Page:Life of William Shelburne (vol 1).djvu/193

Rh while Charles Fox was brought up by his father to believe that the character of Shelburne was that of a man in whom no trust could be placed.

Bute himself gave the most decisive proofs of his undiminished confidence in the integrity of Shelburne as a negotiator. During,the formation of the new Government under George Grenville, he resigned on the 8th of April, but he continued to employ Shelburne as his intermediary with Lord Gower, the Duke of Bedford, Lord Waldegrave, the Duke of Rutland, Lord Granby, Rigby, and the Duke of Marlborough, for Bute, though surrendering the ostensible lead, intended to pull the wires under the stage. If, however, these delicate negotiations succeeded, it was in a great measure owing to the tact of Lord Gower, and the King himself had to intervene before all the contending claims could be satisfied "to unravel the Gordian knot and put the finishing stroke to the new establishment."

The difficulties made by the various parties to the negotiation were incomprehensible to the mind of Bute,