prefident, now broken in health, and weary of politics, at this juncture declaring his refolution to refign; new advances were made to the Bedford party, who, convinced that an accommodation with Lord Rockingham was impracticable, determined at length to clofe with the offers of the Court. About the end of the year, Earl Gower was nominated Prefident of the Council, in the room of the Earl of Northington; Lord Weymouth, Secretary of State, in the room of General Conway promoted in the military line; and Lord Hillsborough was appointed to the fully new office of Secretary of State for the Colonies, the creation of which was fuppofed with reason to indicate that the Court was preparing to make them the objects of some extraordinary measures. The Earl of Chatham, at present only the fhadow of a mighty name, and sequestered in the groves of Burton Pynsent, ceased to be mentioned by the public. After the lapfe of fome months, perceiving, or believing that he perceived, the fixed and invincible predominance of that malignant influence, which from the acceffion of the prefent King had invariably oppofed, and more or lefs openly counteracted, the

effential

effential interefts of the people, this Nobleman determined upon a refignation; and in the month of October 1768, not being able, or not deigning himself to appear at Court, he fent the Privy Seal to the King, by the hands of Lord Camden: it was immediately delivered to the Earl of Bristol. Nearly at the fame time, the Earl of Shelburne, zealously attached to the Earl of Chatham, refigned the feals of the Southern department to the Earl of Weymouth, who was fucceeded by the Earl of Rochford, late Ambaffador at Paris.

For fome time previous to thefe changes, the feelings of the public had been in a peculiar manner interested, and their attention engaged, by the fituation of Corfica, which, neglected as it had been by one Administration after another, now at length forced itself upon the notice of the Government. This ifland, fo celebrated in all ages for its ardent and invincible paffion for liberty, was on the fall of the Roman Empire poffeffed by the Goths, and afterwards by the Saracens, from whom it is faid to have been wrefted by the famous Charles Martel. In a fhort time, Corfica was refigned by the Kings of France as a free gift to the Holy See, which, from the inceffant irruptions of the Saracenic Powers, and the ungovernable fpirit of the natives, finding the acquifition very unprofitable, ceded the ifland to the Republic of Pifa, then in the me ridian of its greatnefs. But Genoa gaining the ultimate